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!
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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!
Past Continuous tense can be introduced at a fairly low level of language acquisition.
There is no shortage of great activities for practicing Past Continuous tense, but it may take so ...
You are in a small classroom at your local language school or university. It is almost the end of the semester, and your speaking class has been fun all year. You class has learned vocabulary, ...
Board games are a useful and ready asset for the ESL classroom. Most require little to no preparation, and with a little patience, your English learners add a new resource to their language stud ...
New vocabulary is one of the basic building blocks in your students' learning. But have you ever put much thought into how you introduce new words? Learning long laundry lists of words can be ver ...
Teachers at times tend to believe that summary writing is easy, and students should be able to do it without being taught; they will sometimes make an assignment to “read and summarize th ...
August is here, and many students are heading back to school after a fun filled summer.
Use the following August themed activities to get your ESL students back in the groove of language learning ...
Students just starting their English studies risk being overwhelmed by new material.
Showing them that lessons can be fun and that they can perform well is important to get them engaged in and fe ...
Everyone loves a good icebreaker—it’s a great way to get to know other people and help students feel relaxed in stressful situations, such as the first day of a new school year.
Here ...
When we as teachers correct students, we discourage them from trying!
It is hard enough to get EFL students to practice speaking and writing without adding barriers. While it’s easy to ma ...
Prepositions of place are an important part of the English language and will enable students to create more complex sentences. The meanings of basic prepositions and prepositional phrases are incr ...
English language learners are often confused by modal verbs because they are used differently than other verbs and in a wide variety of situations such as asking for permission and giving advice. ...
Oscar Wilde once said, “Experience is simply the name we give our mistakes”. This holds true for everyone starting out in a new career, and ESL teachers are no exception. But one thing ...
Try These 8 Perfect Activities for Practicing the Present Perfect
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Great Accomplishments
What are some of the things your students have already accomplished at this time in their live ...
It may seem like a contradiction, but there’s nothing “passive” about learning the passive voice.
Students need to be as “active” as ever and fully engaged in their ...
There are teachers who are new to this ESL teaching gig and there are those who’ve been doing it for years.
But no matter if you’re a novice or an old-timer, nobody wants to look unpr ...
You might not think so, but giving and asking for directions is a basic language skill that is essential for your students.
Directions can be challenging to teach, however, its practical uses ...
Try These Simple Activities for Teaching the Simple Past
Simple Past tense: What is it?
When speaking or writing English, we use verbs in the simple past tense to talk about actions, states ...
No ESL teacher is perfect, no matter if you’ve been teaching for 20 minutes or 20 years (present company included!) Anyone can make mistakes, most of which are the results of our trying too ...
Did you know that you put in a comma in your writing whenever you take a breath? (I assume that means while reading aloud.) How about a period? Well, I guess that’s a deeper breath.
You mig ...
June is a great time to enjoy fresh air and sunshine.
While getting out is great for teachers and students alike, don’t forget to keep language learning moving forward. Here are some activi ...
Even the best students have days when they are not motivated for classroom learning. With a little nudge from you, you can turn those dreary days into successful classes in their ESL careers.
We ...
Listening is the gateway to understanding and communicating and, therefore, is absolutely critical for language learners of all levels.
If students struggle to listen carefully, they will miss ...
The way you talk to your class is extremely important for your success as a teacher and your students’.
As young children they remember more about their surroundings; what was said or done ...
Your students have better things to debate than whether Ariana Grande is a better singer than Rhianna. By introducing structured, formal debate to your ESL classroom, your students will benefit w ...
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