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 don’ts 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!
I walked into an empty classroom.
A teacher desk sat at the front of the room with twelve student desks before it. The walls were blank, intimidating white canvases, the bulletin boards brown on ...
Whether you have a class full of antsy five-year-olds, shy teens, or busy adult learners, they all have one thing in common: they will be together for the duration of the ESL course, and they wil ...
When ESL students don’t do so well on the test, what do you think? That they didn’t study? It’s not that simple.
Although no one questions the importance of preparing for a tes ...
This list of 10 creative ways to work with reading texts was kindly shared by Churchill House, and is available for public download on their website www.churchillhouse.co.uk.
The web is ...
With summer weather steadily approaching, now is a perfect time to use sports as a vehicle for your ESL lessons.
Not only will it be fun for you, your students will have a ball learning a little ...
Implementing proper classroom management techniques is important. A teacher who knows how to control his or her classroom will have far fewer “crazy days” than one who does not. The ...
Bad pronunciation is bad news for ESL students. It negatively affects comprehension and so, negatively impacts communication.
The problem is compounded by the fact that good pronunciation is o ...
Students from across the globe are taking Business English lessons and the reasons are obvious. In today’s globalized world, English is the language of choice when it comes to conduct ...
It’s becoming more and more popular for young English learners to sit English measuring exams.
There is continued pressure for youngsters (some young as 13) to take these exams – the ...
Summer’s almost here, but some ESL teachers are busier than ever.
Some of us in the northern hemisphere may be enjoying a long-awaited break, but there are others who still have plenty of t ...
"Somehow I ended up recruited to teach a summer ESL class even though I have NO IDEA what I'm doing! The class is going to be for Chinese students ages 10-16. It's only a week long - I have no clu ...
You want to teach English as a Second language, but where do you start? You are a teacher of ESL, but you are looking for a change. What now?
These articles look at many of the options open to th ...
Are your students ready for a fun filled game style spelling review?
Here are some ways to get their pulse quickening and the letters in the right order.
Try These 10 Fun English Spelling Game ...
ESL students study English for a purpose, and for many that purpose is higher education.
Men and women, young and old travel great distances to attend colleges and universities. Many of them, tho ...
On the second Sunday in May every year, people in the United States celebrate Mother's Day. It's a time to stop and honor mothers, grandmothers, aunts, sisters, and like-a-mothers for everything t ...
April showers bring May flowers. The month of May can feel like the beginning of summer to some people so students may already be thinking about summer vacation.
If this is just a normal month of ...
We all have those not so great days.
Even the most enthusiastic of teachers needs a little TLC from time to time. But sometimes we feel like taking care of our teacher selves means short changing ...
Teaching English is tremendously rewarding, right? But what if we were to teach our ESL students to be responsible, to take care of the environment we share with all living species? How much more ...
Another major holiday rolls around and your students know you’ll be up to something.
You’ve had special lessons for Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas, so they’ll be expectin ...
Now that spring is in full swing, it’s time for a new set of language building activities.
Try some of the following with your ESL students.
Try These 10 Language Activities in April
...
What do we usually do when we have to teach fruits and vegetables in English? We use flashcards and illustrations, right? But what if we were to bring a basket full of fruits and not only have st ...
Nothing says “spring” more than pastel colors, flowers, and baby animals, right?
And why? Because spring is the season of rebirth, a time of year marked by new beginnings, when everyt ...
Saint Patrick’s Day on March 17th is a holiday celebrated around the world.
Although it was originally created as a religious holiday, it has evolved into more of a celebration of Irish cul ...
I spend a lot of time listening to popular music—not originally by choice.
But I have an adolescent daughter, hence I spend a lot of time shuttling her to music and basketball practice and ...
Reading is so much more than starting with the first word on the page and moving along each line till you get to the end.
Reading is an essential skill for academic success, and we all know how i ...
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