Esl Classroom Activities

  So speaking activities will come in many different forms but we can generalize them into three basic types. Control activities tend to be used in the study phase and here, the teacher will be helping the students in terms of what they need to say and how they go about saying it. So, there's a high level of structure within a controlled activity. A guided activity has slightly less structure than this and it can be used in either the study or the activate stages themselves. The final type of activity or class of activity is called creative activity and this one would be used in the activation phase. In a creative activity, we're giving a scenario or a very small amount of structure and we're asking the students to actually create their own answers to this particular question....  [Read more]

  Throughout section on the teaching of productive skills and the teaching of receptive skills our activate activities will usually involve some form of game and our final consideration here will be the use of games in the classroom. We can start with a definition of what we actually mean by a game and it basically has three components. A game is an activity that has rules it should have for its purpose in the classroom a teaching point and by nature to the fact that it's a game it should also include an element of fun. So that will be our working definition for a game that we're going to use in the classroom. There are many different types of games and they range between the competitive and those will require cooperation and there are all sorts of games that involve both of these...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas Storytelling can be useful to enhance students’ imaginations as well as improve a wide variety of skills such as listening, comprehension, order, memory, and vocabulary. It is targeted for all ages, but best to start earliest possible to allow students to develop a liking towards reading. Storytelling can come with different forms of follow-up activities to further increase teaching efficiency as well as to check understanding of the students through elicitation. This essay will be focused on mainly storytelling activities for young learners in schools. This post was written by our TEFL certification graduate Jin K. Please note that this blog post might not necessarily represent the beliefs or opinions of ITTT....  [Read more]

Linda Dunsmore Teaching Ideas Passive voice is something native English speakers can use without much thought but it can be difficult for language learners to master because the switch from active to passive voice is quite an involved process – as many EFL teachers find when they first attempt to present it. Here are some fun activities that you can use in the classroom to help your students practice using this tricky language pattern. Do remember when you adapt these games that not every verb or tense in the English language can be used for the passive voice! This is a tried and tested game that’s been used with the passive voice for a long time. It’s a lot of fun and easily adaptable to past and present tenses, although you may need to be...  [Read more]

1. Introduction 2. Benefits of ESL Activities 3. Types of ESL Activities 4. How ITTT Can Help Engaging ESL activities are an essential component of any successful English as a Second Language (ESL) program. These activities not only make learning fun and interactive but also help students improve their language skills in a practical and meaningful way. At ITTT (International TEFL and TESOL Training), we offer a wide range of resources and support to help ESL teachers create dynamic and engaging activities for their students. There are numerous benefits to incorporating engaging ESL activities into your lesson plans. First and foremost, these activities help to keep students motivated and interested in learning English. By making lessons interactive and fun, students are more likely to stay...  [Read more]

Laura Payne Teaching Ideas Much of language learning comes through language experimentation; steering away from examples and formulas and attempting to arrange your own ideas into words. No matter what a student's goal may be in learning English, they will eventually have to do this by leaving the classroom and using English on their own. Activities like creative writing are one method to encourage the practice of experimentation and expression in ESL students. In this post, we're going to look at five different activities students can use to put their thoughts into writing. Celebrating a new year is practically a universal tradition, and all students have goals. Writing down New Year's resolutions allows students to practice various usages of...  [Read more]

Mark Crocker Teaching Ideas One of the first things you should learn during a TEFL certification course is that delivering interesting lessons goes a long way to keeping your students happy and motivated in the classroom. And, if your students are stimulated by your lessons they are likely to progress quicker, which also makes the teachers job that much more satisfying. So what exactly makes a TEFL lesson interesting? There are many things you can do to make your lessons stand out, but one of the main ways to pique the interest of your students is to focus on things that they can actually relate to in their own lives. In this post we show you 5 great activities based on movies that you can use in the classroom, because everyone loves a good...  [Read more]

Linda Dunsmore Teaching Ideas When teaching reported speech the potential for mistakes, errors, and the general difficulty is enormous due to the number of changes that are made with verb tenses, patterns, pronouns, questions, time expressions etc.. It’s important to cover the subject slowly with lots of verbal practice at every opportunity. There are plenty of standard ‘change the direct speech to reported speech’ activities, but your students will soon tire of these if you overuse them. Here are some ideas which have worked well in the EFL classroom and will give your students a good amount of talk time in a variety of ways. This is a fun dispute roleplay that is ideal when students are split up into groups of 3, although 4 can work too....  [Read more]

