Esl Classroom Activities

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Storytelling can be useful to enhance students' imaginations as well as improve a wide variety of skills such as listening, comprehension, order, memory, and vocabulary. It is targeted for all ages, but best to start earliest possible to allow students to develop a liking towards reading. Storytelling can come with different forms of follow-up activities to further increase teaching efficiency as well as to check understanding of the students through elicitation. This essay will be focused on mainly storytelling activities for young learners in schools.Table of Contents Activities Experience Do you want to teach English abroad? Take a TEFL course! Related Articles: This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Jin K. Please note that this blog...  [Read more]

1. Importance of Vocabulary Expansion in ESL Teaching 2. Strategies for Teaching Vocabulary 3. Using Technology to Enhance Vocabulary Learning 4. Activities for Vocabulary Expansion Vocabulary is a crucial component of language learning as it enables students to communicate effectively and comprehend written and spoken language. In ESL teaching, expanding vocabulary is essential for students to progress from basic to advanced levels. A rich vocabulary enhances students' ability to express themselves accurately and fluently. It also boosts their confidence in using the language in various contexts. As an ESL teacher, it is important to prioritize vocabulary expansion in your lesson plans to ensure comprehensive language development for your students. There are various strategies that ESL...  [Read more]

Laura Payne Teaching Ideas Much of language learning comes through language experimentation; steering away from examples and formulas and attempting to arrange your own ideas into words. No matter what a student's goal may be in learning English, they will eventually have to do this by leaving the classroom and using English on their own. Activities like creative writing are one method to encourage the practice of experimentation and expression in ESL students. In this post, we're going to look at five different activities students can use to put their thoughts into writing.Table of Contents Listen to this blog post: 1. (New Year's) Resolutions 2. Letters to the Future 3. Cultural Ambassadors 4. Travel Itinerary 5. Reactions Take a TEFL course and start teaching English around the...  [Read more]

Linda Dunsmore Teaching Ideas One of the great things about teaching conditionals is that once you discover some classroom activities that work well for one, they can be adapted to suit any of the conditional patterns that you may be asked to teach. Here are 7 fun activities for teaching conditionals for the ESL classroom that you can easily adapt to help your students understand the correct structures and usages.Table of Contents Listen to this blog post: 1. Pass the Pig 2. Chain Conditionals 3. Pelmanism ("Concentration") 4. Mill Drill Questionnaire 5. Group Discussions 6. Board Game With Prompts 7. Using Songs Are you ready to teach English abroad? Related Articles: Check out what our course grads say in our many video testimonials! Tell your students to stand up and form in two...  [Read more]

Mark Crocker Teaching Ideas One of the first things you should learn during a TEFL certification course is that delivering interesting lessons goes a long way to keeping your students happy and motivated in the classroom. And, if your students are stimulated by your lessons they are likely to progress quicker, which also makes the teachers job that much more satisfying.Table of Contents Listen to this blog post: Silent Movie The Prediction Game Vocabulary Match Guess the Dialogue Guess My Movie Are you ready to take your students to the movies? Related Articles: Check out what our course grads say in our many video testimonials! So what exactly makes a TEFL lesson interesting? There are many things you can do to make your lessons stand out, but one of the main ways to pique the interest...  [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.Table of Contents Listen to this blog post: The Go-Between Game The Lying Game Pelmanism ("Concentration") Guess Who Reported Speech "Tennis" Who Asked What? Find...  [Read more]

Linda Dunsmore Teaching Ideas ESL teachers often encounter difficulties when teaching grammar patterns to students abroad. The following 7 activities for teaching the simple present for the ESL classroom will help your students pick up the tense in an easy and efficient way.Table of Contents Listen to this blog post: 1. Daily Routine 2. Cultural Norms 3. Classmate Interviews 4. ESP (Extraordinary Sensory Perceptions) 5. Where am I? 6. Present Simple BINGO Mingle 7. Weekend Party Are you ready to teach English abroad? Related Articles: Check out what our course grads say in our many video testimonials! This is a very good activity for when you start discussing the simple present and how it's used for routines and regularities. You can place the students into groups or pairs and have them...  [Read more]

