Flipped Classroom

An instructional model in which the traditional sequence is inverted: input and presentation happen outside class (typically through video, reading, or online materials), while class time is devoted to practice, interaction, and application. The teacher shifts from lecturer to facilitator, and contact hours are maximised for the activities that benefit most from teacher presence and peer interaction.

Origins

The concept gained widespread attention through Jonathan Bergmann and Aaron Sams, two chemistry teachers in Colorado who began recording lectures for absent students in 2007. Their book Flip Your Classroom: Reach Every Student in Every Class Every Day (2012) popularised the model. The underlying principle, that passive reception of information is the least productive use of face-to-face time, predates the label; it echoes long-standing arguments in education about active learning.

How It Works

Phase	Traditional classroom	Flipped classroom
Before class	Homework (practice)	Input (video, reading, tasks)
In class	Teacher presents new content	Practice, discussion, application
After class	Practice exercises	Extension, reflection

Benefits for Language Teaching

• Maximises Student Talking Time: With presentation moved outside, class time shifts from teacher monologue to learner interaction
• Enables differentiation: Learners engage with input at their own pace, pausing, rewinding, or reviewing as needed
• Supports Freer Practice: More time for communicative activities, role plays, discussions, and task-based work
• Develops Learner Autonomy: Learners take responsibility for their own input processing
• Improves Pacing: Teachers can respond to what learners actually need rather than spending fixed time on presentation

Challenges

• Access: Assumes learners have reliable internet and devices outside class
• Compliance: Some learners will not engage with pre-class materials, creating uneven preparation
• Material quality: Effective flipped learning requires well-designed input materials: a poorly structured video is worse than a good live explanation
• Not inherently better: The flip is only as good as what replaces the lecture; simply moving presentation to video and filling class time with worksheets defeats the purpose

Connection to Blended Learning

The flipped classroom is one model within Blended Learning, which broadly refers to any combination of face-to-face and technology-mediated instruction. Not all blended learning is flipped (online components might supplement rather than replace in-class presentation), but all flipped classrooms are blended by definition.

In ELT Practice

The model works particularly well for grammar presentation (video explanations watched before class, class time for communicative practice), vocabulary pre-teaching (learners study sets before class, class time for contextualised use), and exam preparation (strategy explanations at home, timed practice in class).