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 donts 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!
Bingo is one of my favorite games to play in ESL classes.
It is versatile, simple, and fun. I have played many different versions of Bingo depending on what I happen to be teaching, and Bingo is ...
Puzzles are always a good time.
OK, not always, but most of the time, and logic puzzles are a great way to challenge your students. You can find various logic puzzles on the internet or can make ...
The IELTs Academic Writing Paper 1 is one that students often worry about.
The variety of graphs and tables used can be daunting and having the right vocabulary to give a clear and concise explan ...
If you are looking for a fun and creative way to review asking and answering questions with your ESL students, here are some activities you might want to try.
Information Questions
1
Tell ...
Every ESL teacher working in a foreign country eventually realizes that one of the greatest obstacles facing their students is a lack of opportunities to speak English.
Often students’ read ...
International students studying in the United States or other Western countries often come from cultures where academic integrity is understood differently.
Thus, they may not be familiar with We ...
Peer Review is perhaps one of the most challenging methods of teaching in the English as a Second Language writing classroom; on one hand, when it goes well, the benefits of it students are tremen ...
"I have read your suggestions for homework assignments, but I am a little out of ideas right now. I have students from ages 16-18, and they are trainees in our company. I would like to give them ...
If you are looking for a creative and fresh way to practice the conditional structure with your ESL students, you might want to try one of the following exercises.
They use fun stories, silly son ...
Learning centers are great for ESL students.
With just a little effort, you can set up independent learning areas around your classroom that your students use during free learning periods. They d ...
Science camps are a ton of fun.
Students love working with their hands, building things, blowing things up, making a mess, and all the good times that go with it. They can be a lot of fun for tea ...
A couple of years ago, I started to hate peer review--that day in class where students brought in their papers and shared them with peers and offered guidance for revision.
Students took an inord ...
I have ESL students who constantly say things like, “I have few time” or “I know much people in New York”. These types of mistakes, involving countables and uncountables ar ...
Before diving into this topic, a disclaimer: this project basically requires a kitchen.
You can do it without one, but you will have to choose you recipes very carefully and it may limit the choi ...
"I currently work for a language school as an online English teacher. The students are great, but the pay is not very good. For this reason, I have decided to take my experience and begin somethin ...
"I teach English to pupils aged between 11 and 14 in a middle school in France. Teaching has been part of my life and a true vocation for 15 years now. But recently, I have started to wonder if I& ...
"I teach English to absolute beginners (4th to 6th graders) who live in a society in which English is rarely used, which means they only encounter the language in their English classes. I’m ...
Negotiations are present in our everyday life.
Many ESL teachers consider negotiation is a skill only business students should develop. However, if you think about it, you negotiate everyday and ...
Feeling sick is always a drag, isn't it?
It gets even worse when you realize you need to see a doctor.
Now imagine this, you are in a foreign country and you feel terrible. You know you need med ...
Business English Students need access to authentic material to increase their vocabulary and comprehension.
This is easily achieved if they read English language newspapers, watch news reports an ...
Lots of ESL teachers teach English in countries where English is not the native language, and the students’ culture is the dominant one.
But there are ESL teachers that teach English as a s ...
Who doesn't like shopping?
The thrill of buying new things is truly exciting, always something to look forward to, or is it? Now picture this: you are in a store and have a couple of items you li ...
Whether March comes in like a lion or a lamb, it will be perfect weather for including these language building activities in your ESL classroom.
Try These 10 March Themed Language Building Acti ...
Murphy’s Law, “If something can go wrong, it will go wrong,” knows no language.
Everyone is going to need to repair things. It is important that your students have the language ...
"I am currently teaching English in Japan, and the students are so shy. It is very difficult to get a response from them so I cannot tell if they understand or not.*"
The ESL teacher asks a quest ...
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