Create Clear Instructions for your Learners
Clear task instructions help learners focus on language, not on decoding what they are supposed to do. Create short, simple, and consistent rubrics to reduce cognitive load and make ELT materials easier to follow.
Aim
Instructions (rubrics) tell learners what to do and how to do it. Good instructions help them focus on the language task, not on figuring out the steps. Clear, simple, and consistent instructions reduce cognitive load and save time.
- Guide learners through each task step by step.
- Avoid confusion or overload by limiting choices.
- Use short, clear, and familiar language.
Choices, Hick’s Law and Cognitive Load
In the 1950s, psychologists William Edmund Hick and Ray Hyman studied how decision time increases as the number of options grows. The more choices people have, the longer it takes them to decide.
In design terms, the time a user needs to interact with an interface depends on the number of choices presented. Overloaded or cluttered interfaces slow users down because they must first process all available options before selecting the one that fits their goal.
For language learners, the “user interface” is your worksheet, slide, or exercise sequence. The more choices you give, the longer it takes learners to decide what to do, and the more mental effort they use just to understand the task.
This ties directly to cognitive load: the mental effort needed to process information. Excessive decision time leads to cognitive overload, where learners feel confused, slow down, or disengage.
Working Memory and Overload
Working memory is the “buffer” that stores information relevant to the current task. It has a limited capacity. When incoming information exceeds that capacity, people have trouble following mentally: tasks become harder, details are missed, and they feel overwhelmed.
If tasks demand more space than is available, existing information is pushed out of working memory to make room for new input. When the lost information is crucial—for example, the core instruction—learners cannot complete the task effectively and may abandon it.
In the classroom, every extra instruction drains focus. Once the “battery” of attention is low, learners cannot perform well even if they technically understand the target language.
Why Good Instructions Matter
For language learners, the interface is the task itself. To complete a task, they must:
- Work out how the task is supposed to function (what to do first, second, etc.).
- Identify where to find the information they need (text, audio, table, example).
- Understand the format of the task (gap fill, matching, role play, etc.).
- Enter or produce their own language (spoken or written).
Each step uses mental resources. If instructions are long, unclear, or full of unnecessary detail, learners spend their energy decoding the instructions instead of focusing on the language goal.
Good instructions are short (only the essential steps), clear (simple, accessible English), and sequential (one action at a time in the order learners should follow). The aim is to reduce cognitive load so learners can focus on learning the language.
Simplicity
Use imperatives and one action per sentence. Join only simple actions with “and”, and keep context in a separate sentence.
- Use imperatives and one action per sentence.
Complete the dialogue using the words.
Listen to the dialogue and answer the questions. - If you want to add context, use an extra sentence.
A customer is booking a hotel room on the telephone. Listen to the conversation and complete the gaps.
Clarity
Use a limited subset of instruction verbs that, once learners know them, apply across all activities.
Common instruction verbs:
choose, fill, complete, connect, put, listen, match, read, use, watch, write.
Relevance
Instructions should only contain words that are necessary for the task. Avoid adding extra commentary or reflection in the same line.
❌ Match the questions (1–6) with the answers (a–f). Think about how often you use questions like these in your own work.
✅ Match the questions (1–6) with the answers (a–f).
Consistency
Choose one standard formulation for each task type and use it consistently throughout the course or product.
Standard instructions:
Put the phrases into the correct categories.
Put the words into the correct order to make sentences.
Key Tips for Writing Good Instructions
- Use the imperative (Listen to the dialogue and answer the questions).
- Use one action per sentence.
- Join two simple actions with “and” in one sentence only if both are easy.
- Break longer instructions into smaller steps to make complex tasks manageable.
- Do not use language more difficult than the level you are writing for.
- Consistency: always use the same instructions for the same types of tasks.
- Use verbs like choose, fill, complete, connect, put, listen, match, read, use, watch, write.
- Simplify the activity if the instruction is too long or has too many steps.
- Aim for about seven words plus or minus two per instruction sentence.
- Highlight the instruction in bold so that it stands out.
- Separate complex context from the instruction line.
