How to teach new vocabulary in online English lessons

To teach new vocabulary in online English lessons, introduce each word inside a real sentence, write it down during the class, and give students a way to review it afterward. A word tossed out in a video call disappears the moment the call ends. A word in context, written down and reviewable, sticks.

Introduce the word in context, not in a list

Avoid dumping ten words into a list at the start of the lesson. Students memorize them for the moment and forget them later.

Instead, bring the word in right when it shows up in the conversation or the text. Show how it works in a sentence, ask the student to use it back, and correct on the spot.

It works better when the student produces the word, not just recognizes it. Ask, wait for the answer, adjust.

Write it on the whiteboard during the class

While you explain, write the word where the student can see and follow along. In tools like Google Meet and Zoom, this usually ends up as a chat message the student loses afterward.

In Noladi, the live class has a collaborative whiteboard: you write the word, the example, and the translation, and the student writes alongside you on the same board. Everything stays saved with the class.

You can also show up with the vocabulary already prepared. Link a lesson to the class and the whiteboard loads ready to go, with nothing to set up in front of the student.

Let students review after the class

The biggest loss in teaching vocabulary happens between one lesson and the next. Without review, the new word never becomes a used word.

In Noladi's lesson review, the student finds the list of new words from that class, along with how many times each one came up. They revisit every word in the context where it was said.

Two features help it stick:

• Voice pronunciation: the student hears the word spoken whenever they want, as many times as they need.
• On-demand translation: they translate the English passage into their own language whenever a doubt comes up, without leaving the review.

Track vocabulary building up over time

Teaching new words is easy to promise and hard to prove. Students want to see that they are making progress.

In the student dashboard, vocabulary shows up as cumulative progress, lesson after lesson. It is visible growth: they can tell their repertoire is expanding, and that keeps them renewing.

For the teacher, it is the value argument. You are not just selling the hour of class, you are selling the vocabulary that was captured and measured.

Frequently asked questions

How do you teach new vocabulary in online English lessons

Introduce the word in context within a real sentence, write it on the live class whiteboard, and ask the student to use it back. Afterward, let them review the list of new words in the lesson review, with pronunciation and on-demand translation. Context plus review sticks better than a memorized list.

Can students review the vocabulary after the class

Yes. In the lesson review, the student sees the list of new words from that class with how many times each appeared, hears the pronunciation of each one, and translates passages on demand. The vocabulary also shows up as cumulative progress in their dashboard over time.

Can I prepare the vocabulary before the class

Yes. You build the lesson with the vocabulary on the whiteboard and link it to the class. When the class starts, the whiteboard loads ready to go, so you can focus on teaching instead of setting up materials in front of the student.

Want to teach vocabulary that students review, hear, and watch grow lesson after lesson? Discover Noladi at noladi.app/teacher.