# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Listen to this post as a podcast:
A note on terminology: The acronym ESL is used less often now in schools than it used to be, because we recognize that many students who are learning English already speak several other languages, so English would not be a "second" language. I use it several times in the post because schools sometimes refer to the teachers as ESL teachers, and the term is still widely used as a search term for this topic. My intent in using the acronym is to make this post easier to find online.

You have a new student, and he speaks no English. His family has just moved to your town from Japan, and though he receives English as a Second Language (ESL) support, he will also be sitting in your room every day to give him more exposure to his new language. How can you be a good teacher to someone who barely understands you?

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, an average of 9 percent of students in U.S. public schools are English Language Learners (ELLs); that number is closer to 14 percent in cities. Although many of these students start off in high-intensity, whole-day English programs, most are integrated into mainstream classrooms within a year, well before their English language skills would be considered proficient.

How prepared are you to teach these students? If you're like most classroom teachers, you have little to no training in the most effective methods for working with English language learners (Walker, Shafer, & Iiams, 2004). So that means we have a problem here: Lots of ELL kids in regular classrooms, and no teacher training to ensure the success of that placement.

Below, three ESL teachers tell us what they know about the things regular classroom teachers can do to improve instruction for ELL students. These 12 strategies are simple, they are not very time consuming, and best of all, they will help everyone in your class learn better:

1. Make it Visual

"Avoid giving instructions in the air," says Melissa Eddington, an Ohio-based ESL teacher. "ELL kids have a harder time processing spoken language." So instructions - even basic directions for classroom procedures - should be written on the board whenever possible. Challenging concepts should be diagrammed or supported with pictures. And modeling the steps of a process or showing students what a finished product should look like can go a long way toward helping students understand. "Sometimes showing our students what to do is all they need in order to do it," Eddington says. Not only will this kind of nonlinguistic representation improve comprehension for ELL students, it will help all of your students grasp concepts better.

2. Build in more group work.

"Kids aren't just empty glasses that we pour stuff into and then at the end of the day they dump it back onto a test," says Kim, an ESL teacher who was the subject of my very first podcast interview. "If you really want the kids to learn, they've got to be engaged." That means less teacher-led, whole-class instruction, and more small groups, where students can practice language with their peers in a more personal, lower-risk setting. And if ELL students attend your class with a resource teacher, make use of that person: In most cases the resource teacher doesn't have to work exclusively with the ESL students; they can work with smaller groups that happen to contain these students, helping to improve the teacher-student ratio and give kids more time to practice.

3. Communicate with the ESL teacher.

Mary Yurkosky, a former ESL teacher in Massachusetts, credits much of her students' success to the strong relationship she had with the regular classroom teachers. "The classroom teachers were always talking to me about what they were doing in their classes," she says. "They made it so easy for me to support them: If a teacher was going to be doing a unit on plants, I could make sure we used some of that same vocabulary in the ESL class."

Ideally, this could be systematized, where ESL teachers could regularly get copies of lesson plans or collaborate with regular classroom teachers to build solid back-and-forth support, but "it doesn't have to be that much work," Yurkosky insists. "Just talk to each other. Talk about what's going on in your classrooms, invite each other to special presentations, share what your students are learning, and the words will naturally find their way into the ESL class."

4. Honor the "silent period."

Many new language learners go through a silent period, during which they will speak very little, if at all. "Don't force them to talk if they don't want to," says Eddington, "A lot of students who come from cultures outside of America want to be perfect when they speak, so they will not share until they feel they are at a point where they're perfect." Just knowing that this is a normal stage in second language acquisition should help relieve any pressure you feel to move them toward talking too quickly.

5. Allow some scaffolding with the native language.

Although it has been a hotly debated topic in the language-learning community, allowing students some use of their first language (L1) in second-language (L2) classrooms is gaining acceptance. When a student is still very new to a language, it's okay to pair him with other students who speak his native language. "Some students are afraid to open their mouths at all for fear of sounding stupid or just not knowing the words to use," Yurkosky says. "Letting them explain things or ask questions in their first language gets them to relax and feel like a part of the class."

And this doesn't only apply to spoken language. If you give students a written assignment, but the ELL student doesn't yet have the proficiency to handle writing his response in English, "Don't make them just sit there and do nothing," Eddington says. "Allow them to write in their first language if they're able. This allows them to still participate in journal writing or a math extended response, even if you can't read what they write." There has even been some evidence that allowing second-language learners to pre-write and brainstorm in L1 results in higher-quality writing in L2 in later stages of the writing process (Yigzaw, 2012).

6. Look out for culturally unique vocabulary.

"For most of these kids, their background knowledge is lacking, especially with things that are unique to American or westernized culture," says Eddington. It's important to directly teach certain vocabulary words: "Show them videos of what it looks like to toss pizza dough, show pictures of a juke box or a clothing rack - things that are not common in their own language."

One way to differentiate for ELL students is to consider the whole list of terms you're going to teach for a unit, and if you think an ELL student may be overwhelmed by such a long list, omit those that are not essential to understanding the larger topic at hand.

7. Use sentence frames to give students practice with academic language.

All students, not just English language learners, need practice with academic conversations. Sentence frames - partially completed sentences like "I disagree with what _________ said because..." - show students how to structure language in a formal way. Keep these posted in a highly visible spot in your classroom and require students to refer to them during discussions and while they write.

For this kind of language to really sink in, though, Kim says it has to become a regular part of class. "They won't do it if it's not the norm in the class, because they'll be embarrassed to use it among their peers," she says. "But if they can put it off on the teacher and say, Oh, well, you know, Miss Kim makes me talk like this, then they don't look as hoity-toity as they would otherwise."

8. Pre-teach whenever possible.

If you're going to be reading a certain article next week, give ESL students a copy of it now. If you plan to show a YouTube video tomorrow, send a link to your ESL students today. Any chance you can give these students to preview material will increase the odds that they'll understand it on the day you present it to everyone else. "That kind of thing is wonderful," Yurkosky says. "The kids feel so empowered if they've had a chance to look at the material ahead of time."

9. Learn about the cultural background of your students...

Our second-language populations grow more diverse every year. Taking the time to learn the basics of where a child comes from - exactly, not 'somewhere in the Middle East/South America/Asia/Africa' - tells the student that you respect her enough to bother. Kim remembers one time when she had to set the record straight about the diverse South American population at her school: "I was listening to the teachers talking about the 'Mexican' kids in our building," she says, "and I was like, 'We don't have any Mexicans.'" Not taking the time to at least correctly identify a child's country of origin, much like not bothering to pronounce their name correctly, is a kind of microaggression, a small, subtle insult that communicates hostility toward people of color. Make a commitment to be someone who bothers to get it right.

Once you have the country straight, take things up a notch by learning about students' religious and cultural practices. If he is a practicing Muslim, he should be told if one of the pizzas you ordered for the class party has sausage on it. If she comes from a culture where eye contact with adults is viewed as disrespectful, you'll know not to force her to look you in the eye when she's talking.

10. ...but don't make a child speak for his entire culture.

In her podcast interview, Kim shared a story about watching a teacher ask a new Iraqi student how he felt about the war in his country, right in the middle of class. "That's not cultural inclusiveness," she explains. "I've seen teachers do this and then pat themselves on the back. The students' English is limited so they can't express themselves very well, and they don't want to 'represent'; they just want to be there." If you anticipate a theme coming up in your class that's going to be relevant to one of your students, have a conversation with them in advance, or check with your ESL teacher to see if they think it's appropriate for in-class discussion.

11. Show them how to take themselves less seriously...

By modeling the risk-taking that's required to learn a new language, you help students develop the courage to take their own risks, and to have a sense of humor about it. "I tried to say the word 'paint' ( pinta) in Portuguese and instead I said the word for 'penis' ( pinto). They all roared with laughter while I stood there with a What?? look on my face," Yurkosky says. "When they explained what I'd said, I laughed so hard! I told them that laughing was fine because sometimes mistakes are really funny, but ridicule is never okay."

12. ...but always take them seriously.

One of Kim's pet peeves about how teachers interact with English language learners is the way they often see students' efforts as 'cute,' missing the whole point of what the student is trying to say. "A student will be desperate to communicate, and the teacher will get distracted by the delivery and miss the message," she says. "That's painful for me to watch." It bothers her when teachers mistake a lack of language for a lack of intelligence or maturity. When a child can't express themselves as well as they would in their native language, it's far too easy to assume the concepts just aren't in their heads.

"It breaks my heart when I hear teachers say (ELL kids) don't know anything," says Eddington. "These are brilliant kids and they know a lot. They just can't tell us in English yet." Make a conscious effort to see past the accent and the mispronunciations and treat every interaction - every student - with the respect they deserve.

"They're doing twice the job of everybody else in the class," Kim adds, "even though the result looks like half as much." ♦

Further Reading

The ESL/ELL Teacher's Survival Guide is one of the highest-rated books on teaching English-language learners available. In addition to offering an overview of the research on second-language learners and best practices in teaching ESL, it also includes a whole section on teaching ESL in the content areas and another specifically geared toward teaching ELL students in mainstream classrooms.
References:
Walker, A., Shafer, J., & Iiams, M. (2004). "Not in my classroom": Teacher attitudes towards English language learners in the mainstream classroom. NABE Journal of Research and Practice, 2(1), 130-160.

Yigzaw, A. (2012). Impact of L1 use in L2 English writing classes. Ethiopian Journal of Education and Sciences, 8(1), 11-27.

If you thought this was helpful, stick around.
Join my mailing list and never miss another post. You'll get weekly tips, tools, and inspiration - in quick, bite-sized packages - all geared toward making your teaching more effective and joyful. To thank you, I'll send you a free copy of my new e-booklet, 20 Ways to Cut Your Grading Time in Half. I look forward to getting to know you better!

Click here to get a PDF of this article.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
12 Ways to Support English Learners in the Mainstream Classroom

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Advice from three ESL teachers on the things regular classroom teachers can do to help English language learners thrive in mainstream classrooms.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.provider_name
Summit K12 - Empower Learners. Support Teachers. Accelerate Achievement.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
How to support ELL learners in mainstream classrooms | Summit K12

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
If you are an ELL or mainstream teacher, here are 10 tips to help you bridge the communication gap that many educators face both in the regular classroom and the ELL/Bilingual classroom.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
IRIS | Page 9: Differentiate Instruction

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Another way to support English language learners is to differentiate instruction. Rather than expect students to adjust to the curriculum, teachers should adjust their instruction to meet the individual language and learning needs of their students. This requires teachers to provide options in the ways they:

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Online Teaching Tips for Teachers Infographics (1)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Math-Drills.com includes over sixty-four thousand free math worksheets that may be used to help students learn math. Our math worksheets are available on a broad range of topics including number sense, arithmetic, pre-algebra, geometry, measurement, money concepts and much more. There are two interactive math features: the math flash cards and dots math game.

Math-Drills.com was launched in 2005 with around 400 math worksheets. Since then, tens of thousands more math worksheets have been added. The website and content continues to be improved based on feedback and suggestions from our users and our own knowledge of effective math practices.

Most Math-Drills users are classroom teachers or parents. Classroom teachers use our math worksheets to assess student mastery of basic math facts, to give students extra math practice, to teach new math strategies, and to save precious planning time. Parents use our math worksheets to give their children extra math practice over school breaks and to enhance their math education. Home schools use our math worksheets in their programs to develop and strengthen math skills in their children.

Most Popular Free Math Worksheets this Week

Supporting Student Learning with Free Math Worksheets by Math-Drills

Math-Drills believes that education should be accessible to all children despite their socioeconomic situation or any other factors. Since it began in 2005, all the math worksheets on Math-Drills have been free-to-use with students learning math. The Math-Drills website works well on any device and worksheets can be printed or used on a screen.

Math-Drills worksheets are also used in special education, adult education, tutoring, colleges, high schools, prisons and a variety of other situations. Special education teachers especially like that we break down math skills and provide large-print options. Adult learners appreciate the simple uncluttered format that our worksheets offer. Tutors use our math worksheets to reduce their costs and focus on student learning. High school, college and university educators sometimes need remedial resources for students to allow them to continue with more advanced topics.

Students who practice their math skills with our math worksheets over school breaks keep their math skills sharp for upcoming school terms. Because we provide answer keys, students are able to self-assess and use the immediate feedback provided by an answer key to analyze and correct errors in their work. Our interactive (fillable) math worksheets allow them to fill in their answers on the screen and save or print the results.
Math-Drills.com Tour on YouTube.
Join the Math-Drills Newsletter

Join our newsletter to find out about new math worksheets and other information related to the website.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Math-Drills includes over 58 thousand free math worksheets for students in elementary and middle school. Our easy to print math worksheets are free to use in your school or home.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
All Right blog - learn how to make your child fall in love with English

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Learning English online is the key to a child’s successful future! Classes for children from 4 years old

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Today we are going to talk about how to teach phonics to ESL children. At times, when teaching English to ESL students, phonics can be often overlooked. However, phonics is extremely useful when teaching English to ESL students. You may also be wondering, if I am teaching phonics to ESL students, how will they know how to use the sounds in words? Do I need to teach them new vocabulary too? These were the questions I was asking myself when beginning to teach groups of children with various langua

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
ESL Phonics World offers free printable phonics worksheets for teaching pre-k, kindergarten, and primary school children. These worksheets include: phonics rules, initial sounds, CVC words, anagrams, handwriting worksheets, uppercase and lowercase letters, consonant sound pages, short and long vowels, ending blends letters, board games, diphthongs, trigraphs, and r-controlled vowel worksheets... Designed by ESL professionals, these resources help EYFS teachers in their lesson plans.

Our flashcards come in two sizes, large and mini. ESL Phonics World has an array of flashcards, which practice different sounds in the English language. Phonics flashcards come in both word and picture PDF format to make teaching a breeze. Flashcards include: alphabet, consonant digraphs, consonant sounds, diphthongs, short and long vowels, r-controlled vowel sounds, three letter blends, ending sound flashcards, and more. Teach pre-k to grade 2 using esl phonics world flashcards and learn fun phonics rules.

