Perhaps the best and fairest way to judge the quality of an ESL/EFL textbook that purports to be communicative is to critically examine the claims made by the authors of the book, with regard to its content and goals, and to ascertain to what extent these claims can...

Critical thinking skills are fundamental for setting up ESL students for future success. It’s important for them to have opportunities to develop skills such as giving opinions, providing supporting evidence, debating ideas including rebuttal, negotiating,...

There is a general misconception among some teachers new to English Language Teaching (ELT) that it’s perfectly reasonable to just rock up to a language school, get given a textbook, and walk into a classroom and start teaching. This approach – and it does happen in...

Out of all the important things that a TESOL teacher needs to be, do and think about, one of the most important is student motivation. Even if you have the best lesson plan in the world, the highest possible qualifications and years of experience, it will all fall...

What is Formative Assessment? Formative assessment is a range of procedures conducted by teachers that monitor student learning during the learning process. These procedures have a dual purpose: To help teachers check student progress and recognise where their...

Let’s face it, having to write an essay for most people is a daunting prospect, even if it’s in your first language, let alone trying to write one in your second language. There are a number of barriers for ESL students to overcome that native speakers don’t have to...

Do you remember your high school years? For many of us, the events that stick out weren’t that important in the big scheme of things – just some kind of nonsense that went on every single day.  Even if you played no part in the drama, you wanted the inside scoop – who...

Anyone who gets into English Language Teaching doesn’t do it for the money. There are lots of jobs out there that pay a lot, lot more. So why do we do it? For a lot of instructors, teaching ESL students isn’t just a job, it’s a vocation, a calling. We’re not just...

In the vast majority of ESL/EFL schools you’ll teach at and classrooms you’ll teach in, there will be a syllabus or curriculum to follow with at least one key textbook. And this textbook will provide the bulk of the learning materials you’ll use to instruct your...

No English language teacher gets into this profession for the money. Every language teacher I’ve ever met gets job satisfaction from seeing their students succeed, rather than through fancy perks and golden parachutes. But even the most dedicated and empathetic...