Giving Instructions

Giving instructions is the skill of communicating task requirements to learners clearly, concisely, and in a way they can act on. It looks simple. It isn't. Unclear instructions are probably the most frequent cause of failed activities — the task itself may be excellent, but if students don't understand what to do, it collapses. This skill has an outsized impact on lesson quality relative to the attention it typically receives.

Key Principles

Keep it short

Every extra sentence is a sentence that can confuse. Strip instructions to the minimum needed. A good rule: if you can say it in two sentences, don't use four. Instructions that take longer than 60 seconds probably need restructuring — either the task is too complex or the explanation is too wordy.

Grade your language

Instructions must be at or below the students' level — simpler than the language you're teaching. Use short sentences, familiar vocabulary, and imperative forms: "Read the text. Find five adjectives. Underline them." At lower levels, reduce to near-telegraphic: "Read. Find five. Underline."

Demonstrate, don't explain

Doing an example is almost always clearer than explaining the procedure. For a matching exercise: "Look — number 1 goes with C. Now you do 2, 3, 4, 5." This takes 10 seconds and eliminates most confusion. For complex activities, walk through the first round with a volunteer.

Sequence logically

Give instructions in the order students need to act on them. Don't say "When you've finished discussing, write your answers on the board — but first, read the text silently." Chronological order: read, discuss, write.

Check with ICQs

After instructions and demonstration, use Instruction Checking Questions to verify understanding. Two to three targeted closed questions: "How many minutes?" "Are you writing or speaking?" "Alone or in pairs?"

The Instruction Sequence

Get attention — ensure all students are listening before you begin; wait for silence
State the task — what they will do, in the simplest terms
Demonstrate — show, don't tell; do the first example together
ICQ — check understanding of procedure
Distribute materials (if any) — always after instructions, never before; handing out worksheets before explaining guarantees nobody listens
Set time and start — "You have 5 minutes. Start now."

Common Mistakes

Giving instructions while distributing materials — students look at the handout, not the teacher; always give instructions first
Using complex language — "I'd like you to peruse the passage and subsequently identify any lexical items pertaining to..." vs. "Read the text. Find words about food."
Explaining instead of demonstrating — a two-minute explanation of how an information gap works vs. a 20-second demo
Assuming understanding — "OK?" gets a reflexive "yes" from students who haven't understood; use Instruction Checking Questions instead
Giving all instructions at once for multi-stage activities — for activities with several phases, give instructions for each phase only when students reach it
Talking over noise — if students are chatting, wait; giving instructions to a distracted class is giving instructions to nobody

For Complex Tasks

Some activities genuinely require detailed setup (jigsaws, role plays, simulations). Strategies for these:

Break instructions into numbered steps on the board
Use a visual diagram showing who sits where and who talks to whom
Demo the first round with a confident student
Give written instruction cards for each role/group
Accept that the first attempt may need a mid-activity re-explanation — and plan for it

Instructions are a major component of Teacher Talking Time — and one of the few areas where TTT is unambiguously necessary; the goal is to make it as efficient as possible. Instruction Checking Questions are the verification tool that closes the loop. Good instructions also connect to Staging — how you set up an activity determines whether it achieves its purpose within the lesson sequence.