With the Western world’s growing political, economic, and cultural influence on the rest of society, it should come as no surprise that English is increasing in usage as a global lingua franca. According to Mark Robson (2013), Director of English and Exams at the British Council, 1.75 billion people around the world speak English at a “useful”…
Multimedia Tools for ESL Instruction
As the future generations are becoming more and more technologically savvy, educators generally are finding it increasingly challenging to cope with the demand for multimedia instruction. These mediums can be quite complicated, but, with a little practice and dedication of time on your part, these platforms can actually be really effective for conducting classes. Why…
Making Fun and Engaging Lessons: A Guide for Busy ESL Teachers
Boring teachers are the worst. How can you excite your students to learn if you are boring them to death before they can actually get your point? But more repulsive than boring teachers are teachers who do not seem to know what they are talking about, especially teachers who do not seem to have a…
ESA Teaching Methodology
Whether you are teaching a 1:1 writing class or a group conversation class, you have come to class with a plan, also known as a “lesson plan,” a guide for what you will teach your students and how you will teach them. Although the rigidity of your lesson plan’s structure may depend on a host…
Effective Intercultural Communication
There is no hard-coded rule for an effective intercultural communication practice. There will always be room to improve as an instructor. Cultural sensitivity is one of the core aspects, but is not the entirety of the battle. Teaching ESL would entail you, the instructor, to face students of different nationalities. New teachers find this a…
Using Bloom’s Taxonomy as an ESL Framework
Since there has been an incremental increase in the projected number of ESL students, there is a need for a structure in terms of pedagogy. Teaching ESL can be quite a challenge, especially for instructors who are not related to the educational field. However, Bloom’s Taxonomy provides a simple, albeit comprehensive, structure when it comes…