Digital Flashcards Are Here, and I’m So Flipping Excited!
I recently transitioned to online teaching again, so I really needed a way to showcase my original deck of 72 irregular verb flashcards in a digital format. I uploaded them digitally and I now have a fantastic set of digital flashcards to use in my classes and share with ESL teachers around the world. Irregular […]
How To Talk About Your Period in English. Yes, That Period.
Happy Women’s Month! I am marking the occasion with an English lesson devoted entirely to menstruation. It’s not a fun topic, but we do need to talk about it. It comes every month, and usually at the worst possible time. To the poor men who are still reading this, don’t leave yet! Talking about periods […]
Variations on 4 Card Games ESL Students Will Flip Over
Breaking News! ESL Students prefer playing games to studying grammar. Thanks, Captain Obvious. Now, let’s really drive it home: Hello, students! Raise your hand if you want to study grammar. (crickets.) Raise your hand if you want to play a game. (48 hands are up in a class of 24.) What have we learned from […]
8 Flashy Ways To Use Flashcards for Online ESL
If you know how to use flashcards in online ESL classrooms, they can be fantastic for memorizing irregular verbs. And they don’t have to be boring, either! Here are my favorite flashy ways to use flashcards in online ESL classrooms. Why Flashcards? Let’s cut straight to the obvious: flashcards are for memorizing. As a veteran […]
How To Pronounce the GH sound in English: 14 Tough Words To Practice
This month’s post teaches you how to pronounce the -gh sound in English. You’ve probably seen it lurking in words like enough, through, and sigh. You might try your best to pronounce it, or, you might avoid it completely. Through? Furlough? Cough. Ugh. What is that sound?!
Used to vs. Usually: What’s the Difference?
When you have a strong understanding of how to use used to and usually, we can talk about 2 more similar phrases that students find confusing: be used to and get used to.
Yet vs. Still: What’s the difference?
Learn the difference between yet and still with a quick video lesson.
Listen vs. Hear: What’s the difference?
Listen and hear are two verbs commonly confused by English students. Many times, we use both words in the same conversation. It’s important to know what the difference is. Look at this example: A: Hi! Can you hear me? What are you listening to? B: I’m listening to Hotel California by The Eagles. Have you […]
English Expressions You Can Fall in Love With
With Valentine’s Day coming up, I wanted to share some great expressions and idioms for talking about love and relationships. Whether you’re single, married or something more complicated, there’s surely a phrase or two here that will tickle your fancy. You may find yourself falling head over heels with this lovey-dovey vocabulary! Once Upon a […]
Borrow or Lend: What’s the difference?
It’s easy to confuse these two terms. They are used when we give or take something that will be returned (Well, we hope it will!) LEND = Give To lend is to give someone something for a short time. Lend requires a direct pronoun (money, a phone, a sweater, etc.) and an indirect object pronoun (me, […]