Category: Teaching Tips
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Creative Writing for Cambridge Prep: Why It Works (Even for Informational Exams)
Categories: Teaching Tips
“Why are we writing stories when the exam asks for emails?” If you’ve ever had a parent or student question your creative writing activities, you’re…
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Teaching Idioms and Slang: Balancing Formal and Informal Language for Confident, Fluent ESL Speakers
Have you ever seen an ESL student freeze after hearing someone say, “break a leg” or “spill the beans”? Idioms and slang add color and…
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The 10 Best ESL Warm-Up Activities to Start Your Lessons Strong
Categories: Teaching Tips
Starting your class with warm-up activities sets the tone for engaging and productive classes and gets students speaking right away.
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Total Physical Response (TPR): Why It Works and How to Use It in Your ESL Classroom
This morning I was teaching a new trial lesson to a 5-year-old student who had limited English. The lesson introduced four jungle animals—monkey, tiger, snake,…
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Phonological Awareness in ESL: Where to Start and Why It Matters
Phonological awareness in ESL classrooms is one of the most important—yet most overlooked—skills for building confident readers and spellers. If your student is struggling to…
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Gamify Lessons: 5 Easy Tricks to Make Learning Fun
Gamification is one of the most effective ways to boost student engagement and motivation. By turning lessons into interactive games, you can transform even the…
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Fun Grammar Activities to Turn Lessons from Boring Grammar into Unforgetable
Let’s face it—grammar isn’t usually the topic that gets students excited. Whether you’re teaching irregular verbs or sentence structure, grammar can feel repetitive and uninspiring.…
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Enhancing ESL Learning Through Video: Strategies and Insights
Videos are one of the easiest and most powerful tools you can use in your ESL classroom—especially online! Whether you’re teaching one-on-one or in small…
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ESL Debates: 15 Ready-to-Use Topics + Tips for Boosting Speaking Skills
Have you ever seen your quietest student suddenly speak up with confidence when they feel strongly about a topic? That’s the power of a well-run…
