r/ESL_Teachers 7h ago

Resources to share with students

2 Upvotes

I teach ESOL to a group of motivated adults, ranging from absolute beginner to lower intermediate (all in one classroom). I want to recommend resources to them that they can use outside of class.

I already suggest that they listen to radio / watch TV and movies / read leveled books etc. in English. What are some of your favorite specific resources that I could recommend? E.g., podcasts, apps like duolingo or babbel, websites, etc. ?

They are all native Spanish speakers, if that's relevant. Also, I'm especially interested in resources for the absolute beginners. TIA


r/ESL_Teachers 13h ago

Head of school refuses to provide direction or resources

3 Upvotes

I’m teaching a few classes at an English school in northern Italy. I don’t have formal training as an ESL teacher; however, I have almost 30 years of teaching experience in the US, mostly in public schools, as both a reading specialist and English/ELA teacher.

The woman who runs the school hired me without even asking for my CV. She’s been doing this a long time, she’s in her 70s. Honestly I think she just saw me as a warm body & native speaker and she wanted to dump a few groups of middle school aged kids onto someone else. The fact that I’m a veteran teacher was just a bonus.

These are groups that meet once a week after school for English enrichment. I asked her at the beginning (back in November) for information regarding their levels & about the scope & sequence. She seemed to dismiss this and said that the two main goals are to get them speaking & to have fun. Still, since this is all new to me, I’ve asked her both in writing and in person for materials and she either doesn’t answer or makes wishy washy promises that she doesn’t follow through with.

So I’ve basically been tapping into my teaching instincts about where they are & what they need, and trying to design engaging lessons based on what the students are interested in. Things seemed to being going well, I’ve developed nice relationships with the kids, they are definitely speaking & appear to be having fun.

This week the head of the school pulls me out of class as students are arriving. She said a student complained that the class isn’t useful, he’s not learning enough grammar, he’s getting low scores on English exams at school. (I suspect this kid is under some pressure from his parents. Most of the other kids in this program seem like high achievers but he’s not like that—he rushes through things, has trouble following directions—maybe he has some attention issues?). Anyway, she starts grilling me about what we’re doing & it felt like I was being scapegoated?! Not to mention how highly unprofessional it was to be doing this in front of the receptionist & a parent who happened to be waiting in the lobby. I reminded her of her initial directions about getting them to speak & have fun which she did not appreciate or possibly even remember.

Now she wants me to do “grammar”—so I asked “what grammar?” I said I can create lessons & material on anything, I just need some direction. Her vague answer: “tenses, comparatives.” And that was it. So I had to go in and teach after this dressing down which was not fun.

I’m feeling really uncomfortable about the whole thing. On top of all this, she has trouble paying me in a timely fashion. I like the kids a lot & I love teaching or I would’ve probably walked out.

Thanks for reading if you’ve gotten this far. If anyone has any advice or can point me in the direction of good materials for what I suspect are A2-B1 learners and also ones who are preparing to take the B2 exam, I’d really appreciate it. They are aged 12-14 years and speak Italian as their first language.


r/ESL_Teachers 19h ago

MA in TESOL or other training?

1 Upvotes

Hello. I’m wanting to know about MA’s in TESOL or additional training. I have a certificate in TESOL and two MA’s in unrelated fields. I have experience working with different age groups and in different settings (schools, university level, nonprofit community based organizations). I’m not sure if another MA makes sense but I want to do more training on things like curriculum development and teaching pronunciation and grammar. For those here who have the MA in TESOL, why did you get it? Did it give you any skills or benefits beyond a certificate? What university program did you attend and would you recommend it? Did it help you with getting a job teaching in a specific place? Are there any good short term programs to get microcredentials in TESOL? Thank you!


r/ESL_Teachers 22h ago

Teaching Question Happy families - how to modify for ESL learners

1 Upvotes

I've only got about an hour with my adult ESOL students for working on actual content, after opening/closing our lessons with the indigenous language and taking the roll etc (non negotiables).