100's of free multiple choice games that practice phonics at home or in the classroom. ESL Phonics World's interactive games include: Darts, Cheese Quest, Wheel of Fortune, Spin the Wheel, Super Goldio, Mountain Climb, and Pizza Challenge... Play these online games for free and enjoy phonics play in your educational setting or school. Learn the alphabet, silent letters, ending blends, tri-graphs, and y-ending sounds, and much more. Designed by qualified teachers, these game resources will help activate your classroom environment.

400+ printable paper crafts and preschool crafts to make easy art ideas for kids. Paper craft worksheets to improve motor skills, memorization, and hand-eye coordination amongst young children. Cut, colour, and glue these free materials for the classroom and differentiate learning whether that be at home or in school. These phonics materials and crafts include: animal crafts, Christmas art, transportation crafts, Easter templates, dinosaur crafts, 52 animal masks, shapes, Chinese New Year, sea animals, and more.

It is commonly known that songs and nursery rhymes aid learning on multiple levels. Songs are known to improve memory retention and accelerate the learning process. That is why our song worksheets are perfect for small and large classroom environments. Print these free song worksheets for kids and learn English in a fun way. All our songs are categorized for your convenience: ABC songs, r-controlled vowels, short vowel songs, ending sound songs, digraph songs, esl diphthong songs, consonant blends, trigraphs and more.

More Worksheets

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
teach kids to read with fun phonics activities

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Phonics Worksheets for Preschool | Phonics Activities | Learn to Read

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
teach kids to read with fun phonics activities,learn to read,phonics play,phonics worksheets,esl worksheets,flashcards,board games, phonics worksheets for preschool,songs,games for the classroom,phonics sounds,paper crafts,kindergarten english worksheets,letters of the alphabet,beginning consonants, ending consonants,s blends,r blends,l blends,vowel digraphs,consonant digraphs,short vowels,short a,short i,short e,short o,short u,long vowels,long a,long e,long i,long o,long u,teaching phonics,for 1st grade,for 2nd grade,word families

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
ESL-Kids - Flashcards, Worksheets, Games and Songs

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Free ESL resources for kids including flashcards, handwriting worksheets, classroom games and children’s song lyrics.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Printable worksheets, handouts and homework sheets for ESL kids teachers. Over 1,000 worksheets in more than 80 categories for ESL kids teachers. All worksheets in American and British English.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Yacqueline (@msmirlaesl) • Instagram photos and videos

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
126 Followers, 209 Following, 256 Posts - See Instagram photos and videos from Yacqueline (@msmirlaesl)

# data[].attributes.body
https://www.tiktok.com/@mrsjackie1?_t=8raDjgevMZL&_r=1

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Ms. Mirla (Jackie)BA English (@mrsjackie1) | TikTok

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Ms. Mirla (Jackie)BA English (@mrsjackie1) on TikTok | 16.5K Likes. 5651 Followers. Certified ESL Teacher.Watch the latest video from Ms. Mirla (Jackie)BA English (@mrsjackie1).

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Download and Print Teaching and Learning English as a Second Language ESL Printable Exercises, Worksheets, Handouts, Tests, Activities, Materials, Resources, Vocabulary, Picture Dictionary, Pictionary, Posters, Games and Puzzles for kids (children) , young learners, students and teachers!

ESL Printable Vocabulary Worksheets and Exercises for Kids

Vocabulary is the total number of words you know and it's important for using a language. Here in our vocabulary section you can find, view, download and print English vocabulary worksheets, picture dictionary, classroom posters, matching exercises, missing letters in words, word search puzzles, criss cross and crossword puzzles and much more.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
ESL Printable Vocabulary Worksheets, Exercises, Handouts, Tests, Activities, Materials, Resources, Vocabulary, Picture Dictionary, Posters and Puzzles for kids (children) , young learners, students and teachers

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
World's most popular online marketplace for original educational resources with more than four million resources available for use today.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Educational Hip-Hop Songs & Videos for All Subjects, K-12

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Flocabulary is a library of songs, videos and activities for K-12 online learning. Hundreds of thousands of teachers use Flocabulary’s educational raps and teaching lesson plans to supplement their instruction and engage students. Our team of artists and educators is not only committed to raising test scores, but also to fostering a love of learning in every child.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Every day, we help thousands of teachers in over one hundred countries stay focused on their English Learners

Sign up Free

Try Off2Class for free today.

No credit card or commitment.

The ESL Teacher Toolkit that blends the online and physical classroom

Teaching modes

Purposefully built to harness the power of any screen-based environment.

You're in good company

Off2Class powers the most vibrant and engaged ESL teacher community on the web. Our group members regularly give back to their peers with industry-leading professional development.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Off2Class is the ESL teacher toolkit that saves time and drives equitable English Learner outcomes

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Welcome to The ESL Teaching Podcast, a place for K-12 teachers of English learners who are looking for simple and easy-to-implement ways to engage their students and for inspiration and empowerment in their day-to-day teaching. Whether you need a boost of confidence in reaching ESL/ELL newcomers, students in mixed proficiency level classes, or clarity in how to help them access content in the mainstream classrooms, this podcast will quickly become your go-to spot for inspiration and support. Each week, you will hear actionable and easy-to-implement tips and strategies from me, your host, as well as interviews with amazing ESL teachers, and educational consultants around the country so you can leave inspired and ready to rock on. For more teaching tips, strategies and teaching resources, go to www.simplyieva.com. And to connect with other like-minded educators of English learners, join us over at our Facebook group Helping ESL/ELL Teachers K-12 where you can find support, ask questions, and share your expertise.I always say: teaching English learners is the best job in the world. And even though it's sometimes hard, by staying open and learning together, we make it a path of discovery and adventure. I will see you inside the show!www.simplyieva.com/apple

Welcome to The ESL Teaching Podcast, a place for K-12 teachers of English learners who are looking for simple and easy-to-implement ways to engage their students and for inspiration and empowerment in their day-to-day teaching. Whether you need a boost of confidence in reaching ESL/ELL newcomers, students in mixed proficiency level classes, or clarity in how to help them access content in the mainstream classrooms, this podcast will quickly become your go-to spot for inspiration and support. Each week, you will hear actionable and easy-to-implement tips and strategies from me, your host, as well as interviews with amazing ESL teachers, and educational consultants around the country so you can leave inspired and ready to rock on. For more teaching tips, strategies and teaching resources, go to www.simplyieva.com. And to connect with other like-minded educators of English learners, join us over at our Facebook group Helping ESL/ELL Teachers K-12 where you can find support, ask questions, and share your expertise.I always say: teaching English learners is the best job in the world. And even though it's sometimes hard, by staying open and learning together, we make it a path of discovery and adventure. I will see you inside the show!www.simplyieva.com/apple

Excellent tips and strategies

Really enjoyed Episode 52 with Amber. It was a good one!!

Great episode!

I loved the tips on Getting to know you activities! It is definitely helpful in the beginning of the school year!

Very helpful podcast and Leva is very gifted!

As a new teacher this podcast is so helpful! I really appreciate the useful information to put into practice! Lesson planning is one of the most time consuming aspects of teaching for me. The systematic, cohesive lesson ideas will be greatly instrumental!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
‎The ESL Teaching Podcast on Apple Podcasts

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Welcome to The ESL Teaching Podcast, a place for K-12 teachers of English learners who are looking for simple and easy-to-implement ways to engage their students and for inspiration and empowerment in their day-to-day teaching. Whether you need a boost of confidence in reaching ESL/ELL newcomers, st...

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
A series for total or "almost" beginners with active "oral" training with simple, clearly spoken exercises (American accent) to take learners from A1 to A2; a complement to classroom, private or online instruction. For free scripts and lesson plans for each recording (advice for teachers) visit our website http://www.qualitytime-esl.com.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Listen to English Short Stories For Beginners with twelve episodes, free! No signup or install needed. My First Cooking Class. Awake All Night.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Kahoot! | Learning games | Make learning awesome!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Kahoot! is a game-based learning platform that brings engagement and fun to 1+ billion players every year at school, at work, and at home.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Please find below a comprehensive list of our online ESL games. These games are perfect for face-to-face teaching with an interactive digital board or conducting online classes through Zoom. We have many more online games coming soon, so be sure to check back frequently.

ESL Say It! - A simple no prep warmer/cooler or quick break for students. In this activity students have to say a word from a category that begins with a letter.

ESL Wordle - based in the popular English word game but with 8 categories to make the game easier to be played by language learners

ESL Guess Who - Practice describing people with this fun online game.

Circle Word - In this game students need to work out what the 3,4,5 or 6 letter word is to get the highest score. Great for teens and adults A2+

MIXUP - A simple quick fire vocabulary game. How many words can you guess in 90 seconds?

Word Wheel - Get class started with this fun vocabulary challenge. In this game students try and guess what the nine letter word is while also making words using the letters and the key letter. The team with the most words and points will win!

Learn to tell the time - Practice reading the setting the time with this fun interactive game to practice telling the time.

ESL Scattergories! - A classic quick thinking vocabulary where students need to think of vocabulary quickly to get the most words beginning with a letter.

Scattagories for Kids! - Now play with young learner and lower level students in this simplified version of our classic game.

Name 5! - Name 5! is a simple no prep vocabulary warmer. In this activity students need to say a number of words based on a range of topics. Can your students beat the clock!

5 Seconds! - Students need to say 3 words from a random category in 5 seconds to score a point.

Guess the Word - A fun game to practice reading, spelling and vocabulary. Students read the definition and try and guess what the word is. Ideal for A2 level students. 11 categories of words to practice with.

2 Pictures 1 Compound - Can you guess the closed compounds nouns from the pictures? Practice guessing the compounds nouns with this fun interactive game.

Interactive Board Games - Practice speaking, grammar and vocabulary with these interactive online board games. New board games added regularly.

ESL Vocabulary Fortunes - An online game for teens and adults that is a great way to practice vocabulary on a large number of topics.

Word Search - Who can find the words first? With this multiplayer word search game practice spelling, reading and much much more.

Animal Vocabulary Games - Practice animals with these four interactive online games. These fun games are a great way to revise animal vocabulary with your students.

Fruit and Vegetables - Practice vocabulary, spelling and pronunciation with this fun interactive word game.

Animals - Practice animal vocabulary, spelling and pronunciation with this fun interactive game.

Story Dice - Get your students making and telling stories with this fun online story tool.

ESL Countdown - Practice vocabulary and spelling with countdown.

Anagram Word Game - A simple word game. Suitable for teens and adults with an intermediate and above level of English.

Word Unscramble - Practice vocabulary and spelling with this unscramble game for young learners.

ESL Category Generator - Generate categories to get your students practicing vocabulary. Great activity to be used with a ball or in online classes to get students thinking at the start of class as a warmer.

Trivia Quiz Generator - Generate quizzes quickly with this simple tool. Ideal for teens and adults intermediate and above.

Random Letter Generator - Generate random letters from the alphabet with this simple letter generating tool.

ESL Idiom Generator - Generate over 100 of the most common English language idioms. Get students to draw or mime out the idioms as a way to introduce them to the most common idioms in English.

Random Noun Generator - Randomly generate over 200 of the most common nouns in the English Language. Great for Pictionary and other end of the class coolers.

Catchphrase - A quick fire word game where students explain as many words as they can within the time limit.

Pictionary - Automatically generate words from three different levels of difficulty and play Pictionary with your students in a flash.

ESL Boggle - Boggle is a great warmer that can be used in the classroom. With this online version get students writing words to be the top of the class.

ESL Quizzes - Our Quizzes are a great way to end class and practice key vocabulary for a wide range of themes. Check back regularly as we are adding new quizzes regularly.

Question Unscramble - Practice grammar and speaking by unscrambling these questions which cover 15 different grammar topics.

Would You Rather - A simple no-prep warmer or cooler to get students speaking about what they would rather do in different situations. Ideal for students B1 (lower-intermediate +).

Directions Game - Practice giving directions with your students with this interactive map or let students create their own map.

FCE Speaking Practice - Practice FCE Speaking Part 1 and 2 with this interactive tool. There are over 80 part 1 questions and 24 part 2.

ESL Guess Who - Practice describing people with this fun online game.

The Expert - In this speaking game students speak about a topic for 30/60/120 seconds to gain points for their team.

Interactive Board Games - Practice speaking, grammar and vocabulary with these interactive online board games. New board games added regularly.

Movers Spot the Difference - Practice for the Cambridge Movers Speaking exam with this free fun interactive online game.

ESL Brain Teasers - Do you want to get your students thinking? Practice lateral thinking and reading with this brain teasers for all ages and levels.

Describe the photo - Practice speaking about photos for B1 (PET) students.

Story Dice - Get your students making and telling stories with this fun online story tool.

Spot The Difference - Can you spot the differences? Levels 1 - 8 are now available, more levels coming soon.

ESL Odd One Out - An online game that is a great way to practice vocabulary and speaking with young learners. This activity is great to help students practice for the Cambridge Movers exam.

Irregular Verb Challenge - Practice irregular verbs with your students using this tool. This versatile game can be played in many different ways and is a great routine to master irregular verbs with your students.

Interactive Board Games - Practice speaking, grammar and vocabulary with these interactive online board games. New board games added regularly.

ESL Quizzes - Our Quizzes are a great way to end class and practice key vocabulary for a wide range of themes. Check back regularly as we are adding new quizzes regularly.

Fortune Teller - Practice " yes/no" and "will" + future question forming with your students with this fortune teller.

ESL Bomb Game - Bomb is an engaging scoring system that adds excitement to any game.

Football Kick Off - Are your students football mad? Then this might be the game for you. Which team will win in this fantastic football game.

Classroom Car Race - Rev your engines and get ready to win it big with this fun car race themed board game. Ideal to use with your own questions and help keep the score.

