Tips and Advice from a Veteran Teacher Many languages of the world are regular in the way that they are structured. This makes English grammar very difficult for thousands of students whose first language follows a consistent grammatical pattern. Although there is nothing anyone can do about the irregular structure and the exceptions in English, it […]
When we at Successful ESL first started teaching ESL classes, one of the very first things that we learned was the alarming student drop out rate, even when you have a good curriculum. There are always those that think it would be real cool to speak English, but lose interest when they find that there […]
Saving Money on ESL EFL Curriculum Many of the countries of the world are facing difficult economic times. Radical changes are taking place each day as people struggle to earn enough to maintain their standard of living, and/or the houses they live in. As you present your ESL program to your students there are steps you can […]
Everyone loves a game! People in every country participate in games, watch games and talk about games. They stimulate the economies of the world and foster international friendship and understanding. Why don’t we use more games in our educational systems? Why do the students spend so much time memorizing basic facts when a game would […]
ESL Adult Curriculum are available by the thousands. If you have already chosen a curriculum, in all probability it is satisfactory, but how the teacher uses it is the big question. Often the students attend English classes after a hard day’s work, so there must be some social benefits for them, stemming from a good class […]
Experienced teachers know that control is key to success with many different types of classes. It seems that each group develops a personality of its own. Some groups have their energy needs under control – they are ready and eager to learn throughout most lessons. This type of group is the dream of all teachers! […]
What is the basic goal of any ESL program? “Why, that’s easy”, you might say, “it is to teach the students to speak English!” If that’s the case, why do so many programs fail? In Canada, most students took French in school, but very few people can speak even passable French. In the Czech Republic, […]
Working for a language school or teaching company can be an ideal job for a new English teacher. The regular lessons, regular pay, and support are all be very welcome when you first start working. But have you ever considered the possibility of working for yourself and finding students independently? Being self-employed allows you to […]
The most common reference for English Usage is A Dictionary of Modern English Usage (1926) by Henry Fowler, or just ‘Fowler’s.’ Fowler is famous for such quotes as, Inversion: Writers who observe the poignancy sometimes given by inversion, but fail to observe that ‘sometimes’ means ‘when exclamation is appropriate’, adopt inversion as an infallible enlivener; they aim […]
Sentence Completion are common types of vocabulary questions on many ESL standardized tests. Sentence Completion can be used for vocabulary, as with the practice questions below, or for other types of tests, such as the MELAB. If you are learning vocabulary for a standardized test, here is a great overview, or see Vocabulary.com.