In this section there are 2,124 articles that cover essential ESL topics such as how to teach grammar, use realia, and teach young learners. There are also a lot of lesson ideas and fun activities included in the articles. This ESL article, for example, is about teaching grammar and describes five great activities. It has been given five stars by other busy teachers so it obviously has useful content. Check it out for yourself or take a look at other articles that relate better to your questions or teaching situation.
There are a lot of dos and donts and tips and tricks that many teachers learn through teaching.
Our ESL Essentials section will help you master the basics of teaching English and will help you start teaching like a 'pro'. Every ESL Essentials article provides clear, to-the-point instructions that can be used with the students right away.
At the moment we have 2,124 ESL Essentials.
Sometimes that is the best way to learn but the experiences of others can also help you develop your teaching skills without having to make the same mistakes. If you have a great story or activity, feel free to submit your own article so that you can share your knowledge with others. We would love to hear from you!
Create awesome-looking custom word searches in seconds!
Make A Word Scramble:
Instantly create custom word/sentence scrambles for your class!
Make A Double Puzzle:
Generate double puzzles your students will love - hours of fun!
ESL Articles
View our latest knowledgebase articles that will help you become a better English teacher. Learn from professional teachers and put a bit of your own creativity into it!
As with all rules in grammar, capitalization helps to convey a clear meaning. The purpose of capitalization is to portray the importance of different words to the reader. For example, the phr ...
In this article, we will discuss a type of verb that describes a state of being. These verbs are referred to as Linking, Helping, or Auxiliary verbs. Unlike typical verbs, these “to ...
Likes and dislikes are - arguably - the most important topic to teach anyone how to navigate. This skill allows us to express feelings about what’s going on, appropriately stand up f ...
As students advance through their ESL journey, they often acquire good reading and comprehension skills, at least on the surface. However, they often lack inferential reading skills to find an ...
If you have your lesson plan, but you’re struggling with the materials to bring it to life, you’re in the right place. Below we’ve hand-picked 21 of our favorite irregular ve ...
Building an extensive vocabulary is essential to learning and becoming fluent in a new language. Learning synonyms and Antonyms are great ways to help students quickly expand their vocabulary. W ...
When it comes to teaching your students the elements of story writing, it’s easy to start piling too much on.
There are so many minute facets to the craft. From arcs, themes, subpl ...
Teaching active vs passive voice is an important lesson. But it’s one that requires a good deal of prerequisites.
Before diving into active vs passive voice, I suggest making sur ...
The alphabets are the foundation of learning a new language and are among the first things taught to new ESL students. However, ensuring that your students can effortlessly recognize, read, wri ...
Having the ability to express one’s feelings and emotions is vital in learning a new language. Expressing emotions is not always the easiest thing to do, and it can be even more challeng ...
While building vocabulary and learning technical skills such as grammar is an essential part of learning a new language, the goal is to have your students integrate seamlessly into the cultur ...
Learning homophones is a skill that students will use their entire lives. Knowing the difference between there, their, and they’re is even a struggle for some adults, so instilling tips a ...
Our family and friends are important to us, and at some point or another, we have all found ourselves speaking about them. Therefore, It is essential to equip your students with the necessa ...
Every ESL student needs to have a list of health-related words in their vocabulary. Students should be able to express any pain or discomfort in English. This is essential, especially when tra ...
Who doesn’t love talking about food? Whether you’re teaching complete beginners or adult students, incorporating conversation and vocabulary about food and drinks is a great way to ...
As teachers, we know that a strong vocabulary is essential to developing reading and comprehension skills. Simply put, students with a more robust vocabulary will have an easier time reading an ...
No matter what age your teaching, ESL students need to be able to discuss emergencies from natural disasters to public safety to medical and health matters. Knowing how to report an emergency i ...
The possibilities are endless when developing lesson plans around weather. Whether you are teaching students in the classroom, online, or at home, weather is an everyday part of our lives, mak ...
Do you push the devil out of your egg with a spoon? Is shaking hands in a doorway bad luck? Why do building usually skip floor 13?
If this sounds strange to you, imagine the strange looks your s ...
Nobody likes making mistakes, especially when you're trying to master something. However, in school, making mistakes is a big part of the learning process. It's up to us as teachers to provide stu ...
If you're an ESL teacher, it's not uncommon to have students who are young children, as well as some who are well into their adulthood. Teaching adult learners ESL can look different dependi ...
Teaching English as a second language can be extremely rewarding, from introducing students to the ins and outs of reading, speaking, and writing to witnessing them learn and grow more confident ...
Once your students have learned cardinal numbers and ordinal numbers, it’s a great time to teach them about time! (Pun intended.) As always, we suggest starting with a warmup from a ...
Learning about travelling, other cultures, and languages is always fun, and there are plenty of ways to introduce these topics to your ESL students. If you're planning lessons around countries a ...
Numbers are a part of everyday life and one of the first topics students learn about when they enter preschool and elementary school. Learning to identify numbers and count is essential for young ...
3,688
Got a great worksheet on ESL Essentials? Tell us about it and become a BusyTeacher contributor!
5,109