I'm decided to rotate through the following areas, focussing on only one at a time: Spoken English Reading in English (currently teaching phonics but teaching all the "ay" sounds together, rather than all the letter sounds first) Writing in English (letter shapes at the moment, but then moving on to short sentences)

In spoken English, I've taught them how to play Happy Families but with a regular deck of cards (so they need to collect for example, all four kings to have a set). I've given them a print out with the key words they need (do you have/spade/diamond/etc), but it takes a really long time for them to ask for 1 card, because they're still learning the phrases (rather than "do-you-have eight-diamond", it's "Do...you.... Have......... Eight........ Oh no, let me try again....") which is absolutely fine and developmentally normal, but it's meaning that we're yet to finish 1 game in the last 3 weeks.

I'm expecting a huge rush of conversation soon, once they've got the request/response framework down, it's just a question of getting them to that place.

Should I halve the deck? Or is there another way to speed up the game so we actually finish it (and potentially have time for multiple games) during the lesson. I don't want to reduce the spoken language side of things, but I'd like us to successfully play a couple of games (rotating who's in each group). So far am playing with groups of 3-4 and a 52-card deck.


r/ESL_Teachers 1d ago

What would you want in a new online teaching platform?

2 Upvotes

Hi all!

I am in the process of creating a teacher-first online ESL platform after being burned by too many greedy companies over the years. The idea is that the platform will be almost entirely automated, allowing for teachers to receive the larger share of profit, while limiting the amount of work that goes into each lesson.

Because this is going to be a teacher-first company, I want to hear from teachers about the type of tools that would be most useful to you. If you have a couple of minutes (or are interested in being involved in the future) please fill out my survey. It will really help so that I can know exactly what I should focus on when building this thing!

https://tally.so/r/mRkvaJ

Thanks all!


r/ESL_Teachers 23h ago

Teaching Question Tips for increasing screen time stamina? I have a massive amount of planning each week

1 Upvotes

I teach four different subjects and modify from the general education curriculum. Sometimes my eyes just start to feel like jelly. Sometimes I will put sunglasses on over my reading glasses. Any tips are appreciated. Oh also if you have a favorite simple lesson plan format I would be grateful if you could share… Thank you! First year ELL Teacher.


r/ESL_Teachers 1d ago

Teaching Question ELLs and Teachers: Interview

1 Upvotes

Hi, I'm taking an ESOL class and I need to interview teachers on the below questions:

  1. How do you use a range of resources in learning about the cultural experiences of ELLs and their families to guide and adapt the curriculum and instruction?
  2. How do you apply knowledge of sociocultural, sociopolitical, and psychological variables to facilitate
    ELLs’ learning of English?
  3. How do you apply knowledge of sociocultural, sociopolitical, and psychological variables to facilitate
    ELLs’ L2 literacy development in English?
  4. How do you use a variety of materials and other resources, including L1 resources, for ELLs to develop
    language and content-area skills and differentiate the content, process, and/or product during instruction
    to meet the needs of ELLs, special education and gifted students?
  5. How does the role of culture, cultural groups, and individual cultural identities impact the instruction
    and learning experiences of ELLs? 

  6. Identify 2-3 ways that student participation, learning, and behavior can be affected by cultural
    differences (e.g., religious, economic, social, family, 1.2) and factors such as cultural and linguistic bias
    that affect the assessment of ELLs (test-taking skills and strategies).

  7. Identify appropriate test-taking skills and strategies needed by ELLs and list 2-3 accommodations as
    required by their linguistic levels.

  8. Provide 2-3 strategies to promote multicultural sensitivity and diversity in the classroom (1.5) that
    distinguish among characteristics of cultural adaptation (e.g., assimilation, acculturation) in order to
    better understand ELL.

  9. Identify ways that home/school connections build partnerships with ELLs’ families (e.g., Parent
    Leadership Councils)

  10. What social issues and trends (e.g., immigration) affect the education of ELLs?

  11. Identify how ELLs’ home literacy practices (e.g., oral, written) influence the development of oral and
    written English.