Linda Dunsmore Teaching Ideas Passive voice is something native English speakers can use without much thought but it can be difficult for language learners to master because the switch from active to passive voice is quite an involved process – as many EFL teachers find when they first attempt to present it. Here are some fun activities that you can use in the classroom to help your students practice using this tricky language pattern. Do remember when you adapt these games that not every verb or tense in the English language can be used for the passive voice!Table of Contents Listen to this blog post: Change the Room Quiz Describing a Process Relay Tennis Game Jenga Roleplay; Blame it on Your Sister Mill-drill (mingling) Are you ready to teach English abroad? Related...  [Read more]

Enhance your ESL teaching skills with a wide range of engaging and effective classroom activities provided by ITTT (International TEFL and TESOL Training). From interactive games to creative projects, our activities are designed to make learning English fun and impactful for students of all ages and proficiency levels. Discover new ways to keep your students motivated and engaged while helping them improve their language skills through dynamic and interactive lessons. 1. Engaging ESL Classroom Activities 2. Benefits of Using ESL Activities 3. How to Implement ESL Activities in Your Classroom 4. Resources for ESL Classroom Activities One of the most crucial aspects of teaching English as a second language is keeping students actively involved and interested in the learning process. ITTT...  [Read more]

Linda Dunsmore Teaching Ideas Teaching grammar patterns often involves a lot of classtime and the more activities you have up your sleeve as a teacher the better. The following 7 activities for teaching the past progressive for the ESL classroom will help your students pick up the tense in no time!Table of Contents 1. Memory Challenge 2. People Watching 3. The Luck of The Draw 4. What You Didn't Do 5. So Much in Common 6. Strange Explanations 7. My Alibi Listen to this blog post Are you ready to teach English abroad? Related Articles: Pull up an image with a lot of actions going on, for example, people engaging in different activities at a park or another public place. You can either hand out printed images or show it to your students on an overhead projector or TV. After having your...  [Read more]

Linda Dunsmore Teaching Ideas The present progressive is one of the most important tenses in the English language. As it describes actions currently happening, it's quite an easy tense to teach using a variety of fun and interactive activities. Here are 7 activities for teaching the present progressive for the ESL classroom.Table of Contents 1. Look Around 2. A Letter Home 3. A Picture's Worth 4. Charade Call Out 5. What are you doing? 6. Sorry, I Can't 7. Picture Perfect Are you ready to teach English abroad? Related Articles: Have your class make observations about what's happening all around in the classroom and outside the windows. Make sure they students use the present progressive when describing what they see. Ask your students to write a letter to a parent, relative or friend...  [Read more]

1. Introduction to ESL Games and Activities 2. Benefits of Using Games and Activities in ESL Teaching 3. Types of ESL Games and Activities 4. Tips for Incorporating Games and Activities in ESL Lessons Introducing games and activities in ESL classrooms can make learning English engaging, interactive, and fun for students of all ages. By incorporating these interactive elements, teachers can create a dynamic learning environment that enhances language acquisition and retention. There are numerous benefits to incorporating games and activities in ESL teaching. These include promoting active learning, improving student engagement, fostering collaboration and communication skills, enhancing vocabulary retention, and making the learning process enjoyable. By integrating games and activities...  [Read more]

Sarah Jennings Teaching Ideas As we approach the end of another academic year, it's an ideal time to celebrate achievements, build connections, and reflect on the shared journey. Whether you're teaching in a multicultural classroom or navigating diverse educational systems, this guide is here to inspire you with innovative ideas for end-of-year activities that will leave a lasting impression on your students.Table of Contents Ignite Creativity with End-of-Year Projects Reflect with a Memory Board Cultivate Gratitude with Thank-You Notes End-of-Year Activities Foster Connections Are you ready to teach English abroad or online? Give students the opportunity to showcase their creativity and talents with end-of-year projects that reflect their interests and passions. Whether it's multimedia...  [Read more]

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.Table of Contents 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...  [Read more]

Linda Dunsmore Teaching Ideas Teaching new tenses to students of a foreign language is often not as easy as you might anticipate, especially when the tense you are trying to teach them does not exist in their native language. The following 7 activities for teaching the present perfect for the ESL classroom will help your students pick up the tense in no time!Table of Contents Listen to this blog post: 1. Great Accomplishments 2. Have You Ever? 3. How Many Times Since? 4. Great Ambitions 5. Most Deprived 6. Bucket Lists 7. Since or For? 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 warm-up activity to make your students understand what the present perfect is all about. After teaching the...  [Read more]

