2,124 FREE ESL Essentials - What Every English Teacher Needs To Know!
BusyTeacher Home » ESL Essentials

FREE ESL Essentials

ESL Essentials – Important Teaching Tips

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!

Dramatically improve the way you teach:




Make A Word Search:

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
Rate this Category
4.7 out of 5, rated by 26 teachers




Sort by: Most Recent | Most Viewed | Rating
6 Deadly Mistakes Most Teachers Make On Their First Day Of Class (And How To Avoid Them)

6 Deadly Mistakes Most Teachers Make On Their First Day Of Class (And How To Avoid Them)

ESL Essentials
For new teachers, or for experienced teachers entering new classrooms, first impressions are incredibly important. Students will be testing us, trying to discern where the boundaries lie, what th ...
Views 60,700 All
Back to School: What Every New Teacher Should Know About the First Day of Class

Back to School: What Every New Teacher Should Know About the First Day of Class

, ESL Essentials
Going into a new class on the first day can be exciting and intimidating for new teachers and experienced teachers alike. Depending on your teaching situation there are a lot of variables to take ...
Views 143,220 All
Back To School: Great Ideas for Activities to Kick off the School Year

Back To School: Great Ideas for Activities to Kick off the School Year

ESL Essentials
Anxious to get back to class? Well, your students are probably anxious too. Since most don’t know you or their fellow classmates, you’ve probably got some great icebreakers and first ...
Views 45,671 All
Getting Rid of the Red: Three Methods for Giving Students Feedback They Want to Hear

Getting Rid of the Red: Three Methods for Giving Students Feedback They Want to Hear

ESL Essentials
I was traumatized in first grade because I scored an S in spelling on my report card. And though I’ve been able to let that go (and formed a deep relationship with spell check in the meanti ...
Views 24,838 All
How to Write a Lesson Plan: 5 Secrets of Writing Fantastic Lesson Plans

How to Write a Lesson Plan: 5 Secrets of Writing Fantastic Lesson Plans

ESL Essentials
Writing a lesson plan will ensure that you are prepared for your class and will make it run more smoothly. It is important to break the material up into several sections and choose activities s ...
Views 1,009,713 All
Put BusyTeacher in your inbox

Sign up for the BusyTeacher Weekly and be the first to get direct links to our latest teaching articles, worksheets and lesson plans. Goes out to 323,134 subscribers every Wednesday.
See last week's issue.

Teacher-Centered No More: 10 Tips for Teaching Today’s Students

Teacher-Centered No More: 10 Tips for Teaching Today’s Students

ESL Essentials
Gone are the days when teachers stood at the front of the class doling out their wisdom to rows and columns of students. Today’s students are very different from those that sat in those des ...
Views 45,133 All
You’re Not in Munchkin Land Anymore: Four Simple Strategies for Teaching Adults Every ESL Teacher Should Know

You’re Not in Munchkin Land Anymore: Four Simple Strategies for Teaching Adults Every ESL Teacher Should Know

ESL Essentials
Teaching adult ESL learners can be an enjoyable and satisfying experience. You may be able to relate to your students on a more personal level than if you teaching children, and adult learners ar ...
Views 22,353 All
Pronoun Power: 6 Lively Activities for Making Little Words Work Big

Pronoun Power: 6 Lively Activities for Making Little Words Work Big

ESL Essentials
Are you looking for some fun and interactive ways to practice pronouns in your classroom? Try these activities which get students talking and moving while they put these little words to big use. ...
Views 155,286 All
Taming the Grammar Monster: 5 Fun Language Games for Students Who Like to Draw

Taming the Grammar Monster: 5 Fun Language Games for Students Who Like to Draw

ESL Essentials
Are you a doodler? For some people, drawing comes second nature. They have talent from the youngest of ages and can make beautiful pictures in any number of mediums. Then there are people whose d ...
Views 46,531 All
The Listening Catalyst: 3 Materials You Shouldn’t Be Without in the ESL Classroom

The Listening Catalyst: 3 Materials You Shouldn’t Be Without in the ESL Classroom

ESL Essentials
I have taught my share of listening classes, and that means I’ve used my share of prerecorded dialogues and listening passages. They’re great, don’t get me wrong. But sometimes ...
Views 16,710 All
Banish Blithering Blabber: 6 Must-Have Components of a Perfect Conversation Lesson

Banish Blithering Blabber: 6 Must-Have Components of a Perfect Conversation Lesson

ESL Essentials
There is little worse for a teacher than walking away from class feeling as though your lesson has been a flop. It doesn’t happen often, but it does happen. And perhaps the most challenging ...
Views 23,801 All
Bring the Cinema into Your Classroom: 7 Simple Activities You Can Do with Any Movie

Bring the Cinema into Your Classroom: 7 Simple Activities You Can Do with Any Movie

ESL Essentials
Whether it’s in the ESL classroom or an immersion setting, movies are a hit. People love movies. The movie business is proof that a good movie can make a huge impact on both society and ind ...
Views 115,862 All
Is It Your Unbirthday,Too?: How To Celebrate Birthdays Any Day of The Year (Print and Go Lesson)

