When your students keep mixing up borrow vs. lend, they’re not just being careless—it’s actually a language pattern. Many languages—such as Spanish, Portuguese, Arabic, and Mandarin—use one word to mean both “borrow” and “lend.” So when students speak English, they’re not guessing… they’re translating. Once I understood this, I stopped…
I often consult my tarot cards when I need to gain insight or make decisions. So imagine my excitement when I realized that tarot cards could also work well as an ESL speaking activity. Woot! Tarot cards are a novelty of mystery and enchantment. But they can also be a…
My students know will and going to are both used for future tenses. But it’s often a challenge for them to choose the best one when speaking. Rather than focusing on forms, I’ve found it more important to focus on functions (when to use them). When the function of a…
A paper airplane classroom competition is a great way to teach comparatives and superlatives in ESL. This challenge allows students to actually use the language… instead of just filling in blanks on a worksheet. For generations, paper planes have been the unofficial symbol of student distraction. I know some teachers…
When teaching a grammar lesson, most teachers will typically start out with how to form the structure. It’s a good way to start, because students love a good rule they can follow and apply. But then what? For many ESL teachers, the real challenge isn’t explaining the rule. It’s about…
If you teach ESL in the U.S., you’ve probably seen the headlines about Florida’s new English-only driving test requirements. The driving test is now English Only — no translations, no interpreters. Newcomers and immigrant learners don’t just need conversational English. They also need functional, practical language-something they can hook their…
When it’s time to put theory into practice, grammar dice is an easy, zero-prep ESL grammar activity that students love. It’s engaging for all levels and language backgrounds, including teens and adult learners. Students can review and practice tenses, conditionals, and question forms… all at once! Ready to learn the…
Ready to time travel through the verb tenses in English? In this post, we’ll explore each tense with examples and key words. Learning all 12 tenses takes a bit of focus and dedication. But with a little practice, you’ll be able to navigate the past, present, and future (and everything…
If you don’t think bad grammar in English can cost you, think again. In this case, one teeny, tiny, little comma actually cost one company $5,000,000. That’s one expensive error! The Serial Comma Strikes Again Also known as a serial comma, an Oxford comma refers to the last comma in…
The prepositions in, on, and at are some of the most confusing words in English. Even advanced learners mix them up because they don’t always translate directly from other languages. The good news? They aren’t random. There are clear patterns you can follow. When you organize prepositions by topic —…