Linda Dunsmore Teaching Ideas The simple past is one of the most important tenses in the English language. As it describes past actions, it's quite an easy tense to teach using a variety of fun and interactive activities. Here are 7 activities for teaching the simple past for the ESL classroom.Table of Contents 1. Preparations 2. Good Days and Bad Days 3. Charades Series 4. Dear Diary 5. Get Out and About 6. Accurate Endings 7. Double Duty Review Listen to this blog post Are you ready to teach English abroad? Related Articles: For more activities check out: 10 Exciting Activities for the Past Simple For this activity, the students think of significant accomplishments in their lives. After sharing with the class what they have accomplished, the students should describe what they did in...  [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.Table of Contents Listen to this blog post: Predicting the present Ongoing action at a point in the future Expected achievements at a point in...  [Read more]

Linda Dunsmore Teaching Ideas There are a myriad of ways to talk about the future in English, so it's important to have a variety of activities for students to practice what you've taught them. Here we're going to focus on various usages for future simple and describe some fun teaching ideas that match them.Table of Contents 1. Spontaneous decisions 2. Predictions (no evidence) 3. Facts/certainties 4. Assumptions/deductions Listen to this blog post Are you ready to teach English abroad? Related Articles: One of the most common ways we use future simple in our day to day lives is to make spontaneous or unplanned decisions. For example, when choosing food from a menu, (I'll have the fish please), or if you have to make a change of plan (a friend calls to say they can't pick you up to go...  [Read more]

1. Introduction to ESL Classroom Activities 2. Speaking and Listening Activities 3. Reading and Writing Activities 4. Vocabulary and Grammar Activities One of the most effective ways to improve English language skills is through speaking and listening activities. These activities help students practice their pronunciation, fluency, and comprehension. One popular activity is role-playing, where students act out scenarios to practice conversational English. Another useful activity is storytelling, where students take turns sharing a story or personal experience. Listening activities, such as watching videos or listening to podcasts, can also enhance students' listening skills and expose them to different accents and speech patterns. Reading and writing activities are essential for developing...  [Read more]

Simon ITTT Teaching Ideas The number of combinations of modals and usages is enormous, so TEFL certified teachers often spend a lot of time trying to find an activity that suits their particular teaching point. Here, we give you some adaptable ideas which should save you time thinking or searching, assuming you already have good grammatical knowledge of the subject and a little bit of creativity.Table of Contents Listen to this blog post: Language Tennis Mill-drill/Mingling Group Discussions or Debates Board Games Information Exchange Draw the Sentence Marked Up Dice Are you ready to teach English abroad? Related Articles: Check out what our course grads say in our many video testimonials! It's often better to spend a bit of time creating your own material rather than looking...  [Read more]

1. Introduction to ESL Teaching Resources 2. Online Platforms for ESL Teaching Resources 3. Classroom Activities for ESL Teaching 4. Assessment and Feedback in ESL Teaching When it comes to teaching English as a second language, having access to a variety of resources can greatly enhance the learning experience for both students and teachers. ESL teaching resources can include textbooks, workbooks, online platforms, games, activities, and more. These resources are designed to help students improve their language skills in a fun and engaging way. Whether you are a new teacher looking for guidance or a seasoned educator looking to refresh your lesson plans, having a range of ESL teaching resources at your disposal is essential. In today's digital age, there is a wealth of online platforms...  [Read more]

Mark Crocker Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas Classroom management can be defined as the ability or skill to organize the class. This will involve the use of the eyes, the voice, and different gestures. Classroom management will also involve group arrangements which can consist of the whole class, individuals or pair work. The use of student's names, desk arrangements, use of the board, giving individual attention, and teacher talk time also fall under the label of classroom management.Table of Contents The Basic Teaching Tools Student Arrangements in the Classroom Other Important Factors of Classroom Management Are you ready to teach English abroad? Related Articles: Listen to this blog post: This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Taurayi G. Use of the eyes. They say...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate KINGSLEY A. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT.Table of Contents 1. SEND A CARD 2. CLASSROOM BASEBALL 3. CONCENTRATION 4. PENNY PITCH 5. THE HUMAN GAME BOARD Do you want to teach English abroad? Take a TEFL course! Related Articles: Spread the flashcards out on the floor, right side up if you are learning a new skill, and upside down if you are reviewing. Seat children in a circle around the cards. The player takes a card and says, "I'd like to send this card to ____." (S)he hands the card to the chosen student. If that student responds correctly he keeps the card on the floor in front of him and chooses a card for another player. If he...  [Read more]