Linda Dunsmore Teaching Ideas One of the great things about teaching conditionals is that once you discover some classroom activities that work well for one, they can be adapted to suit any of the conditional patterns that you may be asked to teach. Here are 7 fun activities for teaching conditionals for the ESL classroom that you can easily adapt to help your students understand the correct structures and usages. Tell your students to stand up and form in two lines (teams) and have an item that can be thrown and caught without causing injury or damage. Set the timer on your phone to sound after about 30-45 seconds. The teacher calls out the beginning half of a conditional sentence, throws the ball to a student at the beginning of the line and...  [Read more]

Linda Dunsmore Teaching Ideas You will find the web full of ideas for teaching vocabulary and, although most of them are undoubtedly good activities, some are only suited to a particular level. Here are some tried and tested activities that can be adapted to suit any level of student and a variety of class sizes. This is a great activity that can be used as a warm-up at the beginning of a class, or as a game at the end of a lesson. It’s suitable for any class size over 4 students and requires minimal preparation. Divide the class into two teams and have two chairs at the front of the class, set up to face away from the board. Have one student from each team come and sit in the chairs and tell them not to turn and look at the board. The premise...  [Read more]

Linda Dunsmore Teaching Ideas There are a myriad of ways to talk about the future in English, so it’s important to have a variety of activities for students to practice what you’ve taught them. Here we’re going to focus on various usages for future simple and describe some fun teaching ideas that match them. One of the most common ways we use future simple in our day to day lives is to make spontaneous or unplanned decisions. For example, when choosing food from a menu, (I’ll have the fish please), or if you have to make a change of plan (a friend calls to say they can’t pick you up to go out and you might say “It’s ok, I’ll take a taxi”). A fun way to practice this is to have card prompts with scenarios on, and have a game of...  [Read more]

Linda Dunsmore Teaching Ideas In a previous post, we looked at various teaching ideas for future simple and here we’re going to describe some fun ideas for teaching three other future tenses. There are a wide variety of usages for future tenses and it’s always important to make sure your activities focus on the usages that you’ve taught in your lesson. For example, future continuous can be used to talk about an ongoing action at a point in the future, a fixed future event, polite enquiries or to predict the future or the present. Predicting the present is one that students often have trouble conceptualizing, so we might as well start from there. When someone we care about is going on a long journey we often think about what they might be...  [Read more]

1. Introduction 2. Benefits of ESL Summer Programs in Hong Kong 3. Why Choose ITTT for ESL Summer Programs in Hong Kong 4. Program Details and Curriculum Are you looking for an exciting and immersive English learning experience this summer? Consider enrolling in an ESL summer program in Hong Kong! These programs offer a unique opportunity to improve your English language skills while exploring a vibrant city known for its rich culture and history. In this article, we will discuss the benefits of ESL summer programs in Hong Kong, why you should choose ITTT for your language learning journey, program details, and curriculum. There are numerous benefits to participating in an ESL summer program in Hong Kong. Firstly, you will have the opportunity to immerse yourself in an English-speaking...  [Read more]

Linda Dunsmore Teaching Ideas One of our TEFL alumni has shared with us his tips when teaching one-on-one English lessons. Check them out in this post. Mark Crocker Teaching Ideas It is not unusual for some ESL teachers to shy away from certain kinds of lesson as they are unsure how to make them interesting and productive. One common lesson that teachers often struggle with is listening skills. Here we look at some great ways to improve listening skills lessons in the ESL classroom. Mark Crocker Teaching Ideas To provide a rounded English language education you need to cover all the different language skills equally. However,...  [Read more]

