<![CDATA[Teacher's Zone Blog]]> https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/ EN Tue, 17 Feb 2026 10:44:00 +0100 Incomedia WebSite X5 Evo <![CDATA[Mini Cards, Mega Fun and Great Results]]> imblog
When we think of flashcards, we often picture the large, A4-sized cards held up by the teacher at the front of the room. While those are great for introducing vocabulary, mini word cards — small, palm-sized slips of paper or cardstock—are the real secret weapon for student engagement.

Mini cards games and activities for young ESL learners and teenagers

Because every student (or pair) has their own set, the learning shifts from passive watching to active doing. Whether you are working with energetic young learners or more reserved teenagers, here is how to make these tiny tools work for you.

Games and Movement
For children, mini cards are tactile toys. The goal is to keep their hands busy and their minds focused on the target language.
  • Memory
Give pairs two sets of cards (e.g., single words or words and their definitions or images). Lay them face down. Students take turns flipping two cards, saying the words aloud. If they match, they keep the pair. It builds visual memory and pronunciation simultaneously.
  • Bingo
Instead of a pre-printed sheet, ask students to pick five cards from their deck and lay them in a row. As you call out words or definitions, students flip over the corresponding card. The first to flip all five yells "Bingo!"
  • Touch It Fast
Spread a set of cards across the desk. When the teacher says a word (or describes a card, like "It has four legs and says 'meow'"), students race to be the first to touch the correct card.


Strategy and Interaction
Teenagers often prefer games that involve a bit of social strategy or a "puzzle" element. Mini cards allow them to interact without the pressure of speaking in front of the whole class.
  • Who Am I? (The Forehead Game)
Students work in groups. One student picks a card without looking at it and holds it against their forehead. They must ask "Yes/No" questions (e.g., "Am I a person?", "Do I live in cold weather?") until they guess the word. This is excellent for practising question structures.
  • Dialogue Scaffolding
Give students a set of cards featuring verbs or nouns. They must engage in a conversation or roleplay (like "Ordering at a Restaurant") and try to "play" their cards by naturally weaving those specific words into the dialogue. The first person to use all their cards wins the round.

Why Mini Cards Work
Using mini cards provides high student-talking time. In a traditional flashcard drill, only one student speaks at a time. With mini cards, every student in the room can be speaking, sorting, or questioning at the same moment.
Mini word cards are incredibly versatile. They bridge the gap between "studying" and "playing," making the language feel like a tool rather than a chore.

]]> Tue, 17 Feb 2026 09:44:00 GMT https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/?mini-cards https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/rss/00000002C <![CDATA[Brawl stars plush: a world of adventure in your hands]]> imblog
In the vibrant universe of toys, Brawl Stars plush has carved a special niche for itself. These delightful stuffed animals not only bring characters from the popular game to life but also offer fans an opportunity to connect with their favorite characters in a new way. From Spike to Leon, every piece is crafted to echo the charm and personality that players worldwide adore.



The magic behind brawl stars plush
The appeal of Brawl Stars plushies goes beyond mere aesthetics. These collectibles encapsulate the essence of the game, transporting fans into the dynamic world of Brawl Stars with every touch. They serve as reminders of the epic battles and strategic plays within the game, giving enthusiasts a tangible link to the digital realm.

Each plush toy is a testament to the attention to detail that goes into creating them. The dedication to maintaining character accuracy ensures that fans recognize each figure instantly. This commitment to staying true to the source material greatly enhances the value of these collectibles in the eyes of avid collectors and young fans alike.

The variety of brawl stars plush toys available
The market for Brawl Stars plush toys is nothing short of diverse. There are options available for everyone, whether one prefers the mischief of Crow or the flamboyance of El Primo. Each plush provides something unique, appealing to different tastes and adding joy to any Brawl Stars fan's collection.

A particular highlight that attracts dedicated fans is the selection of video game plushies. Many people often gravitate toward plushies like Leon due to his mysterious aura, which is perfectly captured in the plush form. Similarly, Spike stands out for his distinctive look, making him a sought-after choice for those who prefer characters with quirks. Such diversity ensures there is a plush toy for everyone under this banner.

