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Tuesday, December 29, 2015

January Topic: Happy New Year!



NEW YEAR'S customs, traditions and celebrations can help generate some lively classroom discussions with your ESL students. It's also great for working on past & future tenses by discussing key personal or global events from 2106 as well as plans and possibilities for 2017!

Find recommended links for your ESL students here!

Check out some suggested topics and themes here for January curriculum planning or if you need a quick idea!


Wednesday, December 16, 2015

December Topic: Christmas!

 
Christmas is in the air! Your ESL students should be busy for the next week or so with the various activities, worksheets and lessons related to this festive holiday season found below!

Make sure to spend time talking about the origin and meaning of Christmas as well as the festivities, symbols, songs and stories that make it one of the most joyous times of the year for Christians and non-Christians alike throughout the world!  

Find recommended links for your ESL students here!

Thursday, December 10, 2015

December Topic: Human Rights Day


December 10th is HUMAN RIGHTS DAY as proclaimed by the United Nations in 1950. Drafted in 1948 by a mix of representatives from around the world, the Declaration of Human Rights was adopted by the UN to help protect all people in the world from oppression and discrimination. While this might be a sensitive topic for some of your ESL students, reading and discussing the 30 Declarations of Human Rights could lead to some stimulating conversations (and writing topics) on current world issues.

Find activities for your ESL students here!

Monday, December 7, 2015

December Topic: Technology Products


 
 Get your ESL students talking about the best times to buy technology products!
Use the article TECH GIFT GUIDE: What Not to Buy by Daniel Howley.

Download:
by ESL Made Easy

See ESL activities for using worksheet in a multi-level class here!

Thursday, December 3, 2015

December Topic: World Disability Day


The United Nations' (UN) International Day of Persons with Disabilities is held annually on December 3rd. This day focuses on issues that affect people with disabilities worldwide. This topic could be an interesting one for your ESL students as they explore the different types of disabilities, the reasons why a person has a disability as well as the challenges they may face on a daily basis.

Get your students talking about what a disability is with this free reading and conversation worksheet by ESL Made Easy here!

Watch, Listen and Read - OCT 2015
TED TALK on How New Technology Helps Blind People Explore the World here! Get your ESL students to watch the 10 min. video and then read the entire transcript. Create some questions and explore new vocabulary!

Tuesday, December 1, 2015

Teaching ESL Online


Tips and Resources for Planning Online
What does it take to be a successful online teacher? Get the inside scoop from teachers who share their tips and resources for lesson planning. 



Read the August 2014 post at Learning English Online here!

Monday, November 30, 2015

December Themes and Topics for ESL Students!



Be sure to take a peek at some of the suggested Topics and Themes for December here! The main theme of course will be the holiday season - decked out in colorful lights and cheery decorations! However, you may also want to discuss a bit about the history of December 25th and focus less on the commercial side of it. Depending on where you are, your students will most likely be surrounded by an abundance of holiday festivitiesholiday carols and red and green symbols in their community......so don't be afraid to get them all into the holiday spirit too!

Tuesday, November 24, 2015

November Topic: Shopping!



With the holiday season fast approaching, many of us are getting in the spirit of shopping! It's a good time to get your ESL students talking about shopping and how it relates to CONSUMERISM. There is no shortage of vocabulary, expressions and phrases when it comes to teaching around the theme of SHOPPING (see recommended links) and all the linking topics including sales and discounts, types of stores, online shopping, as well as the countless number of products that society needs and of course wants.


Happy Thanksgiving and Happy Shopping to our American neighbours! (see links to Thanksgiving worksheets and activities).

Have your students talk about the culture of shopping in their country and see if it compares to days like Black Friday and Cyber Monday (kick offs to the official start of the holiday shopping madness this Friday, November 24th and Monday, November 28 th).

FIND LINKS TO RECOMMENDED SITES ON THE TOPIC OF CONSUMERISM FOR YOUR ESL STUDENTS HERE!

Friday, November 20, 2015

ESL Worksheets & Resource Links




Here are a few of the MOST RECENT LINKS posted on ESL MADE EASY... just in case you missed them!


Mixed Skills: B-Int-Adv
ESL Yes: Short stories for ESL learners
Over 1500 short stories for your ESL students to practice their listening and reading skills. Stories include audio and follow up activities!

Listening: Int-Adv
Ed TED: Build lessons around any TED ED original or You Tube video 
A growing library of short educational videos that include follow up activities for your ESL students. Sign up is free! Great for enhancing and improving listening skills!

Monkey See: How to videos
Get your students to watch, learn and discover with plenty of HOW TO videos. Print the complete transcripts and create your own listening and vocabulary activities!

Speaking and Vocabulary: Int-Adv
ESL Sheets: Free conversation and dialogue sheets
Topics from A to Z on word docs that are full of expressions, phrases and dialogue practice! Fun for a Monday morning or Friday afternoon!


http://www.shop.eslmadeeasy.ca/

Wednesday, November 18, 2015

November Topic: Television


Get set for World Television Day on November 21st! This day was officially identified by the United Nations General Assembly in 1996 to acknowledge and commemorate the role that television has played in providing the world with ongoing information and communication.  Television has not only provided the world with universal links to social, economic and political developments, but has also been one of the most important drivers of technological developments in entertainment and communication. 


