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Oh No…September is Coming!

8/26/2014

What are you going to do?

I know you’ve been thinking this over and over…just waiting for that first day of classes, which if your schedule was anything like mine, will hit on September 1.

What are you going to do?

Well, if you’re reading this then I’m sure you already have a pretty good idea what you’re going to do. After all, this site is full of free ESL games and handouts that will help you.

Try out the First Class Handout, which really saved my butt during my whole first week of teaching that second year in China.

Check out the ESL Battleship handouts that are always a popular destination for most visitors to this site – about 500 a month to that article alone!

If you want to get your whole class excited and having fun, while learning a bit of English in the process, try out the free ESL Jeopardy games.

And don’t forget that you can find detailed explanations on how to teach ESL, all kinds of games and lesson ideas, as well as what to do when you finish your ESL career, in my nine ESL books.

There’s a lot of stuff here to help you, and I’ve got even more in my ESL Google+ group. Remember, if you’re teaching in China you might not have the best of luck using Facebook, so this group could be a real help to you.

Other than that, I think you’ll just have to get into your first class and screw up a lot.

Yeah, it doesn’t sound like that much fun, but you’ll learn pretty quickly what works and what doesn’t…and hopefully what to do about it.

Good luck…September is coming!

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Asking for Directions ESL PowerPoint

8/17/2014

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If you’re an ESL teacher in China I’ve got a great PowerPoint for you on Asking for Directions.

If you’re not a teacher in China you can still get some use out of this, and let me tell you why:

First, it’s free;

Next, it’s got 30 slides, killing a possible 30 minutes of class;

Then, it’s got tons of great ‘asking for directions’ vocabulary words;

Finally, you can take this Asking for Directions ESL PowerPoint and adapt it, add pictures, and really make it a fun time in your class.

I really couldn’t tell you when I made this PPT, or if I even used it. I found it in my old ESL files today, and I have a feeling I made it when I was teaching in public schools in 2009.

Either way, it can work for you, especially if you’re in China, as you can see from this slide:

I’ve got the Chinese characters right up there for your students, and down below some examples of how to use them in a sentence. Some teachers frown on using the First Language (or L1) in the classroom, but I don’t.

Here’s another one that I think would be great with some pictures of the places listed:

If you could go out with your camera and take a picture of a 7/11 then this PPT would really work. I know if you’re in Shenzhen you’ve got one on every corner.

Here’s a good slide that shows how this Asking for Directions ESL PowerPoint can help all teachers, even those teaching ESL to adults:

You’ll get some simple language and words that your students can use. Of course this is all building up to the end of the PPT, and this slide is actually #17. You’re trying to get your students comfortable with this language so they can make a dialogue or just write a few sentences about where they live.

And remember, you can always do the same lesson again, or at least parts of it in a recap lesson. Students might have zero interest, but it sure reinforces the material.

When it comes to that material you might want to use visuals, and maps are perfect for that. Try to lay out vocabulary and even add in your own pictures.

Consider doing a map of your school, having students describe or draw how they get from the main gate to the classroom. This slide has some helpful language for that:

As you can see, there’s lots of different ideas and combinations you can do with this simple ESL Asking for Directions Powerpoint.

It’s very basic with no animations or pictures...really one of my early ESL PPTs. That's why it's free, but I know you can spruce it up. Have fun!

Download the free ESL Asking for Directions PowerPoint!

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ESL Extra Homework Worksheet

8/7/2014

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This is an excerpt from Keeping Sane...and has been removed.

Tim

Beth

Click to download this free ESL worksheet

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Hilarious New ESL Action Verbs PowerPoint

8/6/2014

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$0.99

I’ve got a great new ESL PowerPoint for you and I just can’t wait to share it.

It’s about action verbs, and all of these ones are using the progressive tense…or happening now. That means all the words end in “-ing,” which is called a gerund.

But don’t bore the pants off your students with that nonsense. Instead show them these 30 fun pictures that will have them laughing and talking…now!

The Action Verbs PPT starts off simply, with some common verbs and pictures, like drinking…and driving:

After you do that for awhile it might be time to pull over and take a walk, or perhaps go hiking, or if you’re in a part of the world like New Zealand, trekking:

Who knows who you’re going to meet out there, and there’s a good chance they could be a real screwball. That could lead to fighting:

Now, some ESL training centers or schools might not want you to show images like that, perhaps because it makes feel like getting sick:

I just have to throw back my head and laugh to that because I know these words are helpful and used everyday.

In fact, I’m laughing all the way to the bank:

Well, I’m not, but it sounded good. Maybe I will be when you pay $0.99 to get this fun ESL Action Verbs PowerPoint for your own class.

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Simple and Easy Clothes Handout for Young ESL Learners

8/3/2014

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Are you teaching clothes? I’ve done that many times and it can really be hit or miss.

If you want a simple way to make your clothes lessons go better, and last longer, try this handout.

It’s got three sections, which each student can do in turn. Start with them writing what they’re wearing, such as:

“I am wearing a shirt, pants, socks and shoes.”

After that have them draw that in the box, choose a boy in class, and write and draw what they’re wearing. The final sentence and picture is for a girl in class.

This can give you 10 extra minutes on your lesson, or it can be used as something for those students that finish everything too fast. You can even use it as ‘extra homework’ for those naughty students.

It’s a free ESL handout for clothes and I hope you can get some use out of it in your ESL classes sometime soon…enjoy!

Free ESL Clothes Handout for Young Learners

Download this Free ESL Clothes Handout Today!

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Thank God August is Here!

8/1/2014

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If you’re teaching at EF right now then you know exactly what I’m talking about.

If you’re not teaching at EF – known as English First in China – then let me enlighten you.

When you choose to work at an English training center in China during the summer you’ll have a very busy schedule. While most teachers around the world get summers off, those working in private settings typically have to work. After all, students aren’t in school so have more free time. And that free time equals money for those training centers.

Of course you won’t be getting paid anymore, but you will be expected to forgo one of your days off each week while seeing your workload double, or at least go up by 10 hours.

This is what EF teachers have to put up with for June and July, and maybe a week or so into August.

After that summer schedules end. And believe me, when that summer teaching schedule ends you go out and get crazy!

So what did my summer EF teaching schedule in China look like? Something like this:

9-12 – Small Stars class
12-1:30 – Lunch
1:30 – 5:00 – Trailblazers class

That’s the schedule you’d have everyday except Wednesday (your day off) and the weekend. Small Stars are what they call kindergarten kids and Trailblazers would be teens or sometimes younger kids.

You might have to do some 1-hour Small Stars classes in the evenings on some of those days depending on your school. On the weekends you’ll have your regular schedule, which is three 2-hour blocks of classes from 9 to 6:30.

Did I mention you don’t get paid any extra for that? You are supposed to stay under 40 hours a week, which is in your contract. But trust me…you’re going to be burned-out big time!

That’s why it’s so good that many teachers in China aren’t going to have to do this schedule anymore now that it’s August. In Russia the EF schools don’t do summer classes as…go figure…students don’t have school in summer, it’s just not in their culture.

Guess I picked the wrong country to do my ESL career in, huh?

So if you’re an EF teacher…congratulations! I made it through three summers with them, and boy was it a lot of work and a boatload of headaches. Enjoy your next few weeks and trust me, your regular schedule will now be a cakewalk.

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Oh No…September is Coming!

Asking for Directions ESL PowerPoint

ESL Extra Homework Worksheet

Tim

Beth

Hilarious New ESL Action Verbs PowerPoint

Simple and Easy Clothes Handout for Young ESL Learners

Thank God August is Here!

Greg Strandberg

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