Tag: tefl

February 2, 2018

I Knew That!

Improving critical thinking skills in the ESL classroom Learning English is not the only aim for every ESL/TEFL classroom. It is also hoped that students are able to become more rounded in their academic skills. One of those other core attributes is to improve logic, reason, and deduction. These are called critical thinking skills. Having critical thinking skills improves their...

Categories Powerpoints Comments: 0

December 21, 2017

15 Free Ice Breaker Worksheets and How to Use Them in Your ESL Class

Key advantages of an Ice Breaker activity This is an ideal activity to help your students get to know each other and ‘break the ice. I’ve always found that if the students are comfortable with each other then it is far easier to have a class gel as a whole. On other occasions you may be receiving new students on...

Categories Activities/Find Someone Who Comments: 0

August 20, 2017

China

China is a rising nation, discuss the issues with your students with this lesson. Language level: B1+ Aim: Introduce ideas around China and its history. Learner type: Young learners; Teens; Adults Time: 45 – 60 minutes Activities included: Discussing quotes, conversation questions, presentation, image discussion Topic: China Language: Any Materials: Text and images Download the PDF talking points page: China...

Categories Intermediate Discussion Comments: 0

August 20, 2017

Canada

O Canada! Our home and native land! A country with a great sense of pride and history. Relatively speaking Canada is a young nation but have achieved much. What is life like there? How do people endure the winter? Are there any famous Canadians? Language level: B1+ Aim: Introduce ideas around Canada and its history. Learner type: Young learners; Teens;...

Categories Intermediate Discussion Comments: 0

August 20, 2017

American Presidents

For the last seventy years, the American Presidency has been a position of great power and world esteem. While without its own controversies, whoever holds the Office of President of the United States has the physical power and political influence to shape the world beyond recognition. Whenever the President has acted to intervene in the world, it has certainly changed...

Categories Intermediate Discussion Comments: 0

December 9, 2016

Solar Power

Renewable energy is making serious inroads into the energy mix of many countries. How will this affect the environment? Who would benefit? Is is just a waste of time? Solar raises many questions and this lesson allows students to think about the subject in more detail. Language level: B1+ Aim: To discuss solar power. Learner type: Young learners; Teens; Adults...

Categories Intermediate Discussion Comments: 0

November 21, 2016

Australia

Australia is a wonderfully bright and diverse country with a rich history. Being a key country around the Pacific rim it is home to many nationalities. The government has actively sought to improve of Human  Rights and Free Trade in the region. Some of the cities in Australia are considered to be the best in the world using many lifestyle...

Categories Intermediate Discussion Comments: 0

October 20, 2016

Anti-war Protests

Getting your students to talking about controversial topics is sometimes quite hard. This lesson on protests will include some reading, discussion, and a final video presentation. Lesson timing: 90 minutes Level: B2 and above Teacher instructions Ask students to look at the image (see below) and ask then what comes to mind when they see it. Run through some vocab...

Categories Vox Pop Comments: 0

September 21, 2016

Welcome

Every journey starts with a single step. Welcome to the beginning of a great website which brings fluency and discussion to the EFL/ESL classroom. As a teacher of almost 7 years I can understand the need for encouraging opinions, ideas and confidence from students. I have spent many years teaching in China and I came to realise early on that...

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August 21, 2016

Wikipedia

The internet is rife with misinformation, so where would you go to get the facts you can trust? Well today, many are going to Wikipedia to dig deeper into topics, with all content provided gratis by its users. A revolution when it started, the site has now become a staple of the internet with its reputation for accurate and timely...

Categories Infographic Comments: 0

August 21, 2016

Domestic Violence

Violence in any form is unacceptable. However, in recent years there have been a number of high-profile cases of domestic violence and so, it has brought the problems of this form of abuse to the front of peoples minds. The lesson includes had a short paragraph devoted to a summary of the subjects which is related to a news item....

Categories Vox Pop Comments: 0

August 21, 2016

London Congestion Charge

In this lesson, students will have the opportunity to discuss the London Congestion Charge,  a new tax designed to reduce the number of cars on the streets of London. While many have welcomed its introduction others are still not convinced that it will help. Judge for yourself with the image below. As you can see there has been a drop...

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August 21, 2016

Vitamin Pills: Just a waste of money?

Introduction Keeping fit and healthy is now a priority for many people around the world. The “keep fit craze” has continued unabated over the years and it is contributed to lowering the levels of obesity in many developed nations. When training and exercising it is important to monitor the minerals and vitamins your body is taking in. Sometimes this can...

Categories Vox Pop Comments: 0

August 21, 2016

Homework: Should parents help?

Homework is the staple of any school. How useful is it really? And should parents help their children with the homework? It is important to know that children excel when they are dedicated to their studies. Some, however, need a little more help than others. Where they get that help and how often, does it change what they achieve? For...

Categories Vox Pop Comments: 0

August 21, 2016

Fighting Terrorism

If you watched the news any time over the last ten years you would have heard of the War on Terror, or terrorism. Many government and countries around the world are taking steps to either stop the spread of terror or to limit their impact. It is a difficult balance to provide the most security for a country versus the...

Categories Vox Pop Comments: 0

August 20, 2016

Workplace Drinking

Download the PDF Vox Pop plan: Workplace Drinking Vox Pop ESLTalkingPoints PDF If you are having trouble using this lesson plan, get more ideas at How to teach using online comments and vox pop replies Additional Links (External): TUC Alcohol Concern Alcoholics Anonymous [docxpresso file=”http://esltalkingpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/Workplace-drinking.odt” comments=true]

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August 20, 2016

How to teach using online comments and vox pop replies

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August 20, 2016

How to teach with infographics in the ESL classroom

Multimedia and visuals are now the mainstay of any workplace which values employee engagement. The era of simple bar charts and graphs are being superseded by newer and more stimulating infographics. These brightly coloured and heterogeneous images have established themselves as a creative marketing, PR and education tool for displaying data. Using Google Trends you can easily see (below) the spike...

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August 17, 2016

Already, yet, ever, never, just, since, for

A great little questions worksheet to get your students using the right grammar structure for; already, yet, ever, never, just, since, and for. We’ve also included a quick summary of each word usage from a Google search (original website citation needed) to help your brush up on how to demonstrate it to your students. Download the PDF lesson plan: Already,...

Categories Grammar Comments: 0

August 16, 2016

Adverbs of manner

In my experience student avoid using adverbs because they feel it’s monumentally difficult. Get your class using a variety of language and vocab with this Adverbs of Manner worksheet. Download the PDF lesson plan: Adverbs of manner ESLTalkingPoints PDF   [docxpresso file=”http://esltalkingpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/Adverbs-of-manner.odt” comments=true]

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August 16, 2016

Adverbs of frequency

A quick way to have students remember to use the right adverbs to describe the frequency of an activity. Download the PDF lesson plan: Adverbs of frequency ESLTalkingPoints PDF  

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August 15, 2016

Adjectives -ed / -ing

Download the PDF lesson plan: Adjectives -ed / -ing ESLTalkingPoints PDF

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August 14, 2016

Phrases for conversations, debates and discussions

Download the entire list as a convenient PDF: Phrases for conversations, debates and discussions PDF  

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August 14, 2016

How to teach quotations in the ESL classroom

What is the purpose of teaching quotations? Using quotations is the cornerstone of any respectable academic essay. Knowing how to; understand the context of a quote, how it could be relevant to a large discourse and how to integrate its concepts into your own assignments or life is an essential skill set. Academia aside, the everyday skill of making conversation...

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