Helping adult ESL students feel comfortable speaking their new language is an important role for an ESL teacher. Get ESL teaching tips for helping ELL students overcome their fears about speaking in English.
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. And English has about seventeen different ways to say “sorry,” depending on whether you’re talking to your boss, your friend, or the groggy co-worker whose coffee you just knocked over. […]
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 say? Yeah. No. For a lot of adult ESL newcomers, even saying “hello” feels like walking into the DMV for the first time. Lots of unknowns with too many expectations.
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 adult ESL students are stressed. They’re dealing with language learning pressure. Cultural adjustment. Work deadlines. Family obligations. Financial worries. All while trying to master irregular verbs and figure out when
Money affects everyone. How else will we pay our rent, buy our groceries, pay our bills, and pay off our debt? Money affects retirement savings that may or may not exist. Your adult ESL students are dealing with all of this in a language that isn’t their first, in a culture where financial norms might
Hygiene isn’t glamorous. I get it. Talking about it can be really uncomfortable. But it’s super practical, especially for adult ESL students who are still figuring out the cultural norms in their new community. What one culture thinks is fine is necessarily what another finds remotely acceptable. And after the pandemic? Everyone’s aware of handwashing,
Your adult ESL students probably already have jobs but want better jobs. Or maybe they’re worried about keeping their jobs. They could be negotiating salaries, they’re most likely dealing with difficult customers, and none of them want to get stuck sitting through business meetings they barely understand. In other words, jobs and careers is a
The environment is everywhere in the news. Microplastics in our water. Fast fashion waste filling landfills. Wildfires and extreme weather events. Rising sea levels. Your students see these headlines, and wow, do they ever have opinions. They’re worried about the future, theirs, their children’s, and the world’s. So use it as a discussion topic. Environmental
Your adult ESL students know first impressions are a must-have. They’re making their way through new social and professional environments where first impressions can open doors or slam them shut. A job interview, a networking event, meeting their partner’s family, and the first day at a new workplace can all be so stressful even when
A trip to the dentist can be a nerve-wracking experience when you speak the same language. Now imagine sitting in that chair when you don’t speak the same language as the dentist! Not only do you have to worry about the potential pain or discomfort that may come with the appointment, but you also have
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 with horror? I’ll never forget the look of shocked disgust on the faces of a classroom full of Korean kindergarteners when I blew my nose. Yeah. Don’t do that in
