Teaching adult ESL with no materials or time?
Here’s what works when nothing else does.
Most recent posts:
- Hey TpT Buyers, Are You Leaving Perks on the Table?
Teaching adult ESL and getting great resources from TpT? Here are some TpT tips for buyers that you might not know but really should. - 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 me out.
Older Posts:
2 Fun Superlative Adjective Games That Don’t Feel Like Grammar Class
Looking for superlative adjective games that actually engage adult ESL students? I’ve got two for you – one that feels like a game show, and…
Two Ways to Teach Pronunciation in Adult ESL Classes
“Socks.” That’s what the presentation showed. A nice, innocent picture of socks. “SEKS!” my new Saudi student yelled out, loud and enthusiastic, so proud he…
4 Strategies for R/L Pronunciation That Don’t Involve Parroting
“And then,” my professor paused dramatically, “the Muslims were playing in the streets! Everywhere! They were playing in the streets all over the country!” Everyone…
Stop Selling Academic Vocabulary. Start Selling This Instead.
My co-workers and I used to hash out the same problem over and over: How do you convince students that passing the TOEFL or IELTS isn’t…
Teaching Frequency Adverbs: Strategies for Adult ESL Success
I will ALWAYS love… grammar. Okay, that’s a lie. I don’t always love grammar. Sometimes I love it. I often tolerate it. Rarely did I…
How to Stop Homework from Devouring Your Time
Stacks of homework papers used to sit on my table, glaring at me. Menacing little goblins. A good teacher would have graded all that already,…
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…
When Your Best Student Is Also Your Most Incomprehensible
I’ll never forget the day I realized I was having a real conversation with Shimin. No paper, no pencil, no charades. Just two people talking,…
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…
Talking about Etiquette and Manners in Adult ESL: Beyond Grammar and Vocab
Have you ever thoroughly disgusted someone without meaning to? Just going about your normal day, doing something completely ordinary, and suddenly everyone’s staring at you…
Task Cards: Why Aren’t More Adult ESL Teachers Using These?
3 FUN Vocabulary Games for Adult ESL
“GAME.” When I say “game” in my adult ESL vocabulary classroom, the air crackles. Spines extend, eyes brighten, pulses increase. “GAME” they repeat to each…
Stop Pre-Teaching Vocabulary All the Time!
None of my professors EVER told us to stop pre-teaching all the vocabulary (they were huge fans of that method), but I’m telling you to…
Your Adult ESL Students Can Recite the Days of the Week. So What?
I’m rolling my eyes right now just remembering it. My students would dutifully memorize the days of the week, recite them back to me in…
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…
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.
