October ESL Planning Themes and Topics

There is a lot to talk about in the month of October!  It's Vegetarian Day on Oct 1st and a busy week next week with World Animal Day on Oct 4th, World Habitat Day on the 5th and World Egg Day on the 9th. But, the big topics this month will be Thanksgiving celebrated here in Canada and the U.K. on Monday, Oct 12th as well as Halloween on Oct 31st. Be sure to check out October ESL Planning Themes and Topics here and follow ESL Made Easy for updated posts on recommended links to free ESL activities!

September Topic: Coffee!

International Coffee Day is coming up this Tuesday! This day has been traditionally observed and celebrated on September 29th in many coffee loving countries.  If you or any of your students are java lovers, then what could be more fun than learning about coffee, its origins, and all its economic and health benefits. International Coffee Day is a great day for helping to raise awareness for fair trade coffee and for all its coffee growers around the world. Learn more about fair trade coffee here.

World-wide coffee vendors also look forward to this day and celebrate with giveaways and special deals for their loyal customers. Talking about International Coffee Day can make for a lively and stimulating class discussion (on any day, really) - especially for your coffee drinkers! 

Find links to activities for your ESL students here!

September Topic: The Autumn Equinox

It's that time of the year again when the hours of daylight become shorter if you live in the Northern Hemisphere. For those of you who enjoy the cooler days and nights, the changing colour of leaves, and wearing warm fuzzy sweaters, you don't have long to wait. 

This year, the Autumn Equinox is on September 22nd, or depending on where you live, September 23rd. Many of us recognize this time to welcome the change of seasons with traditional celebrations, symbols and festivities. And with that, comes plenty of vocabulary words and activities you can do with your ESL students. 

Find follow up activities for your ESL students here!

Start Your Own Private ESL Tutoring Business!

FROM TEACHER TO TUTOR    
A Practical Guide for Increasing Income & Experience through 1-on-1  Tutoring 

 Increase your income with a private ESL tutoring business during your off hours and help learners build on skills and prepare for career and educational testing. Learn about setting fees, the initial assessment, finding and keeping students, developing lesson plans, billing and record keeping and shifting from classroom teaching to 1-on-1 teaching.

Find out more here!

Teaching Templates for ESL Classrooms and 1-on-1

You don't need to reinvent the wheel when it comes to classroom management. We've created over 24 ready-to-use activities that cover all 4-skills to make your teaching easier and to get your students talking!  These editable templates are ideal for 1-on-1 instruction and multi-level  classrooms. 

Intermediate/advanced templates are designed as student-centered activities where students work together on all sections in order to develop and enhance their conversational skills.

Find out more here!

September Topic: Positive Thinking!

For those of you who don't know, Positive Thinking Day is on Sunday, September 13th. An American entrepreneur started this day in order to concentrate on all things positive. Thinking positively is not always an easy thing to do, but if you train your brain to know when you are in, or entering a negative state of mind, then the shift to positive thinking might just become a habit! I do believe that positive thinking in general is an excellent topic to be sharing with any ESL student!

Find recommended links for your ESL students here!

September Topic: A Day of Remembrance

The anniversary of September 11th (also known as Patriot Day in the United States) can be another sensitive topic to address with a multicultural class of adult ESL students. However, because of its significance, it's also a topic we can't easily ignore. Below are some warm-up questions I've used in previous years. If you have any ideas or activities that have been particularly effective for you, please feel free to share them. It's always helpful to hear what has worked well for others!

WARM-UP QUESTIONS BY ESL MADE EASY:

1. Do you remember where you were and what you were doing the moment your heard about the events of September 11, 2001?
2. Do you think the events of September 11th have changed American culture?
3. What are some possible ways people around the world could help to commemorate this important day?
4. Do you think children should be taught about September 11th (including what happened and why)?

RECOMMENDED LINKS FOR ESL STUDENTS ON THE TOPIC OF SEPTEMBER 11, 2001:

Teacher Vision: Activity and exercise lessons on September 11
ESL Library: A lesson plan - Famous 9/11 Heroes
History: All About the History of 9/11
Breaking News English: Reading with follow-up activities on Ground Zero
YouTube: A picture (question) lesson about Ground Zero
Twin Towers-New York: History of the Twin Towers
Ducksters: Facts about Patriot Day

September Topic: World Suicide Prevention Day

While it can be a sensitive topic, World Suicide Prevention Day is still worth addressing with your ESL students. Here are some links to online material that you can use to help introduce and highlight key vocabulary and other discussion topics related to suicide awareness and prevention. Students will likely want to share their opinions and discuss any experiences they have had with this major public health issue. Find recommended links for your ESL students here.

September Topic: Labour Day

LABOUR DAY is on September 5th. This day, which is celebrated in Canada and the United States, is similar to International Labour Day which falls on May 1st in many countries. Labour Day marks the end of the summer holidays for most students and is also a day to celebrate the achievements of workers (originating from the Labour Movements that campaigned for better working conditions and wages).

Get your students to expand on this lively topic by talking about different types of jobs around the world, some of the skills needed as well as the positives and negatives associated with each one. 
 
RECOMMENDED LINKS FOR ESL STUDENTS ON THE TOPIC OF LABOUR DAY AND WORK:
El Civics: A picture vocabulary lesson on Labour Day 
YouTube: Short video lesson on Labour Day 
ESL PDF: A worksheet on Labour Day 
Nc.Net: a reading comprehension worksheet on Labour Day 
EL Civics: Labour Day vocabulary worksheet 
Time for Kids: The history of Labour Day 
YouTube: The History of Labour Day 
The Holiday Zone: Labour Day worksheets 
ESL Flow: Job and career lesson plans and activities 
Bogglesworld ESL: Job and career worksheets 
ESL Made Easy: Recommended ESL sites on jobs and occupations