Esl Classroom Activities

Linda Dunsmore Teaching Ideas You will find the web full of ideas for teaching vocabulary and, although most of them are undoubtedly good activities, some are only suited to a particular level. Here are some tried and tested activities that can be adapted to suit any level of student and a variety of class sizes. Listen to this blog post: 1. Hot seat 2. Beat the clock 3. Crosswords 4. Board games 5. Slow Pictionary 6. Vocabulary tennis 7. Pelmanism ("Concentration") Are you ready to teach English abroad? Related Articles: Check out what our course grads say in our many video testimonials! This is a great activity that can be used as a warm-up at the beginning of a class, or as a game at the end of a lesson. It's suitable for any class size over 4 students and requires minimal...  [Read more]

Linda Dunsmore Teaching Ideas In a previous post, we looked at various teaching ideas for future simple and here we're going to describe some fun ideas for teaching three other future tenses. There are a wide variety of usages for future tenses and it's always important to make sure your activities focus on the usages that you've taught in your lesson. For example, future continuous can be used to talk about an ongoing action at a point in the future, a fixed future event, polite enquiries or to predict the future or the present. Predicting the present is one that students often have trouble conceptualizing, so we might as well start from there. Listen to this blog post: Predicting the present Ongoing action at a point in the future Expected achievements at a point in the future...  [Read more]

Linda Dunsmore Teaching Ideas When teaching reported speech the potential for mistakes, errors, and the general difficulty is enormous due to the number of changes that are made with verb tenses, patterns, pronouns, questions, time expressions etc.. It's important to cover the subject slowly with lots of verbal practice at every opportunity. There are plenty of standard 'change the direct speech to reported speech' activities, but your students will soon tire of these if you overuse them. Here are some ideas which have worked well in the EFL classroom and will give your students a good amount of talk time in a variety of ways. Listen to this blog post: The Go-Between Game The Lying Game Pelmanism ("Concentration") Guess Who Reported Speech "Tennis" Who Asked What? Find Someone...  [Read more]

Federico Riva Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas The following activities may be adapted for use as warmers, engage activities, structured practice or free practice style activities. They may also be adapted for level and age. Watch the video about this topic Are you ready to teach English as a foreign language? Related Articles: Check out what our course grads say in our many video testimonials! The first one is really simple but can be one of the best activities to improve grammar. Some students even at the higher levels are lacking automatic habits, which are really important for grammatical skill. Basically this activity is a grammar drill and it is supposed to be used as a warmer or as an ice-breaker activity. The main objective is to help your students automate some grammatical...  [Read more]

Linda Dunsmore Teaching Ideas When teaching young learners, it's important not to spend too much time on any one activity as they can soon lose interest. It is also a good idea to have activities that give younger learners the chance to move about and use the boundless energy they have at that age. Below we present a list of short activities suitable for young and very young learners of English. Listen to this blog post: What's the Time Mr. Wolf? Telephone Basketball Volleyball Bingo Can you …? I Spy Odd One Out Stand Up Please Mastermind Blindfold Obstacle Course Are you ready to teach English abroad? Related Articles: Check out what our course grads say in our many video testimonials! This is a good activity for practicing time with small classes. Clear a space in the center of...  [Read more]

Register now & get certified to teach english abroad! Here are four fun Easter activities for ESL students.   Grab this printable ESL worksheet with four Easter-themed activities for your ESL students.   Register now & get certified to teach english abroad!  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Outdoor games and activities can be motivating and fun for English language learners. According to my research, there are many different activities that teachers can use to practice and develop students' English language skills. Outdoor learning has many benefits: Students can be highly motivated and energized by being outside. When a class has become boring or the students disinterested, going outside can help students return to the classroom refreshed and more focused than before. Furthermore, being in the new surroundings opens up unique, memorable ways to teach English in the great outdoors. ESL Community Experience Choice of Activities Game Ideas Scientific Research Do you want to teach English abroad? Take a TEFL course! Related Articles: This...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas What outdoor activities can help to teach English? I would like to say that there are plenty of outdoor activities that are effective to teach English. However, many teachers prefer indoor activities rather than outdoor, as they think that it might distract the students. Nonetheless, outdoor activities can increase their motivation for learning. Also, it helps to decrease their stress level, as they do not have to stay in the classroom as usual. Freewriting time Flashcard game 'Stand up if you've ever' game Do you want to teach English abroad? Take a TEFL course! Related Articles: This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Sarosh Z. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. The teacher...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Classroom management is the skill of organizing and managing the class, having a friendly, relaxed manner, and maintaining discipline. Good classroom management allows students to increase their motivation. Motivation has an impact on a student's academic performance. The main purpose of assigning jobs is to teach them some responsibility. Do you want to teach English abroad? Take a TEFL course! Related Articles: This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Satinder K. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. While they do learn how to be responsible by taking care of their belongings and keeping their desks clean and organized, a classroom job helps students keep the room smoothly....  [Read more]