The art of collecting Brawl Stars plush
Collecting Brawl Stars plushies is more than just a hobby; it is a passion that brings joy and fulfillment. Enthusiasts appreciate the craftsmanship involved in making these toys and find satisfaction in building a comprehensive collection that reflects their love for the game. These plush figures become prized possessions, proudly displayed and cherished.

The journey of acquiring these collectibles can be as exciting as the game itself. Discovering a rare find or finally adding a favorite character to one's collection offers a sense of accomplishment. With official licensed merchandise becoming increasingly popular, the authenticity of Brawl Stars plush adds validity to one's collection, enhancing its overall worth.

Tips for starting your collection
  • Begin by identifying your favorite characters or themes within the game.
  • Set a budget to manage spending on new plush acquisitions effectively.
  • Join online communities or social media groups dedicated to Brawl Stars collectors for advice and trade opportunities.
  • Attend gaming conventions or local events where vendors may offer premium or exclusive plushies.

The role of official licensed products
Purchasing official licensed Brawl Stars plush is important for ensuring quality and authenticity. These products, produced with strict adherence to design and production standards, guarantee a level of durability and likeness that non-official items might lack. Fans looking to buy authentic pieces rely heavily on trusted sources to verify purchase legitimacy.

Consequently, owning official licensed merchandise isn't merely about collection depth; it speaks to a collector’s dedication to having genuine representations of beloved Brawl Stars characters. Brand partnership ensures consistency across product lines, further solidifying trust amongst buyers seeking legitimate collectibles.

The impact of brands like Youtooz
Brands such as Youtooz have made significant waves in the collectible toy sector with their innovative designs and marketing strategies. Their involvement with Brawl Stars plush offers another layer of engagement for fans. Flexibility in design helps deliver fresh variations of existing plushies, injecting creativity into the traditional toy market.

This infusion of creative energy keeps long-time fans interested while attracting newcomers eager for novel takes on classic characters. It allows fans to experience Brawl Stars through different lenses, enriching the overall fan experience by introducing curated collectibles that both capture whimsy and honor the spirit of the game.

Why fans love Brawl Stars plush
The allure of Brawl Stars plush toys lies in their ability to embody adventure and nostalgia. These cuddly figures do more than just decorate shelves—they remind players of shared memories within the game, creating emotional connections that span outside the digital frontier. Adventure awaits in every carefully stitched detail, bringing characters offscreen into lives worldwide.

Furthermore, owning these plush companions fosters a sense of camaraderie among gamers. Sharing pictures, stories, or newly acquired plushies on social platforms creates a thriving community united by Brawl Stars fandom. People enjoy showcasing their favorites, sparking conversations about gameplay, strategies, and future releases.

The connection between fans and characters
For many, plush toys represent an extension of personal preferences and in-game personas. Characters like Spike, with his playful yet resilient nature, resonate deeply, providing comfort during stressful times. Those who favored him in battles now find solace within his plush counterpart, infusing a bit of their identity into how they engage with fellow aficionados.
Fans’ connection extends past simple ownership—immersed within a storytelling dynamic facilitated through imaginative play sessions inspired by in-game events. Such interactions deepen appreciation for the franchise, unfolding new layers of attachment as narratives evolve over time based around chosen plush avatars.
Maintaining and caring for your Brawl Stars plush collection
Proper care is essential to preserving the integrity and appearance of Brawl Stars plush toys. While these delightful creations invite daily interaction, implementing some basic upkeep methods guarantees longevity, allowing collections a lifetime of vibrancy amid frequent handling.
Start by placing each plush safely when not actively enjoyed, mitigating environmental damage risks. Quick dust removal using soft brushes can prevent fiber detachment while safeguarding delicate features from discoloration over time. Additionally, adhering strictly to washing instructions offered by manufacturers preserves fabric strength against normal wear.

Caring tips for optimal preservation
  • Store plushies away from direct sunlight or damp areas.
  • Avoid using harsh detergents during cleaning, sticking instead to mild solutions tailored specially for delicacies.
  • If possible, display them within dust-proof cabinets or cases, shielding valuables from external factors.
  • Regularly inspect seams and stitching work to address damage early before escalation occurs.

