ESL activities

Don't teach your students what to learn, teach them how to learn

Ultimately, YLs need to learn how to learn as much as they need to acquire new knowledge (Williams, 1991) This has to be one of the most influential ideas I have come across in the world of education. As simple as it is, the implications are fairly radical: we need to spend less time teaching children what to learn, and more time… All categories, Certificate courses, Diploma courses, TESOL Masters, How to..., ESL activities

Storytelling skills: using the power of narrative with young learners

Can you remember what your favourite story was as a child? I remember from an early age being obsessed with Roald Dahl books. At home, I avidly read Matilda and identified with the main character as like her, I too was a keen reader at a young age. I also remember reading The Twits and The Witches in class with my primary school teacher and being… All categories, Certificate courses, How to..., ESL activities

How to pass your English exam: tips for success

English exams are big business – the British Council claim more than 2 million IELTS exams were taken in 2013, while over 700,000 people sit a Trinity ESOL exam each year. English exams have become particularly popular for students wishing to emigrate, study or work in English speaking countries, and in some cases, non-English speaking… All categories, How to..., Certificate courses, Diploma courses, ESL activities, Careers in TESOL

Teaching vocabulary: making word families work

Word lists are a widely-practised teaching tool for vocabulary study, but any student who has worked with them will tell you that memorising lists of words is a very time-consuming method that does not really help students to learn words deeply, or to use them appropriately. The main problem with lists of words is that they are… All categories, Certificate courses, How to..., ESL activities, Diploma courses

5 TESOL Dragon Boat Festival activities

Dragon Boat Festival, also known as the Double Fifth due to its position in the lunar calendar, has been celebrated in many countries in Asia for more than 2000 years. Legend tells of a famous poet, Qu Yuan (340-278BC), renowned for his patriotism and honesty. He wrote many masterpieces, showing his devotion to his country, before being exiled by… All categories, ESL activities, How to..., Certificate courses, Diploma courses, Theme based learning

Something from nothing: the basics of teaching with minimal resources

We’ve all been there before: 5 minutes before class starts, the panic sets in.  Will I have enough material to get me through the lesson? You flick the photocopier on and madly scan through the activity book to see if there is a crossword, a puzzle, a reading text that you can take as back up.  You make 15 photocopies, none of which get… All categories, Certificate courses, Diploma courses, How to..., ESL activities

Solving common difficulties with TESOL listening lessons

Listening is one of the most problematic skills for an ESL learner to acquire. This is because skills are developed over time and with plenty of practice. As a result, this can be a frustrating experience for learners since significant improvement is difficult to ‘prove’, whereas for instructors they may find it tricky to measure the learners’… All categories, Certificate courses, Diploma courses, TESOL Masters, How to..., ESL activities

World book day: 5 great books and activities to try with young learners

World Book Day (April 23rd) is a wonderful celebration of reading and books. In places such as the UK, books are given out to those who don’t regularly read, gifted through organisations such as prisons, libraries, colleges, hospitals, care homes and homeless shelters. It is not only a celebration which enhances reading abilities, but also an… All categories, ESL activities, Certificate courses, How to...

6 chocolateless activities to try with your English classes this year

Easter is a festival celebrating the resurrection of Jesus from the dead, which is celebrated all over the world by Christians. Easter is also closely linked to the Jewish Passover. Church services, decorating of Easter eggs (symbolizing Jesus’ empty tomb), egg hunts and chocolate eggs are just a few of the customs that are observed, but did you… All categories, Certificate courses, Diploma courses, ESL activities

How to teach vocabulary: making your lessons more effective

Vocabulary is an important part of language study, especially for younger learners and low levels of ability. However, teachers often gloss over opportunities for deep practice with new words and phrases – we often only have time to teach things once, and then we are flying on to the next thing without giving sufficient chance for students to… All categories, How to..., ESL activities, Certificate courses

Experienced teachers: are you ready to take a DipTESOL or DELTA?

Article by Bryan Holmes and Tom Garside If you have been teaching for a few years you may be thinking it’s time to complete a Trinity DipTESOL or a Cambridge DELTA. Doing either one will broaden your professional horizons while making a huge leap in your professional development.  This is considered a rite of passage in the… All categories, Diploma courses, ESL activities, Certificate courses, TESOL Masters

5 creative activities for Chinese New Year

Roar! By the Lunar calendar, this year (2024) will be the Year of the Dragon and will fall on Saturday, 10 February. Some parts of Asia, like Malaysia, Vietnam, Singapore, Korea and Japan also revel in New Year and Spring festivities around the same time. If you teach in an Asian country or have students with an interest in other cultures, engage… All categories, How to..., ESL activities, Certificate courses, Theme based learning