It's essential to train English as a second language (ESL) teachers in how to teach English. In some cases, the teachers you hire may have little or no training in how to teach. When you develop a training program for ESL teachers, you'll create certain standards that all teachers should follow. This helps you set a baseline and ensure that all students receive similar lessons, regardless of the teacher. Your ESL teacher training program should last at least a week to be sure that you are covering everything teachers need to know about teaching for your company.

Develop or purchase an ESL curriculum. Teachers need something from which to work off of. An ESL curriculum guides teachers on what to teach. This also means that all students at a certain level will learn the same things, regardless of location or teacher. In the curriculum, include a plan for how each lesson should be taught. An ESL curriculum should start with specific groups of vocabulary, such as food, animals, verbs and adjectives. Each unit should then focus on a specific English grammar point or phrase. For example, if your school focuses on teaching young children, use sentences such as "I can..." where the student fills in the blank with a verb. Older students will need help with more complex grammatical structures.

Teach new teachers the lesson structure. Teachers need a basic plan for how they will run their lessons. For example, the first 10 minutes of class can be a conversational warm-up, while the last 10 minutes may be reserved for games. In between, the teacher can teach the day's lesson.

Create a handbook of games that teachers can use in their classes. The hallmark of a good ESL lesson is the type of games that a teacher uses with students. Bingo is a good game to use in ESL classes, but you should also show teachers how to incorporate flash cards into games. For example, teachers can lay the cards on the floor and have students toss an object to land on one of the cards, which they must then use in a sentence.

Discuss classroom management and company policy. Proper classroom management is an essential part of a good lesson. Teachers should understand how they can prevent problems in the classroom and what to do should they occur. One of the biggest challenges for ESL teachers is communicating with students who don't speak English well. Show teachers how they can communicate using pictures and hand gestures.

Cover basic safety issues and first aid. Teachers should understand what to do in cases of emergency and how to provide students with basic first aid in case there are any accidents in the classroom. One important point to cover is emergency services. If your school is abroad and the teacher doesn't speak the language, it can be a challenge to call for emergency help. Establish a system to help teachers.

Allow new teachers to watch other successful teachers. One of the best ways for new ESL teachers to learn how to teach is to watch other teachers who are already successful. Schedule time for your teachers to watch other teachers in action.

Hold regular meetings for retraining. It's important to keep ideas fresh in the minds of your teachers. Plan to hold a monthly or quarterly meeting to help teachers refresh their skills.