The future of Brawl Stars plush
Prospects appear bright for continued expansion and innovation surrounding Brawl Stars plush. As interactive entertainment evolves and technology advances, possibilities arise involving augmented reality experiences tied directly alongside physical collectibles. Imagining a scenario where one's cherished *Leon* arises digitally through devices showcases untapped potential driving forward-plush culture transitions seamlessly.

With constant character roster updates and evolving storylines enriching lore-driven merchandise availability, enthusiasm remains undiminished, sustaining demand regardless of industry trends aligning towards transformative concepts blending current realities. Brawl Stars merchandise continues thrilling audiences globally, influence reverberating across generations perpetually exploring what’s possible amidst unknown frontiers ushered forth by advancements pushing boundaries relentlessly ahead.
]]> Tue, 27 May 2025 18:04:00 GMT https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/?brawl-stars-plush-a-world-of-adventure-in-your-hands https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/rss/00000002B <![CDATA[Unlocking English Fluency: Teaching Collocations to ESL Teens]]> imblog
Collocations are groups of words that frequently appear together in English. They're crucial for sounding natural and fluent. However, they can be a tricky concept for ESL learners, especially teenagers. This article offers some engaging and effective strategies to help your students master collocations.

How to teach collocations

1. Make it Fun and Interactive:
  • Games:
    • "Collocation Bingo": Create bingo cards with common collocations. Call out the first word and have students mark the corresponding phrase.
    • "Taboo": Describe a collocation without using the target word or any of its synonyms.
    • "Charades": Students act out collocations (e.g., "heavy rain," "strong coffee").
  • Online Resources:
    • Utilize interactive exercises and games available on websites like British Council, Cambridge Dictionary, and Vocabulary.com. These platforms often include engaging activities like matching games, gap-fill exercises, and even short quizzes.
2. Contextualize Learning:
  • Real-life Examples:
    • News Articles: Have students analyze news articles for common collocations, such as "face criticism," "launch an investigation," or "achieve success."
    • Songs and Movies: Analyze song lyrics and movie scripts for natural-sounding collocations.
    • Create a "Collocation Wall": Dedicate a space in the classroom for students to contribute interesting collocations they encounter in their daily lives.
  • Role-playing:
    • Have students practice using collocations in realistic scenarios, such as ordering food, making travel arrangements, or having a casual conversation.
3. Focus on Common Collocation Patterns:
  • Adjective + Noun: "strong coffee," "heavy rain," "vivid imagination"
  • Verb + Noun: "make a decision," "catch a cold," "give advice"
  • Noun + Noun: "traffic jam," "best friend," "decision-making"
  • Adverb + Adjective: "highly recommended," "completely exhausted," "strongly disagree"
  • Create Charts and Mind Maps:
4. Encourage Independent Learning:
  • Collocation Dictionaries: Introduce students to specialized collocation dictionaries, such as the Oxford Collocations Dictionary for Students of English.
  • Personalized Learning: Encourage students to create their own personal collocation lists based on their individual interests.
  • Reading and Writing:
    • Encourage students to pay close attention to collocations while reading and actively try to incorporate them into their own writing.
5. Provide Regular Feedback:
  • Peer Review: Have students review each other's work for appropriate collocation use.
  • Teacher Feedback: Provide specific and constructive feedback on students' use of collocations in their speaking and writing.
6. Make it Relevant:
  • Connect to Student Interests: Choose collocations related to their hobbies, such as "play video games," "watch a movie," or "listen to music."
  • Real-world Applications: Emphasize the importance of collocations for academic success, job interviews, and social interactions.
By implementing these strategies, you can make learning collocations an engaging and rewarding experience for your ESL teen students. Remember to be patient and encouraging, and celebrate their progress along the way.
Key Takeaways:
  • Make learning fun with games and interactive activities.
  • Contextualize learning by using real-life examples and role-playing.
  • Focus on common collocation patterns and create visual aids.
  • Encourage independent learning through dictionaries and personalized lists.
  • Provide regular feedback and celebrate student success.
By incorporating these tips into your ESL lessons, you can help your students unlock English fluency and confidently express themselves in a natural and authentic way.

