A Fun Find for your ESL students!

Thank you Ana  Perez for the discovery of a great worksheet generator that looks professional!

Use your own vocabulary words you've been doing in the classroom and then create over 10 different activity sheets that are easy to use and printable!

Check it out here!

November Topic: Remembrance 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!

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 Planning Topics and Themes

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!

October Topic: Halloween!

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!

October Topic: World Food Day!

WORLD FOOD DAY is recognized globally on October 16th and is intended to help raise awareness about hunger and poverty. It also commemorates the founding of the United Nation's Food and Agriculture Organization back in 1945. This is a great discussion topic for your ESL students so set some time aside and get them talking about the importance of food and the challenges associated in its production and distribution around the world. 

Watch YouTube 2016 Theme: Food and Agriculture

FIND RECOMMENDED LINKS FOR YOUR ESL STUDENTS HERE!

Happy Thanksgiving!

It's that special time of the year again when many Canadians celebrate THANKSGIVING - a time for giving thanks for the bountiful harvest and for all the other blessings in life. Even as Canadians take part in roasting turkeys and baking pumpkin pies, people in America are celebrating COLUMBUS DAY - a day for commemorating one of the first European travellers, Christopher Columbus, and his arrival to the New World in 1492. In other parts of the world, countries have been busy with their own HARVEST FESTIVALS  to celebrate all the successful harvests on their land. No matter what part of the world you're in, this time of the year provides ESL students with a bit of history and a lot of vocabulary! 

FIND RECOMMENDED LINKS FOR YOUR ESL STUDENTS HERE!

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 10th 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 Thursday! 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 RECOMMENDED LINKS FOR YOUR ESL STUDENTS HERE!

September Topic: 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!

A Day of Remembrance

The anniversary of September 11th (also known as Patriot Day in the United States) can be a 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

Welcome back to ESL Made Easy!

If you haven't already scheduled in some teaching ideas, be sure to visit September's Themes and Topics for ESL Students here!  September is busy starting with Labour Day on September 5th, follow by World Suicide Prevention Day, A Day of Remembrance (September 11th), Positive Thinking Day, and National Grandparents Day. Other topics that might be interesting to your ESL students are World Heart Day and International Coffee Day.

ESL Made Easy's Classroom Templates are available to purchase online! 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. Support our blog and help make it ad-free for $4.99! Find out more here!

We wish everyone a great start to the new teaching year! As always, we welcome your suggestions, ideas and comments