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 Educational world is changing. For years, we have seen an increase in the number of online learning opportunities.
Not only can students take college classes online, but even high schoolers c ...
Do you have ESL students who do the robot? No, I don’t mean the dance. I mean speak in a monotone, with no color, no feeling. It doesn’t mean that they don’t feel the language. T ...
Teaching ESL one-on-one can be a beneficial learning experience for the teacher and the student.
However, tutoring students one-on-one can be challenging and you want to think carefully about whe ...
Let’s all be honest. Pronunciation is one of those things that we don’t often teach explicitly.
Of course, we correct our students’ pronunciation when they make mistakes, whe ...
Students look to their teachers for direction, tone, and communication. Start off on the right foot and create the best classroom environment possible.
Set in motion these 3 surefire troubleshoot ...
Sometimes English as a second language teachers can get overwhelmed by all the acronyms thrown our way: ESL, EFL, TESL, TOEFL, L2, etc.
While these may not be that tough to decipher, LLS is a les ...
Who doesn't love movies and television? You can tap into both movies and TV for listening exercises that will excite your students and deliver entertaining and effective outcomes.
Do some detecti ...
Developing classroom management skills will save you time, develop a positive learning environment, and help students succeed.
Utilize these top 5 classroom management strategies that really work ...
Have you ever asked a question of your ESL class only to be rewarded with unwavering stares and the sound of crickets in the background? I know I have, and for teachers it can be very frustrating ...
If you have been teaching ESL for any length of time, you have probably tried your hand at explaining reported speech.
As native speakers, we don’t talk about reported speech very often. Ou ...
It’s no big secret. ESL students won’t get very far if they have weak listening skills.
While “practice makes perfect” is a great approach, our students need a lot more gu ...
Creating a student-centered classroom will allow your students to blossom, work hard, and develop determined confidence.
Follow these 5 tips to build your own confidence in creating a student-cen ...
Deciding how and when to introduce and utilize the International Phonetic Alphabet often has teachers scrambling, but it doesn't have to be stressful or complicated.
Follow these tips to introduc ...
ESL beginners may not be able to say a whole lot, after all their vocabulary and grammar are rather limited. But in order to start speaking, they have to start listening.
And not just listening t ...
Language instruction may not look or sound like the teaching happening in other classrooms, but often that’s exactly where your ESL students are planning to go.
A large percentage of ESL st ...
It happens more times than I can count. “Student X, please put away your cell phone.” “Student Y, please stay on task.” “Student Z, please stop checking Facebook and ...
Most ESL students approach English classes with the desire to improve their communication skills in English.
A great deal of the day-to-day activities involves speaking tasks. So why is it that w ...
Technology is all around us. In the ever-expanding digital age, we are inundated with tools, websites, and devices.
While it can seem overwhelming, especially when we are used to a traditional wa ...
Verbs are a straightforward element of the English language, aren’t they? Every sentence needs one, and they come right after the subject. Things can get complicated, though, and do when mor ...
Most ESL students identify the goal of ESL classes as helping them to speak English better.
But to speak better, they have to listen better. Speaking and listening comprehension are like the two ...
The theory of backwards design in lesson and curriculum planning is not a new one.
It is often introduced briefly in TEFL training courses, but quickly falls by the wayside as the reality of the ...
Improving listening comprehension takes practice. There’s no way around that.
Still, if you want to maximize the opportunities for improvement, listening practice must be done just right. H ...
What do you believe that no one else does? What would a person have to say for you to disagree?
Whatever the reason, agreeing and disagreeing with another person is something that every language ...
Pronunciation can be a tremendous barrier and source of self-consciousness for ESL learners of all ages and levels.
It's critical to be sensitive to the needs of every individual as well as to de ...
Engaging beginner level students with useful listening exercises is crucial to their success as learners and continued development.
Listening tends to be an extreme area of challenge for these st ...
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