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!
Are you looking for an activity to do with your class that combines both written and spoken language but has a creative element, too?
If so, try this lesson on invention which challenges students ...
No matter how old your students are, they have a past filled with memories. Talking about past events is a daily occurrence for most people, and it is therefore very important for your ESL student ...
Getting from one place to another is not always easy. Very rarely can a person travel on a straight path from one point to another, so it is important for ESL students to learn how to give directi ...
If you have ever read a Superman comic, you will probably understand some of the appeal x-ray vision has for people of all ages. We are intrigued by the idea of looking inside something or someone ...
No matter where you live, no matter where you are from, everyone knows about weather. Most people even have favorite types of weather.
Some people like the hot sunny days of summer. Others like t ...
ESL students have to make the effort to complete tasks, do homework and study. But when it comes to providing fun, challenging activities that will motivate them to learn, the ball is in your cour ...
Time flies when you’re having fun and isn’t it great when your ESL students are surprised to see it’s time to go home? Some may not even want to go home!
One great way to put so ...
When you hear the word ‘Valentine’, do you think of hearts, candy and cards? Do you think about those same things when you hear Feb. 14? Who says Valentine’s Day is the only time ...
Dark, damp and quiet? Dirty or wet? What would it be like to live under the ground or under the water?
If you have already challenged your students to think like a kite high in the air, this unde ...
The key to being a good writer is having good observation skills. How can you write about the world around you if you do not first notice it? By encouraging your students to heighten their observa ...
Most ESL students have taken enough courses and classes to become accustomed to pictures, flashcards and illustrations. So accustomed, in fact, that they may not be fully engaged in some activitie ...
Not every person likes to cook, but this activity will engage even the least interested students, no previous cooking experience needed. With the following lesson, students will create a silly, fi ...
Asking your ESL class to be quiet almost seems counterintuitive. After all, isn’t the goal of a foreign language class to speak the target language?
You can achieve this goal of fluent spee ...
Write a story. Make it three pages, and make it fictional. Ready? Go! This is not the best preparation for writing a narrative.
For anyone who is writing, coming up with an effective and well-wri ...
Once upon a time, a dedicated teacher wanted her students to excel in English.
One day, she met a great wizard who needed her help. She gave him a peer evaluation and in return, he shared some fu ...
“Jimmy… I mean Johnny… I mean Jason get over here.” Did you ever hear a similar sentence from a parent, grandparent or teacher as she ran down a list of all your siblings ...
Abracadabra! In just an instant, you have transformed your ESL class into an amazing spectacle. You won’t believe what is before your very eyes.
Your students will be amazed when they bring ...
There is nothing wrong with having a little fun as we learn. One of the advantages with teaching English is there are many different fun and funny things you can do with the language as you teach. ...
Most everyone has flown a kite, but how many students have put themselves into the high in the sky position of a kite?
You class will be able to say that they have after this lesson on writing fr ...
Oftentimes when people hear the word journal they think of a diary that records someone’s daily actions, but a journal can be much more than that. A journal is a place to write and explore i ...
Whether it is winter and the snow and ice are all around or whether it is summer and you and your students would relish some way to cool off a bit, ice is always close at hand. The thematic unit t ...
Every child has a hero. For some, it may be a sports figure or a celebrity. For other children, their heroes are people who have made great advances in the world like Jesus or Einstein. Most child ...
Everyone likes to have fun as they learn. One of the advantages to being an ESL teacher is that there are always games centered around language and words.
You can use these games either to take a ...
In any language, a person must give and follow directions whether it is in a cab, when explaining a process, or giving instructions.
The following activities will give your ESL students an opport ...
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55,834![Y: Younger Years: Talking About the Past [Teacher Tips from A to Z]](https://busyteacher.org/uploads/posts/2011-08/1313766060_young-years-esl.png)
![X: X-Ray Vision: What Will You See? [Teacher Tips from A to Z]](https://busyteacher.org/uploads/posts/2011-08/1313643256_xray-esl.png)
![☂ W: Weather Caster for a Day [Teacher Tips from A to Z]](https://busyteacher.org/uploads/posts/2011-08/1313561787_esl-weather.png)
![V: Valentine’s Day Any Day [Teacher Tips from A to Z]](https://busyteacher.org/uploads/posts/2016-02/1455235886_any.jpg)
![U: Underwater and Under Earth Adventures [Teacher Tips from A to Z]](https://busyteacher.org/uploads/posts/2011-08/1312994841_underwater-esl-lesson.png)
![T: Top Ten Count Down: What Are Yours? How To Teach A 'Top 10' ESL Lesson [Teacher Tips from A to Z]](https://busyteacher.org/uploads/posts/2011-08/1312900395_top10.png)
![S: Savvy Senses - It’s All About Observation [Teacher Tips from A to Z]](https://busyteacher.org/uploads/posts/2011-08/1312723112_esl-observation-lesson.png)
![R: Ridiculous Recipes - Giving Instructions for Crazy Concoctions [Teacher Tips from A to Z]](https://busyteacher.org/uploads/posts/2011-08/1312601502_esl-cooking-class.png)
![Q: Quiet Conversations: Taking a Softer Approach to Speaking Class [Teacher Tips from A to Z]](https://busyteacher.org/uploads/posts/2011-08/1312513493_esl-quiet.png)
![P: Planning Out a Pleasing Plot. Starting Your Students on Story [Teacher Tips from A to Z]](https://busyteacher.org/uploads/posts/2011-08/1312425755_esl-plot.png)
![O: Once Upon a Time: Fun with Fairy Tales [Teacher Tips from A to Z]](https://busyteacher.org/uploads/posts/2011-08/1312325744_esl-fairy-fun.png)
![N: Fun ESL Activities You Can Do With A Name [Teacher Tips from A to Z]](https://busyteacher.org/uploads/posts/2011-08/1312168711_name-game.png)
![M: Magical Mystery Tour [Teacher Tips from A to Z]](https://busyteacher.org/uploads/posts/2011-07/1311815781_magic.png)
![L: LOL – Have Some Laughs While Learning English [Teacher Tips from A to Z]](https://busyteacher.org/uploads/posts/2011-07/1311729421_esl-laugh.png)
![K: Let’s Go Try a Kite [Teacher Tips from A to Z]](https://busyteacher.org/uploads/posts/2011-07/1311595972_kite.png)
![J: Journaling in Seven Out of the Ordinary Ways [Teacher Tips from A to Z]](https://busyteacher.org/uploads/posts/2011-07/1311437458_esl-journal-writing.png)
![I: Ice, Ice, Baby [Teacher Tips from A to Z]](https://busyteacher.org/uploads/posts/2011-07/1311397378_ice-esl-unit.png)
![H: Talking About Our Heroes [Teacher Tips from A to Z]](https://busyteacher.org/uploads/posts/2011-07/1311272930_esl-superheroes.png)
![G - Games that Work Without Fail in the ESL Classroom [Teacher Tips from A to Z]](https://busyteacher.org/uploads/posts/2011-07/1311134646_esl-games.jpg)
![F - Following and Giving Directions: Using the Imperative [Teacher Tips from A to Z]](https://busyteacher.org/uploads/posts/2011-07/1311035811_directions-esl.png)