American Football Rush - The American football version of our Football Kick off game. A quick no fuss way to gamify your lessons with no printouts.

Wheel of Fortune - Spin the wheel and win points for up to five teams.

Hidden Treasure - In this game students need to answer questions set by the teacher and try and find the hidden treasure before the others. The first to find it wins!

Student Vs Teacher - Who will win in this turn based based game? The student or the teacher?

ESL Battleship - Battleship is another engaging scoring system that will have students wanting more! How quickly can your students find all the ships and win?

Four in a Row (Connect Four) - This classic game can be used in many different ways in the classroom, as a treat, with speaking or while doing revision. Whatever way you use it it's sure to be popular.

Blockbuster - Gamify your online and face to face lessons with Blockbuster. Use this game to practice vocabulary, word formation or just about any activity. Students work in teams and have to get across the board.

Basketball Shoot - A simple game you can use to gamify you classes. This basketball themed game allows you to use your own material but use this fun game to allow students to use their skill to score a point. Great with mixed ability sports crazy classes.

Rock, Paper, Scissors - Battle your students in an epic match of 'Rock, Paper, Scissors'.

ESL Play Your Cards Right - A fun higher or lower game.

Virtual Classroom Horse Race - Bring your students to the horse races with this simple interactive game. Have students choose a horse and see who wins! Great to gamify your class and make everyone have a chance of winning big.

Tic Tac Toe - Play this classic versatile game with our interactive board game and gamify you lessons quickly and easily.

Tic Tac Toe - Dragons vs Unicorns - Play the ultimate tic tac toe battle in class. Who will win? Dragons or Unicorns?

Math Skills - Practice addition, subtraction, division and multiplication with this fun online game.

How Many? Counting Game - Practice counting, numbers and 'there are' / "there is" with this fun interactive counting game.

Addition Challenge - A quick fire addition maths game that will help your students practice quick thinking with numbers and addition in English or any target language. A fun no prep warmer/cooler for class.

Number Match - A simple multiplication challenge to get students thinking and multiplying in English. A great warmer to get your students thinking and focused!

Count Your Chickens! - A simple counting and Math problem game for kids. Can your students decide how many chickens to put across the fence?

Multiplication Checker - Test your test young learners multiplication skills with this interactive tool

.

Alphabet Game - In this mini game students need to touch the letters of the alphabet in order. Ideal for young learners.

Guess the Word - A fun game to practice reading, spelling and vocabulary. Students read the definition and try and guess what the word is. Ideal for A2 level students. 11 categories of words to practice with.

Scattagories for Kids! - Now play with young learner and lower level students in this simplified version of our classic game.

Count Your Chickens! - A simple counting and Math problem game for kids. Can your students decide how many chickens to put across the fence?

Vocabulary Fortunes for Kids - This game is a great way to practice and reinforce vocabulary with young learners. Covering 12 different themes found in most young learner course books this game is sure to be popular with your students.

Animal Vocabulary Games - Practice animals with these four interactive online games. These fun games are a great way to revise animal vocabulary with your students.

How Many? Counting Game - Practice counting, numbers and 'there are' / "there is" with this fun interactive counting game.

Movers Spot the Difference - Practice for the Cambridge Movers Speaking exam with this free fun interactive online game.

Spot The Difference - Can you spot the differences? Levels 1 - 8 are now available, more levels coming soon.

Interactive Word Search - Online interactive word search (word soup) puzzles for Young learners with target vocabulary for Cambridge Young Learner Exams (Starters, Movers and Flyers A1 & A2. A Fun way to practice spelling with students in class, on their own or online with Zoom.

Word Unscramble - Practice vocabulary and spelling with this unscramble game for young learners.

ESL Hangman - Hangman is a no-prep way to practice spelling and vocabulary recall with your students.

ESL Picture Reveal - A fun way to introduce a topic, unit or just revise vocabulary with your students. These preprepared picture reveals will save you time and have students reviewing vocabulary in a fun and interactive way.

Memory Match - Review vocabulary with young learners with these interactive memory match game.

Story Dice - Get your students making and telling stories with this fun online story tool.

ESL Writing Prompt Generator - An entertaining way to practice writing with young learners and even teens.

More online ESL games coming soon! (Last updated 10 May 2023)

Online ESL Classroom Tools

Classroom Dice - A simple virtual dice that can be used on any device

Date and Weather Interactive Chart (New) - Our no fuss interactive date and weather chart is a great way practice the date and weather each day with your students.

Classroom Soundboard - This tool helps teachers manage classroom transitions with simple sounds that they can assign to different classroom tasks e.g listen to the teacher, change groups, go back to your desk etc.

Cipher Making Tool - Make secret ciphers quickly and easily with our new Cipher tool.

Tell the Time - Practice telling the time with this free online tool for teens and adults.

Story Dice - Get your students making and telling stories with this fun online story tool.

Random Letter Generator - Generate random letters from the alphabet with this simple letter generating tool.

Random Number Generator - Play bingo, practice numbers or pick who goes first, all with this random number generator.

ESL Category Generator - Generate categories to get your students practicing vocabulary. Great activity to be used with a ball or in online classes to get students thinking at the start of class as a warmer.

Student Name Picker - A random name selector for you to use in your classroom when choosing a student to complete a task, answer a question, or participate in an activity.

Spin the Wheel - Spin the wheel is a simple way of awarding points to students in a fun and interactive way.

Classroom Coin Flip - Flip a virtual coin to decide teams, who's first and much more.

Classroom Score Board - Keep score with this interactive classroom score board.

Classroom Timer - Keep a track of time with this handy timer.

Follow us on social media and YouTube so you don't miss any of them!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
A collection of online ESL Games and activities for young learners, teens and adults. Ideal for interactive whiteboards and online classes

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Leveraging Games for Enhanced K-12 Primary Education in ESL, Math, and Science

In a world where screens have become ubiquitous, leveraging technology for educational purposes has never been more relevant. Enter the realm of online gaming-not just any gaming, but educational games designed for K-12 primary students. In this expansive guide, we will delve into the multifaceted benefits of using online games to enhance English as a Second Language (ESL), Math, and Science education. Get ready to play ESL games online, dabble in math adventures, and explore the fascinating universe of science games that are cool.

Play ESL Games Online: Transforming Language Learning

Games for ESL: More Than Just Fun and Games

When it comes to learning English as a second language, play becomes a powerful tool. Online games offer a unique blend of fun and educational content designed to help ESL learners grasp new concepts, from vocabulary to sentence structure, and even cultural nuances. Playing ESL games online creates a less intimidating environment for learners, allowing them to absorb language elements more naturally.

Building Blocks of Language: Vocabulary and Grammar

The most basic, yet crucial aspects of language learning, are vocabulary and grammar. ESL games often include exercises to match words with pictures, spell words correctly, and form sentences. This playful approach facilitates easier understanding and retention of language fundamentals.

Find Cool Games for Math: Making Numbers Fun

Why Play Math Games Online?

The conventional way of learning math-through rote memorization and repetition-often leaves students bored and unengaged. When you play math games online, you bring an element of fun into the equation, literally. Math games convert abstract concepts into tangible problems that require critical thinking. This makes it easier for young minds to grasp these concepts while having fun.

Math Gaming Categories

Whether it's solving puzzles, going on treasure hunts, or participating in virtual math competitions, online platforms offer a wide range of math games. You can find cool games for math that range from simple addition and subtraction to complex algebraic equations.

Play Science Games Online: Discover, Learn, Innovate

Science Games That Are Cool

How can you make science, often seen as a complex and challenging subject, enjoyable for primary students? The answer lies in integrating games into the educational process. When students play science games online, they experience hands-on learning that fosters curiosity and deepens understanding.

A Universe of Topics

The realm of science is broad, encompassing biology, physics, chemistry, earth sciences, and more. Online platforms often offer games for science that cover these various subjects, each designed to address specific educational standards and outcomes.

Primary Games for Holistic Learning
What Makes Primary Games Different?
When we talk about primary games, we refer to games explicitly designed for younger learners in the K-12 spectrum. These games are simplified yet engaging, covering the core subjects of ESL, Math, and Science. They are crafted to be age-appropriate, ensuring that students not only learn but also enjoy the process.
Primary the Games: Customization and Curriculum
The beauty of primary games lies in their customization options. Teachers and educators can tailor these games to align with the curriculum, making them an excellent supplemental learning tool.
FAQs: Why Are Games Important in Primary Education?
Q1: What is the significance of using games in primary education?
A: Games turn learning into an engaging and interactive experience. They help in improving focus, enhancing retention, and building problem-solving skills, all of which are crucial in primary education.

Q2: How can games be beneficial for ESL learners?
A: Games can offer a stress-free environment where ESL learners can practice language skills without the fear of making mistakes. They also facilitate better retention of vocabulary and grammar rules.

Q3: Are online math games effective for learning?
A: Absolutely! Online math games transform abstract concepts into interactive challenges, making it easier for students to understand and apply them.

Q4: Do science games offer practical knowledge?
A: Yes, many science games simulate real-world scenarios, encouraging students to apply scientific principles and learn through experimentation.

Q5: How do primary games align with traditional education?
A: Many primary games are designed to correlate with standard educational curriculums, making them an excellent supplement to traditional classroom teaching.

In conclusion, the digital age offers an abundance of opportunities to make learning a more engaging and enjoyable process. Whether it's ESL, Math, or Science, there's an online game tailored to make mastering each subject a thrilling adventure. So go ahead, enrich your primary educational journey with an array of games that not only educate but also entertain.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Games for Learning English, Vocabulary, Grammar Games, Activities, ESL

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
ESL Games Plus offers interactive online games for learning and teaching English as a Second Language. Our learning games are mostly suitable for teaching ESL Kids and Teenagers. There are activities for teaching and practising English grammar, vocabulary, sentences, listening and pronunciation skills.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Free online ESL games to help students learn English in a fun and interactive way.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
The best TED talks for English language learners | EF English Live

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
TED talks are a hugely helpful accompaniment to an online English course
[https://englishlive.ef.com/en-gb/online-english-courses/]. When it comes to
learning Englis

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Chantae Park: Being a Second Language Learner | TED Talk

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
In this global world, it is easy to meet multilingual speakers. Multilingual speakers are not people who are absolutely fluent or almost like a native in multiple-languages but they are learners of other languages. This talk explores how second language learners truly feel and think when finding limitations in their second (or other) languages. It further emphasizes the importance of having the courage to make mistakes and learn and improve based on their own experiences. It also asks native speakers to understand the experience of language learners.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
At a moment when applications to study English at college and university are falling dramatically, this talk suggests an alternative way to teach English – using compassion. It reflects upon the challenges and successes of Chester Retold, an innovative course that offers English undergraduates the opportunity to learn about storytelling alongside participants from the community of Chester. The course emphasises that to understand stories is also to understand what makes us human. Over the past two years, my undergraduates have learnt from and beside ‘community students’ from Fallen Angels Dance Theatre – a charity helping people recover from addiction and mental health problems through movement and dance – as well as LIVE! Cheshire, who work to include young people with physical and/or learning disabilities. The Chester Retold model boosts engagement through placing the facilitation of belonging, acceptance and inclusion at its core. As well as demonstrable mental health benefits, the course achieves excellent academic results and outstanding student feedback: ‘I’ve learnt that I can take my experiences – even negatives – and do something expressive and beautiful and positive with them’. The message is clear: the trend of falling student numbers can be reversed, English can be saved. And one way is to reinvigorate it by involving local communities and shaping our teaching around reflection, understanding and compassion for others, at a time when these skills are needed more than ever.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Get a daily email featuring the latest talk, plus a quick mix of trending content.

By subscribing, you understand and agree that we will store, process and manage your personal information according to our Privacy Policy

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Great TED Talks for language practice | TED Talks

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Learning another language? A collection of TED Talks to indulge in your linguistic desires. (Pro tip: Select subtitles in your preferred language to read along, too.)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Every ESL teacher has seen TED talks for English language learners at this point.

They're not only some of the best videos on the internet, but some of the best video resources for ESL classrooms, too.

Both ESL students and teachers will find things to love about TED Talks.

That's why you should be using them in your ESL classroom. And, as it turns out, it's not too hard at all to show these to your students in a meaningful, productive way.

Here are 29 interesting TED Talks for ESL students that you can use as classroom resources!

Contents

Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere.Click here to get a copy. (Download)

TED Talks with Activities for the ESL Classroom

1. "4 Reasons to Learn a New Language" by John McWhorter

English is one of the most commonly spoken languages in the world. Why bother learning another language if most people can communicate using just this one?

Plus, instant translation technology could soon render language learning obsolete!

To dispute these ideas, McWorter talks about how languages not only give us insights into their respective cultures, but also shape the way we think.
Activities:
Discuss - Why are you learning English?

A short, five-minute discussion of the question gives a simple introduction to this topic, which all ESL students will be able to relate to.
List - The benefits of learning English
This can be done after watching the video. In small groups or pairs, have your students list the benefits they have gotten, or expect to get, from learning English. How do they think English will change their lives?
Compare - English and other languages
Ask your students how English differs from their first language or any other language they have learned. Then, you can introduce the grammar needed to form comparative sentences, such as:

English is more difficult than French

Chinese is spoken by more people than English

Superlatives - What's the most difficult language in the world?
You can then move on to superlatives. After teaching the grammar, you can turn it into a pop quiz. Have students create superlative questions in groups, then ask the rest of the class. You could branch out from language and make world knowledge questions, like these:

What's the biggest country in the world?

What's the fastest animal on land?

