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!
These days with more and more students going abroad for further studies, it’s imperative for them to take the IELTS exam.
IELTS is made up of all 4 skills and there’s a lot of focus a ...
This happens to every ESL teacher. Students WILL ask you what vulgar words mean in English.
Ignoring them might work for a while, but it is best to approach the subject professionally and offer a ...
Spelling correctly in English can be a challenge for many ESL students, especially those whose first languages utilize a different alphabet.
Because spelling rules in English can be tricky, and g ...
Being able to describe what you are talking about is key to communicating effectively.
Your ESL students may be learning the nouns and verbs to get across their basic wants and needs, but now the ...
Did you know that public speaking is the #1 fear in North America? The second greatest fear is death!
The thought of giving a presentation is scary enough for native speakers, but for ESL student ...
As much as it would probably make things easier, teachers don’t know everything.
In fact, there are many things that your students know more about than you. Why not use this to your advanta ...
Everyone loves popcorn and snacks movies!
If you are having trouble getting students to practice at home, or if they need to study before an exam and have trouble memorizing their vocabulary, hav ...
Camp planning can be a pain.
Expectations are usually vague: ‘do something fun with the kids,’ ‘focus on speaking and using English,’ and nobody tells you how to go about ...
Native English speaker use of sarcasm varies culturally, but nearly all culturally native speakers use it to some extent.
While some teachers might argue you cannot teach a complex “humor&r ...
Sometimes it just comes naturally, but actually “do you understand?” is the biggest taboo question when trying to gauge whether your ESL learners understand the points being taught.
W ...
Classroom management is a much discussed topic and there seem to be a MILLION different strategies with advice on the best one changing daily.
Of course there is no single classroom management st ...
The situation is getting worse, and you know it. Students all over the world, especially young ones, are less inclined in our visual media flooded world to want to read, and they look for ways aro ...
No matter what, everyone needs to talk about family.
ESL students need to have the vocabulary and background to talk about their families as well. Use the activities below to have them chattin ...
As ESL teachers, there are tons of activities we can plan.
There are several factors in the classroom setting that we can control. But we can’t control the number of mistakes our students m ...
The big debate continues – do children, who are learning English as a second language, acquire vocabulary better learning a single word or in lexical chunks?
Traditionalists would argue the ...
Every teacher has had that class.
The one that just will not be quiet. The one where you turn back from writing three letters on the board, only to discover that total anarchy reigns and it takes ...
Volunteers can be a wonderful addition to your ESL classroom.
Extra pairs of hands are always helpful, but how can they help best? Here are ten great tips to help you make the best of your volunt ...
If you teach regular conversation and speaking classes, or if you try to integrate (as you should) conversation/speaking breaks into your other classes, you probably struggle to constantly create ...
Most ESL students step into the classroom for the first time brimming with enthusiasm and ready to improve their English communication skills. And by “communication” they’re thin ...
Who said games were just for kids?
And whoever told you that your adult learners feel games were childish and patronizing is misinformed. It is true that adult learners are more motivated to lear ...
Learning about a new government can be a bit overwhelming for students who are working on learning what they need to know for everyday routines.
However, it is important that they understand the ...
Whether they are beginners, who are just starting to grasp the basics, or advanced students who can speak quite fluently, ESL learners make grammar mistakes.
That’s right. At any level, any ...
The internet is such a huge part of our lives.
People use it at work, at school or for social reasons. It is important for ESL students to be able to use the internet in English well for these re ...
Reading, writing, and arithmetic may be the foundations when it comes to education, but in ESL classes the foundations are nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs.
Your students have probably revie ...
New year is just around the corner. I know many of us in the ESL profession are currently preoccupied with visions of recitals, student evaluations, vacations, or who you'd like to get under the o ...
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