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!
Isn’t it great when we have ESL students who are very vocal about their needs?
They arrive to their first day of class, tell you all about their English-learning background and describe wha ...
Those of us who teach English as a Second Language have an advantage over other language teachers: our world has become so globalized that for many years now we have been seeking one language as c ...
For some of us, as the year's end approaches, so does student testing time.
This may be in the form of placement tests for the new year, public school exams, or those last minute students trying ...
In ‘The Sound of Music’, Julie Andrews sings, “Let’s start at the very beginning, a very good place to start”.
She’s referring to the musical notes, the basic ...
As far as your ESL class is concerned, you could face a multitude or problems – or none at all.
A typical ESL class, anywhere in the world, has its own set of typical problems and challenge ...
Make the classroom your stage and become the most interesting visual aid ever by being the best storyteller your students have ever seen.
Don’t you want your reading sessions to be somethin ...
Congratulations! You’ve chosen to become an ESL teacher, and it’s one of the most rewarding professions around. Yet, you must be warned – though tremendously satisfying on a pers ...
Most of us are familiar with the idea of conducting a needs analysis with our adult students, especially if we are teaching a business or academic English class. However, young learners (and their ...
Let’s be honest. Science fiction rocks.
So what better way to learn English than through the imaginations of great sci-fi writers? Here are five popular science fiction novels that use acce ...
Recently I was working in the staff room at the university where I teach, running off copies before class when the staff room phone rang.
Usually when it rings it turns out to be a wrong number, ...
So you’ve just been assigned your first Business ESL class. You’re feeling that excitement that comes from teaching a new curriculum and class, but you’re also nervous.
You know ...
A lone student stands self-consciously at the front of the class, hiding behind a sheet of notes. She almost has to shout to be heard over the fragmented conversations of the rest of the class. Ev ...
So you’ve been assigned to teach a student at the university level who needs some additional ESL support.
Your agreement with the university states this support will be in the form of one-h ...
Often business writing is discussed as if it were one genre—as if in the arena of business, that is, people write in only one style and format.
This isn’t exactly true, any more than ...
One of the noticeable features of U.S. culture, especially in California, is its informality and egalitarianism: people usually address “superiors” by first names, for example; even ch ...
Teachers should always strive to improve their knowledge and skills. Language teachers should especially work to increase their fluency and vocabulary if they plan on effectively teaching the subj ...
A gap-filling exercise is probably the quintessential ESL activity.
They’re easy for teacher’s to create, easy for students to complete, and may be designed for any vocabulary list or ...
The “tweet,” the common term for a short note posted on Twitter (e.g.: “My printer just jammed. Darn it!”) It has its own genre rules: brief--typically one or two lines&mda ...
Writing a summary is a great activity that benefits both students and teachers alike.
For the student, it offers them a chance to synthesize what they just read and sort out the ideas in their ow ...
“Number 1 is A; number 2 is C; number 3 is B; number 4 is C; number 5 is A…” You’re probably already yawning and wondering where this is going. Reading out answers to exer ...
Just how much can a person write on a Post-It note?
When you are using them in the classroom, it’s not how much you write but what you write. You can use these simple sticky notes to get yo ...
“So how is everyone?” Paul asked. “Fine,” I responded. “Shana’s on a school trip this week.” “Oh, yes, school trips. My sons usually have four a yea ...
“How do you say, ‘Que tengas un buen fin de semana’ in English?” How many times have your students asked you to translate something from or into their native language?
How ...
The unit is finished and the test is later this week. What will you do to help your students review?
Here are some fun and easy ways to check how much they know and remind them of what they don&r ...
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