2. "There's More to Life Than Being Happy" by Emily Esfahani Smith

A lot of people say that happiness is the meaning of life, but is that really true? In this video, the speaker argues that we should build more meaningful lives, instead of just happy ones.
Activities: Discuss - What's the meaning of life?
Introduce the topic by presenting this question and asking your students to give a one-word answer.
Rank - What's important to you in life?
Whether it's money, family, happiness, travel or food, your students will have different ideas about what's important. Give them a list, and ask them to rank them by number to show what their priorities are. Then, they can compare with a partner.
Write - SMART Goals
After watching the video, revisit students' priorities from the previous activity. Ask them if the amount of time they spend on each item matches its ranking. Chances are, it doesn't. You can turn this into a writing activity by asking them to write out some life goals.

Teach them about the SMART model to structure their goals-this is an invaluable lesson to learn for goal-setting and life in general.

3. "Why Do We Sleep?" by Russell Foster

This video uses excellent visual aids to turn what seems like an arbitrary question into a fascinating subject. This also makes it much easier to understand, giving students something to support their listening.
Activities: Brainstorm - The purpose of sleep
Start your lesson off by asking your students what they think the purpose of sleep is. After watching the video, they can see if this matches up with what they've learned.
Grammar - How long? / How many? / How far?
This is a good opportunity to teach how to make "how" questions, which ESL students often mix up with other types of questions. Your students can then use this grammar to make questions, such as:

4. "A Tribute to Nurses" by Carolyn Jones

This TED Talk is more personal. It's one woman's story of how a nurse changed her life and why nurses are so important to her. She speaks relatively slowly, pausing between sentences to make it easy to listen to.
Activities: Discuss - Difficult jobs
Before introducing the video, ask your students to have group discussions about which jobs they think are the most difficult and why.
List - Duties and responsibilities
After the video, have students write what they think the responsibilities of a nurse are.

This will test their understanding of the basic verb-noun agreement. Ideally, they should come up with something like the following:

A nurse takes care of patients.

Nurses give injections.

From there, they can do the same for the other jobs they spoke about in the first activity.

5. "Before I Die I Want To..." by Candy Chang

If you're looking for a short video activity, this is perfect. In only six minutes, your students will hear about the creative way in which one woman got her neighbors to open up about their life goals.

It's clear, concise and easy to understand.
Activities: Read - Inspirational stories
Give your students a story about an inspirational figure to read. It could be a biography or someone famous, a story you've plucked from the news or anyone you think your class might relate to.

After reading, ask your students to discuss who inspires them and why with a partner.
Write - Bucket lists
Introduce the concept of a bucket list and have students write their own. If there's time, they can present them at the end of the class.

6. "10 Ways to Have a Better Conversation" by Celeste Headlee

This talk is about 12 minutes long, which makes it a good option for a short class period. The speaker explores the importance of face-to-face communication and teaches the audience how to excel at speaking.

Every ESL student can benefit from this video.
Activities: Write - Video review
After watching the video, ask them to write their answers to these questions:

What does a conversation require?

How many texts do teenagers send a day?

What do you think "interpersonal skills" means?

Should you nod and repeat back what someone says to show you're listening?

What are the 10 ways to have a better conversation?

Discuss - Free conversation
After watching the video, ask your students to pick a partner and have a conversation using the tips mentioned by the speaker. They can take turns practicing their listening skills and communication skills.

7. "How to Talk so People Want to Listen" by Julian Treasure

This is another presentation that's centered on communication. Here, the speaker focuses on making sure people listen. This speech is just under 10 minutes, making it ideal for a short lesson. It also includes some vocal exercises that could be quite fun for your ESL students!
Activities: Rank - What not to do when speaking?
After the video, list the "seven deadly" sins of speaking and discuss them as a class. You can then ask to rank each of them and ask for their reasoning.

Discuss - Review and reflect

You can also follow up the video with these questions:
List - Why is it important to speak clearly?
Ask your students to do a quick writing exercise listing the reasons why it's important to be good at speaking. If there's time, a few students can present them at the end of the class.

8. "How Languages Shape the Way We Think" by Lera Boroditsky

The video is about 14 minutes long and is a little more scientific. It explores how we speak and communicate and the role language plays in the way we think. This talk is more suitable for higher-level language classes, where you can dive into fun topics like perceptions and stereotypes.
Activities: Compare - Differences between English and your native language
Put your students into groups, then ask them to share their thoughts on the video, then compare how English differs from their native language.

Here are some questions to guide the discussion:

Do you agree or disagree that language shapes the way we think? Why?

What was the most interesting thing you learned from this speech?

Does everyone in the world count the same way or think of color in the same way?

Does English have gendered words?

Write - Kuuk Thaayore language

Find a few research papers or articles on the Internet about the Kuuk Thaayorre language and hand them out to your students. As a homework assignment, ask them to find examples in the text showing how their language shaped their way of living and thinking.

9. "What Makes a Good Life?" by Robert Waldinger

Get your students thinking about living and how to live a healthy and happy life. This video is about 12 minutes and offers advice on how to live your best life. It covers a decade-long study that looked at what makes people happy. Your students are sure to be interested in this topic and the ensuing conversation.
Activities: Write - What makes you happy?
Start your lesson off with a writing exercise. Have them answer the following questions in their journal entry:

Do you have a good life?

What makes you happy?

What would you change about your life?

Do you feel like you have a good balance between screen time and people time?

After watching the video, they can see if this matches up with what was mentioned in the talk.

List and Share - Life goals

Have students list their life goals, then ask them to find someone in the classroom who has at least one life goal in common. Let them share their life goals with each other, then have them discuss the two major life goals young adults have, based on the video.

10. "How to Find Work You Love" by Scott Dinsmore

This 18-minute talk is especially useful for ESL learners who are in high school and university. The speaker tells the audience that it's okay to do work you love and in fact, it leads to a more fulfilling life.
Activities: Discuss - What do you like to do?
Start off by asking your students to discuss in a group what they like to do and identify why they enjoy certain activities.
Write - Dream job
Using the framework discussed in the video, ask your students to write a short essay on what their dream job would be. Make sure they list their unique strengths and values that will help them be successful in this dream job.

11. "Want to Be More Creative? Go for a Walk" by Marily Oppezzo

This is a short five-minute talk that explores the idea of creativity and how to brainstorm more effectively. It may appeal specifically to business English language learners or any students who need to keep their minds sharp and fresh.
Activities: Brainstorm - What do you do to be more creative?
Start out with a quick discussion asking your students if they are creative and if so, in what way.

From there, you can move on to asking them how they get their creative juices flowing. Write their ideas on the board. After watching the video, compare the findings with the brainstorming session at the beginning of class.
Discuss - Review and reflect
Have the students get into small groups and discuss the following questions:

12. "Where Did English Come From?" by Claire Bowern

This is a fascinating video on the origin of English. It's about five minutes and offers a brief history of the language, which is interesting for ESL learners perpetually confused by English's inconsistent rules and exceptions.
Activities: Brainstorm - English words in other languages
Before watching the video, ask the students if their native language uses any English words. Have each student write their words down on the board.
Discuss - Video review
Have a class discussion on the video to test their comprehension. Some questions you can ask are:
Research - What's your favorite word in English?
Have a quick 5-minute discussion asking your students what is their favorite word in English and why. As a homework assignment, you can ask them to look up the origins of their favorite words and share their findings with the class the next day.

13. "Where Do New Words Come From?" by Marcel Danesi

This six-minute, animated talk shows how new words are created and how English has adopted words from other languages. It's a great video to go along with any lessons where you're trying to relate English to your students' first languages.
Activities: Discuss - Video review
Ask a few questions with straightforward answers to test your students' listening skills.

How many new words are added to the dictionary every year?

How many words are currently in use in the English language?

Approximately how much of the English language has been borrowed from other languages?

What does the word "obsolete" mean?
Grammar - Create a new word
Have students create a new word and write the definition. Along with the definition, ask them to create at least three different example sentences using different tenses.

This can be an in-class activity or a homework assignment.

14. "The Myth of Prometheus" by Iseult Gillespie

This presentation is under five minutes and tells the story of Prometheus. It's filled with short illustrated clips which are ideal for any ESL students interested in English literature.
Activities: Brainstorm - Myths
Before the video, briefly describe what a myth is with the class. Ask them if they know any myths and write them on the board. These myths can also be potential research projects or homework assignments.
Discuss - Video review
Ask your students these questions to test their listening comprehension:
Write - Do you think Prometheus was a trickster or a hero?
As an in-class activity or homework assignment, ask your students to write a short essay to answer this question. The length of the answer can be adjusted according to the students' learning level.

More Easy TED Talks for ESL Learners

15. "Why I Keep Speaking Up, Even When People Mock My Accent" by Safwat Saleem

If you want to speak a language well, you need to practice speaking it. But very often, English learners have an accent which is very different from the native speakers. This can be embarrassing for the learners and possibly lead to a decline in practice. Stuck in a circle of perceived shame, a large number of learners are never able to become fluent English speakers.

But why is it shameful if someone speaks with a different accent? Safwat Saleem, a Pakistani-American, asks this precise question in his TED Talk. He shares his own personal journey, and tells us how he realized that being different is not the same as being wrong. If you have ever felt embarrassed about your own accent, this talk will surely inspire you and perhaps give you the confidence to speak up again and again.

16. "TED's Secret to Great Public Speaking" by Chris Anderson

People generally think that to be a good public speaker, you need a good voice, theatrical gestures, emotional stories about childhood and perhaps attractive looks.

Chris Anderson, a curator of TED Talks for 15 years, thinks otherwise. According to him, the main component of a public speech is the idea you want to share with the audience you are speaking to. An impressive speech builds one main idea in your head, piece by piece, through words and images. And most importantly, your ideas should be useful to the people who are listening to you.

Very often language learners focus too much on the technical details of their speech and not so much on the content. This talk helps you make connections between the words you use and the ideas you want to convey.

17. "Let's Teach for Mastery - Not Test Scores" by Sal Khan

Everyone who has attended school agrees on one thing-that it needs to change. In the name of education, students are put through a process which is not only unpleasant, but perhaps even harmful for learning.

Sal Khan, the founder of Khan Academy, locates the problem in the basic structure of schooling. He asks us to imagine a house. If the foundation of that building is not perfect but only satisfactory, then that building will surely break down some day. Similarly, if the basic skills of some subjects like math or English are only half understood, then the students' learning will also break down.

Sal thinks that what should be fixed is the need for mastery and not the time to learn a subject. This mindset is not only useful for school students, but also for every language learner in the world.

18. "The Nit-picking Glory of The New Yorker's Comma Queen" by Mary Norris

Whenever we read an article in a magazine or a newspaper, we are not just reading the hard work of one writer, but also a team of editors who helped the author create his best work. But these editors work in the background, and their work is never recognized.

Marry Noris is a copy editor in one of the world's best literary magazines- The New Yorker. In this talk, she shares her experience of being "the comma queen" and how she edits the work of the best writers of our age. She takes real examples and talks about the grammatical and stylistic rules she uses to edit the articles she is assigned.

This talk is a very good and also funny way to help advanced English learners understand the art of editing and get to know the standards of grammar followed in literary magazines. Many learners will be surprised when they realize that much of the common English we use in day-to-day conversation is considered incorrect by editors. That is why the title has the word "Nit-picking" in it, since it means finding faults in the little details of someone's work.

19. "Go Ahead, Make Up New Words!" by Erin McKean

If you read the history of English, you will realize that it changes very quickly. Many people regularly wonder about how new words enter the language. Very few English speakers actually know that most of the words in English today did not exist hundreds of years ago.

Erin McKean studies words and creates dictionaries. She is one of those people who decides what words mean and how they should be used. Surprisingly, she wants you to come up with new words.

Often English learners think that words are like scientific facts-they do not change. But words are just an agreement between the people who use the language. If many people agree that a word means something in a language, then that becomes a part of the vocabulary.

English learners often feel like outsiders who have to obey the rules of the language or they are committing an embarrassing crime. Obviously, rules are important. But McKean makes us realize that language requires active participation and making up new words should be seen as a fun way to expand a language rather than making it "wrong."

20. "Metaphorically Speaking" by James Geary

A metaphor is when we give an object the name of something else in order to make a comparison. For instance, Shakespeare called the world a "stage" and compared the people in the world to actors.

As you can see, a metaphor is not only a way to compare things but also to change how we see them. If Shakespeare said that all the world was a jail, our idea about the world would definitely be more negative than the metaphor of the stage.

James Geary talks about this ability of metaphors to change thinking. He uses simple examples and even psychology to show how we can use them in our daily conversations. English learners will definitely learn how to use words to make an impact on the listeners and improve their speaking skills.

21. "How to Write Descriptively" by Nalo Hopkinson

People love stories because they like living in different realities. Think about a book you love to read and chances are it makes you feel like you are living in the world it describes.

This TED Talk is about the strategies you can use in your writing to attract readers to your work. It gives examples from real books and practical tips which you can use to make the reader feel what the characters feel.

Keeping these tips in mind can help learners use their words in a more purposeful way. This video also helps us understand why we like certain pieces of writing and what makes them special. We do not realize these things while we read a book since we do not focus on the exact ways in which the words have been used.

For more writing tips, we have this invaluable guide for beginners.

22. "How to Get Better at the Things You Care About" by Eduardo Briceño

Eduardo Briceño talks about two zones in his talk-the zone of learning and the zone of performance. According to him, we often confuse the two and get no results even after working very hard. The important point here is not how much we work but simply how we work.

The zone of performance is where we do our best. We have mastered most of the skills, so we should not expect a lot of mistakes. The zone of learning is when we work on areas that need improvement. We focus on improving things we are not good at.

So if you are a lawyer, your zone of performance is when you are doing a specific part of your job that you are already really good at (preparing the case). However, perhaps there are components of your job that you still find difficult. Spending some time working on those components would mean you are in the learning zone.

Briceño explains how we should practice differently while we learn and how we should not confuse hard work with learning. Many times we focus too much on performance and that ironically decreases our performance over time since we ignore those things which make us improve.

23. "Why You Should Define Your Fears Instead of Your Goals" by Tim Ferriss

How many times have you heard the advice that setting goals is the key to success? Most people hear that at least a hundred times in their life.