  Online ESL Activities: Are you an online English teacher? Do you want your students to enjoy and have fun? Then, this live stream is for you! Our TEFL/TESOL expert, Liza, will share five interactive activities that you will be able to use at your next class. Great news that these games will suit any age group and level. Don't miss! #TEFL#BestTEFL #TeachEnglishOnline 00:00-00:48 Mic was off 00:48-01:00 Intro Are you ready to teach English abroad or online? Click here and get started today: bit.ly/37gs5vO What is TEFL Certification? Where is it valid: bit.ly/36ma2Fg Check out our wide range of TEFL Courses: bit.ly/3ltqt73 Teach English online from anywhere you want: bit.ly/3ltqEPL Register now & get certified to teach english abroad!  [Read more]

Linda Dunsmore Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas Music-based learning is an effective technique to develop English proficiency within an early youth classroom. Classroom-based singing can create a fun learning environment and lead to the development of musical skills, social interaction, and English vocabulary. Simple Rhymes Examples of Suitable Rhyme Songs Involving the Class Listen to the blog post Are you ready to teach English abroad? Related Articles: This post was written by our ITTT graduate Patrick H. The most effective method for younger learners is the use of various simple rhymes. Rhymes are simple in nature and may easily be adapted to the current material that is being taught. The teacher and students will benefit most from a circular seating arrangement as it allows both...  [Read more]

Linda is a passionate traveler, language learner and TEFL teacher. After spending some time teaching in China, she moved to Korea in 2015. She now calls South Korea her home. Linda Dunsmore Teaching Ideas Schools are starting again and students and teachers flock back to the classroom. Check out these simple and powerful back-to-school ideas and your students will surely remember this first lesson of yours for a long time! Linda Dunsmore Teaching Ideas As an ESL teacher, getting your students talking can be one of the most difficult things to accomplish. English learners often lack the necessary confidence to speak openly and freely in English. The following activities are perfect for getting your students out of their shells! Here are 7 go-to activities for your ESL conversation...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Effective teachers not only possess expertise in content knowledge but they are also great classroom managers. If teachers cannot manage their students then they cannot teach their students. Learning will only take place when the classroom is well managed. The first day of school is the most important day for teachers to create 'rules' in the classroom. The Essence of Classroom Management Teacher Responsibilities Relationships Expectations and Directions Do you want to teach English abroad? Take a TEFL course! Related Articles: This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Nikki D. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. Classroom management must happen on the very first day of school...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas A lot of activities can be settled and performed in a classroom to teach a non-native language. From tasks until routine exercises, a wide range of dynamics might be applied for a teacher. But games have different and unique features for a lesson, and its matter and characteristics need to be debated for developing consistent teaching of content. What is a Game? What is the Game for? Game Directions Sense of Competence Communication Do you want to teach English abroad? Take a TEFL course! Related Articles: This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Fábio A. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. First of all, it must keep in mind the concept of a game, which could be described as...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas What is phonology? Most students have not even heard about it. Whenever I ask my students whether they know or have ever learned about phonetics, the same answers come out, "No, we don't know about it at all". It is no wonder they reply like this because there is no phonetic teaching lesson in English classes from KG to high school here in my country. As for me, I got to study about this only when I attended college. Even then, it wasn't taught comprehensively and I only learned very little. So I couldn't read nor write phonetic symbols very well. Thus I thought it was the most difficult part of studying English. Reasons to pay attention to phonetics Phonetics in the early years Benefits Do you want to teach English abroad? Take a TEFL course! Related...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Teachers play an intricate role in children's formative years, both intellectually and socially. For schools to have a positive effect on children, they will be dependent on good teachers. A good teacher has many specific attributes with some being professional roles they have and others being embedded in their personality. Management Evaluation Organization Attitude Do you want to teach English abroad? Take a TEFL course! Related Articles: This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Shelby W. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. During the class, the teacher must be able to manage and control the students. This means the teacher needs to be able to stand in front of the class as a...  [Read more]