]]> Fri, 31 Jan 2025 16:57:00 GMT https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/?unlocking-english-fluency--teaching-collocations-to-esl-teens https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/rss/00000002A <![CDATA[How to Catch ESL Kids' Attention and Keep It]]> imblog
Teaching English as a Second Language (ESL) to children can be incredibly rewarding, but it also presents unique challenges. Young learners have short attention spans and require engaging activities to stay focused. Here are some tips to capture and maintain their interest:

1. Games
Interactive Games
Incorporate games like charades, Pictionary, and "I Spy" to make learning fun. These games not only improve vocabulary but also encourage teamwork and communication.
Board Games
Utilize board games with English instructions and themes. This can help with vocabulary acquisition and following directions.
Card Games
Flashcard games like "Go Fish" and "Memory" are excellent for vocabulary review and memorization. You can use mini cards to play card games.

2. Songs and Music
Songs
Sing simple English songs together. Children love to sing, and it helps with pronunciation and rhythm.
Musical Chairs
Play a lively version of musical chairs with English instructions.
Dance and Movement
Incorporate simple dance routines to accompany songs. This adds a physical element and makes learning more dynamic.

3. Storytelling
Interactive Storytelling
Encourage children to participate in storytelling by asking questions and inviting them to add their own ideas.
Puppet Shows
Use puppets to tell stories and act out dialogues. This can make learning more engaging and entertaining. You can try Finger puppets rhyme to practise greetings or Five little monkeys swinging in the tree chant.
Read Aloud
Read aloud from engaging children's books with colorful illustrations.

4. Visual Aids
Flashcards and word cards
Use flashcards with pictures and words to introduce new vocabulary.
Posters
Create colorful posters with English vocabulary and grammar rules.
Videos
Show short, age-appropriate English-language videos, such as cartoons and educational clips.
Worksheets
Use worksheets connested to the topic to consolidate the knowledge and skills.

5. Real-Life Connections
Field Trips
Plan field trips to places like parks, museums, or zoos and use the experience as a basis for English conversation.
Class Discussions
Encourage discussions about real-life topics that interest children, such as their hobbies, families, and favorite foods.
Role-Playing
Engage in role-playing scenarios, such as going to the store, ordering food, or having a conversation with a friend.

6. Technology
Educational Apps
Use educational apps designed for language learning. Many apps offer interactive games, songs, and stories.
Online Resources
Explore online resources such as interactive websites and educational videos.
Interactive Whiteboards
Use interactive whiteboards to display images, play videos, and engage students in interactive games.

7. Positive Learning Environment
And last but not least, create supportive learning environment. Foster a positive and encouraging classroom environment where students feel comfortable taking risks and making mistakes.

Remember that every child is unique. Observe their interests and learning styles to tailor your teaching methods accordingly. By making learning fun and engaging, you can help your ESL students develop a love for the English language.

I hope you find these teaching tips useful. Leave a comment if you have any feedback or suggestions.

]]> Tue, 07 Jan 2025 09:43:00 GMT https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/?how-to-catch-esl-kids-attention-and-keep-it https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/rss/000000029 <![CDATA[The Ultimate Glossary for Glass Droppers in Education]]> imblog

Glass droppers are essential tools in many educational and scientific environments. They offer precision and control when dispensing liquids, which is crucial for experiments and measurements. In this article, we dive into the world of glass droppers and explore their applications, benefits, and maintenance.

Glass droppers in education

What is a Glass Dropper?
A glass dropper is a simple yet effective tool used to dispense liquids in small, precise amounts. It typically consists of a glass tube with a rubber bulb at one end and a narrow opening at the other end. By squeezing the rubber bulb, the user can draw liquid up and then release it in controlled drops.

History of Glass Droppers
Glass droppers have a long history dating back to the time of pharmacists in the 19th century. They were originally used to accurately dose medications. With the rise of modern laboratories and scientific experiments, glass droppers have evolved and been perfected to meet the needs of researchers and scientists.

Applications of Glass Droppers in Education
Scientific Experiments
Glass droppers are indispensable in scientific experiments where precise measurements of liquids are required. They are often used in chemistry and biology classes to add reagents to solutions without disturbing the concentration.
Art Projects
In addition to scientific applications, glass droppers can also be used in art projects. They offer a unique way to apply paint or ink, allowing students to experiment with different techniques and effects.
Pharmaceutical Education
In pharmaceutical training, glass droppers are used to teach students how to accurately dose medications. This is a crucial skill for future pharmacists and medical professionals.