Tim Ferriss has a very unusual view on success. In this talk, he points out that the things which we fear the most are often the actions we need to take in order to succeed.

He explains a simple but uncomfortable strategy used by him, which he calls as "fear-setting." Rather than ignoring the things which make us afraid, he asks us to confront them and simply do the things that need to be done. This strategy not only improves a skill but also the person as a whole.

24. "What's a Snollygoster? A Short Lesson in Political Speak" by Mark Forsyth

Mark Forsyth's talk is a wonderful guide to understanding how politicians use language and how you can understand them. According to him, they mainly use language to shape how we see reality.

Almost all of us are familiar with the lies of our politicians, but Forsyth says that it is much more complex than that. He talks about lots of words and their origins like "president" and how they were used to change the way people looked at politicians.

For English learners, this is a feast of words where they can considerably increase their vocabulary in just six minutes.

25. "The First 20 Hours - How to Learn Anything" by Josh Kaufman

Have you ever thought about learning something, but simply dropped the idea because you thought that you did not have time? Or did you start learning something by reading about it and realized that even after weeks you still can not do anything?

Josh Kaufman went through similar experiences, but luckily he found a solution. Through his research, he discovered that you can learn to do anything in 20 hours if you simply start by practicing it. He wanted to learn a musical instrument and he simply started playing the instrument, while learning about it at the same time.

His advice is a gem for beginners who are just starting out.

26. "5 Techniques to Speak Any Language" by Sid Efromovich

Efromovich is what is known as a "hyperpolyglot," which means that he can speak a lot of languages. By the time he became an adult, he could speak four languages and then in the next three years he was able to learn three extra ones.

Based on his experience, he talks about five methods he has picked up to learn any language in the world. The first one is, surprisingly, making mistakes, which he thinks is a very important part of pushing you beyond your native tongue and start speaking the new language.

He has many insightful tips about pronunciation, action and reading that he explains through examples from many languages, including Spanish, Portuguese and of course English.

27. "Making Sense of Spelling" by Gina Cooke

English spelling is confusing to almost every learner. Many people are not able to understand why similar sounding words are spelled so differently and why different sounding words are spelled similarly.

This TED Talk tries to explain some of the rules of English spelling. Using the metaphor of an onion, Gina Cooke tries to explain how it works. Like the many layers of the vegetable, spelling too is the result of many things such as history, meaning and structure of the word.

In the talk she beautifully explains the various ways spelling functions in the English language by taking the word "one." Every English learner, no matter the level, should watch it so they know why things are spelled the way they are.

28. "How to Gain Control of Your Free Time" by Laura Vanderkam

How many times have we thought that we can do a task in one hour while in reality it took us five?

This mistake is made by almost everyone in their daily lives. Laura Vanderkam studies the people who do not make such mistakes and make full use of their time.

According to her, our minds almost always think that we have too many tasks in a week while dramatically underestimating (judging something to be smaller or lower than it really is) the time we need to complete them. Her solution is not to "save" time as many of us do, but to organize our lives in such a way that time "saves itself."

This mindset will be extremely helpful for English learners, since many of them skip practicing certain skills like reading or speaking in a week. The feeling that there is simply not enough time to practice everything regularly is perhaps the top reason why many language learners fail or give up their training.

29. "Rapid Language Hacking" by Benny Lewis

Language is about communication. We forget this when we start learning it. We start studying it like mathematics, not knowing that it is really hard to learn a language that way.

The best way to learn English or any other language is through direct use and practice. We learn our first, native language by directly listening to it and communicating through it.

Benny Lewis shares his own journey and how he found out the best way to learn a new language fast. The best advice he gives in his talk is using the common words which are recognized throughout the world, like "Coca-Cola." In this way, a learner can quickly memorize the word and also start using the language almost immediately.

How to Use TED Talks for ESL Lessons

Practice listening

A TED Talk can be a great ESL listening tool for young students and adult students alike. You have thousands of diverse videos to choose from, so you can find videos that work for all age levels, English skill levels, interests and classroom themes.

You can play them with or without subtitles-since TED Talks most often have precise subtitles to accompany them-or even print-outs of their full transcripts from the official TED website.

Use subtitles wisely

Every video on the TED Talk website comes with subtitles in several languages. While it's okay to use these subtitles-especially when they're in English!-they shouldn't be relied upon.

A good tip is to play the video once without subtitles and check how much they understood, then allow them to watch it again with subtitles to see what else they can pick up.

Encourage understanding of the gist, not every word

It's best to preface any listening activity by telling your students not to worry about understanding every single word they hear. Instead, encourage them to understand the gist by combining what they can understand with context.

Fuel discussion

The best thing about TED Talks is their interesting subject matter. That means that when you use them in your lessons, you can turn them into debate classes by having students share their thoughts about what they saw and heard.

Either allow organic conversations to take place amongst the whole class, or split students into teams and assign them "sides" of the issue to discuss and defend.

Watch TED Talks with full immersion

TED talks can get difficult, depending on the topic. If you want to provide your students with some additional support, you can use a program like FluentU where they can watch native videos like TED talks, vlogs, movie clips and other authentic content with interactive subtitles.

Students can click on these subtitles at any time they get stuck on a word or phrase. You can also print out complete transcripts for your students or access them online for similar interactive features.

Your students can learn with FluentU videos and complete the accompanying exercises and quizzes. Their progress is recorded and their scores go straight to your dashboard, so you can see how everyone is doing.

It can be hard to get your students energized and excited at times, but with these TED Talks for ESL students, you can inject some motivation into your classes and get your students more motivated to learn English.

Maybe you'll even end up hosting your very own TED Talk about teaching English someday!

Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere.Click here to get a copy. (Download)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
29 Easy TED Talks for ESL Students to Listen To (Including Activities) | FluentU English Educator Blog

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Check out these 29 TED talks for ESL students that can help you teach English in a fun and enjoyable way. These talks cover topics such as Greek mythology, studies on happiness and why we sleep, so your students can learn more about the world around them through an English-language lens.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Things We've Never Had to Think About When Planning for Back to School I've planned for A LOT of back-to-schools, and never once have I had to consider masks, face shields, sanitization schedules, spacing desks, and the list goes on. We are in uncharted territory, for sure! For those of you that will be headed back to the classroom, masks are something you'll have to

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Things We've Never Had to Think About When Planning for Back to School I've planned for A LOT of back-to-schools, and never once have I had to consider masks, face shields, sanitization schedules, spacing desks, and the list goes on. We are in uncharted territory, for sure!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Thoughts, tips and anecdotes from a public school ESOL teacher

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
“Our Kids”: The Role of the Language Specialist (ELL / ESL / EAL / ELD / ENL / ESOL / MLL) — Confianza

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
by Sarah B. Ottow Note: In this blog, we are using the term “ELL teacher” but that can also mean one who works in any of the following programs--ESL, EAL, ELD, ENL, ESOL, MLL, etc.—supporting English Learners, ELLs, MLLs, emergent bilinguals.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
1. Read to students every day

2. Support students' comprehension as much as possible

3. Teach the alphabet when necessary

4. Teach phonics in context

5. Check comprehension frequently

7. Support native language literacy

8. Encourage reading outside of the classroom

9. Establish an English Language Learner Center

10. Make up individualized activity packs for your newcomers

You are welcome to print copies for non-commercial use, or a limited number for educational purposes, as long as credit is given to Reading Rockets and the author(s). For commercial use, please contact the author or publisher listed.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Supporting ELLs in the Mainstream Classroom: Reading Instruction

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
You can and should use what you already know to be effective, research-based reading instruction to English language learners (ELLs). However, ELLs will need additional support in learning how to read, and the strategies here will help you to provide assistance in your everyday teaching, particularly for newcomers (students who have recently arrived in the U.S.).

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
At EngWorkSheets.com, we offer top-quality printable ESL worksheets in English that are perfect for kids. Our unique algorithm enables you to create customized word and flashcard worksheets, ensuring that each student has access to a unique set of English worksheets. Alternatively, you can also use our pre-existing ESL worksheets, which are designed to help your students learn and memorize English vocabulary more effectively. Our online worksheets and puzzles are perfect for overlearning English vocabulary and are similar in style and substance to our printable worksheets. Choose EngWorkSheets.com for the best in English language education!

Looking for free ESL worksheets in English for kids and teachers? Look no further! Our website offers a vast collection of high-quality ESL worksheets that are sure to engage your students and enhance their language skills. Simply subscribe to our website and gain access to hundreds of worksheets that cover a wide range of topics.

To access the worksheets, all you have to do is click on the topic that interests you and select the worksheet you prefer from the list. Our worksheets are available in ESL PDF worksheet format and can be easily downloaded and printed.

So, whether you're a teacher looking to supplement your classroom materials or a parent seeking resources to help your child improve their English, our website has everything you need. Subscribe today and start exploring our collection of ESL worksheets!

Looking for high-quality ESL worksheets for your kids or students? Our website offers a wide selection that you can use without any consent, as long as you respect our strict copyright policy. And if you're happy with our materials, why not help spread the word? Share our web pages on social networks and tell your friends how useful our resources are! Plus, we always appreciate hearing your interpretations of our English worksheets. At our site, we're committed to providing ESL materials that are both fun and effective for the classroom or home. Thanks for your support!

* Free ESL Printable Worksheets of Grammar, Vocabulary, Flashcard, Fairytales.
* Free ESL Worksheets of Grammar, Vocabulary, Flashcard, Fairytales.
* Free ESL English Worksheets.
* EFL Exercises, EAL Classes, ESOL Quizzes, ELT Activities.
* English Teaching and Learning Sources.
* Fun Word Search Puzzles, Online Trainings, Tests, Picture Dictionaries.
* Classroom Posters, Matching Exercises and Flashcards
* ESL printable English worksheets for kids, teachers and everyone who wants to learn English.

Free ESL Printable Grammar Worksheets, Vocabulary Worksheets, Flascard Worksheets, Fairytales Worksheets, EFL Exercises, EAL Handouts, ESOL Quizzes, ELT Activities, TEFL Questions, TESOL Materials, English Teaching and Learning Resources, Fun Crossword and Word Search Puzzles, Tests, Picture Dictionaries, Classroom Posters, Matching Exercises and Flashcards English Worksheets For Kids.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Free English ESL Printable Vocabulary Worksheets and Grammar Exercises - EngWorksheets

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Free English ESL Printable Worksheets and Exercises, Grammar Exercises, Flashcards, Vocabulary Exercises Cards and Games For Kids

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
ESL Worksheets | Free Printable Worksheets for ESL Vocabulary and Grammar

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
grammar worksheets, vocabulary worksheets, handwriting and tracing worksheets, word search worksheets, text maze worksheets, crossword worksheets, grammar flashcards, vocabulary flashcards, grammar games, vocabulary games, esl phonics flashcards, song worksheets, video games, interactive games, clas…

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Short Stories - These high-interest short stories are designed for ESL students from beginning-low to intermediate reading levels. Each story is based on an everyday problem that a character is having and includes an image. The stories are designed with lifeskill lessons in mind and should work well with the units found in a typical ESL picture dictionary. All the worksheets start with a short reading assignment and include a true/false exercise and an easy writing prompt. Happy reading! (DIRECTIONS: To open a worksheet in a new window right click on the link. Then when you close the worksheet you can open another one.)

ESL Worksheets eBook - These free eBooks have 10-20 printable worksheets with short stories for beginning to intermediate level ESL students. All the images are black and white so they print clearly. The books are being released under Creative Commons License 3.0, so you are free to make photocopies or even upload them to your own Web Site as long as you give credit to their creator and don't change the content. Each story covers a life skill subject like family, transportation, health, employment, technology, etc.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
esl worksheets free printable teachers students english language efl tesol

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Short Stories - These high-interest short stories are designed for ESL students from beginning-low to intermediate reading levels. Each story is based on an everyday problem that a character is having and includes an image. The stories are designed with lifeskill lessons in mind and should work well with the units found in a typical ESL picture dictionary.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
ReadWorks | Award-Winning, EdTech Nonprofit Organization

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
ReadWorks is an edtech nonprofit organization that is committed to helping to solve America’s reading comprehension crisis.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Quality Teaching for English Learners Professional Development

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
QTEL offers research-informed approaches for teaching the conceptual understanding, academic practices, and language that are critical to ensuring success for English Learners.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Earn a TESOL Certificate with ESL Online & In Person Courses

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Earn your TESOL Certificate through our versatile ESL courses, available both online & in-person. Our accredited programs help you excel in teaching English

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) reported that 5 million American public school students were English learners in fall 2020. In other words, about 10% of students in kindergarten through 12th grade were unable to speak fluently or learn successfully in English.

As English learners, these students must juggle two types of education: learning general academic subjects like math and science, and mastering communication in the English language. To help them develop English-language skills, these students often rely on the assistance of teachers who provide English as a second language, or ESL, training.

These teachers rely on a variety of techniques and tools to help students build their English fluency. Many have received training in an advanced degree program, such as a Master in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) program. The ESL resources these educators turn to can assist with tasks ranging from planning lessons to preparing classroom materials.

What Is ESL?

Students who participate in ESL education typically are those whose primary language is not English. ESL instruction helps these students improve their skills not only in speaking English, but also in listening, reading, and writing in the language.

These learners represent a growing segment of the U.S. student population, according to 2023 NCES data. The center notes the percentage of public school students who were English learners increased in the decade between fall 2010 and fall 2020. This increase occurred despite a slight decline in the English learner population that occurred during 2019-2020, the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The 2020 population of 5 million public school English learners represents an increase of about 11% compared with the 2010 figure of 4.5 million, as reported by the NCES.

The Importance of ESL Education

ESL instruction is critical in nations like the U.S., where English is the dominant language in education and in business. But many countries whose primary language is not English also provide ESL training to prepare students to communicate in what is generally recognized as the global language. Following are some key reasons why ESL education is important.

