ESL activities

L1 Challenges and Opportunities for English Language Teachers

For English language teachers, few things are as frustrating as students using their first language (L1) in class. This not only hinders the learning process but stops students from immersing themselves in the English language. However, there are several strategies that teachers can use to reduce or eliminate the use of L1 in the classroom. Also,… ESL activities, Teaching skills, Five ways to

How to Create Lesson Plans with AI

As a language teacher, one of the most important things you do is plan. It is difficult to overstate how important planning is for teachers. Most of what goes right and wrong in a lesson is down to planning. Planning is also one of the most time-consuming activities for teachers. If you’re anything like me, you probably spend as much (or more)… ESL activities, Teaching skills

10 Critical Thinking Activities for Young Learners

Critical thinking is one of the most important skills in life. It can help you better understand yourself. It can help you make better decisions. And it is vital for academic success. Yet in many schools, curriculums prioritise a culture of uncritical thinking. In English classes for example, students are taught to repeat what the teacher says and… Teaching skills, ESL activities, Five ways to

5 Fun Games to Teach Grammar

One of the biggest challenges young learner teachers struggle with is keeping their students’ attention when they present grammar. Not many six-year-olds want to listen to an explanation about prepositions or a description of how to use the continuous aspect. But, if you teach kids, your school will expect you to teach grammar to your students. So… Teaching skills, ESL activities, Five ways to

7 Practical Activities for Business English Classes

In task-based learning, students learn English by using English. The tasks are ideal for business English classes because they put students in realistic scenarios where they need to negotiate, solve problems, and communicate in English. In this post we’ll look at how to design activities for business English classes. I’ll share some of my favorite… Five ways to, ESL activities, Teaching skills, Theme based learning

Using EdTech to Enhance Speaking and Communication Skills in your Classrooms

In a century that is becoming more complex by the day, empowering learners with effective English communication skills is more crucial than ever. This is also true for learners preparing for high stakes spoken English exams such as the Trinity Graded Examinations in Spoken English (GESE). Yet, a recurring challenge in the education world is the… Teaching skills, ESL activities, Certificate courses

Using TV Shows to Teach English

Using authentic material in the classroom has never been alien to me, but it was only when I was doing my postgraduate qualifications did the idea of using TV series completely hit home. Since then, it’s been a staple and I recommend them for trainees on both the CertTESOL and DipTESOL. Sometimes there’s a reaction of shock, sometimes of doubt,… Teaching skills, ESL activities, Theme based learning

Creating Teaching Materials with ChatGPT and DALL-E2

Creating teaching materials is one of the most time-consuming things that teachers do. Finding a text on a specific topic can take ages. Even once you’ve found or written a text, you might then need to edit it to match the level of your students. Then you might go through the text to pick out useful vocabulary. You might even search for images to… Teaching skills, ESL activities, Five ways to, Theme based learning

Jigsaw Activities in Receptive Skills Lessons

It is well acknowledged among TESOL & TEFL instructors that a focus on receptive skills is important in language learning. Learners who are effective readers and listeners in English are better able to communicate and open themselves up to useful sources of language input. It is, therefore, important that receptive skills lessons engage… ESL activities, Teaching skills

Teaching Reading: 5 Common Mistakes EFL Teachers make

Many English language lessons involve reading. Reading can engage students, encourage autonomy and help improve other skills, like speaking and writing. But if done badly, reading can bore students, waste time and create cognitive overload. In this article, I’ll show you five common mistakes TEFL teachers make while teaching reading and how to… Teaching skills, ESL activities, Five ways to

Teaching Register: the forgotten component of English Language Teaching

Exposure to variation in English is something that all English teachers should try to encourage. But what happens when learners are only exposed to English through one source? It’s not as uncommon as you might think. There are Young Learners who are only exposed to gaming videos on YouTube. There are older learners who may only read a certain… Teaching skills, ESL activities, Five ways to

Teaching Tenses in English: a complete guide

What is the difference if someone says ‘I have lived here for five years’ or ‘I have been living here for five years’? If you are reading a newspaper article and the writer states ‘an agreement has been reached’ rather than ‘an agreement was reached’, why did they make this choice? Why do we sometimes use the present tense to talk about the future… ESL activities, Careers in TESOL, Teaching skills