Benefits of Glass Droppers
Precision
One of the greatest benefits of glass droppers is their precision. They allow users to dispense liquids in very small amounts, which is essential for many scientific and medical applications.
Durability
Glass droppers are durable and, with proper maintenance, can last for years. Compared to plastic droppers, they are less susceptible to chemical reactions and deformation. Of course the durability also depends on the glass packaging solutions.
Environmental Friendliness
Glass droppers are more environmentally friendly than their plastic counterparts. They are reusable and can be easily recycled, contributing to a reduction in plastic waste.

Maintenance and Safety
Cleaning Glass Droppers
It is important to properly clean glass droppers to prevent cross-contamination and residue buildup. They can be cleaned with warm water and soap, and if necessary, sterilized in an autoclave.

]]> Mon, 30 Dec 2024 08:59:00 GMT https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/?the-ultimate-glossary-for-glass-droppers-in-education https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/rss/000000028 <![CDATA[Wh - questions Activity for ESL Students and Primary School]]> imblog Are you looking for an idea how to teach question structurs to your ESL kids? Here is presented a Wh- question activity which helps them with practising word order in English questions.

Age: 10-12
Language focus: Wh- question structure in present tense
Materials:
  • a poster with scrambled sentences,
  • word cards to make questions,
  • worksheets for additional practise

Procedure:
  1. Firstly, attache the poster with scrambled sentences to the board and ask students to make as many question as they can with given words. They can write them down in their notebooks or say aloud in turns. Optionally you can write scrambled sentences on the board.

Word order in English questions

2. Then divide students into groups of three and distribute the word cards. Click on the image below to download word cards for Wh-questions.

Questions structures for ESL kids

3. Students cut out the word cards and put them face down on the table. Each student take one card with a question mark.

4. Then they draw word cards in turn.

5. The student who gathers enough words to make a correct question is a winner and gets a point.

6. Students put all the cards together face down on the table and mix them. Then the next round begins.

Word order in English sentences for EFL students

7. The winner of the Wh- question game is the one who wins the most rounds and gets the most points.

8. If your students need more practise to master word order in English questions, you can choose some of these printable worksheets for Wh- questions.

I hope you find Wh- question activity useful to practise word order in enjoyable way. Leave a comment if you have any feedback or suggestions.

]]> Mon, 26 Aug 2024 12:10:00 GMT https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/?wh-questions-activity https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/rss/000000009 <![CDATA[Teaching English to Children with Special Educational Needs in Primary School]]> imblog
Many educators wonder how to teach English to different types of special needs children in primary school. Particularly if there are many such as students in class. In this article you can find a list of some difficulties that special needs children struggle at school. As well as several teaching techniques which would help in teaching English to children with special educational needs in primary school.


Special educational needs in English language teaching


Characteristic of children with special educational needs
Different sorts of special educational needs are marked by various distinguishing characterictics. However there are some typical difficulties that special needs children have to contend with. Children with special educational needs mostly are featured by:

·       low perceptiveness,
·       short concentration span,
·       low motivation,
·       a slow work pace,
·       a low level of self-guided learning,
·       difficulties with understanding and following instructions,
·       poor spatial awareness,
·       difficulties with abstract and conceptual thinking,
·       poor graphomotor and handwriting skills,
·       low visual and auditory perception,
·       low self-esteem.



Tips for English language teaching to children with special educational needs

Children with special educational needs in English classroom

1.    Setting goals
At the beginnig of each lesson students need to get to know what is purpose of the lesson. It helps students to pay attention to the most important learning aspects.

2.    Repetition
Each lesson should be started with short revision what children have been learnt at the last lesson. What is more, it is necessery to come back ocassionally to earlier introduced material at the opportunity of connected topics.

3.    Additional time
Children with special educational needs often need some extra time to finish the task. To avoid unnecessery stress or strain, they should work in their own pace. From time to time they also need a short break to get energy to keep learning.