Everyday tasks: In countries where English is the dominant language, ESL education helps students with day-to-day life activities, ranging from meeting new people to ordering food at a restaurant.

Education: Students in the U.S. and other English-speaking locations need to develop their skills in the language to succeed in academics and advance in their studies.

Career: Because English generally is recognized as the language of commerce, fluency in the language can be an advantage for job candidates.

Information and entertainment: Mastery of English can make it easier to access entertainment options and information resources, much of which are in this language.

What Is a Master in TESOL?

Educators who help learners gain English skills-and the opportunities and benefits those skills can offer-can make a profound impact in the lives of their students. To gain the knowledge to instruct these students, teachers must earn at least a bachelor's degree, complete ESL training, and obtain any licensing required for their role. For many teachers, a master in TESOL degree can provide additional opportunities to make a difference.

What is a master in TESOL ? This advanced degree can open up avenues for seeking higher-level roles in educating English learners, with many of these positions offering the potential for salary increases. Earning this credential can equip teachers with the language and cultural skills to assist students in becoming proficient in English.

5 ESL Resources to Assist Teachers

Teachers who provide ESL instruction are responsible for a variety of tasks, including planning and implementing lessons and evaluating and reporting on student progress. A variety of resources are available to assist with these efforts, including those that contain materials for lesson preparation and those that offer professional development opportunities. Many of these resources also provide suggestions about other sources of instructional guidance and materials for ESL instruction.

Following are five ESL resources to assist teachers in their work.

1. BusyTeacher

BusyTeacher , an online resource, offers free materials for download, including worksheets and posters, and provides articles with ideas and guidance for ESL instruction. Among the information to assist with in-person and remote ESL education is a list of hundreds of warm-up activities that can help engage students in the day's lessons. The site's other materials include:

Classroom management worksheets

Creative writing prompts

Flashcards

Printable coloring pages

2. Colorín Colorado

Colorín Colorado is a website targeted at ESL education for native Spanish speakers. The site offers an array of free information and materials-from glossaries to news-for teachers as well as for students and their families. Among the guidance and other resources the site offers educators are:

Lists of culturally diverse books and their authors

Suggested classroom strategies

Videos for classroom use

Webcasts on ESL-related topics

3. Ellii

Ellii , a membership site, offers resources to assist teachers, including hundreds of prepared lesson plans and printable images and flashcards. For a fee, instructors can access materials on topics ranging from vocabulary to finance. Among the resources available are:

Assessment tools

Customizable certificates of achievement

Lessons by topic

Worksheets

4. FluentU

FluentU provides resources for an annual fee. Among its features is a library of English-speaking videos that students can view with interactive subtitles. The website allows teachers to assign specific FluentU-generated materials and track student work. The site's materials include:

Blogs for teachers and students

Customized video-based quizzes

Multimedia flashcards

Video dictionary

5. TESOL

TESOL is an international organization of English-language educators. Members pay a fee to access professional resources that can help them strengthen their ESL instruction skills and advance their careers. Among TESOL's resources are:

An annual convention

Grants and awards

Job search tools

Professional development

Build Your ESL Instruction Skills and Expertise

If you're seeking opportunities to help English learners succeed-while working to advance your knowledge and your career-explore the Wilson College Online Master in TESOL degree program. Designed for teachers who hold a bachelor's degree and certification to teach in pre-kindergarten through 12th grade, the program can help you become a better educator for all students.

You'll focus on concepts related to teaching English-language speaking, listening, writing, and reading. And you'll build these instructional skills through flexible online learning that allows you to study while you manage commitments at work and home.

Discover how the Wilson College Online Master in TESOL degree program can help you achieve your professional goals.
Recommended Readings
Master of Teaching vs. Master of Education: What's the Difference?

Pros and Cons of Educational Apps for Toddlers

Tips for Building an Engaging Special Education Classroom
Sources:
EducationUSA, What Are English Language Programs?

FluentU, "ESL Resources for Teachers and Students: 12 Great Websites"

Indeed Career Guide, "How to Become an ESL Teacher"

LanguageHumanities.org, "What Is the Importance of ESL?"

National Center for Education Statistics, English Learners in Public Schools

Preply, "The Importance of English: The World Language of 2020 and Beyond?"

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
ESL, or English as a Second Language instruction can help students develop the communication skills they need to succeed. Explore ESL resources for teachers.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Top 10 Free Resources for ESL Teachers - World TESOL Academy

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
So you think you can TEFL? And it's true, you've got the certificate, you're fully qualified and all set to teach English abroad or even teach English online. You've got some lesson ideas under your belt. Maybe you've got more lesson ideas than you know what to do with, I was like you once... young, eager, the power of my TEFL notes clouding my vision.

There are days when churning out another TEFL lesson plan is going to feel like an impossible feat. During my second week in South Korea, (a newly-minted teacher with lots of stickers and enthusiasm) I was asked to plan not one, not two, but fifteen weeks worth of two-hour after school classes (that quickly put a stopper on my enthusiasm, and it quickly turned to blind panic.

I don't know if you've ever tried to fill up two hours with fun activities for bored fourteen-year-olds... but it's hard enough when they speak your language, let alone when you will be miming 90% of the time. And then to plan 15 of those lessons....all at the same time.

I was also told the principal would attend these classes. Just you know, to add to the overwhelming feeling of nausea. To say I almost had a heart attack is the understatement of the century.

The 15 weeks' worth of lesson plans weren't due by the end of the month - they were due the very next day. You might think - sure, that would never happen to me. Who is this disorganized nincompoop? I bet they gave her loads of notice and she just forgot.

But let me tell you, I am not a nincompoop. I color code my spreadsheets, I plan most things a month in advance and I don't even find thrillers surprising. I'm a serial organizer. I like to make lists, tick off lists, you get the picture - LISTS are my particular way of life!

I spent a dark, dark night planning those 15 lessons, the internet became my savior. Afterward, I sat back and thought - this is going to happen again, isn't it?

Rather than go to bed and sleep it off like a reasonable person. I made a list. This list was my way of coping with any last-minute mass ESL lesson planning. Some of these resources helped me with regular lesson planning too. There are so many great teachers out there sharing ideas, exercises and activities for ESL students at every level.

This list of free resources for teaching English as a second language, meant I could get inspiration on demand and even if a request for a truckload of lesson plans came through. I didn't need to break out in a cold sweat. Although, I did anyway. Some of us are just born this way .

All these resources are not created equal. Some are better for TEFL games, others for summer or winter camp activities, others will help you sort out those painful grammar classes. Never forget, there's a whole community of teachers out there just like you, and everyone struggles with a lesson plan from time to time.

So here are the best materials for teaching English as a second language.

If you use search words like "summer camp", "ESL" or "TEFL, Pinterest is a treasure trove of ideas. I even used the DIY sections to build in craft activities for those longer after school camps or winter camps.

Y'know those ambiguous periods where you're half-teacher, half-babysitter, and 100% worried that the kids might get bored, stop paying attention and start eating potatoes (even though I'm Irish, this was a new one for me!) or stabbing each other with pencils (ditto...)✏️. And yes, I taught teenagers, why do you ask?

One of the best things that ever happened to me was finding this website. From grammar exercises to helpful videos, to listening practice... there is no shortage of free TEFL lesson plans and ideas here. They're also pre-graded and there are different sections for teaching adults, kids and teenagers. It's a serial organizer's dream! This website is also perfect for last-minute planners or emergency classes (you know when there's suddenly a class on your schedule that wasn't there before).

Not so much for lesson planning, more for those tricky questions advanced students or co-teachers might try to ask on the spur of the moment. "It just sounds right" won't be a good enough answer and it can be hard to remember the trickiest rules of English (it's a pretty fickle language) at a moment's notice. This is also handy for some ideas on how to teach a few of the trickier tenses. It's not going to set their eyes alight, but it will help you clarify exactly how to teach the harder bits.

Don't judge a website by its name, design, or layout! Trust me, the section on this site that's dedicated to helping teachers is wholesome! From ways to incorporate music, games, video, and film, there's no shortage of ideas to springboard your next ESL lesson plan. Just try not to cringe over the whole Partyland thing... TEFL turns the best of us into mildly cheesy grammar clowns.

TEFL worksheets, lesson plans and games galore. This is a great little hub of ideas that will get your students excited about learning English. From lessons like creating your own restaurant to designing your own music magazine, this is a wonderful resource for some project-based learning. I particularly love the blog and it has lots of great articles, like this one on unique intro classes.

This website is amazing! It's also quite ugly, but don't let that put you off. What they lack in fancy design work, they make up for in sheer brilliant content. The lesson plans are lifesavers and if you're looking for some interesting conversation class ideas - then you won't be disappointed. There's also plenty of articles and research on teaching techniques that will be invaluable in the classroom.

When it comes to finding exactly what you want at the last minute - this site isn't great. But it sure is worth a browse. If you pop into the teaching section, it's divided by ESL levels, so you can easily find different types of games and lesson plans for students at different levels.

Beautifully named, this site is perfect for some of those formal or business English classes, this collection of blogs has plenty of ideas for dialogue, conversations and class management. I quite like resources section where there are blogs on stuff like short speaking activities and fingerplay songs for kids.

This little site was great when it came to study classes, supervision and those times when you've got a clever clogs that is way ahead of the rest.‍♀️ You can easily print off some worksheets here that will keep even your highest level students busy, while you focus on getting the rest of the class caught up. When you've got 30 students in one room, and 40 minutes - sometimes a simple worksheet can give you valuable minutes. There's nothing worse than watching a bright kid dying a little inside, so I always tried to keep mine on their toes.

Depending on where you're teaching - YouTube and short online videos can be a HUGE resource. Even the potato-eaters paid attention when I played a clip. I used to trawl youtube for fun things my students might like and then build out quizzes and blank fills for them. But there are days when trawling the internet is not the best use of your time and this site already has videos and exercises sorted by ability level. So whether you're looking for a song with appropriate vocabulary for your ESL students or a TED talk that won't leave them scratching their heads, this is definitely a quick fix.

An oldie but a goodie! Busy Teacher is one of those sites where you can get some pretty interesting resources. As I write this one of the top worksheets of the week is Donald Trump's Speech (Designed for Russian-speaking students!)" rel="noopener">Donald Trump's Speech (Designed for Russian-speaking students!), But there are fewer niche resources and you can easily find some TEFL board games and worksheets that will pad out those lesson plans.

There's nothing my students loved more than being tricked into learning with interactive games. This site is a great one if you've got access to computers. Everyone can work at their own level. Although I would only suggest computers in smaller classes where you can make sure they're not just googling cute popstars. "Teacher, is he sexy?" - is technically English, but maybe not what I was setting out to achieve in my classes. The site has printables too, and everything is based around target language that you're most likely going to be teaching. I found this site helpful for printables as I didn't have access to much technology in most classes.

It depends where you're teaching. But I was in South Korea and there is an English for Korean speakers section. It's worth checking it out. Gamification at its finest. Even my weakest kids loved to get 5 minutes on their phone to level-up. I positioned it as a reward, little did they realize they were learning! They'd often come up to me to show me a new lesson or unit they had completed. I had to walk the co-teachers through the app first. They were older and a little suspicious of the students learning English on their phones.

One of my co-teachers became a bit of an addict! She absolutely loved getting her bonus points for perfection! It only keeps the students amused for 5 minutes and you can't really use it for a whole lesson, but I got my students to make sure it reminded them to practice every day.

While sites like Pinterest can be a great source of inspiration for classroom activities, the real challenge is often planning the delivery of your chosen activity and setting clear objectives and outcomes for your students.

Whether you're teaching online or in-person, a great lesson plan is the best way to stay organized, get excited about your lessons, increase student engagement and improve learning outcomes. And why not have a little fun creating eye-catching lesson plans while you're at it?

Canva is a very user-friendly (and free!) graphic design tool that provides dozens of lesson plan templates that can be easily customized and exported in several file formats or sent to print right from the editor!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
14 free resources for ESL lesson planning I couldn't teach without | Teach Away

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
So you think you can TEFL? And it's true, you've got the certificate, you're fully qualified and all set to teach English abroad or even teach English

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Suggested Resources
Style Guide Overview MLA Guide APA Guide Chicago Guide OWL Exercises

This page is brought to you by the OWL at Purdue University. When printing this page, you must include the entire legal notice.

Copyright ©1995-2018 by The Writing Lab & The OWL at Purdue and Purdue University. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, reproduced, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without permission. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our terms and conditions of fair use.

Summary:
The professional resources listed below are both theoretical and practical. The list includes links to organizations and journals of interest to language teachers and language policy developers, as well as to a selection of online teaching and reference materials. Each of these links is a portal to an extensive collection of further resources for the professional ESL community.

Professional Organizations

Scholarship and Policy Resources

Teaching Resources

Internet TESL Journal Links Page: extensive, well organized set of links to scholarly and pedagogical resources.

ESL Gold: materials, lesson plans, quizzes, online conversation partners, and links for teachers and students.

Randall's ESL Cyber Listening Lab: audio and video for all English levels, including pre- and post-listening activities.

Using English: large collection of language references, teacher resources, discussion forums, analysis tools, and links.

The Internet for ESL Teachers: Claire Braden's collection of pedagogical articles. Follow the link to her homepage for more technical information.

This page is brought to you by the OWL at Purdue University. When printing this page, you must include the entire legal notice.

Copyright ©1995-2018 by The Writing Lab & The OWL at Purdue and Purdue University. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, reproduced, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without permission. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our terms and conditions of fair use.

Summary:
The professional resources listed below are both theoretical and practical. The list includes links to organizations and journals of interest to language teachers and language policy developers, as well as to a selection of online teaching and reference materials. Each of these links is a portal to an extensive collection of further resources for the professional ESL community.

Professional Organizations

Scholarship and Policy Resources

Teaching Resources

Internet TESL Journal Links Page: extensive, well organized set of links to scholarly and pedagogical resources.

