Please keep in mind that the opinions posted on this blog are my own.

Everybody might have a different experience and opinions, and that's OK.

As it's widely known, rapport is the secret sauce of any great ESL class. You can have the fanciest slides, the cleverest grammar explanations, and a perfectly colour-coded lesson plan, but if your students feel like you’re an emotionless grammar robot? Good luck getting them to talk.

With adult learners, rapport isn’t just a “nice extra.” It’s the foundation of everything else. Adults have busy lives, full of responsibilities, and they’re giving you their time (and often their money) in the hopes that it’s worth it. The least you can do? Make the time they spend with you feel valuable, safe, and maybe even a little bit fun.

Start with Genuine Curiosity

Small talk isn’t filler - it’s a trust-building tool. Ask about their week, their job, or that football match they were so excited about last lesson. Adults can tell when you’re just ticking a box versus when you’re actually listening. And the beautiful thing? The more you learn about them, the more you can tailor examples, vocabulary, and activities to their actual lives.

Respect Their Experience

Adults don’t walk into your classroom as blank slates. They bring years of life experience, professional expertise, and opinions they’re very ready to share. When you acknowledge and respect that, you shift the dynamic from “teacher and passive learner” to “partners in the learning process.” And frankly, it’s more interesting for both of you.

Balance Professionalism and Personality

Nobody’s saying you need to share your deepest fears or your Netflix password, but showing a bit of personality goes a long way. Share a funny language mistake you made in another country. Admit when a student’s joke caught you off guard. That human touch makes you approachable - and makes them less afraid to make mistakes.

Create a Safe Space for Mistakes

Speaking of mistakes, adult learners often fear them more than kids do. Perfectionism, self-consciousness, workplace pressure - all of it can make people clam up. Your job? Create an environment where mistakes are just part of the process. Gently correct, encourage, and make sure they know you’re not silently judging their grammar slip-ups.

Follow Up and Remember the Details

If they told you last week they had a big presentation on Tuesday, ask how it went. If they mentioned they were nervous about a job interview, check in. Adults notice when you remember the little things - and it builds trust faster than any icebreaker game ever will.

Rapport isn’t about being everyone’s best friend or cracking jokes non-stop. It’s about creating a learning environment where adults feel seen, respected, and motivated to speak up — even when they’re not entirely sure they’ve conjugated that verb correctly. Once they trust you, the learning flows so much easier… and yes, your lesson plans suddenly feel a whole lot more effective.