EFL Resources for Teachers
Why? Because! This writing and speaking activity usually produces some unexpected laughs! Students quickly write some “why” questions and answers on slips of paper. I let them know that their questions and answers don’t have to match or make sense. They then take turns choosing random questions and answers to read aloud, producing some surprising results! Why is the sky blue?Because I’m so Read More…
This writing activity is very low-prep and can be used as a general warmer or as a lead-in to more complex vocabulary or concepts. In Name Ten, students work with partners (or small groups, depending on your class size) to quickly brainstorm a list of ten words. The goal is to produce unique words that other groups won’t write, as any repetitions will cancel each other out! Playing Name Ten Read More…
A Little Context I recently taught a class where students had to practice using “will” or “[be] going to”. They learned that will is used for promises, predictions, and refusals, whereas [be] going to is used for plans, intentions, and predictions from clues. I’d taught this lesson before, and developed “an amazing trip” narrative, where students were invited to choose a destination and emRead More…
Categories is a simple no-prep warmer that’s suitable for any level! This speaking & listening activity relies on students’ existing knowledge, so make sure the topic is familiar. It can be used to bridge topics and get students thinking. For example, if teaching a lesson about immigration, I might play Categories using the topics “jobs”, “transportation”, and “countries” to activate backgrouRead More…
I always keep a few Venn Diagram handouts tucked away for my classes! Venn diagrams are a a great tool for getting students to organize their thoughts for comparing and contrasting ideas. The structure is good for younger students to begin to think more critically and for older students to use as a reference when preparing a comparative essay. After introducing the structure, I’ll jump righRead More…
