Reviewing prepositions of time doesn’t have to be yet another worksheet, task cards, or even BOOM cards. Try out some of the following simple but effective ways to review prepositions of time. Go Visual! If you already know your students and their routines and activities, look for photos and pictures representing what you know will …
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2 Powerful Techniques to Increase Student Engagement with Academic Vocabulary Part 1
Help! My academic vocabulary students just don’t get it that a substantial vocabulary is necessary for more than passing English proficiency exams! This was an issue that came up over and over, and my co-workers and I were constantly hashing out just how we could convince students that passing the TOEFL wasn’t enough to guarantee …
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Stop Pre-Teaching Vocabulary All the Time!
None of my professors EVER told us to stop pre-teaching all the vocabulary, but I’m telling you to do just that. Here’s why. While I was getting my master’s in TESL in the early 2010s, the strategy of pre-teaching vocabulary words was all the rage. Perhaps it still is? This wasn’t something I had done …
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One Fun ESL Speaking Game for Adults
Beginner-level adult ESL students LOVE to play games, but their low English proficiency can seem limiting when you’re trying to come up with something engaging but practical, fun but not a time-waster. (Don’t teach beginners? Keep reading because this game is easily adapted for all levels!) Playing the ESL speaking game I have…Who has…? is a …
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Two Helpful Tips for Teaching Pronunciation
Getting a class full of students with varied first language backgrounds is a dream come true, but not when you’re teaching pronunciation. If it’s a grammar or vocabulary class, they all have to make a greater effort to understand and be understood by each other. They can’t just revert to their first language. So, usually, …
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Create Listening Labyrinths Using Minimal Pairs: a Step by Step Guide
I love to create listening labyrinths because they make fantastic informal assessments of students’ ability to discern the difference between two sounds. The icing? Students love them! Let’s say you have students who often use a short i sound when they need a long e sound (and vice versa). Here’s what you do: Here’s how to create listening labyrinths. Before …
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Pronunciation Truly Matters!
Some of my most vocal students harbored a deep belief that they spoke English rather flawlessly, at least when it came to pronunciation. They would often complain about their classmates’ accents. They’d even protest at having to work with a partner who they couldn’t understand easily because of the classmate’s accent. I know this because …
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