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Preposition Cards
The Article Archive
Article on teaching ESL/EFL ATarchive.
Natural Wonders Superlative Communication Activity
A Retelling Activity
Students are given a fact card about the natural world. They communicate the fact card to other students. At the end of class, students take a quiz to see how well they have communicated.
Proverbs Communication Activity
A Retelling Activity
Students memorize an English proverb and then retell that proverb to other students. At the end of class, students take a quiz to see how well they have communicated.
A Role-play Using Relative Clauses and Appositives
Students ask if their friends have seen Jack. The friends ask for clarification on which Jack they mean because the class is packed with Jacks. Jack, the guy who plays guitar.
A Role-play on Asking for Help
Students ask if it is they 'can bug' other students for a sec. The students are solving a puzzle and need help.
A Collection of Resources to Practice Asking and Giving Directions
About 15 different resources for teaching directions in one collection.
A Role-play to practice making requests
This role-play examines the language needed to make requests: Would you mind doing me a favour? Could you do me a favour?
A Thought Provoking Role-play
This role-play examines the influence of alcohol on our society. It is intended for intermediate to advanced adult students.
Can I Take a Message: Telephone Role-play:
Language for Conducting Bank Transactions
A two part role-play where students call each other and leave messages. In Part II, the students go 'home' and retrieve their messages.
Language for Conducting Bank Transactions
A one hour banking role-play that explores the expressions needed to do five basic transactions at a bank: deposit money, withdraw money, cash checks, exchange currency, and pay bills. Students are divided into bank tellers and bank clients. Bank clients approach tellers and conduct banking transactions
Movies: June 2004
Two Activities to Teach Movie English.
In the first hour of this lesson plan the students make movie riddles and share them. In the second hour the students role-play a film festival.
How Much Is It?: May 2004
3 Activities plus Vocabulary Support for Shopping.
This unit contains an information gap, a walk-and-talk, and a role-play, as well as numerous vocabulary worksheets.
The Inca Empire: January 2004
Students Share Information about the Inca Empire
Retelling is an effective way to learn English. In this content-based lesson plan, students share facts about the Inca Empire. This lesson can also be used to teach passive voice.
TEFL Grapevine: October 2003
Students Spread Rumors to Practice and Improve Their Storytelling Skills
Students form grapevines and try to spread rumors across the classroom. If they spread the rumor to the teacher who is at the back of the classroom, they get 1 point. A very humorous activity for intermediate students.
Class Reunion: October 2003
Students Greet Old Friends and Find Out What's New in Their Lives
Students roleplay that they are having a class reunion. They practice greeting old friends and finding out what's new in their lives.
Men With Hats Riddle: September 2003
A Logic Puzzle to Teach Your Students How to Argue Rationally
Teach your student how to express themselves rationally with this riddle. Students have to sort a mixed up riddle, solve the riddle, write up their solutiona dn then present that solution to the class.
Solar System Nametags: August 2003
A Classroom Activity for Getting to Know Your Students
Students adopt one of he planets as a nickname. They make nametags and a class list with the teacher. This activity is intended for shorter summer and winter camps for elementary school aged ESL/EFL students.
Job Fair: Practising Job Inteviews: July 2003
A Line-up Role-play
Students are divided into two groups: companies seeking to hire employees and applicants seeking jobs. Companies interview applicants to find out what qualifications the applicants have and the applicants interview companies to find out what benefits the companies offer.
Going to Restaurant: Ordering Food: June 2003
A Simulation Role-play
Students are divided into two groups: waiters and customers. Customers go around from restaurant to restaurant and order food. The lesson includes eight menus, role-play prompts and worksheets for customers and waiters.
Making Plans on the Telephone: May 2003
A Line-up Style Role-play
Students are divided into two groups: callers and receivers. Callers will get on the phone and call the receivers. They will then make plans if their schedules are not too busy or perhaps the receiver will try to make an excuse. This is a line-up style role-play that is excellent for teaching telephone English.
Describing Animal Body Parts: April 2003
A Card Game and Worksheets Lesson Plan
Students go over worksheets and play a card game to master the vocabulary needed to describe animals.
The Woman Who Slept For Thirty Years: April 2002
An information Gap and Discussion
Students are each given a clue to the story of a woman who went into a coma for thirty years. They must interview each other to find out what other students know. Then they make a theory to explain the clues. Then, they can discuss the most important historical, sociological, and technological changes of the last thirty years. Finally, they can visit another website to find a reading exercise.
Let's Argue!: March 2002
A Young Writers' Workshop
This is actually 6 hours of lessons combined into one workshop. The workshop is divided into three sections: Building an Argument, Weighing an Argument, and Refuting an Argument. Students learn to express themselves clearly and logically while examining topics such as smoking in public places, free university, and using public transportation. This is good training for native language students as well. Dictionaries are mandatory for this lesson.
The Classroom Rules: January/February 2002
The Students are at the Helm!
Students examine the language to formulate rules and then are asked to formulate a set of rules for the classroom.
Classroom English: November/December 2001
Get it Right from the Beginning
This is a must for the first week of any beginner or lower intermediate class. In a card activity, students learn to ask for information when they don't understand something.
Teaching the Crocodile's View: October 2001
Mimicking of Style to Overcome Grammatical Difficulties.
Students examine a poem, Beware the Crocodile, written by Jack Prelutsky. This poem is written from the point of view of humans who may be eaten by crocodiles if they swim in the Nile River. Students are then asked to rewrite the poem from the crocodile's view since humans are a much bigger threat to crocodiles. This lesson teaches environmental awareness, examining perspective, and creative writing.