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!
How to Teach or Review the Future Progressive
1
Future Chance
Write several future times on small slips of paper and put them in a hat. Have students draw a time from the hat and then tel ...
Recently I was driving my daughter to her music lesson after school, and she noticed the large amount of traffic, which was strange for four o’clock in the afternoon.
I told her that given ...
Try These 7 New Go To Activities for Conversation Class
1
A Picture’s Worth
Give each student or pairs of students an unusual photograph (try worth1000.com for some unique ideas), a ...
Try These 7 Simple Learning Centers You Can Do With Post-It Notes
1
Prefixes and Suffixes
Visuals are great for ESL students, and post-it notes can be just what your students need when it ...
Try These 7 Conversation Based Idiom Activities with Your ESL Students
1
Idiom Introduction
To introduce the topic of idioms to your students, lead a class discussion about the way people ...
With our planet quickly shrinking in the sense that international borders are easily crossed thanks to the ever-widening influence of communications technology, the impact of teaching English as a ...
Try These 7 Simple Activities for Teaching the Future Perfect
1
Five Year Plan
Have your students heard the expression ‘Five Year Plan’? Give them a chance to create a plan of ...
Try These 7 Communicative Activities for Using the Past Perfect Progressive
1
Quite a Change
If your students travelled overseas to study English, their lives at home were probably quite ...
Try These 7 Fabulous Activities for Reviewing the Present Perfect Progressive
1
It Seems Like Forever
When using the time markers since and for, your students can express certain activiti ...
Try These 7 Easy Icebreakers You Can Do With Post-It Notes
1
Hidden Treasure
Write several icebreaker questions on the sticky side of post-it notes and stick them to the board. Have each ...
Technology can be a great asset in ESL classrooms, offering authentic writing activities and endless resources on grammar instruction, lesson plans and other central topics.
Computers, tablets an ...
Try These 7 More Go To Activities for Conversation Class
1
Take a Survey
Short surveys give your students a chance to practice their English skills with different types of speakers. Have ...
Try These Great Go To Activities for Your Next Conversation Class
1
Tag Team Role Play
The classic role play is one of the best activities for your conversation students. For a twist, hav ...
Try These 7 More Great Games for Your ESL Classroom
1
Jeopardy
Put the answers up on the board (tape a sheet of paper over each one until you are ready to reveal it) and get your students ...
Try These 7 Idiom Activities to Get Your Students' Creativity Flowing
1
Back to the Source
Can your students guess how an idiom might have originated? If not, can they tell a creative sto ...
Try These 7 Best Sources for New Vocabulary with Your Students
1
It's Black and White
Use a newspaper or magazine to teach new vocabulary. Have students choose one unfamiliar word from an ...
I just downloaded some information from a writer’s website about its materials submission policy.
This was not a contract but rather an explanation of the site, its business, and its servic ...
Try These 7 Simple Activities to Teach the Simple Future
1
Dreams of Someday
Whether your students are planners or prefer to fly by the seat of their pants, writing a five year plan can b ...
Don’t you feel that sometimes getting your students to say what you need them to say is like pulling teeth?
This is often the case when we elicit vocabulary – that is, when we try to ...
Try These 7 Best Games for Your Next Conversation Class
1
Ice Breaker Jenga
Using a tumbling block game such as Jenga, create your own icebreaker game. Write one simple icebreaker questio ...
Try These 7 Best Ways to Review Vocabulary
1
Weave a Web
Use an idea web to review any themed vocabulary your students have studied. Start with your theme in the center of the board (e.g. ...
Try These 7 Best Ways to Introduce New Vocabulary
1
Picture It
Use pictures of new vocabulary words to introduce them to your students. You may choose to use flash cards, magazine images, ...
Try These 7 No-Prep Activities for Teaching Idioms
1
Guessing Game
Write three or four idioms on the board that all touch on one theme (e.g. animals, body parts). Have students work in gr ...
Try These 7 Ways to Make Your Teaching Life Easier with Post-Its
1
Create a Seating Chart
Create a flexible seating chart using post-its. You can easily move your students around in class ...
Try These 7 Perfect Activities for Teaching the Past Perfect Tense
1
Time Flies
Write several past times on small slips of paper and then put them in a hat. Have each student draw a past ...
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