January Topic: Puzzle Day!

Get your ESL students to honour puzzles of all shapes and forms by having them do one on Puzzle Day (January 29th)! While the reason behind this day may be a bit unclear, it does mean something for the millions of puzzle fanatics around the world.

The mighty CROSSWORD puzzle and the latest craze of SUDOKU are just a few popular ones that continue to entertain, challenge and sharpen minds. For many, puzzles have been a creative and entertaining way to pass the time and relief boredom. 

In the ESL world, using puzzles can add some fun and liven up any classroom. Puzzles can also be a great way to reinforce vocabulary words, build on certain grammar points or review teaching topics.

See links to puzzles for the ESL classroom here!

January Topic: Global Belling Laughing Day!

It's Global Belly Laughing Day on January 24th! Who knew?  Share a laugh with your ESL students and get them talking about the benefits of laughing with a free lesson by ESL Made Easy on:

Laughter is the Best Medicine!  

Click here to download!

RECOMMENDED LINKS FOR ESL STUDENTS ON THE TOPIC OF LAUGHTER:

Heads Up English: Listening and reading worksheet: Laughter

ESL Discussions: Discussion questions on the topic of laughter

ITESLJ: Lesson plan with follow up activities on laughter - Good for your Heart

ESL Bits: Listening - Why Do We Laugh?

Listen A Minute: Reading with follow up activities on Laughing

ISL Collective: Worksheet on What is Laughing Yoga?:  donation site

Breaking News English: Reading with follow up activities on Humour

The Free Dictionary: Laugh "idioms"

January Topic: Civil Rights Day

January 15th is Civil Rights Day in the United States. It is a day to celebrate and honor all those who took part in the American Civil Rights Movement (video) in the 1960's. It also celebrates the contributions of activist Martin Luther King, Jr., who was well-known for his campaigns to end racial segregation and to promote black equality in the United States and globally.

Your ESL students may find this topic interesting as it will give them an insight into America's history of human rights.

Listen to Martin Luther King's Famous Speech "I Have a Dream" - Have your students take notes and then discuss as a class.

RECOMMENDED ESL LINKS AROUND THE TOPIC OF 'CIVIL RIGHTS':

EL Civics: A picture vocabulary lesson on the Civil Rights Movement

My English Pages: Related readings and resources on Civil Rights Day

ESL Printables: Teaching civil rights worksheets - membership site

VOA News Learning English: Civil Rights Movement (listening and reading)

LOC: Civil Rights lesson plans
ESL Library: Martin Luther King Jr, Reading and Comprehension  - membership site
Quizlet: Civil Rights Movement vocabulary flashcards
ISL Collective: Civil Rights Movement worksheet (reading and vocabulary)

ESL Holiday Lessons: Martin Luther King Day reading and activities
English Online: A reading on the Civil Rights Movement with vocabulary
English Exercises: A listening and vocabulary exercise "Ruby Bridges Goes to School"
ESOL Courses: A lesson with activities on Rosa Parks
Discovery Education: Lesson plan on the Civil Rights Movement

YouTube: Lenny Kravitz Black and White America - with lyrics

Recommended Movie:  The Help 

Recommended for: High Intermediate/Advanced Students

An aspiring author during the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s decides to write a book detailing the African-American maids' point of view on the white families for which they work, and the hardships they go through on a daily basis.

Incorporating Humour in the Classroom!

ESL Made Easy - Teaching English as a second language can be a serious task, but that doesn’t mean that your classroom needs to be a stark, humourless void. The truth is that incorporating a few laughs into your lessons can have tremendous benefits and help make you a more effective teacher. Your students, many of whom are feeling nervous or suffering from a lack of confidence in their own abilities to master the subject at hand, will feel more at ease after some humour. It makes your class, and your lessons, more memorable too. Plus, getting a few laughs will help your confidence as an instructor — you’ll feel that your students like you and are genuinely listening to what you have to say.

Unless you’re a natural comedian, though, incorporating humour in your classroom is probably easier said than done. How do you do it? Here are four ideas for incorporating humour in your classroom...

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 2017 as well as plans and possibilities for 2018!

WARM-UP CONVERSATION QUESTIONS ON NEW YEAR'S by ESL Made Easy:

1. How did you spend Dec 31st, 2017? Was it different from previous years?
2. Do you celebrate the coming of a new year in your country of origin? If so, what are some traditions and customs that mark New Year's Eve/Day and the start of the new year in your culture?
3. For many people, a new year represents a time for making positive changes in their lives. What do you think are some common resolutions/goals that people make? Why do you think it might be difficult for some people to stick to these resolutions/goals? What advice would you give?
4. Did you create any resolutions/goals last year (2017)? If so, did you stick to your resolutions and achieve your goals? 
5. Do you have any resolutions/goals for this year (2018)? If so, have you created a plan for achieving them? What about your friend and family members?

RECOMMENDED ESL LINKS AROUND THE TOPIC NEW YEAR'S:

ESL Holiday Lessons: Reading and follow up activities on New Year's
Daily ESL: Listen and read activity on New Year's Day
EL Civics: New Year's picture lesson with follow up activities
ITESLJ: New Year's Day conversation questions
ESL Printables: New Year's Resolution worksheets - contribution site
ESL Library: New Year's lessons - membership site
BogglesWorld ESL: New Year's worksheets
ESOL Courses: New Year's worksheets and activities
Learn English Feel Good: New Year's Eve/Day vocabulary quiz
ISL Collective: New Year's worksheets  - donation site
A4esl: New Year's Eve phrasal verbs quiz
My English Pages: A short reading on New Year's with comprehension questions
One Stop English: 3 speaking activities on New Year's PDF
ESL Flow: New Year's resolutions and talking about the future worksheets
Heads Up English: New Year's speaking activity PDF
Rong-Chong: New Years Around the World reading with follow up activities
TEFL Net: A lesson plan on expressions using the word "change" 
Breaking News English: Reading and follow up activities on New Year's resolutions
Using English: New Year's resolution worksheet using adverbs of frequency
JenniferESL: YOUTUBE mini lesson on New Year's Resolutions
English - Zone: New Year's around the world traditions
Poetry.About: Classic poems about New Year's
Learning English with Michelle: Five New Year's Resolutions for ESL Learners
Brainy Quote: New Year's quotes
CDN History: New Year's By the Numbers