 
Television can make for an interesting and entertaining topic for ESL learners as they look into the history of television and how it has helped shape our world as we know it today! >>>

Find recommended links for your students here!

Saturday, November 14, 2015

November Topic: Universal Children's Day


November 20th is officially observed as Universal Children's Day. It's a day to honor and promote the welfare of children around the globe. Many parts of the world celebrate Children's Day throughout the year however on this day there has been more international awareness to protect the rights of children worldwide. Focusing on children and some of the key issues they face in developed and developing countries makes for an important discussion topic with your ESL learners. >>>



Find recommended links for your ESL students here!

Wednesday, November 11, 2015

November Topic: World Kindness Day


 
WATCH: Music video for the song "One Day" was produced by Life Vest Inside. It shows just how "kindness can be contagious".

November 13th is World Kindness Day. Created in 1997, this special day was developed by  a group of humanitarians in Japan who felt that we needed a day to help us all focus on making the world a better place. The idea is that by performing local "random acts of kindness" such as holding the door open for a stranger, paying someone a compliment or donating items to a local charity, we can actually help make the world a better and kinder place.

World Kindness Day makes for an excellent discussion topic and also represents a great opportunity to become part of the solution. After discussing the topic, why not challenge your ESL students to perform their own "random acts of kindness" on November 13th? The next day have a follow up discussion about their experiences!
 
Find recommended links for your ESL students here!

Thursday, November 5, 2015

November Topic: Remembrance/Veterans Day


November 11th, known as Remembrance Day, Veterans Day and even Poppy Day in some parts of the world, is a time to recognize and remember those courageous soldiers, airmen and sailors who died during times of armed conflict. Originally associated with WW1, the scope of this day has since been expanded to acknowledge those who served in other wars as well as those currently serving.

There are a number of key symbols associated with November 11th including the famous war poem from WW1 Flanders Fields Poem (video lesson), the Last Post call, and the Two Minutes of Silence. >>>

FIND RECOMMENDED LINKS TO ACTIVITIES AND WORKSHEETS HERE!

Saturday, October 31, 2015

November Topic: Daylight Savings Time


It's that time of the year again - Daylight Saving Time (DST) - officially ends this Sunday (Nov 6th), so get ready to turn those clocks "backwards"! DST was first introduced in the late 1800's before electricity and  modern lighting as a way to gain an extra hour of daylight and productivity. When the energy crisis hit in the 1970's, more and more countries began to practice DST and today it's observed by over 70 countries worldwide. Applauded for its role in energy conversation, but criticized for the way it disrupts daily life, DST makes for a great ESL discussion topic - one that can also provide a springboard for talking about "time".

FIND RECOMMENDED LINKS FOR YOUR ESL STUDENTS ON THE TOPIC OF DAYLIGHT SAVINGS AND TIME HERE!

November Topics and Themes for ESL Planning


There's lots to talk about with your ESL students this month! Be sure to check out November's Themes and Topics here for your month's curriculum planning or if you just need a quick idea.

International observance and celebratory days that might provide some interesting springboard topics this month include World Vegan Day, World Tongue Twister Day, Remembrance/Veteran's Day, World Kindness Day, Say Hello Day, World Television Day and of course the biggie in the U.S. is American Thanksgiving! Be sure to check them all out and feel free to add any of your ideas and suggestions for this month too!

Friday, October 23, 2015

October Topic: Halloween, Superstitions and Fear!


Halloween, celebrated in many parts of the world, is an exciting time of the year and well known for traditional and festive activities such as trick-or-treating, costume parties and pumpkin carving. Halloween is a cultural celebration with an interesting history that dates back nearly 2,000 years. This time of the year not only provides ESL teachers with lots of fun activities, but it can also provide an opportunity for some very lively conversation around linking topics such as superstitions and fears! So, have fun with it!

Find recommended links for your ESL students here!

Monday, October 19, 2015



Get Your Students Reading and Talking with  
WOW News Stories!!

When I find interesting or shocking news stories, I love to share them with my students. Focusing on the vocabulary in the story is one thing, but when there's a lesson, a theme, or an emotional reaction that a particular news story creates, there's a tremendous opportunity for ESL learners to  remember and relate personal or shared experiences to what they are reading and comprehending. 


News stories that are interesting, compelling, touching, shocking, humorous or just plain unbelievable can make learning and remembering new and tricky vocabulary and expressions painless and can help spark students' interest in talking about them!

Read more on teaching tips and some of the news stories this year that have made me go WOW here!

Sunday, October 18, 2015

October Topic: United Nations Day





UNITED NATIONS DAY is coming up on October 24th. It's a day to celebrate the creation of the United Nations in 1945 and its work in preserving peace and order through international cooperation. Learn more about the United Nations and get your ESL students talking about this important organization and its involvement in world peace and human rights.




See recommended links to ESL activities on the United Nations here!