Teaching adult ESL with no materials or time?
Here’s what works when nothing else does.
Most recent posts:
- 6 Reasons to Switch Off the Slideshow and Pick Up the Flashcards.
I know…I know. You went through all that trouble learning the new apps. You’ve got your Canva templates, your carefully curated Google Slides, those PDF presentations you purchased from your favorite adult ESL seller↗ on TpT. And here I am, telling you to go back to…gussied-up index cards. Made of paper. Don’t click away. Hear… Read more: 6 Reasons to Switch Off the Slideshow and Pick Up the Flashcards. - 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
Older Posts:
Minimal Pairs for ESL Pronunciation: What They Are and Why They Work
Afaf threw a pencil at me once during a pronunciation lesson. She missed on purpose (I think), but still. That’s what minimal pairs can do…
The 4 Best TH-Pronunciation Activities for Adult ESL
The TH sounds are brutal for so many of our students. You’ve drilled the mouth position a hundred times, modeled it until your tongue has…
2 Vocabulary Games That’ll Get Even Your Skeptical Adult ESL Students Excited
The first time I announced we were playing SWOOSH!, my student Saleh crossed his arms and said, “I didn’t pay for this class to play…
Stop the Grade Begging: Teach Them How to Ask
“Teacher, I need extra credit. My family and my government will be very angry if I don’t get an A. You must give me one…
How to Teach Academic Vocabulary with Videos and Not Just Kill Time
I loved using videos in my vocabulary classes. No, not like during the last few days of school back in the late 80s and early…
Talking About Stress in Adult ESL: Why It’s Worth the Awkwardness
Most teachers avoid stress as a discussion topic. Too negative and uncomfortable and definitely likely to bring down the mood. But here’s the thing: your…
5 Health-Themed Activities That Won’t Make You Want to Fake Being Sick
If you’re looking for a theme that won’t make your adult ESL students groan and check their phones, try “health.” I know, I know. It…
How to Create Everyday Role Plays Your Adult ESL Students Truly Need
Let me tell you about my (first) year of disasters in South Korea. There was the time I insisted on buying a fish at the…
How to Sneak Test-Taking Strategies into Beginning Adult ESL Lessons
When we started working on color vocabulary, Ama’s face went dark. I didn’t know her well because she had just started in my class that…
How to Teach Coordinating Conjunctions to Adult ESL Students (Discovery Lesson Method)
Adult ESL students love “and.” They use it to connect everything. Every. Single. Thing. And while they’re technically communicating, reading what they write (or listening…
Cultural Differences in Adult ESL: Navigate or Crash and Burn
Your classroom is full of cultural landmines you don’t even know about yet. Students from cultures with little concept of personal space are getting too…
My Bad! Teaching Apologies: Adult ESL Apologizing Role-Play Activities for Real-Life Situations
Apologies can be uncomfortable, right? Different cultures apologize differently. Some are known for apologizing for everything (looking at you, Canada). Some barely apologize at all….
Why Your Adult ESL Students Still Write Like Beginners…and how to fix that
You grade another stack of essays from your intermediate students and want to bang your head against the desk. Again. These students can handle a…
Teaching ESL Grammar When You Don’t Know Grammar
“Teacher, why is past participle here?” I stared at my student, then at the textbook, and then back at my student. I had no idea…
Two Fun Activities to Review Prepositions of Time with Adult ESL
Look, I get it. You need to review prepositions of time. Again. Your students keep saying “on the morning” and “at Monday,” and you’re wondering…
New? Start here.
Need lesson ideas now?
Teaching Specific Groups
Browse by Skill Area
Need Ready-to-Use Materials?
Browse my Teachers Pay Teachers store for printables, activities, and resources that save you hours of planning.