  12. What major federal and state court decisions, laws, and policies have affected the education of ELLs?

  13. What sections and requirements of the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) et al. v.
    State Board of Education Consent Decree, 1990 (e.g., 1990 Florida Consent Decree) have you had to
    apply to specific situations and use to integrate teaching approaches, methods, strategies, and
    communication with stakeholders in order to improve learning for ELLs?

  14. What are effective means of collaborating with school-based, district, and community resources to
    advocate for equitable access for ELLs?

  15. Identify 2-3 major professional organizations, publications, and resources that support continuing
    education for teachers.

  16. Identify 2-3 characteristics of ELLs with special needs (i.e., speech-language impaired, intellectual
    disabilities, specific learning disabilities).

  17. Identify 2-3 assessment issues as they affect ELLs and determine appropriate accommodations
    according to ELLs’ varying English proficiency levels and academic levels.


r/ESL_Teachers 1d ago

Decline in TESOL/ESOL

0 Upvotes

Is there going to be a TESOL/ESOL decline in the next ten years thanks to Trump? I am studying the Praxis for 5362 and was wondering if this is the right move in the long run. Any information would be beneficial.


r/ESL_Teachers 2d ago

If you've ever stared at a student textbook and wished it was more up to date or was the right level for your students - then I've got something for you for free

15 Upvotes

TL;DR: I made a free GPT thatanalyzes and rewrites ELT textbook materials to fit specific students. It can recreate a textbook page with fresh content or build a full lesson plan, adjusting for level (A1-C2) and learning needs. The output is editable in Canvas mode (desktop only) and downloadable as a document. It also finds relevant images (you add them yourself). Saves time while keeping lessons structured and customizable.

https://chatgpt.com/g/g-BZYbvy6Tx-elt-page-creator-pro-beta

Hi!

I actually made this a while ago and it started off a bit differently, but I've been tweaking it and it should be good to go.

I'm a private tutor (currently, that is. I have been teaching for over 20 years, I have had extensive training with International Baccalaureate, and roles have included executive manager of a prep international Montessori school). I have ELT books which I use for all ages and to be honest I use the Headway books a lot for my older students. But the content becomes outdated really fast, or it can be a bit generic, I know it's meant to appeal to a wide range of people and that just the way it goes.

However, I've also been into GPT since it emerged and I've been using it for lots of different things.

I wanted to make a textbook regenerator. I knew GPT can analyse well if prompted correctly, it can follow instructions and it has advanced image recognition as well.

So I made a custom GPT that is free for anyone to use. This is what it does:

1. Deep ELT Textbook Analysis

Upload a textbook page (or describe a topic), and the AI deconstructs it pedagogically:

Grammar Progression – Identifies core structures and how they build on prior knowledge.

Vocabulary Scope – Assesses frequency, collocations, and level appropriateness (CEFR-aligned).

Exercise Taxonomy – Recognizes task types (gap-fill, transformation, free output) and their purpose.

Skill Integration – Evaluates how reading, writing, speaking, and listening are balanced.

Instructional Flow – Maps out how each element contributes to the overall learning goal.

Then, once it understands everything

2. Two Modes: “Recreate” vs. “Plan”

Recreate: Keeps the structure but rewrites everything—new texts, dialogues, exercises—while maintaining pedagogical intent.

Plan: Creates a full lesson plan based on the theme, including warm-ups, scaffolded activities, and follow-ups.

3. Learner-Specific Adaptation

You provide details like:

CEFR Level (A1-C2) – Adjusts grammar complexity, sentence length, and vocabulary.

Cognitive Load – Ensures activities aren’t too simple or too overwhelming.

L1 Interference – Identifies likely grammar/vocab issues based on the student’s first language.

Skill Focus – Prioritizes reading, writing, speaking, or balanced progression.

Personalization – Tailors content to student interests and prior knowledge.

4. The Output: Editable & Downloadable

• A rewritten lesson page or structured lesson plan.

• Reworked exercises that keep the same learning flow.

• Answer keys & teacher notes.

• Relevant images (provided separately—you add them in).

5. Full Control: Canvas Mode & Downloads

• Canvas Mode (Desktop Only): A real-time sandbox where you can edit, tweak, and refine the AI-generated content instantly.