- Do not separate an instruction from the activity it relates to.
Example Instruction Lines by Phase
Warm-up (Lead-in)
Work in pairs or groups. Discuss the questions.
Work in pairs. Look at the photos. What do you think is happening?
Discuss the statements. Do you agree or disagree? Why?
Presentation
Watch the video and answer the questions.
Listen to the conversation and complete the form.
Listen to the dialogue/presentation and answer the questions.
Listen to … Are the sentences true (T) or false (F).
Listen again. Complete the questions.
Sarah phones Bill. Listen to the conversation and choose the correct answer, a, b or c.
Read the … and complete the table.
Read the … and answer the questions.
Read the text again. Are the sentences true (T) or false (F)?
Read the instructions on … Which is clearer, A or B?
Read the email. What wasn’t mentioned?
Controlled Practice
Choose the correct words to complete the sentences.
Match the sentence halves to make useful expressions.
Complete the text/dialogue using the words/phrases.
Complete the form with the words and phrases in the box.
Complete the conversation with words in the box. Then listen and check your answers.
Choose the correct word.
Complete the sentences with … Use the words in brackets to help you.
Choose the correct words.
Fill in the gaps with the correct form of the verb in brackets.
Put the phrases in the correct order to make a conversation.
Put the words in the correct order to make solutions to the problems.
Put the steps of the process in the correct order.
Put the words in the correct order to make sentences/questions.
Match … (1–6) with the … (a–f).
Match the words with their definitions.
Match the phrases to their meanings. Which are positive? Which are negative?
Complete the sentences/text with the correct form of the verb in brackets.
Complete the interview with the questions in the box.
Rewrite the sentences using the words/phrases in brackets.
Rewrite the sentences using the … and ….
Complete the sentences with the correct adjective. Use the letters to help you.
Read the … and complete the notes.
Tick (✓) the sentences that are polite. Cross (✗) the ones that are not. Rewrite them.
Put the steps of the process in the correct order.
Independent Practice
Write sentences using the prompts.
Rewrite the sentences to talk about things happening now. Use contractions.
Write sentences using the words in the brackets.
Use the information in the table to write a …
Write questions using the prompts/answers.
Write five questions you would ask a new colleague. Ask your partner.
Read the information and write an email.
Read the instructions. Rewrite them to make them clearer.
Read the sentences. Correct the false sentences. There is one mistake in each sentence.
Read the statements. Do you agree or disagree? Why?
Write feedback for each situation. Use the useful phrases in the box.
Roleplay a phone call with a client. Use the role cards and the expressions in the box.
Write a company profile using the notes provided.
Complete your own profile using the template. Then present it to your partner.
Write a short description of a product/service using the prompts.
Production
Write a description of your company.
Use the information and write a reply to a customer’s email.
Use the notes below to write ….
Roleplay a meeting at a careers event between a recruiter and a candidate for a job. There are three candidate profiles. Each person will take a role.
In groups, role-play a decision-making meeting. Decide which option to choose.
Prepare a two-minute pitch for a new idea. Present to the group.
In pairs, prepare a short presentation on…
In groups, design a new product/service. Present it to the class.
Work in pairs. One is a customer and the other is a customer service representative. Solve the issue.
Do a mini-interview with your partner about their job/project.
In pairs, plan a company trip. Decide on location, schedule, and budget.
Roleplay a negotiation. Use at least three of the target phrases.
Work in a group. Rank the top three options and justify your choices.
Prepare a report for your manager. Present your recommendations.
Conduct a role-play: Student A is a guest, Student B is a receptionist.
In pairs, brainstorm problems at work. Suggest and evaluate possible solutions.
Work in pairs. Create a short dialogue using at least five key expressions.
Do a case study simulation. Read the scenario, discuss, and present your solution.
Work in pairs and read the scenario below.
Key Takeaway
Good instructions act as a simple roadmap through each task: short, clear, sequential, and consistent. By limiting choices, using familiar verbs, and keeping context separate from the instruction line, writers reduce cognitive load so learners can spend their mental energy on language use, not on decoding what to do.