Teaching adult ESL with no materials or time?
Here’s what works when nothing else does.
Most recent posts:
- The Vocabulary Game that Flopped and How I Fixed It
You know that game where someone shouts out a letter and a category, and you race to think of a word that fits? My family used to play a version of it, and we loved it. Competitive, fast-paced, lots of laughing when someone blanked on an obvious answer. So naturally, I tried it with my… Read more: The Vocabulary Game that Flopped and How I Fixed It - Your Adult ESL Students Have Gaps and That’s Completely Normal
I need to tell you something that might make your day easier. You know those gaps your students have? The ones where you’re teaching present perfect and suddenly realize half the class is shaky on simple past? Or you’re doing passive voice and someone raises their hand to ask what a past participle is? Those… Read more: Your Adult ESL Students Have Gaps and That’s Completely Normal
Older Posts:
Teaching The Present Progressive Tense: Because the Past Tense is So Yesterday
So you’re teaching present progressive? As a native English speaker (if that’s what you are), you’ve been using this tense your entire life without thinking…
The Emergency Sub Plan for When You’re Too Sick to Think…That Students Love
Picture this: You wake up with your throat on fire, your head pounding, and the kind of fever that makes you question whether you’re still…
Spook Up Your Lessons with ESL Halloween Activities for Adults
So, here’s a confession…I once wore expired Halloween face paint to class. Not just expired. Wrong kind of paint entirely. (This wasn’t on purpose.) Eight…
Greetings, Farewells, & Introductions: Engaging Activities for Adult ESL Newcomers
You know how everyone assumes greetings and introductions are easy? Like students just stroll in on day one, shake hands, and magically know what to…
Teaching the Months of the Year: Yes, It Matters. No, You Don’t Just Sing a Song.
Let me guess. You’re staring at your lesson plan thinking, Really? Months of the year? These are adults. And yet…here we are. Because someone put…
7 Fun Activities for Opposite Adjectives
Years ago, I had this quirky Korean student who assigned friendship and enemy status to words when he couldn’t remember the English term he wanted….
Three High-Impact Activities for Teaching Facts and Opinions in Adult ESL
“Teacher, this article says coffee causes cancer. But last week, different article says coffee prevents cancer. Which one is truth?” I looked up from my…
The Sophisticated Vocabulary Gap: Why Your College-Bound ESL Students Sound Like They’re Not As Smart As They Are
Mariam could explain complex ideas. She understood the concepts in her psychology class. She could write coherent essays that made sense. But her professor kept…
When Your Students Want to Reduce Their Accent (And Why That’s Okay)
“Teacher, I need to fix my accent. Nobody understands me.” Zara pulled me aside after class, frustrated and exhausted. She’d been in the US for…
Fall Activities for Adult ESL: When Reality Doesn’t Match the Hollywood Version
“Teacher, when do the trees turn colors?” My Saudi students were sooo ready for fall. They’d seen the pictures online. The Instagram-worthy leaf tunnels. The…
Summarization: The Reading Strategy Your Adult ESL Students Need, But Nobody Taught Them
I’ll never forget the day I brought in a stack of university textbooks to show my reading class what was eventually waiting for them. Fahad…
The Past Perfect Tense: A Pain in the Past, but a Necessity for the Present
Some adult ESL teachers might be wondering, “Why do I need to teach the past perfect tense? Can’t I just stick to the simple past…
Beyond Basics: Teaching the Passive Voice for Adult ESL Success
Teaching the passive voice went from not on my radar to one of my favorite things to teach! I’m about to admit something embarrassing. When…
Why Your Adult ESL Students Need Reflective Writing
I don’t remember why I asked the question, but I’d written it on the board: “What’s the most terrible sound you’ve ever heard?” Amara raised…
3 Reasons Why Your Adult ESL Students Can’t Remember Vocabulary & What To Do About It
You know that student who swears they’re studying vocabulary every single night but still bombs the quiz? Yeah, I had Mesfer. This guy was COMMITTED….
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