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!
After a tough week of grappling with the conditional forms, or the intricacies of the past perfect progressive, it’s always nice to reward your students for their hard work and diligence.
I ...
There are a host of ways to correct your students’ mistakes, and you probably have your preferred methods.
We’re always aiming not to disrupt fluency too much, nor to single out indiv ...
One of the most exciting parts of teaching a class of internationals is that you get to touch the entire world without leaving your classroom. It’s easy to learn about places all over the wo ...
Palm reading is a terrific ESL exercise.
It’s familiar to almost all of our students and offers practice of the grammar of future forms, conditionals and modals, all at once. The prediction ...
There’s a lot of buzz about meditation at the moment. I’m sure you’ve noticed the torrent of articles, documentaries, medical studies and guide books which have flooded the Inter ...
I’ve always found that my students learn better when they know what’s coming up next.
The establishing of classroom routines helps speed things along and provides a familiar structure ...
Once you’ve set your students going on an exercise, what do you normally do next?
Some teachers prefer to take this time to grade assignments, catch up on paperwork, read the news or check ...
Whether you are introducing verb tenses to your students for the first time or you are reviewing them at the end of your English program, these activities will give your students a chance to use m ...
Most exercises that we do in the ESL classroom seem to have a fixed longevity; they begin, they help create practice opportunities, and they end.
I’ve been trying, in recent years, to maxim ...
I remember being a freshman in college, sitting around the dorms throwing mental puzzles at my floormates.
Some would call them riddles. They weren’t scientific or academic. They were just ...
If you teach in the 21 century, you will inevitably encounter the challenges which stem from distractibility and Attention Deficit Disorder.
As a society, we’re finding ways to cope with th ...
For those Native English teachers who live and work abroad, I feel that it is important to illustrate the cultural context of the classroom, as well as focus on instilling excellence in our teachi ...
First days can be scary.
There are many unknowns and we must be ready to be adaptable and roll with the punches. Some simple steps can make this nerve-wracking day much more manageable, and less ...
Animals are great, and kids love to learn about them no matter what language they are speaking.
And while spending some time teaching about animals in an ESL class is good, there is only so much ...
Valentine’s Day comes around and “love is in the air”, as the famous song says.
But the holiday has gone far beyond the celebration of romantic love and is now a considered a ...
The issues of censorship and media freedom are complex and instructive.
Studying them in an ESL context can be very rewarding and, if handled with sensitivity and balance, such discussions can en ...
Talking to strangers is hard for almost anyone.
It doesn’t matter if English is your first language or not. Walking up to a person you have never met before is intimidating. But it’s ...
Getting class started is sometimes the toughest part of the day.
Here are some ideas you can use with your adult (and kid) classes to get things started today.
Try Movement Activities
1
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Family!
We have one. Some are big and loud; others are small and reserved. And family is one of the most basic vocabulary units most ESL students study. But what are some easy, go to activities t ...
Prepositions, prepositions everywhere!
Simply teaching your students all of the prepositions in English is overwhelming for everyone involved and not usually a good idea. I suppose that is why we ...
I don’t know how old you are, but when I was in school we didn’t use email.
Perhaps the technology was too new for teachers and students to put to practical use. Perhaps it was for ot ...
If you are teaching beginning level students, try these ten activities that require the use of the simple present and the present continuous.
Try These 6 Simple Activities About Families
1 ...
Have you ever had this experience when preparing for a class?
You open the textbook and glance through the material, only to find that the reading exercise is just not up to scratch. Maybe it&rsq ...
Ah, the dreaded mixed level class.
What can an ESL teacher do with a room full of students who are just starting their language studies sitting next to others who could probably teach the class f ...
Teaching reading is fun and creative, but is can be a challenge, particularly if you are a teacher who likes to get students up and moving.
Movement is important, especially for kinesthetic learn ...
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