Linda Dunsmore Teaching Ideas Evaluations are the useful tools or techniques that provide insight for modification, planning and in some cases re-designing a course. Student evaluation also provides the opportunity to address issues regarding student learning while the course is still in progress. There are different ways a teacher can assess a student's language level: Listen to this blog post: Tests Placement Test The Diagnostic Test Progress Test Practice Test Tutorials Evaluation by the Students Are you ready to teach English abroad? Related Articles: Check out what our course grads say in our many video testimonials! a) Testsb) Tutorialsc) Evaluation by the students. This post was written by our ITTT graduate Michael O. Students can be tested from time to time during the course....  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas It is a very well known fact that English is a very melodic language, it sounds very soft and children love singing in English. When you keep a certain rhythm, rhyme, and pace, it is very likely to learn faster and better almost any topic. Listen to this blog post: Young Learners The objective would be to sing and to touch the body parts at the same time. Both engage and practice stages are important during the lesson as they will have to be well balanced and guided. More Ideas Do you want to teach English abroad? Take a TEFL course today! Related Articles: This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Valeria T. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. For a group of very young...  [Read more]

Linda Dunsmore Alumni Experiences The role of a teacher is constantly changing throughout the day. The teacher's role can be influenced by: the lesson, the students, and the circumstances that might arise during a classroom session. Teachers frequently perform various roles when teaching students, some of these roles include: instructor, facilitator, mentor, psychologist, counselor, and policeman. Listen to this blog post: A teacher can act as an instructor. A teacher can act as a facilitator. A teacher can act as a mentor. A teacher can act as a psychologist. A teacher can act as a counselor. A teacher can act as a policeman. Are you ready to teach English Abroad? Related Articles: Check out what our course grads say in our many video testimonials! This post was written by our TEFL...  [Read more]

Mark Crocker Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas Humans are social animals. Throughout history, we've always evolved in communities and societies, where individuals relate with others by affiliating themselves to different groups. They are then integrated into a complex social network, whose members often have a strong impact on each other. Group dynamics represent this impact: they designate the functioning of a group and the relationships between its members. These dynamics also play an important role in the classroom, thus it is essential that the teacher understands them in order to create a productive synergy between themselves and their students. Tailoring Lessons to Suit the Common Dynamic Understanding the Classroom Dynamic Can Help With Participation and Discipline Are you ready...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Learning a new language can elicit stress/fear responses in students. This is especially prominent in speaking as it can make people feel vulnerable/ashamed in front of their peers. It is very common for students to feel shy, especially if they are one of the weaker students in English or don't have the motivation to learn the language. My Personal Language Learning Experience Ways to Support Students 1. Classroom Dynamics 2. Attention to a Group, not to an Individual 3. Team Building and Peer Work Do you want to teach English abroad? Take a TEFL course! Related Articles: This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Daniela A. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. I have experienced...  [Read more]

