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!
Before we begin, I’m going to invite you to think about tea.
I started my morning with a pot of Anxi Tie Guan Yin, a tea from eastern China. It’s aromatic and energizing, and I can sc ...
Have you ever noticed that if you read the book before seeing the movie, the book is always better?
I think that’s because, as we read, we picture the characters and events in a certain way ...
What motivates you?
Is it the spark of comprehension on your students’ faces when they finally “get” something? Is it a sense of accomplishment you feel within yourself when you ...
As author Lisa Cron puts it, human beings are wired for story.
We like stories. We know what makes a good story just by our human nature. And we love them. The publishing industry and success of ...
When working with foreign students who are preparing for college or a career, it makes good sense to help them gain public speaking skills.
This work needn’t be restricted to improving the ...
We all love special occasions.
They give us a reason to get together with the people we love and celebrate. Sometimes we celebrate a birthday. Other days we celebrate a holiday. Still other times ...
Here’s a great way to begin a class with ESL students: ask them where, in their opinion, the impact of the Internet has been felt the most.
Some will tell you that email and instant messagi ...
Reading.
It’s a little word that encompasses so much. As one of the core skills in learning English as a second language, you know it’s important. But exactly what elements of reading ...
If someone mentions ‘Artificial Intelligence’, what does that make you think of?
Perhaps you recall the Spielberg movie of the same name, or an article you read about Stephen Hawking ...
How homey is your class?
I only ask because sometimes making a class feel more like home is just what your ESL students need to relax and prepare to learn. If your room is feeling a bit too insti ...
If you are looking for some fun ways to practice pronunciation with your ESL students, try one of the following games that puts the fun in phonology.
7 Games for Practicing Pronunciation
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Students who take ESL courses in the US and Britain come from a variety of backgrounds, but once they arrive, they tend to need help navigating the same group of controversies and themes.
The US ...
Big teacher word time: Affective Filter.
If you’re like a lot of others who have been teaching for a while, the term probably evokes memories of teaching methods classes where you may or ma ...
If you teach listening class, you probably have a good staple of materials you use with your students.
Most text books come with recorded files or cds, and you have your favorite websites to go t ...
You know that expression, “It’s not what you say, it’s the way that you say it”?
Well, I’d contest that the truth is somewhere in the middle. We do listen to the con ...
Not everything we do in school is for the end result.
Sometimes the process of getting there is more valuable than the final project itself. That’s the idea behind project based learning. I ...
Teaching writing to a classroom of green scribes is a stressful undertaking indeed – in fact, after my first failed attempt during my inaugural teaching year, I was tempted to cut this entir ...
I tried an experiment yesterday morning, one which left me feeling deeply uncomfortable.
Instead of reading my usual news sources with breakfast, I tried out the advice of a friend who told me th ...
Comprehension.
It is arguably the most important aspect of language learning. If you don’t understand what you hear and read, how can you act upon that information? But thankfully increasin ...
Teaching listening is a challenging process. It’s vital to understand the key principles behind teaching this crucial skill.
In this short article, I will describe several things you should ...
Do you have pen and paper on you?
More likely, you have a smart phone, tablet, or computer in easier reach. That’s because writing for the average person isn’t what it used to be. Pen ...
Let’s start with some food for thought from one of the wisest people alive in the world today:
“Whenever possible, be kind. It is always possible.”
Perhaps more than anyone, ...
It’s not every day that a hundred million people wake up to discover that the sky is falling.
This was the horrified, shocked reaction from American democrats on the morning of 9th November ...
This is China’s century. We’re just along for the ride.
We’ve all heard sentiments like this.
Though they are expressed with varying degrees of expertise, it’s not diffic ...
I’ll begin with a question I asked my students, one which is well worth considering: Do you feel safe online?
I clarified that I wasn’t really asking about stalkers or identify thieve ...
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