The present tense is usually introduced first for English second language beginners. Although students will need to have studied this tense before they attempt these practice questions, a review is always a good idea. It may alert students to some …
Teaching Grammar to English as a Second Language students can be a deadly bore. We’ve seen student sigh and shut their eyes at the thought of it. We know that in many countries it’s considered a necessary part of learning …
Many of the English grammar tenses are not too difficult but others give students a lot of trouble deciding when to use them. Since we can’t think through a grammar rule as we speak, the best way is to participate …
In teaching ESL classes in different countries, we found that students enjoyed working in small groups. Usually, they needed something to spark their imaginations, so that they could try out their English skills. We found that picture activities are good …
The progressive tenses are fun to teach as they follow an easy rule. When your students have studied the simple present and past tenses they will be ready to learn and use the present and past progressive tenses. This article …
When beginning students enroll in an ESL class, they are likely to come in with quite a bit of anxiety. They want to learn English, but many of them will be worried that it will be too difficult, or that …
ESL EFL Students from many different cultures find prepositions difficult because their meaning is expressed in a very different way in their own language. The preposition word doesn’t always express its meaning clearly. This is particularly true when referring to dates. This …
When you are teaching an ESL class, have you ever stopped and looked at the students’ faces? What do you see? Are the students sitting up, eager to see what comes next, or are they all slouched down with a …
Simple Greetings Activity with Handouts The informal language we use when we meet our friends or family is often idiomatic. ESL beginners can find it very confusing unless they are introduced to the short greetings that we all use. Students …
Let’s give learning the English language some pizzazz. It can be frustrating, so it’s important that we do all we can to simplify it and most important of all, LET’S MAKE IT FUN! Everyone learns when they laugh. This article …