Linda Dunsmore Teaching Ideas Check out this post written by an ITTT alumni on the benefits of having good rapport with students. Linda Dunsmore Teaching Ideas The ESA methodology of teaching is one of the most used modern teaching methodologies today. When taking a TEFL course, you will encounter this method and learn how to incorporate it into your lesson planning. Linda Dunsmore Teaching Ideas Use these 7 activities for teaching the passive voice in the ESL classroom to help your students navigate through this difficult part of English grammar. Linda Dunsmore Teaching Ideas ...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas This blog post is devoted to usage of songs in the classroom. Our TEFL graduate shares their thoughts. Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas This article contains information on activities for different groups of students. Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas In this blog post, our TEFL graduate shares their ideas of games for ESL teaching online. Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas This blog post overviews the problem of punishment and contains information on its influence on students' motivation. Elizaveta Pachina Teaching...  [Read more]

1. Introduction to ESL Classroom Resources 2. Benefits of Using ESL Classroom Resources 3. Types of ESL Classroom Resources Offered by ITTT 4. How to Access ESL Classroom Resources from ITTT When it comes to teaching English as a second language (ESL), having access to quality classroom resources is essential for creating engaging and effective lessons. ITTT (International TEFL and TESOL Training) offers a wide range of ESL classroom resources designed to support teachers in delivering dynamic and interactive lessons to their students. Whether you are a seasoned ESL instructor or new to the field, ITTT's resources can help enhance your teaching practices and ensure student success. Using ESL classroom resources from ITTT can provide numerous benefits for both teachers and students. These...  [Read more]

Linda Dunsmore Teaching Ideas The present progressive is one of the most important tenses in the English language. As it describes actions currently happening, it's quite an easy tense to teach using a variety of fun and interactive activities. Here are 7 activities for teaching the present progressive for the ESL classroom. Have your class make observations about what’s happening all around in the classroom and outside the windows. Make sure they students use the present progressive when describing what they see. Ask your students to write a letter to a parent, relative or friend describing their life as an ESL student. What are they doing to improve their English? What are they doing right now in class? Also read: 7 Activities for Teaching...  [Read more]

Linda Dunsmore Teaching Ideas Teaching grammar patterns often involves a lot of classtime and the more activities you have up your sleeve as a teacher the better. The following 7 activities for teaching the past progressive for the ESL classroom will help your students pick up the tense in no time! Pull up an image with a lot of actions going on, for example, people engaging in different activities at a park or another public place. You can either hand out printed images or show it to your students on an overhead projector or TV. After having your students analyze the image, turn off the TV or collect the prints and start asking what the people in the photo were doing. Also read: 5 Reasons Why Teaching English Abroad Enhances Your Career...  [Read more]

Linda Dunsmore Teaching Ideas The simple past is one of the most important tenses in the English language. As it describes past actions, it's quite an easy tense to teach using a variety of fun and interactive activities. Here are 7 activities for teaching the simple past for the ESL classroom. For more activities check out: 10 Exciting Activities for the Past Simple For this activity, the students think of significant accomplishments in their lives. After sharing with the class what they have accomplished, the students should describe what they did in order to achieve this goal, for example they graduated college, studied English, took classes, etc. It’s important that the students use the simple past to talk about these actions. Also read: 7...  [Read more]

Linda Dunsmore Teaching Ideas Teaching new tenses to students of a foreign language is often not as easy as you might anticipate, especially when the tense you are trying to teach them does not exist in their native language. The following 7 activities for teaching the present perfect for the ESL classroom will help your students pick up the tense in no time! This is a great warm-up activity to make your students understand what the present perfect is all about. After teaching the structure of the tense, have your students write down 2-3 things they have accomplished in their lives. When they are finished, have your students share their statements with the class, for example, “I have won a speech contest,” “I have traveled to America,” or...  [Read more]

Linda Dunsmore Teaching Ideas ESL teachers often encounter difficulties when teaching grammar patterns to students abroad. The following 7 activities for teaching the simple present for the ESL classroom will help your students pick up the tense in an easy and efficient way. This is a very good activity for when you start discussing the simple present and how it’s used for routines and regularities. You can place the students into groups or pairs and have them discuss their daily routines. What do they do in the morning? In the afternoon? In the evening? You can then also have them write up a schedule of their daily routines and share their findings with the class later on in a class discussion. Also read: Top Online Lesson Plan Resources for...  [Read more]

