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!
The vast majority of English as a Second Language students attend class to improve conversational or academic English in general, not targeting any particular skill or content.
However, there is ...
Not everyone wants to climb Mount Everest.
It’s a long trip, and that’s putting it mildly. But what if you had to get to the top of that glorious mountain before you could earn a prom ...
Do you ever give thought to everything you use or can use with your ESL kids?
In the world of education there is much to consider regarding how we, as teachers, can improve and enhance how our st ...
We all need to know how our students are doing, right?
We need to know if they truly meeting all the objectives, or not. This is where tests come in handy. They give us the feedback we need to kn ...
There is perhaps nothing that is so much a part of the individual and yet so invisible as culture.
Experts describe culture like an iceberg where only ten percent is visible and ninety percent ...
Kids love songs, and as their teacher you should, too.
Music gets into the heart and mind and does amazing things there. Whether it is country or heavy metal, smooth jazz or rap, music affects pe ...
We are all used to the roles of student and teacher.
The teacher gives information. The student makes it a part of their knowledge base. The teacher corrects mistakes and gives feedback. But what ...
When I was teaching English in China, my classroom took up almost all of my time, and my language studies were limited to two one-hour sessions each week with a private tutor.
For teachers with a ...
The overwhelming majority of colleagues in the teaching profession are supportive of each other, going above and beyond in helping each other with the endless bureaucracy of education and its pape ...
Language is all around us.
Newspapers, television, the Internet…they are all great sources of real life language just waiting to be used in the ESL classroom. And authentic language source ...
Teachers spend a lot of time assessing students and tend to be good at assessing others.
Sometimes, however, the tables are turned and teachers are the ones who are assessed in the form of observ ...
A lot of positives come with online instruction.
Online instruction has provided some social leveling in that it has extended opportunity to many who were before without access to education throu ...
They say no two snowflakes are alike, but what about your English lessons.
Are they all starting to look the same? Are you bored going through the same types of exercises in the same ways every d ...
Whether it is the first day of class or you have been teaching the same group of students for a while, get to know you activities are a favorite.
For new classes, they help students begin friends ...
Sometimes the atmosphere is darkened within an organization with what I will refer to as “politics,” the jockeying for position that goes on anywhere there is a hierarchy.
It may be a ...
Perfect pronunciation – every ESL student’s goal and no one’s achievement.
It is rare for any ESL student to have perfect pronunciation, and some would say it’s actually w ...
Teaching adult students has many benefits: they are motivated, know how to learn, know how they learn best, are socialized to the classroom already, and so forth.
One of the concerns, however, is ...
Most language instruction, including ESL instruction, traditionally occurs in a group setting, the classroom, whether it’s a large or small class.
However, occasionally the ESL instructor w ...
Grammar?
Fun? Yes, it is possible! In fact, it’s probable. When you have these grammar games in your back pocket, you will be ready to get your students excited about grammar any day, any t ...
In the world of language learning, communication is king.
But in the world of teaching, it is the educator’s role to give information to the students and the students’ role to receive ...
They’ve read the text.
They have watched the movie. But have you ever though to let them listen to the book on audio? Every ESL class includes listening activities for their students, but f ...
We have all pressed play on either the tape recorder or the website associated with our text books.
Listening activities are important for ESL students. They may even be one of the most challengi ...
What do a newspaper, a roadmap, and a webpage have in common?
They are all great materials for the ESL classroom. Not only that, they are authentic materials that can be used easily with ESL stud ...
Have you ever found yourself asking, “What have I gotten myself into?”
Teaching the English language requires a certain set of knowledge and skills, but dealing with challenging stude ...
Is the TOEFL the ultimate measure of your students’ language success?
No matter what your answer, what really matters is what your students think. They are the ones spending their money and ...
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