ESL reading and writing lessons are at the heart of all ESL instruction. Learn how to effectively teach adult ESL students about reading and writing the English language.
Updated January 2026. Another year has passed, remarkably fast and excruciatingly slow both in turns and at the same time. Time is a weird concept to me. Once I learned that it’s not the same “time” for everyone in the world simultaneously, a lot of time-related traditions became meaningless for me, especially perhaps New Year’s. […]
So, you’re teaching adult ESL true beginners, and you need to teach the alphabet. You know there are millions of resources and ideas for teaching the alphabet, but everything you find is made for young children. Your adult students don’t need to be tracing a letter in a tray of sand. They need age-appropriate activities
“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 desk to see Hafsa holding her phone, genuinely confused. And seriously? Aren’t we all a bit confused over stuff like that? We’re all swimming in information overload, but our students
You’ve read this paragraph three times. You’re still lost. The student who wrote it is articulate in class discussions. She participates, she gets the grammar, but this paragraph? It jumps from idea to idea like someone channel-surfing. You can’t follow the thread. You look at the clock. You have 23 more essays to grade. This
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 picked up a biology textbook, flipped through a few pages, and his face went pale. His TOEFL score had just improved a lot, and he could practically taste the end
Picture this: “So, what is the significance of the color gold in this story?” (pause to look at glassy-eyed students) “Anyone?” (pause again…was that a snore in the back?) “Didn’t anyone read the chapter last night?” (oh, they are SO getting a quiz now—that’ll teach them!) UGH. I grew up preferring books to food, but
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 her hand. She spoke slowly, carefully choosing each word. “The most terrible sound I’ve ever heard is a child crying for food, and there is no food to give her.”