Simon ITTT Teaching Ideas The number of combinations of modals and usages is enormous, so TEFL certified teachers often spend a lot of time trying to find an activity that suits their particular teaching point. Here, we give you some adaptable ideas which should save you time thinking or searching, assuming you already have good grammatical knowledge of the subject and a little bit of creativity. It’s often better to spend a bit of time creating your own material rather than looking fruitlessly on the internet. You will also be able to personalize the content for your students, improve your own skills, and build up a great resource bank. If you need to improve your knowledge of modal auxiliary verbs, look at your ITTT course materials. A...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas In this blog post, our recent TEFL graduate shares their thoughts on why teaching English to kindergarten students can be complicated. Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas In this article, our recent TEFL graduate provides us with several strategies to organize an ESL classroom for effective work. Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas In this blog post, our recent TEFL graduate shares their thoughts on games and their applicability in an ESL classroom. Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas In this blog post, our recent TEFL graduate shares their strategies...  [Read more]

1. Introduction 2. Benefits of Using ESL Classroom Techniques 3. Different ESL Classroom Techniques 4. Conclusion Are you looking to enhance your teaching skills and create a more engaging learning environment for your students? Look no further than ESL classroom techniques! These strategies are designed to help English as a Second Language (ESL) teachers effectively engage students and create a dynamic and interactive classroom setting. In this article, we will explore the benefits of using ESL classroom techniques, discuss different techniques that can be implemented, and provide insights on how these techniques can improve the overall learning experience for ESL students. Implementing ESL classroom techniques can have a multitude of benefits for both teachers and students. These...  [Read more]

Anastasiya Akpinar Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas One of the most popular approaches to teaching is the ESA method. ✅ In this blog post, we will discover how to use the ESA teaching method for online English lessons. Elizaveta Pachina TEFL Information Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas In this blog post, our TEFL expert shares several useful tips on creating the perfect introduction video for teaching English online platforms. ✅ Check it out and look for students online like a pro! Anastasiya Akpinar TEFL Information Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas ...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences Teaching Ideas ESL students face the rules for the degrees of comparison early on in their English learning path. However, this topic may become daunting and lead to constant mistakes later on due to problems like confusing different degrees, doubling up, formulating unbalanced comparisons, etc. In this blog post, you will learn five easy steps you should take to teach this grammar point in your ESL classroom. Before you start digging deep, elicit some ideas of what adjectives are from your students. When you see they understand what adjectives are and don't confuse adjectives with other parts of speech, you can continue further. You need your ESL classroom to know two main functions of...  [Read more]

Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences Does a teacher have any influence on students? What plays greater role: skills or personal traits? Read in this blog post. Elizaveta Pachina Teaching Ideas In this article, our TEFL graduate shares their strategies on how to organize activities for students with lower attention span. Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences In this blog post, our TEFL graduate explains how cultural awareness influences the overall classroom experience. Elizaveta Pachina Alumni Experiences In this article, our TEFL graduate shares their experience of teaching...  [Read more]

1. Introduction 2. The Importance of Engaging ESL Lessons 3. Strategies for Creating Engaging ESL Lessons 4. Benefits of Engaging ESL Lessons Welcome to ITTT, the leading provider of TEFL and TESOL training. Our mission is to equip teachers with the skills and knowledge needed to create dynamic and effective ESL lessons. In this guide, we will explore the importance of engaging ESL lessons, strategies for creating them, and the benefits they bring to both teachers and students. Engaging ESL lessons are crucial for student learning and retention. When students are actively involved in the lesson, they are more likely to stay focused, participate, and absorb the material being taught. By incorporating interactive activities, games, and real-world examples, teachers can create a stimulating...  [Read more]

1. Introduction 2. Benefits of ESL Teaching Resources in Beijing 3. Types of ESL Teaching Resources in Beijing 4. How to Access ESL Teaching Resources in Beijing Are you looking for ESL teaching resources in Beijing to enhance your English language teaching skills? Look no further! ITTT (International TEFL and TESOL Training) provides a wide range of resources to support ESL teachers in Beijing and help them deliver high-quality lessons to their students. Whether you are a new teacher or an experienced educator, our resources are designed to meet your needs and enhance your teaching experience. Accessing ESL teaching resources in Beijing can offer numerous benefits to ESL teachers. These resources can help teachers create engaging and interactive lessons, improve student engagement, and...  [Read more]