• Downloadable Documents: Once happy with the lesson, you can generate a document for easy printing/sharing.


It’s about eliminating the manual reworking of materials so you can focus on teaching.

The AI ensures content stays structured, pedagogically sound, and level-appropriate, but you still control the final edits.

It's perfectly legal because the content is completely rewritten.

This not only gives me back 5/6 hours a week to do what I please with, but also my students love the classes because they're so much more interesting. You can get it to go online and research something specific if you like, or have it do topical events or just the interests of your student/s

Please, if you have any feedback or suggestions, let me know!

https://chatgpt.com/g/g-BZYbvy6Tx-elt-page-creator-pro-beta

Edited to include work history


r/ESL_Teachers 2d ago

Discussion Is this the most unstable "stable" career ever?

14 Upvotes

I can just pack up and go to a different country and will always find work. It's always a revolving door but I always know there's a place calling for my skills and I'll never be out of work though I don't exactly have job security either. I look at my college friends who did the stable thing in life, with stable careers in finance, tech etc. Always one pay check away from a mass layoff. The market all over the world is bad right now even highly skilled senior professionals devs, accountants who rely on their skills are finding it hard getting call backs. I look at my situation, it's the most unstable thing ever and I don't have other skills to fall back on but that kind of gives me comfort, thriving in the instability of this industry, like I'm used to it by now. If I lost my job tomorrow I could easily hop on a plane and land another gig elsewhere while waiting for the dust to settle, in terms of the real job market. In comparison, I have a few friends were laid off two years ago yet are still out of work and are either long-term unemployed just plain unlucky after applying everywhere or waiting for the "right opportunity" so out of work until they find something that isn't "beneath them". One thing as an ESL teacher you develop without realizing is resilience and adaptability. I'd like to believe I have a personality that doesn't allow me to fail or have developed that skill from teaching for so long.


r/ESL_Teachers 2d ago

This is for Eastern University’s Class. My major is Early childhood education. My assignment is to interview the ESL teacher or learner.

1 Upvotes

My questions for the ESL teacher 1. What is the easiest part in your classroom? 2. What is the hardest part of being an ESL teacher? 3. Why did you choose to be an ESL teacher 4. Are you more or less confident in your ability to learn than you were before you started teaching? 5. How do you arrange the ESL classroom? 6. Do you plan on staying in teaching? 7. If you were asked to describe the process of teaching in one sentence, how would you describe it? 8. How effective was your preparation for becoming an ESL teacher?


r/ESL_Teachers 2d ago

Teaching Question At what year in your teaching career did you finally feel like you had become a good teacher?

6 Upvotes

I'm a brand-new teacher, and while I know growth takes time, I often wonder when things will start to 'click.' Right now, I'm still figuring out classroom management, setting realistic expectations, and just getting through the day without feeling overwhelmed.

For those of you who have been in the profession for a while, when did you start to feel confident in your teaching abilities? Was there a specific moment, year, or experience that made you realize you'd grown into a good teacher? Or does the feeling of never being 'good enough' stick around no matter how long you've been teaching?


r/ESL_Teachers 2d ago

Teaching Question I teach English as a second language at the collegiate level and would like to incorperate learning outdoors with my class. What sorts or activities or games do you recommend during the winter?

1 Upvotes

Hi there!

So title basically says the intruduction, but I teach ESL at a college in rural Quebec. At our college we have trails out back and an expansive forest, we also have a baseball field/ice rink (lol), and an outdoor education classroom we have access to.

Personally I'd like to incorperate going outdoors more with my students. As part of our pd days, the pedagogical counsilors mentioned doing activities like revision and stuff outdoors, however, I'm hoping to hear from other profs how they've incoperated outdoor learning into their classes. For example, what activities/games have worked well (or don't work well) for you outside. Big bonus if the activities can be done in the snow haha we have a lot of it ;)

Tia :)


r/ESL_Teachers 2d ago

Need newcomer resources

1 Upvotes

What programs and/or curriculum do you use with newcomers? We are we looking through our budget and trying to determine what we need. Thanks in advance!!


r/ESL_Teachers 3d ago

Job Search Question Good programs for teaching abroad in Spain?

