Is the classroom outdated? Re-thinking language learning environments

Imagine a learning environment – somewhere a teenager might go to study English. If you pictured a traditional classroom, you certainly wouldn’t be alone: classrooms are still seen as the default option. But while they may be familiar and reassuring, recent trends in the ESL industry suggest the ‘4 walls and a whiteboard’ model has become increasingly vulnerable to risk.

Sector-level changes have become impossible to ignore. First, there was the rapid shift to online and self-guided learning in the wake of the pandemic. Then, as the new normal established itself, a wave of ESL schools downsized – and some even closed their doors for good.

While alarming, these trends aren’t a sign of declining interest. Instead, they point to a shift in how learners are engaging with language programmes.

In fact, these changes raise questions about commonly held assumptions: do language learners still prefer the traditional classroom? Or might they be open to new approaches, even if they look unfamiliar at first?

What’s behind assumptions about learner attitudes?

Many ESL providers default to the traditional, classroom-led format because it’s what they’ve always done. It’s a learning environment that feels familiar and easier to justify to stakeholders.

ESL providers may be willing to try new approaches, but they’re often an extension of the main programme. They turn back to classrooms, time tables and formal instruction to show they can meet educational standards. Safeguarding concerns also place real constraints on how far they feel able to stray from traditional formats.

Conventional teaching models are easier to defend, especially to parents considering sending their children abroad and thinking about all the perceived risks. As a result, classroom-based models may feel like the responsible choice.

Yet there are alternatives, offering the same level of structure, support and oversight, which better meet learner needs.

Playing it safe is the riskiest game of all

The problem is that traditional models keep ESL providers one step behind more innovative competitors.

Throughout history, the most successful businesses have always subverted expectations rather than sticking to what’s expected. As the early automobile pioneer Henry Ford once said, "If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses.”

Class excursion in Grand Central Station, Manhattan.

What recent trends in the ESL industry are telling us

Today, industry trends point to a growing need for ESL providers to adapt. Although demand for language learning remains strong, many find themselves under increasing strain.

The key issue is that the way language learners engage with programmes is subtly changing. They increasingly move between different modes of learning, instead of committing to a single, long-term programme. This has led to a rise in the number of online and blended courses, online tutoring platforms, self-guided learning, shorter and more intensive formats and experience-led models.

As learner habits have shifted, have dropped across key markets. ESL providers can’t expect to go back to pre-pandemic levels.

A lack of innovation may spell disaster

The recent wave of school closures suggests how challenging it can be for traditional providers to adapt to these changes. Their reliance on rigid systems makes it harder for them to adapt when demand for physical courses drops. At the same time, they’re not delivering the flexible, engaging and experience-led programmes that learners are coming to expect.

Together, these trends point to a need for ESL providers to rethink their programme design. They can no longer rely on traditional models to attract students and must move towards a more flexible and quality-driven approach.

What language learners really want from ESL programmes

Students increasingly value English as a second language programmes that feel meaningful beyond certificates or formal assessments. They often judge learning by how useful it is in real situations – and not how closely it mirrors school.

Fluency has become a bigger priority than technical accuracy. Language learners want to be able to communicate spontaneously in a wide range of real-life situations, not just speak from a rehearsed script. They also tend to respond better to grammar instruction when it’s contextualised and part of authentic practice.

These shifts in attitude reflect changing needs for language learners. Nowadays, students use English informally, across cultures and in unpredictable situations. They’re just as likely to need to communicate with a new friend on the internet or someone they meet on their travels as with their academic advisor on a study abroad course.

So, which approaches to ESL programmes work?

The most effective ESL programmes today are those designed around how students actually use English. They’re the ones moving away from fixed infrastructure and layered administration – and towards quality learning experiences.

Above all, this involves a greater emphasis on how students experience classes rather than where they take place. That might be as part of structured online sessions or courses for specific professions and skills. In the case of English Outdoors, it’s about making the most of urban environments to engage students, immerse them in English and provide them with authentic language practice.

Approaches like these can meet multiple learner needs at once while remaining adaptive. The resources that you would need to run a traditional ESL programme can be freed up for more activities that students actually care about and benefit from.

Plus, students improve fluency, build more confidence in their skills and develop a positive relationship with English, rather than associating it with the fixed routine of the classroom. And the research backs us up – recent studies show that outdoor lessons can be linked to better vocabulary retention as learners engage with topics on a deeper level.

There’s a need to recognise that the best new approaches might take unexpected forms. What really matters is that they give language learners what they’re looking for.

What’s next for ESL programmes?

Language learners are more open to new approaches than you might think. If programmes are designed around real-world needs and meaningful outcomes, they will see the benefits.

Plus, rethinking approaches to ESL programmes doesn’t mean taking unnecessary risks. Providers can offer the same structure and support as traditional schools – and still maintain a stronger alignment between learner needs and programme design. As the industry comes under increasing pressure, they’re also the ones most likely to be still standing in five years.