ESL Gold: materials, lesson plans, quizzes, online conversation partners, and links for teachers and students.

Randall's ESL Cyber Listening Lab: audio and video for all English levels, including pre- and post-listening activities.

Using English: large collection of language references, teacher resources, discussion forums, analysis tools, and links.

The Internet for ESL Teachers: Claire Braden's collection of pedagogical articles. Follow the link to her homepage for more technical information.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Style Guide Overview MLA Guide APA Guide Chicago Guide OWL Exercises This page is brought to you by the OWL at Purdue University. When printing this page, you must include the entire legal notice. Copyright ©1995-2018 by The Writing Lab & The OWL at Purdue and Purdue University. All rights reserved.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Helpful Online Resources for Teaching ELLs

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Websites and teacher-created videos make content more accessible for English language learners—whether they’re in the classroom or at home.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
A bilingual site for educators and families of English language learners

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
In today's diverse classrooms, students may come from a variety of linguistic and cultural backgrounds. It is crucial, therefore, for educators to implement teaching strategies that address the needs of all learners. One effective approach is the Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol (SIOP) Model, which integrates language development with content area instruction. Interested in implementing this model in your classroom? Let's look at an overview of the SIOP Model, its strategic components, teaching methods, and practical examples to help educators effectively use this model with their students.

What is the SIOP Model?

The SIOP Model was developed by Jana Echevarria, MaryEllen Vogt, and Deborah J. Short through their work with the Center for Applied Linguistics and Center for Research on Education, Diversity and Excellence (CREDE). This validated, research-based instructional method strives to address the specific academic needs of English language learners (ELLs).

In order to accomplish this, SIOP aims to make content material comprehensible while promoting the students' English language development. It is particularly effective in sheltered instruction settings where teachers adapt their lessons to help ELLs with varying levels of proficiency succeed in their subject matter.

What does research say about the SIOP Model?

The SIOP Model was developed through a seven-year research study (from 1996 to 2003) that was funded by the U.S. Department of Education and sponsored by the National Center for Research on Education, Diversity and Excellence (CREDE). Research has shown that it is an effective approach for improving the educational outcomes of English language learners (ELLs). Here are some key findings:

Increased Academic Performance: When teachers effectively implement the SIOP Model, their students- particularly ELLs -show improved academic performance. The structured support helps make content more accessible, and integrating language development with subject matter instruction seems to lead to better understanding and retention of material.

Enhanced Language Proficiency: The SIOP Model not only supports content area learning but also facilitates improvements in English language proficiency. This is particularly significant in settings where students need to develop language skills alongside their academic progress.

Effective Professional Development: Teachers who undergo SIOP Model training often report increased confidence and skill in teaching ELLs. The model's clear framework and practical strategies provide an empowering teaching method for educators with tools to plan and deliver lessons that meet both language and content objectives.

Positive Classroom Environment: The SIOP Model can help create a more inclusive and supportive classroom environment. The model's emphasis on building background knowledge, comprehensible input, and student interaction supports a learning atmosphere that values diversity and promotes student participation.

Scalability and Adaptability: The SIOP Model can be been adapted for various content areas and grade levels, demonstrating its flexibility and applicability across different educational contexts. This adaptability makes it a valuable tool for schools looking to improve instruction for diverse learner populations.

Overall, based on educational research, the SIOP Model can be effective in enhancing the learning experiences of English language learners, helping them to achieve both linguistic and cognitive growth.

Components of the SIOP Model

The SIOP Model consists of eight interrelated components, each encompassing several strategies designed to support both academic learning and English language acquisition. Each component serves as a fundamental building block, designed to support English language learners (ELLs) comprehensively. The following work together to enhance both language proficiency and subject matter understanding.

Lesson preparation - Plan clear objectives and content concepts suitable for ELLs at varying levels of language proficiency.

Building background - Link concepts to students' background knowledge, connecting prior learning with new concepts, and explicitly emphasizing key vocabulary.

Comprehensible input - Make lessons understandable through visual aids, gestures, slower speech, and clear, concise explanations.

Strategies - Provide ample opportunities for students to use learning strategies, integrating multiple techniques to process information.

Interaction - Encourage interactions among students and between teacher and students to support language development.

Practice/application - Provide hands-on materials and activities for students to apply content and language knowledge.

Lesson delivery - Deliver lessons that meet both content and language objectives, keeping students engaged at all times.

Review and assessment - Consistently review key concepts and vocabulary and assess student progress with feedback.

Understanding and implementing these components not only benefits ELLs but enriches the educational experience for all students, promoting a more dynamic and interactive classroom atmosphere.

Teaching Methods of the SIOP Model

Effective implementation of the SIOP Model hinges on an educator's ability to adopt and adapt its dynamic teaching methodologies to cater to diverse learning styles and promote a rich, engaging educational environment.

Interactive Techniques

Emphasizing student interaction, the SIOP Model encourages a variety of group work strategies such as pair shares, small-group tasks, and class discussions. This interaction enhances language skills and deepens understanding as students explain concepts and ideas to one another.

Scaffolding

Instructional scaffolding is a core element, where teachers gradually remove support as students become more proficient. Starting with more structured guidance and gradually moving to less-directed activities promotes independence and confidence in students.

Integrated Skill Development

The SIOP Model integrates the four key language skills-listening, speaking, reading, and writing-into every lesson. This holistic approach ensures that students develop their language abilities in all areas, which is critical for their academic success.

Visual Aids and Modeling

Using visual supports such as charts, graphs, and images, alongside modeling of tasks, provides students with clear examples of what is expected. This not only aids comprehension but also serves as a reference point for students during independent activities.

Use of Technology

Incorporating technology-based tools and resources can enhance engagement and provide diverse avenues for learning and expression. Technologies like interactive whiteboards, language learning apps, and digital storytelling tools can be seamlessly integrated into the SIOP lessons.

Differentiation

Tailoring lessons to meet the varied educational needs of students is vital. The SIOP Model encourages differentiation by adapting tasks in terms of difficulty, providing different forms of input, and allowing various output options to accommodate students' linguistic and cognitive levels.

Embracing these teaching strategies means not only meeting educational standards but also preparing students for real-world communication and interaction, equipping them with the skills necessary for both academic and personal growth.

Examples of SIOP in Action

These examples illustrate how educators can apply SIOP's principles to enhance understanding and engagement, providing students with the tools they need to succeed in both language acquisition and content mastery.

Science Lesson on the Water Cycle

Building Background: Use students' prior knowledge of water in daily life.

Strategies: Create a concept map of the water cycle using real-life examples.

Interaction: Have students work in groups to describe stages of the water cycle in their own words.

Practice/Application: Conduct a simple experiment to demonstrate condensation and precipitation.

Math Lesson on Fractions

Lesson Preparation: Objectives include understanding fractions and their practical applications.

Comprehensible Input: Use visual aids like pie charts and fraction strips.

Strategies: Teach through games like fraction matching.

Review and Assessment: Have students create posters that depict various fractions found in recipes.

Social Studies Lesson on Cultural Diversity

Lesson Preparation: Objectives include understanding cultural diversity and comparing global cultural practices.

Building Background: Use students' experiences with local customs to introduce cultural diversity. Employ maps and cultural artifacts as visual aids.

Comprehensible Input: Employ clear, simplified language with visual supports like videos and slideshows of various cultural practices.

Strategies: Implement Venn diagrams for students to compare and contrast cultural elements. Facilitate think-pair-share activities for deeper engagement.

Interaction: Organize group discussions and/or role-plays on the impact of cultural understanding.

Practice/Application: Have students create posters or digital presentations on selected cultures. Take it to the next level with a classroom mini-cultural fair where students present their projects.

Lesson Delivery: Monitor pacing to ensure all students are engaged and understanding the material. Adjust activities based on student feedback and comprehension checks.

Review and Assessment: Conclude with a review of key vocabulary and concepts through interactive games. Provide feedback focusing on content and language use.

Final Thoughts on the SIOP Model

The SIOP Model offers a systematic approach to teaching that helps all students, especially English language learners, achieve academic success. By incorporating SIOP's components and strategies, educators can provide an inclusive and supportive learning environment. This approach not only enhances content understanding but also accelerates English language proficiency, preparing students for future educational and career success.

Have you used the SIOP Model? Share your experiences in our We Are Teachers Helpline group on Facebook!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.authors[].name
All posts by Jeanne Croteau, M.S., Psychology, Master TEFL Certified

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
This article offers an in-depth overview of the effectiveness of the SIOP Model in K-12 education for English language learners.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Crafting a SIOP lesson plan involves careful consideration of both language and content objectives.

Here's a step-by-step guide to help you create effective SIOP lesson plans:
Define Content and Language Objectives
Content Objectives: What do you want students to learn academically?
Language Objectives: What specific language skills will students develop?
Select Appropriate Materials and Resources
Choose texts and resources that are both linguistically accessible and academically challenging to help advance students.
Incorporate visuals, manipulatives, and multimedia to support diverse learning styles.
Design Interactive Activities
Plan activities that require active student participation, such as group work, discussions, and hands-on projects.
Ensure activities promote both content understanding and language use.
Incorporate Assessment Strategies
Use formative assessments like quizzes, observations, and student reflections to monitor progress.
Adjust instruction based on assessment data to meet students' evolving needs.
Provide Clear Instructions and Scaffolding
Break down complex tasks into manageable steps.
Offer language supports, such as sentence starters and vocabulary lists, to aid comprehension and expression.
Practical Takeaway:
When writing a SIOP lesson plan, clearly articulate both content and language objectives. Design activities that engage students actively and provide the necessary support to help them achieve these objectives effectively.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
The Power of the SIOP Model in Diverse Classrooms

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Discover how the SIOP model empowers educators to create inclusive & effective learning environments for English learners, enhancing language development.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
SIOP Practice and Application | TESOL Trainers

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The sixth component of SIOP, Practice & Application, asks the teacher to consider how the students will be practicing and applying the language and content of the lesson.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
One of the biggest contemporary challenges of teaching is a classroom that is not only significantly overcrowded, but also packed full of students at all levels of learning abilities, English language speaking and reading skills, and emotional maturity. Mix all that together in one classroom and any teacher, new or veteran, has the potential to become very intimidated by the differentiation task ahead of them. One of the strategies developed for teachers to help their English Language Learners is called SIOP: Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol. SIOP strategies are not only valuable for classrooms with ELL students, but for all classrooms where the teacher is looking for ways to creatively assess and (at the same time) differentiate for students at a variety of levels. The kinds of assessments available through SIOP can not only enhance the teaching for the students, but can offer a huge relief to an overworked teacher.

Assessment can be one of the trickiest parts of lesson planning. Because assessment traditionally comes at the end of a lesson, a lot of creativity and ideas have been used up in the preparation, layout and actual teaching of the lesson. Teachers can find themselves falling back on the same old assessments for every unit. The problem with this, beyond lacking creativity, is that it can become very burdensome for a teacher to grade the same sorts of quizzes or essays every week or every few weeks. And let's be honest, it can be as boring for the kids as it is for the teacher. SIOP takes the idea of concept distribution and digestion to a new level. When you scaffold your lessons with active assessments built in, you create a foundation of basic knowledge and skills from which your students can build their own understanding.

Including assessments that have a variety of objectives, test a variety of skills, and allow for a variety of levels of learning ability can transform your teaching (and your energy levels)! While you can't remove all forms of traditional assessment (especially if you teach a subject that includes mandatory high stakes testing) SIOP strategies will add new ways for your students to grasp the material. In a basic ( very streamlined) step-by-step process, to get to the different assessments available, you might want to set up your lessons like this:

Step 1: All lessons should be presented with an already available content and language objective. In the most basic terms: demonstrate and display for your students what concepts they will be learning, and what vocabulary they will know by the end of the lesson or unit. This works at every level - from first grade up to and including high school AP classes. This empowers kids with a big picture, allows them ownership of their own understanding, and sets out an end-game for them to grasp from the very beginning. To accomplish this, I have used everything from a complete vocab list that they will know by the end of the unit, to a variety of graphic organizers that can be enhanced throughout the unit. Other strategies might be:

Step 2: Tie together their background and their pre-knowledge. This gets easier the more you get to know your students as the year progresses. The more you take the time to get to know where your students come from, their home life, their interests and values, the easier it is to craft lessons that relate to them and draw from their own experiences. Pre-knowledge simply has to do with making sure what you've taught previously is sticking around and is useful and applicable moving forward. Try to sprinkle in some background/pre-knowledge assessment strategies like:

An Anticipation Guide

Carousel Brainstorming

Concept Mapping

Four Corners

KWL Charts

Predictions

Flip Books

Role-Plays

Fishbowl Discussions

Step 3: Use the foundation you've created with the previous scaffolding and weave more cooperative assessments into the lesson itself. Allowing students to work with and help each other towards understanding can really open up new possibilities for their accessing the information. Some cooperative assessment strategies you can use during the teaching of the new lesson:

Give-one, Get-one

Partner Cornell Notes

Small Group T-Charts

Think-Pair-Share

Roam the Room

Round Robin

Cooperative Concept Maps

Text Recall

By interspersing these quick and fun assessments into the lesson itself, you have ways to assess where the students are in understanding the material. This allows you to adjust your teaching if necessary, it gives you an idea of what the different learning paces are, and it allows you to feel confident about what is being grasped so you can move on. Using these strategies can really help the students build and retain their knowledge base, and this will even show up on traditional assessments like quizzes, exams or essays.

**All during Steps 2 & 3, you are returning to the preparation you did in Step 1** You are checking back on that same vocabulary. You are returning to the overall concepts and the big picture. You are connecting the early information to what will come later and back again. Instead of simply teaching along a straight line, small and creative assessments along the way, weave a beautiful web of knowledge, connecting the points for students in their minds in ways unique and useful to each of them.