Is It Your Unbirthday,Too?: How To Celebrate Birthdays Any Day of The Year (Print and Go Lesson)

ESL Essentials
It’s not every day you get to celebrate someone’s birthday. But almost every day is someone’s unbirthday! Birthdays are fun to celebrate, and they are a great chance to share so ...
Views 24,816 All
Worksheets Wanted: 6 Great Ways Worksheets Can Get Your Students Talking

Worksheets Wanted: 6 Great Ways Worksheets Can Get Your Students Talking

ESL Essentials
Worksheets have gotten a bum rap in the classroom these days. They have a reputation for being busy work, pointless activities to keep students hands moving even if their brains are a million mil ...
Views 28,182 All
Instant Classroom Fun: 4 Games with a Timer that Can Transform Your Class from Good to Great (in No Time)

Instant Classroom Fun: 4 Games with a Timer that Can Transform Your Class from Good to Great (in No Time)

ESL Essentials
Three…two…one…is your blood pumping yet? There’s just something about a countdown, about knowing the buzzer can crack the silence at any second. If you don’t beli ...
Views 45,030 All
There Are No Timid Students: 18 Questions to Open Up Even Reluctant Talkers

There Are No Timid Students: 18 Questions to Open Up Even Reluctant Talkers

ESL Essentials
How much do your students have to say? Are they easy talkers, or do they need a little more coaxing? Is it hard to get them started or are they always ready to chatter up a storm? If you have a c ...
Views 35,969 All
Don’t Ditch Dictation: 4 Fabulous Ways You Can Use Dictation to Help ESL Students

Don’t Ditch Dictation: 4 Fabulous Ways You Can Use Dictation to Help ESL Students

ESL Essentials
For many years, I shied away from dictation. It seemed boring and often pointless, and I figured there were better activities for my limited class time. But when I decided to give dictation a cha ...
Views 34,947 All
Having the Relatives Over: 7 Awesome Activities for Teaching Relative Clauses

Having the Relatives Over: 7 Awesome Activities for Teaching Relative Clauses

ESL Essentials
Are you looking for some interesting and out of the ordinary ways to practice relative clauses with your students? Here are some fun and creative activities you can do with your students today. ...
Views 112,957 All
Would You Mind Speaking Up?: 5 Must-Have Tools for Improving Spoken English

Would You Mind Speaking Up?: 5 Must-Have Tools for Improving Spoken English

ESL Essentials
Who wants to talk about things they know nothing about? Unfortunately, that is frequently how your ESL students feel about speaking in English. They feel out of their league. They may think they ...
Views 38,389 All
Coping With the Unforeseen: Crisis Management for ESL Business Students

Coping With the Unforeseen: Crisis Management for ESL Business Students

ESL Essentials
After teaching ESL for twelve years, I felt like a new challenge. My school was struggling to hire ESL Business teachers, so I volunteered. I’m not trained in business or economics, but I f ...
Views 24,564 All
Game On: How to Design Realistic ESL Business Scenarios

Game On: How to Design Realistic ESL Business Scenarios

ESL Essentials
After teaching ESL for twelve years, I felt like a new challenge. My school was struggling to hire ESL Business teachers, so I volunteered. I’m not trained in business or economics, but I f ...
Views 17,282 All
Culture Clash: Preparing ESL Business Students for the Cross-Cultural World

Culture Clash: Preparing ESL Business Students for the Cross-Cultural World

ESL Essentials
After teaching ESL for twelve years, I felt like a new challenge. My school was struggling to hire ESL Business teachers, so I volunteered. I’m not trained in business or economics, but I f ...
Views 19,665 All
How to Avoid Chaos and Manage Like a Boss: 6 Must-Know Tips for Making Sure Your Classroom Management Works

How to Avoid Chaos and Manage Like a Boss: 6 Must-Know Tips for Making Sure Your Classroom Management Works

ESL Essentials
Every teacher wants to have good classroom management. But while some aspects of being a great teacher come naturally, keeping a controlled and encouraging classroom may not be so instinctual. Th ...
Views 34,276 All
Dead Men Don’t Wear Plaid: 9 Conversation Patterns You Should Include in Your Classroom

Dead Men Don’t Wear Plaid: 9 Conversation Patterns You Should Include in Your Classroom

ESL Essentials
Not all conversation activities are created equal. That’s not to say they aren’t all valuable. They are. But different conversation activities follow different conversation patterns, ...
Views 14,468 All
Sounds Like a Plan: 7 Simple Steps to a Fantastic Lesson Plan

Sounds Like a Plan: 7 Simple Steps to a Fantastic Lesson Plan

ESL Essentials
If you are reading this article for the perfect formula for the perfect fill in the blanks lesson plan for you and your class, I’m not going to give it to you. Don’t get me wrong. I w ...
Views 26,541 All

Got a great worksheet on ESL Essentials? Tell us about it and become a BusyTeacher contributor!

Submit a Worksheet