Linda Dunsmore Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas Motivation in the classroom is the biggest reason why I teach students in a high school setting. I am a public-school teacher and I get English as a Second Language students all the time in my classroom. I am a 10th-grade teacher but my students' ages range from 14 years old to 19 years old. The number one factor that I teach is for motivation. My students are already matured and have seen things they probably should not have at their ages. Once they get to my classroom, they are mine to teach. I do my utmost best to teach my students. I have students from all over the world, Saudi Arabia, Germany, Egyptian, Asian, Africa, to name a few countries. I now have wonderful scores. I also have a high likability rating from my students; the...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas The word 'drilling' in education refers to a teaching technique in which the teacher creates a certain pattern or structure to be practiced repeatedly by the students, for them to ultimately develop a system where they may identify and use the pattern or structure independently. Drilling as a technique has been put to use in teaching almost all subjects, but its efficacy has been particularly acknowledged in the field of language teaching, for training students in both pronunciation as well as grammar. However, just as it has been lauded for being a foolproof system of making students 'practice' a language, drilling has also been criticized for being a mechanical and largely monotonous process of memorization, followed by reproduction that is often...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas 'Teacher, Can we please have a class outdoors?' this question was asked by a lot of my students, and 'No' was my typical answer. Why do students want to have an outdoor session? Is it really useful? What outdoor activities could be done to help when teaching English? These questions ran through my mind every time one of my students asked me to have a class outdoors. So, I decided to find answers to these questions. Reasons to have classes outdoors Choice of activities World around us Do you want to teach English abroad? Take a TEFL course! Related Articles: This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Ahmed A. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. Why teach outside at all? It is...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences What is peer learning and is it useful in an ESL classroom? Let's first define what is peer learning. "Peer learning essentially refers to students learning with and from each other as fellow learners without any implied authority to any individual, based on the tenet that 'Students learn a great deal by explaining their ideas to others and by participating in activities in which they can learn from their peers' (Boud, 2001)" (Gwee, 2003). Language Level Grouping within the class Communication between students Disadvantages Do you want to teach English abroad? Take a TEFL course! Related Articles: This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Soo Parra C. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or...  [Read more]

Mark Crocker Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas English is one of the most common languages in the world. Knowing English can help people communicate with others from different countries and seek opportunities to have a better job or life. English can bring benefits to everyone, no matter how old they are. Therefore, English is becoming essential in many areas and more people, from kids to adults, are learning it as a second language. To help people learn English effectively, teachers play a significant role in their learning progress. There are many types of students and depending on their needs, ages, and personalities, teachers must learn how to adjust their teaching styles accordingly. Different Reasons For Learning English Different Age Groups - Children Different Age Groups -...  [Read more]

Mark Crocker Teaching Ideas Of the four language skills taught in an ESL classroom, listening skills are often overlooked as teachers can be unsure how to make these lessons interesting and relevant to their students. However, as listening skills are a fundamental part of the language learning process, it is vital that we give them the classroom time they deserve. The good news is that there are many ways to make listening skills lessons both fun and productive. Here are 6 ideas for livening up your lesson plans. Popular Culture Secret Phrase Celebrity Squares Describe the Picture Listen and Quiz Vowel Cards Listen to this blog post Are you ready to teach listening skills in the classroom? Related Articles: One simple way to engage your students in a listening lesson is to use popular...  [Read more]

Jon ITTT Alumni Experiences Classroom management is one of the most important aspects of teaching and is the key to students' successful learning. Consequently, how to effectively manage and run classroom becomes the central theme and sometimes the biggest concern for English teachers, especially when facing young learners. There are a variety of settings with different scenarios but since I currently teach in Japan, here I would like to focus on the class setting in which all students are Japanese, i.e., of a single nationality who learn English as a foreign language. The classroom environment Student behavior The importance of building trust in the classroom Are you ready to teach English abroad? Related Articles: Listen to this blog post This post was written by our TEFL...  [Read more]

Register now & get certified to teach english abroad! These classroom actions are ideal to teach your beginner ESL students for smooth classroom management.   Register now & get certified to teach english abroad!  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Most of us grew up being constantly evaluated by taking a wide variety of tests for all kinds of subjects, all with the goal to show how much you know and how capable are you. Throughout school years teachers evaluate your performance, and your knowledge they based on of on the results from several quizzes, exams, and tests, and commonly based on results they know how to approach each student's needs, or so they assume that the standardized score is accurate. Growing up you learn whether or not you are a test taker, you will find those who do amazing on tests but do not really pay attention in class, you will also find those who get really nervous and struggle but still do well, and you also find the ones who know all the material and cannot test well....  [Read more]