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!
Who is voluntourism for?
You! And maybe some friends or family members too. If you are fit to be traveling and have the energy to keep up with a full class of students, then you are perfect for ...
As ESL teachers, part of what you and I do is bring real life literature into our classrooms.
Our students benefit from the vocabulary and grammar challenges that come hand in hand with some of t ...
Since technology has become a part of everyday life for many people and the internet is widely accessible around the world, teachers should endeavor to develop the technological skills of their st ...
With the Olympics in London coming up very soon, it is time to start thinking about how you would like to use this major event in your ESL classes. The Olympics are an excellent ESL topic not only ...
Congratulations! You’ve been assigned your first advanced class, something you’ve wanted to try for a long time. And you’ve had your first class session. Students were bright, en ...
For those who speak English as a second language, speaking English on the telephone can be one of the most challenging and frustrating tasks.
On one hand, listening comprehension proves to be mor ...
These days people seem to be doing so many amazing things on the internet. There is no reason why teachers, even ESL teachers, cannot take advantage of such excellent resources and start using tec ...
You ask your ESL class a question, and you’re met with a room full of blank stares. You call out a student’s name, but getting an answer from him is like pulling teeth. You notice that ...
So you’ve been assigned an intermediate ESL this term after a number of terms teaching beginning ESL students. This should be a breeze!
The students understand everything you say, can follo ...
Not every teacher is able to show digital presentations like PowerPoints (PPTs) in their classroom.
However, those that are might have discovered that these presentations can be rather uninspirin ...
Maybe you have been thinking about how awesome it would be to have a class website of your very own.
Maybe you have never even considered making one but luckily, it is not hard at all and would p ...
The alarm goes off, and you groan.
Getting out of bed is a feat of sheer will. You love teaching, and you enjoy the time you spend with your ESL students – most of the time. But they are no ...
Very few would argue that in today’s world, reading is important. For ESL students, reading can provide grammatical instruction and vocabulary development even as it confers information on t ...
You have covered nouns and verbs, and the grammar curriculum has you moving on to adjectives with your ESL students.
Still, you want them to have fun and make a personal connection with the mater ...
When your main goal in teaching is showing students how to work with words and use them correctly, pictures may not seem like the most straightforward means to an end.
The truth is, however, that ...
I always enjoy teaching beginning ESL classes. There are a lot of advantages to teaching beginning ESL students: they are motivated learners not yet burned out on language study as students at a l ...
When I have a great informational piece I want to share with my students, my temptation is to jump right in.
I have confidence that the fascinating facts and amazing concepts will draw them in ju ...
What would you do if a big, bad pig tried to blow down your little brick house?
Run away as the bricks tumbled, just like the three little wolves did in Eugene Trivizas’ story The Three Lit ...
Stories are great.
We love following our favorite characters through adventure after misadventure. We can imagine ourselves in a different setting, perhaps a different world when stories take us ...
Writing does not exist in a vacuum. It is a natural extension of listening and speaking, true in any language, but no less true for speakers of other languages and those in the process of learning ...
- Did you understand what you read?
- Yes.
- What did the article say?
- I don’t know.
Unfortunately, this conversation is far too common in the ESL classroom. For whatever reaso ...
For students who are learning English as a second language, practical and real life skills are extremely important.
We teachers strive to bring realia into the classroom, give them experience spe ...
Your students are learning complex grammatical structures. They are perfecting their pronunciation and learning how to listen better. Even their vocabularies are expanding, but something is missin ...
One of the first things I am asked when I tell people I am an English as a second language teacher is, “What languages do you speak?”
Though it might make my high school French teache ...
Not many people enjoy controversies or the tension that comes along with them, but controversies can be the ESL teacher’s best friend for a very significant reason. They get students talking ...
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