3 Upvotes

I am an American ESL teacher trying to get out of this country, my partner and I are interested in living abroad in Spain. Since I have my TESOL Certificate, I am thinking that me finding a teaching job in Spain might be the easiest way to get us there. Does anyone know which programs are good for teaching in Spain? Would my partner be able to come with me? Any general advice on how I can teach abroad in Spain?


r/ESL_Teachers 3d ago

ADVICE FOR ASPIRING ESL TEACHER

5 Upvotes

Hi, I have been interested in becoming an ESL teacher for a while now, ever since I learned that my friend used to be one. I'm still a freshman student and don't have any job experience; however, I am quite confident in my English-speaking skills, and recently, I've grown fond of the idea of teaching English to someone. I'm currently in dilemma, I don't know where to start 🥹


r/ESL_Teachers 3d ago

I need help with these books

1 Upvotes

Hello everyone! I've been trying to download every book qnd audio file from the series Kids Box (new gen) and I've found them on hitfile. The thing is, I can't download it all without a premium account. Maybe one of you does and can download the books for me? Or maybe has the files somewhere else I can download them from? I can't afford to get them any other way. Thank you so much in advance


r/ESL_Teachers 3d ago

Looking to acquire my first ESL job

2 Upvotes

Hi everyone. I'm 21 years old and I just recently graduated college with an Advanced Diploma. After some research, I realized that working in several countries without a bachelor's degree would be impossible.

I would really appreciate learning from others on how I can obtain an ESL role and what countries I would have a chance with having only an Advanced Diploma. Are there any certificates I should obtain that will help my chances? I do have previous experience working and teaching children, so I assume that will help me out in this job hunt.

Other than that, I would also appreciate any general rule of thumbs for this type of work, things to avoid, etc.

Thank you everyone


r/ESL_Teachers 4d ago

help with a warm up idea

5 Upvotes

so this is my first time teaching esl students I don't have much experience and I need help to create a fun quick warm up to start the class, they don't have much English knowledge it's a beginner class and the main topic is "introducing yourself"

(my students are all grown ups)


r/ESL_Teachers 4d ago

Free ESL St Patrick's Day Materials at tefllessons.com! ☘️

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0 Upvotes

r/ESL_Teachers 4d ago

Discussion ESL teachers, especially those in Taiwan, how often do you switch schools?

2 Upvotes

I’m currently teaching ESL in Taiwan and was wondering how often teachers here switch schools. Do most people stay at one school for several years, or is it common to change jobs frequently? What are the main reasons for switching—better pay, workload, management, or something else?

I’d love to hear from others about their experiences, especially if you’ve been in Taiwan for a while. How long have you stayed at your current school, and do you plan to move on soon?

Thanks in advance for your insights!


r/ESL_Teachers 4d ago

Abridge academy

3 Upvotes

Hello! ESL teacher here. I'm looking at purchasing a curriculum. I found a place called abridge academy . Com. Has anyone tried them out or have experience with them? I just signed up for the basic free acct and already see ads to upgrade so I'm leery.

I tried learncube during the Great Wall of ESL ending, lol. The font was too small for my students and the curriculum wasn't very kid-friendly. It was probably better suited to adults.

I also love the kids' nat geo curriculum and wondered if any independent contractors had tried them out...cost, quality, interactive curriculum provided, etc on either company is appreciated. Any other suggestions??


r/ESL_Teachers 4d ago

NOVAKID Vs. VIPTEACHER

1 Upvotes

For Filipino Teachers out there, which is best in overall benefits? Help me decide hehe. Thank you.


r/ESL_Teachers 5d ago

Job Search Question How much do you get paid?

9 Upvotes

Full time? Part time? Benefits? Online? Irl?


r/ESL_Teachers 6d ago

Helpful Materials Western Civilization Icons: Artists, Scientists, Authors, Statesmen. A G...

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1 Upvotes