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!
What teacher finds himself smiling when his students are constantly talking over him? An ESL teacher, of course.
Language classrooms are the perfect environment for teachers to encourage talking ...
Whenever I tell people that I taught English as a second language in China, almost universally their first question is, “Oh, do you speak Chinese?”
Well, no. In fact, I wouldn’t ...
“I teached math in my home country,” a student shares on career day. The teacher raises her eyebrows and waits for the student to continue.
“I mean, I taught math in my home cou ...
When teaching English as a foreign language, you will encounter a lot of mistakes.
While you can choose to simply correct those mistakes and move on, it is usually worth looking at which mistakes ...
There are several things that you can either do or avoid doing in Thailand to make your entire experience a lot easier.
Some things relate specifically to the classroom, whilst other things apply ...
A or the? The or some? Some or an? To put it simply, articles can be confusing.
ESL students often find that choosing the correct article in a given sentence is difficult. Perhaps it’s beca ...
There are a lot of things you can do to prepare for your move to Japan, from brushing up on the language to practicing with your chopsticks – but what will prepare you for teaching?
You&rsq ...
No one is born knowing how to read.
But becoming simply literate is not enough. For academic and professional success, you need to learn how to read well. ESL students, in particular, need to dev ...
If you don’t have a corporate background, teaching business English in Russia might seem like yet another form of culture shock.
Chances are, though, that you’ll be teaching at a fair ...
Everyone knows that timing is important in music, but are we stressing timing when it comes to English as a second language?
We may not think about it often, but timing is important in language u ...
Teaching English in Mérida, Yucatán (México) can be a fun and exciting experience.
You will meet all manner of people who wish to learn English either for personal growth or ...
Are you tired of the same old boring presentations, handing out lists of vocabulary words and definitions to your ESL students?
Are you looking for a new and engaging way to present new vocabular ...
As ESL teachers, we know that ultimately any student’s goal is to learn to speak English.
Very few students want to focus mainly on writing. Even fewer will take an ESL course just to impro ...
Teaching English overseas is an exciting and challenging experience.
I know from my own time in East Asia, no matter how well you prepare you are never quite ready for the challenges moving acros ...
If you’re teaching adult classes in Russia, you’re catering to an audience with a generally dry sense of humour and high expectations, so select activities with this in mind.
Also rem ...
When you start teaching kids in Japan, it can be daunting to come up with exciting games.
Fortunately, there are some tried-and-tested games ready for you to use, based on games already popular w ...
Working in México sounds like a dream; living near the ocean, having a drink in a hammock while the breeze rocks you and the ocean waves lap up on shore. SIGN ME UP!
There is always, howev ...
Are you looking for easy ways to motivate your ESL students in the classroom?
Here are the final five classroom tips to help you do just that (Part One is available here).
Motivating Can be Ea ...
So you’ve renewed your passport, got your visa and been for a health check?
Technically, all you need to do now is pack, but there’s a few extra things you’ll really wish you&rs ...
Anyone who has spent time in an ESL classroom knows teachers work hard to make sure their students are learning and progressing in their language studies.
We design curriculum, present informatio ...
ESL teachers must walk a fine line.
Our goal is fluency in our students, and we design curriculum and lesson plans to meet that goal. We are excited when our students use language correctly and b ...
Are you stuck in a rut when it comes to group activities?
Is it time to teach new vocabulary, review for a test or just do something different in class? Try these 6 unique ideas for group work to ...
Usually when a teacher hears the word 'assessment', she thinks about strategies for checking in on her students’ progress and proficiency.
She uses a variety of assessment methods: tests, i ...
Teaching in an individual, one-on-one setting in some ways sounds ideal.
The student has the full attention of the instructor, focus on her specific problems, and no distractions from peers. Howe ...
Listening is something we do every day.
Whether in a first language or a second language, people are constantly hearing and processing language. But what exactly do we do when we process language ...
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