Enhance your English as a Second Language (ESL) teaching skills with engaging classroom activities that will keep your students motivated and eager to learn. From interactive games to creative projects, incorporating a variety of activities into your lessons can make the learning process enjoyable and effective. Discover a range of classroom activities designed to improve language skills, build confidence, and foster a positive learning environment for ESL students. 1. Introduction 2. Vocabulary Building Activities 3. Speaking and Listening Exercises 4. Writing and Reading Tasks One of the key components of language learning is vocabulary acquisition. Engage your ESL students with fun and interactive vocabulary building activities such as word matching games, flashcards, and word...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Classroom management refers to the skills, techniques, and the teacher's ability to control and organize the students. This can only be managed if the teacher builds a good relationship with the students, which helps them to trust and look up to their teacher. Building a relationship with student's means investing in them by finding out their strengths and challenges and their weaknesses to find a way to help them. Once the trust is created between the students and the teacher, there will be a sense of respect. This is important as it will help the students to follow the rules and regulations of the teacher as well as the school.Table of Contents Another way of managing a classroom is by keeping the student busy and always involved. There has to be...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Storytelling in the classroom can seemingly be one of the most diverse and engaging ways to help students learn English as a second language. Storytelling for the purposes of this essay is a broad term that I am using to refer not only to students telling stories about what they did on the weekend for example but also using existing stories that are well known and loved, for example, Harry Potter or the Lion King.Table of Contents Benefits of Storytelling Activities Storytelling Skill Development Do you want to teach English abroad? Take a TEFL course! Related Articles: This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Jamie S. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. Firstly, classroom...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences To many students, the school can feel like more of a chore than a pleasurable experience. Whether it is struggling to pay attention to lectures or to complete homework assignments, all students will lose focus at some point or another. One way to make the learning process more pleasurable is by transforming the classroom into a game-like environment. This does not necessarily mean playing games in class, but it does mean applying similar concepts to the classroom.Table of Contents Games as Bricks in Building Skills Ways to apply games Do you want to teach English abroad? Take a TEFL course! Related Articles: This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Heather H. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Throughout this course, I have set my sight on becoming an online teacher for young learners. I have done extensive research on different classroom activities for teaching online and have found six different ones that I like. This summative is based solely on teaching online meaning both the teacher and student are doing 100% of the work online.Table of Contents 1. My window, my world 2. Five clicks away 3. Extensive News Reading 4. That's my line 5. Binomials 6. Parting gifts Do you want to teach English abroad? Take a TEFL course! Related Articles: This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Danielle C. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. The first activity I plan to use while...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Flashcards are a proven way to learn new information. Their use however, does not need to be monotonous or boring. Make your own, play a game, show the card, and combine it with art, put them in sequence, or create and fill-in sentences. These ideas will stimulate both sides of the brain by combining thinking and doing. This will also keep the students attentive.Table of Contents 1. Make your own 2. Giant flashcard game 3. Show the world and draw 4. Sequence 5. Use in a sentence Do you want to teach English abroad? Take a TEFL course today! Related Articles: This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Corby K. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. The students will get twice as much...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Who doesn't love a story? Stories are universal. Stories connect us all. Stories also transcend caste, creed, color, and age. From the beginning of time, to-date the medium may have changed but stories engage us with others because it is easy to see ourselves reflected in them and understand the message conveyed easily.Table of Contents USING PICTURES: STORY CIRCLE: STORYBOARDS: DIFFERENTIATED LEARNING: GUIDED LISTENING: USING SONGS: Do you want to teach English abroad? Take a TEFL course today Related Articles: This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Shaimuna C. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT. Teaching English using stories can be very effective in class. As an English...  [Read more]