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Wednesday, September 13, 2023

September Teaching Themes and Topics

 


Your ESL students whether returning or new, online or in class will be feeling the September butterflies of "Back to School".  Make it easier for yourself and for your students by introducing a few ice breaker games and activities on the first day of class in order to create a comfortable and warm classroom environment.

Note: You may want to begin by having students ask YOU questions instead of volunteering information. It's a great time to also review question making too!

See this month's suggested themes and topics here!

Here's a list of some sites offering first few day ideas (you might need to modify if online) and worksheets! 


Whether you're teaching online or in class, all the best for an exciting, successful and most importantly, a rewarding school year!

Thursday, June 1, 2023

June Topic: World Oceans Day


June 8th is
 WORLD
 OCEANS DAY! 
 Officially declared by the U.N. in 1992, this day was intended to help us recognize the importance of oceans as part of our overall ecosystem. Given that they cover 71% of the Earth's surface and represent 99% of the living space, why not get your ESL students talking about the importance of oceans as sources of food, oxygen, and medicine around the world! 


Read more about World Oceans Day here!

WARM-UP QUESTIONS ON THE TOPIC OF OCEANS 

1. Name the world's five oceans. Which one(s) are closest to your home country?
2. What are some things people do in oceans?  Which ones have you done? Explain. 
3. Why are oceans considered to be one of the world's most important resources?
4. What are some differences between an ocean, a sea, a lake, a river and a pond? (i.e. resources, animal and plant life, commercial & recreational uses...etc).

RECOMMENDED LINKS FOR ESL STUDENTS AROUND THE TOPIC OF OCEANS:

Fact Monster: Fact table about oceans and seas - get your students to create their own questions!

A fun way to explore the oceans is to watch the ecological drama/documentary, filmed throughout the globe. Classified as part thriller, and part meditation on the vanishing wonders of the sub-aquatic world.
 

June Topic and Themes!


For many teachers and students, June marks the end of the school year, but for others, it's about getting ready for summer classes! There's still a lot to talk about with your ESL students so be sure to check out our June Topics and Themes and don't forget to follow ESL Made Easy for weekly posts. One topic that may not get a lot of attention is Father's Day (June 18th). Why not use the days ahead to talk about the history of Father's Day as well as the various roles fathers play in the family and in the community. 

Other noteworthy topics for this month are World Ocean DayInternational Sushi Day, the Summer SolsticeWorld Music Day, and International Anti-Drug Day

Monday, May 1, 2023

ESL Topic: Sleep


May 12th is International Fatigue Syndrome Day. This day is set aside to recognize the fact that sometimes life can make us feel tired and worn-out. It is also a day to create an awareness on how sleeping problems and disorders can lead to serious health issues. Your ESL students might find this to be a familiar and interesting topic to discuss as they can talk about their own sleeping problems, habits and routines! 

RECOMMENDED LINKS FOR ESL STUDENTS AROUND THE TOPIC OF SLEEP:

Test your students on sleep and sleep disorder knowledge. Take the quizzes here.

May Themes and Topics

 

Be sure to check out some of the suggested themes and topics for the month of May 
here! The main topic most of us will be talking about are MOTHERS and their important role in the family and in society!


Depending on where you live, you might want to get your students talking about birds as it's International Migratory Bird Day on May 9th! Other mentionables that might give your students plenty to talk about are World Press Freedom DayInternational Nurses DayWorld Meditation Day, Purple for Peace DayVictoria Day (Canada), and Memorial Day (U.S.A).

Tuesday, April 4, 2023

Happy Easter!

 

There's plenty of Easter vocabulary and traditions for your ESL students to learn about this week - starting with Good Friday on Friday, April 2th and Easter Sunday on April 4th. Have your students learn more about this religious celebration as well as the commercial side of Easter including the Easter bunny, chocolate goodies and the joys of Easter egg hunting!



Find recommended links for your ESL students here!


April Themes and Topics

  

It's April and for many of those living in the North, it means warmer temperatures, spring birds and blooming flowers! Get your students starting the month off with a joke or two on April 1st as it's April Fool's Day across the globe followed by EASTER! There's plenty of other spring topics to keep your students busy starting with spring cleaning, spring allergies, spring flowers and spring weather. Get them busy learning more about International Pink Day on April 13th and World Earth Day on April 22nd, too!

Find more ideas on teaching topics this month here!

Tuesday, February 28, 2023

International Women's Day


International Women's Day
  
is March 8th! This year's theme, Embrace Equality, challenges stereotypes, fight bias, broaden perceptions, improve situations and celebrate women's achievements.  Various events and traditions will be taking place to honour and celebrate women's rights and achievements worldwide. Take the time to explore this global event with your ESL students and get them talking about the progress made, as well as the struggles that many women still face today.


See YouTube video - International Women's Day 2023

What is International Women's Day? Watch here!

RECOMMENDED LINKS AROUND THE TOPIC OF INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY:

5 Minute English: Vocabulary and grammar exercise
ESL Video: Video with comprehension questions on IWD
Women in World History: Reading about the past and the present
Have Fun With Your English: IWD Poem (video and script) by Maya Angelou
BBC: An interactive quiz on women's rights in British history
News In Levels: International Women's Days - Listening and vocabulary
ESL Holiday Lessons: A reading with follow up activities on IWD
My English Pages: Vocabulary related to women rights and equality
My English Papers: Seven Women Who Changed the World - reading
The Holiday Spot: A crossword puzzle on IWD with answers
ISL Collective: Worksheets on IWD  donation site
ESL Library: A listening podcast on International Women's Day
Word Search Fun: A wordsearch puzzle on IWD
International Womens Day: A printable factsheet
Time For Kids: Worksheet on the History of Women in the Workforce (American)
Time for Kids: An activity worksheet on a women's suffrage march
Speak English: A lesson plan on IWD by ESL Library
International Women's Day: Resources for International Women's Day

March Suggested Teaching Topics



Where did February go?

March is a busy month with lots of teaching topic ideas here that you can do with your ESL students. Starting with World Compliment Day on March 1st and then International Women's Day on March 8th.  Wait...there's more.....it's St. Patrick's Day on March 17th, Earth Hour Day on March 25th, The Spring Equinox on March 21st ......I'm tired already!

Happy Teaching!

Friday, February 10, 2023

February is Black History Month


 
February is Black History month  in Canada, the U.S., and the United Kingdom. Be sure to get your ESL students learning more about the activities, events, and the important figures in black history.

See recommended links on Martin Luther King and the Civil Rights Movement here.



February Suggested Themes and Topics!

 

February is a busy month providing ESL teachers with lots of planning topics. Be sure to check out February Topics and Themes and follow ESL Made Easy for weekly posts on some of them. One fun topic is Valentine's Day coming up on February 14th. The days leading up to it can be a good time to talk about other topics such symbols and customs, love and relationships and special gifts such as chocolate and roses. February is also Black History month which is observed not only in Canada, but in the U.S. and the United Kingdom. It is a special month to honour the experiences and legacies of those who became an important part of black history.

Other mentionables are Canada Flag DayPresident's Day, and Levi Strauss's Birthday!

Wednesday, January 4, 2023

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 this challenging year 2022 as well as plans and possibilities for 2023!

Warm Up Questions:

1. How did you spend Dec 31st, 2022? 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 (2022)?
5. Do you have any resolutions/goals for this year (2023)? If so, have you created a plan for achieving them? What about your friend and family members?

Recommended Links Around the Topic of the New Year:

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 
ESL Library: New Year's lessons 
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
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