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 should begin with a confession.
Like many British guys, I’m a huge fan of football (though I’ll call it soccer, just to make things easier) and although I support a premiership team ...
He said, she said…these words are important for more than gossiping.
They help English speakers understand exactly who said what. Sometimes the words are direct, or quoted. Other times the ...
If learning a language to native level is like climbing a mountain, then the last obstacles before the summit are probably the issues of accent and pronunciation.
Depending on your students&rsquo ...
While many ESL teachers find themselves in classrooms teaching a full room of students, not every class looks that way.
Other students want one on one attention, and they choose private teaching ...
What’s your position on homework?
I’ve met teachers who see it as absolutely essential, and others who regard it as a complete waste of everyone’s time. I imagine you’re s ...
It’s very natural, when learning a new skill, for the rate of learning and improvement to feel as though it’s tapering off after a while.
That initial rush of success, when a language ...
Let me begin with a guess: almost every class you’ve ever taught has included at least one student you’d characterize as ‘shy’.
Someone who spoke up very rarely, whose eye ...
Working on pronunciation with ESL students is always hard work.
Although naturally it can be tougher with some students than with others, it is often one of the biggest challenges that students g ...
How long would you normally spend planning a lesson?
I suppose it depends on the level of the students, the length of the class and the complexity of the content, among other things, but teachers ...
Students generally agree that tests can be quite daunting.
The anxiety, nerves and sometimes fear affect them in such a way that they feel their comfort zone well out of reach. Where young learne ...
Imagine this: a teacher writes laboriously and in complete silence on a board while students, equally silently, copy down every word into their notebooks.
It’s a timeless and enduring scene ...
Most ESL professionals spend time, at some point in their career, working for a commercial language school.
This might be a big multi-national concern like English First and Kaplan, or a smaller ...
First times are scary.
Anyone who has ever stood in front of a group of students has experienced doubts about their ability, worries that they’re insufficiently prepared, or fears that they ...
Of all the things we teach, most would agree grammar is one of the most challenging.
The reason is because it is not easy to motivate students, especially young students to learn grammar . Simply ...
Teaching English as a second language creates a bit of a paradox.
Your target is for students to understand and use the English language. However, the biggest tool in your bag to teach them is al ...
Toys are more to children than just fun and games.
We all accept that many toys provide at least some opportunity for children to learn, but why are many teachers reluctant to bring toys into the ...
It doesn’t take a tenured teacher to give a good grammar lesson.
Anyone can. It’s just a matter of keeping in mind the essentials of every great lesson. Here are seven things you need ...
You can’t agree with everyone all of the time, but you can teach your ESL students how to express their feelings about other people’s opinions.
In fact, agreeing and disagreeing in En ...
Are you tired of the same old props in class?
Do you want something different to use with your ESL students? Maybe it’s time you brought a set of building blocks to class. Though they may n ...
In today’s world, English is the language of business.
It is the only reason some students study English in the first place, and they want practical lessons and specific skills that will be ...
How do you know how much pair work is right for your students? How can you tell if you are doing too much or too little work one on one? In reality, the perfect amount of pair work for each class ...
How much movement is the right amount for your class?
It’s not always easy to answer that question. There are several points you need to consider before you can say for sure what the right ...
Believe it or not, using a telephone can be one of the most challenging language skills an ESL student needs to learn.
At first, talking on the phone might seem like a challenge because the sound ...
Have you considered offering private English classes?
Are you thinking about establishing an English school? Are you looking for a way to make a few dollars while you travel the world? If you are ...
You are their hero.
At least, you want to be. You’re their teacher, after all. You’re the one that is supposed to know all the answers. The one that gives directions. The one who is f ...
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