Step 4: Review and Assessment. Here is where you wrap up your lesson/unit and tie together the anticipated items they knew they would be learning (vocabulary, concepts) with all the additional good stuff they learned along the way! While final assessments can be very effective as traditional methods, you can still insert different strategies to allow students to convey their understanding from their own framework. This will not only help them to integrate all that they are learning into their experiential knowledge, but it will allow you further insight into how they learn and what they are retaining. Some final closure assessments might include:

A Flash Card Deck

Startling Statements

Concept Map

Diner Menu

Cloze Sentences

Mix & Match

Headlines

Ticket Out the Door

Assessing a class full of students who include English Language Learners, students with IEPs or 504s, students above or below the necessary academic skills level for the class, and numerous other differences, can be intimidating. Sprinkling in the variety of small assessment strategies through this abbreviated SIOP method of scaffolding your lessons can help the students better build and retain information, and can give you more room for creativity and getting to know your students. You might begin to find that by the end of a lesson or a unit, you already know where each of your students is because of the small assessments you've been using throughout. You won't need to stop for formal quizzes or tests all the time in order to know what's next, and you can be more flexible as a teacher and craft your lessons in a more seamless flow.
To buy Cari's book that details her sudden unemployment, "How to Finish the Test When Your Pencil Breaks" please click here.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
A Pocket Full of Assessments: SIOP Strategies

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
One of the biggest contemporary challenges of teaching is a classroom that is not only significantly overcrowded, but also packed full of students at all levels of learning abilities, English language speaking and reading skills, and emotional maturity. Mix all that together in one classroom and any teacher, new or veteran, has the potential to become very...

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
March 2021 Featured Educators: North Carolina EL Teacher Network Leadership Team

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
This month, WIDA features a team of educators! Get to know the North Carolina English Language Teacher Network Leadership Team as they work together to support each other and the teachers in their state who work with English language learners.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
AN OVERVIEW OF About CAL SIOP Services Digital Badging Program Evaluations Professional Development CAL SIOP Resources Lesson Plans Handouts What Is CAL SIOP? The original Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol (SIOP) Model was developed by researchers Jana Echevarria, Mary Ellen Vogt, and Deborah J. Short under the auspices of the CAL and Center for Research on

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.provider_name
Reflections on Teaching Multilingual Learners

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
SIOP consists of instructional features that cover eight aspects of lesson design and delivery: Lesson Preparation, Building Background, Comprehensible Input, Strategies, Interaction, Practice & Application, Lesson Delivery, and Review & Assessment.

Each SIOP lesson has content and language objectives that are clearly defined, displayed, and orally reviewed with students. These objectives are linked to subject area standards and curricula, and the academic vocabulary and language that students need for success. For teachers, the goal is to help students gain important experience with key grade-level content and skills as they progress toward fluency in academic English. Students know what they are expected to learn and/or be able to do by the end of each lesson. Also within this component, teachers provide supplementary materials (e.g., visuals, multimedia, adapted or bilingual texts, and study guides) because grade-level material may be difficult for many second language learners to comprehend. Adaptations are provided through a number of ways, such as differentiated texts, supportive handouts, and audio selections such as those that may come with texts or are available online. Also, meaningful activities must be planned to provide access to the key concepts and provide opportunities for students to apply their content and language learning.

In SIOP lessons, teachers help students connect new concepts with their personal and cultural experiences and past learning. Teachers sometimes build background knowledge because some immigrant language learners have not attended schools in the new country, or are unfamiliar with the cultural references in texts. At other times, teachers activate students' prior knowledge to tap into what students already know, to identify misinformation, or to discover when it's necessary to fill in gaps. The SIOP Model places emphasis on students building a broad vocabulary base. SIOP teachers increase attention to vocabulary instruction across the curriculum so students become effective readers, writers, speakers, and listeners.

SIOP teachers realize that English learners acquire their new language differently from majority language speakers and their instruction includes a variety of SIOP techniques so students comprehend the lesson's key concepts. Examples of language accommodation techniques include teacher talk that is appropriate to student proficiency levels; restatement; paraphrasing; repetition; written records of key points; and previews and reviews of important information. Additional techniques include demonstrations and modeling of tasks, processes, and routines; gestures, pantomime, and movement to make concepts more clear; opportunities for students to engage in role-plays, improvisation, and simulations; visuals and supplementary materials, such as pictures, real objects, illustrations, charts, adapted texts, audiotapes, CDs or online resources (perhaps in the students' home languages, if available); and hands-on, experiential, and discovery activities. Further, teachers explain the academic tasks they expect students to perform, orally and in writing, with demonstrations, modeling, and sample products as needed.

This SIOP component addresses student learning strategies, teacher-scaffolded instruction, and higher-order thinking skills. Some students aren't familiar with learning strategies and benefit from learning how to use them flexibly and in combination. SIOP teachers frequently scaffold instruction (provide support, as needed) so second language students can be successful with academic tasks. As English learners master a skill or task, teachers remove supports that were provided, and add new ones for higher levels of application. The goal, of course, is the gradual increase of student independence, so that second language learners can achieve independence . SIOP teachers also ask English learners a range of questions, many of which require higher levels of thinking, thus going beyond questions that can be answered with a one- or two-word response. Instead, they ask questions and create projects or tasks that require students to think more critically and apply their language skills in more extended ways. Students' answers may contain few words but the goal is for those words to represent complex thinking.

Students learn both conversational and academic language through interaction with one another and with their teachers. However, it is academic proficiency that is associated with school success. In SIOP classes, oral language practice helps students develop and deepen content knowledge, and it supports their second language listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills. In pairs and small groups, second language learners practice new language structures and vocabulary that they have learned, as well as important language functions, such as asking for clarification, confirming interpretations, elaborating on one's own or another's idea, citing evidence in the text to support claims, and evaluating opinions. Opportunities for oral language practice are especially important since oral language proficiency impacts all aspects of educational achievement.

Practice and application of new material is important for all learners because it helps them master newly learned skills. SIOP teachers ensure that lessons include a variety of activities that encourage students to apply both the content and language skills they are learning through hands-on materials, group assignments, partner work, projects, and so forth. For second language learners to learn the target language, it is imperative that every lesson provides opportunities for them to practice and apply content information, as well as literacy and language processes (i.e., reading, writing, listening and speaking).

Throughout SIOP lessons, tasks, activities and teaching practices support the content and language objectives. SIOP teachers routinely ensure that students know a lesson's content and language objectives, so everyone knows what they're to learn and be able to do. SIOP teachers introduce (and revisit) meaningful activities that appeal to students, they provide appropriate wait time so students can process concepts, and the classroom instruction fosters high motivation and engagement.

As part of each SIOP lesson, teachers make time for review and assessment throughout a lesson. In fact, a lesson may begin with a review of previous learning or a check of students' knowledge of a topic. SIOP teachers check on student comprehension frequently to determine whether additional explanations or re-teaching are needed. By doing so, they can also provide feedback on correct and incorrect responses, a practice shown to benefit second language learners. Effective SIOP teachers also review key vocabulary and concepts with students throughout the lesson and as a final wrap-up they review the content and language objectives. The assessment information gleaned throughout the instructional period is then used to plan subsequent lessons.

Based on: Echevarria, J., Vogt, ME. & Short, D. (2017). Making Content Comprehensible for English Learners: The SIOP Model 5e. New York: Pearson.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
SIOP consists of instructional features that cover eight aspects of lesson design and delivery: Lesson Preparation, Building Background, Comprehensible Input, Strategies, Interaction, Practice &amp...

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
There are 8 components of SIOP. These are presented below along with their features.

Clear objectives (content and language) displayed, defined and reviewed with students.

Adapt content according to language proficiency levels (using the ACCESS Standards). http://www.wida.us/standards/ELP_StandardLookup.aspx

Provide meaningful activities that integrate lesson concepts and language practice (language domains of listening, speaking, reading and writing) opportunities through the use of supplemental strategies (some of which are listed in the question below regarding modifications).

Concepts should be explicitly linked to student background experiences.

Links to past learning should be explicit.

Students should be taught vocabulary in the pre-reading stage. Select words in the text being presented so that students have the opportunity to write, repeat, and highlight.

Speech should be appropriate for students' proficiency level (e.g., slower rate, enunciation, and simple sentence structure for beginners).

Clear explanations of academic tasks should be given.

A variety of techniques used to make content clear should be implemented (e.g., modeling, visuals, hands-on activities, demonstrations, gestures, body language).

Ample opportunities for students to use learning strategies (below) should be provided.

Metacognitive Strategy- purposefully monitoring one's own thinking.

Cognitive Strategy- mentally or physically manipulate material (e.g., previewing a story, establishing a purpose for reading, consciously making connections between personal experiences and what is happening in a story or lesson, completing a graphic organizer, etc...)

Social/Affective Strategy- related to grouping, whereas the ultimate goal is to start from teacher centered and move to teacher-assisted, peer-assisted, and eventually student centered or self monitoring.

Mnemonics- A memory system involving acronyms or visualization

SQP2RS (Squeepers)- used to teach content with expository texts. SQP2RS: Survey, Question, Predict, Read, Respond, Summarize.

GIST (Generating Interactions between Schemata and Texts)- Teacher assisted activity where a section of text is read and the ten to fifteen words deemed most important to understanding the text are underlined. The words are listed and without the text a summary is written. Process is repeated as needed.

Rehearsal Strategy- used when verbatim recall of information is needed. Flash cards and visuals assist in keeping students engaged during rehearsal.

Graphic Organizers- graphic representations of key concepts taught

Comprehension Strategy- during reading, strategies such as prediction, self- questioning, monitoring, determining relevance, and summarizing.

Directed Reading-Thinking Activity (DRTA)- encourages strategic thinking while reading a narrative text. During reading, teacher and/or students should stop periodically to answer questions such as, "With a title like that..., what do you think this story will be about?"

Revisit predictions: "Did... happen? If not, why not?"

"What made you think of that?

Scaffolding Techniques should be consistently used, assisting and supporting student understanding (e.g. think-alouds).

A variety of questions or tasks that promote higher order thinking skills (e.g., literal, analytical, and interpretive questions).

What is Sheltered Instruction?

Frequent opportunities for interaction and discussion to students. These interactions should take place between teacher/student and among students, which encourage elaborated responses about lesson concepts.

Grouping configurations should support language and content objectives.

Sufficient wait-time for student responses should be consistently provided.

Ample opportunities for students to clarify key concepts in L1 (native language) as needed with a bilingual teacher, aide, or peer should also be provided.

Hands-on materials and/or manipulatives should be provided for students to practice using new content.

Activities should be provided for students to apply content and language knowledge in the classroom.

Activities should integrate all language domains (e.g., listening, speaking, reading and writing).

Content objectives should be clearly supported by the lesson.

Language objectives should be clearly supported by the lesson delivery.

Students should be engaged at least 90-100% of the period.

Pacing of the lesson should be appropriate for students' ability level.

Pacing of the lesson should be appropriate for students' ability level.

Key vocabulary should be reviewed comprehensively.

Key concepts should be reviewed comprehensively.

Feedback provided to students on their output should be regular (e.g., language, content and work).

Assessment of student comprehension and learning of all lesson objectives should take place throughout the lesson (e.g., spot checking, group response).

Check out the following link to access frequently asked questions on ESL and Bilingual Law in New Jersey.
https://hctutorial.com/esl-and-bilingual-frequently-asked-questions/

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
There are 8 components of SIOP. These are presented below along with their features. Lesson preparation, clear objectives, meaningful...

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
My colleague Miguel Guhlin and I were working on the ISTE Certified Educator training and we needed a random selector tool. Of course, Miguel pipes up and had just the right wheel spinner. This joint effort spawned a blog and the hunt for even more spinners.

FREE is the key word for all five spinners!

Wheel Decide

Created by: Wheel Decide LLC

Beachball colored wheel with a spinner click sound.

Scroll down the page and enter your choices (The max is 100.).

Title your wheel.

Click (Apply Wheel Changes).

That's it. You have your wheel.

If you want to save the wheel, c opy the URL and save it.

Red flag: If you scroll down to the very bottom of Wheel Decide, there are some pre-made wheels that are adult themed: What Wine to Drink?, Tarot Cards, and What Domestic Beer to Drink (US)?

Random Name Picker Spinner

Created by: Classroom Tools

Multiple colors with a spinner click sound and applause

Visit: https://www.classtools.net/random-name-picker/.

Below the Spinner, you will find

Enter your information.

Press Submit (your spinner is visible immediately).

Or better yet, save your spinner for future use with the following steps:

Extra! You can opt to remove each option immediately.

Flippity Random Name Picker

Created by: Flippity.net

Rainbow-colored spinner

Extra! You can also display your information in the form of: lineup, group, team, or seating arrangement.

Spin Wheel

Created by: Lylesoft LLC

Pastelcolored wheel with spinner sounds

Extra! You can opt to remove each option immediately.

Red Flag: I could never get this spinner to save multiple sets, so I think you might have to create an account.

Wheel of Names

Created by: Martin Omander, Google Developer Relations

Red, blue, green, and yellow wheel with spinner click sounds and applause

Extra! You can opt to remove each option immediately. One other bonus is that this wheel allows you to add images for options.

I certainly hope one of these five fancy wheels will spin you right. If you happen to have another wheel spinner that would be an awesome addition, please email me at [email protected] . Happy spinning!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
An Online Wheel Spinner for Every Occasion * TechNotes Blog

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
My colleague Miguel Guhlin and I were working on the ISTE Certified Educator training and we needed a random selector tool. Of course, Miguel pipes up and had just the right wheel spinner. This joint effort spawned a blog and the hunt for even more spinners.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
ELL Coordinator and SIOP Trainer, Erica Hilliker has complied a wealth of teacher resources to assist with the instruction of ELL students in the classroom.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
SIOP’s Meaning & Wonderful Strategies for Your ELLs

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
What is the SIOP model? How does it help with teaching your ELLs? That and some wonderful strategies you can use today, you’ll find in this engaging article.