4.    Multisensory aproach
As special needs children can be easily distracted and they have difficulties with abstract thinking. It seems to be sensible to gather their attention on visuals such as flashcards or posters. Bringing realia or using TPR activities during English language teaching would be useful as well. More senses they use more they learn.

5.    Information highlightening
Special needs children have difficulties with distinguishing between key information and less important aspects. That is why, it is worth making an effort and repeat crucial issues and concepts. Encourage students to highlight the most important information in their notes and give them some tips how to do that.

6.    Formative assessment
Istead of traditional marking strategies much better is assessment for learning. Giving feedback, what special needs students have already learnt and what they have to work on, is much more meaningful for them. It also motivate to go on learning.

7.    Inforamtive instructions
Long and complicated instructions get children with special educational needs confused. They should be as short, informative and clear as possible.

All these tips presented above are apropriate not only for children with special educational needs but also for those who do not require additional attention. That is why it is worth considernig them when planning lessons. The teaching techniques mentioned in this article may help all your students learn more effectively.

Leave a comment if you find these teaching tips useful.
Enjoy teaching with Teacher’s Zone 😊
                                                                                   ]]> Mon, 05 Feb 2024 16:06:00 GMT https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/?teaching-english-to-children-with-special-educational-needs-in-primary-school https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/rss/00000001C <![CDATA[5 Simple Steps You Need to Get the Best Tutor and Start Learning English Online]]> imblog
Introduction
Attending live English classes with an inspiring teacher is the perfect way to strengthen your listening, reading, writing and speaking skills. When asked, the majority of students say that their private academic English tutor motivates and supports them to achieve their learning objectives. Finding the right private English tutor for your unique learning needs is crucial.

With thousands of private academic tutors available out there for you to pick from, it has never been an easy task. Luckily, a few factors to consider are available to make sure you find the perfect private academic English tutor. Let’s read on to find out more.

5 Simple Steps You Need to Get the Best Tutor and Start Learning English Online


Check Academic English Tutor’s Credentials and Experience
It’s highly advisable to consider the credentials and experience of the private academic tutor in question before you can decide to hire them. Due to the setup of numerous academic English language learning platforms, it’s challenging to find a teacher with the right background.

However, top-rated learning platforms make it easier to find private academic tutors with the right background, suitable credentials, and many years of experience. These platforms assess all of their tutors to make sure that the search process is easier and straightforward for all learners.

They usually have unique search filters that can help you find the right private academic English teacher. When looking for the right teacher, you simply need to tick the boxes of what you want to learn and what exams to take. A list of teachers with the right expertise will pop up. You’ll need to quickly check each teacher’s bio to find the perfect match for you.

Listen to the Academic Tutor’s Accent and Dialect
With over 1.55 billion English speakers and approximately 4000 million native speakers globally, many dialects, accents, and ways of speaking English are available. Since you’re more likely to adopt a teacher’s way of speaking English and communicating after taking your classes, you need to determine the right dialect and accent.

To find an academic tutor with the right accent and dialect, you need to know why you're learning English. You’ll need to look for teachers who are natives of the countries you want to learn their accent and dialect. You’ll learn how they speak and take on their culture.

Sometimes, you'll just fall in love with a certain accent or dialect, let's say that of UK English. If a British accent sounds excellent and charming, a UK native academic tutor is the perfect option for you. Keep in mind that not all platforms will allow you to search for teachers with a specific accent or dialect.

Only top-rated ones will do. The best platforms usually have the state of birth search filter. Also, they have a worldwide global network of private academic teachers that offer unique accents and dialects.

Academic Tutor’s Personality
Every English teacher on the best language teaching platform has a detailed bio. The bio outlines their interests, style, and employment history. Also, tutor introductory videos are available on tutor profile pages, together with honest ratings and student testimonials to provide you with insights into their personality and classes.

Also, you can find academic tutors on the platform and send them messages to find solutions to specific concerns and questions prior to booking trial lessons to see if they offer what you need.

Know the Time and Resources You Want to Invest in
It’s also important to know the amount of time and money you want to invest in your English classes. If you dedicate many hours to learning English, you’ll improve your skills faster. Also, it’s important to keep in mind that distributed practice is effective compared to massed practice when it comes to learning and retention.

It’s therefore better to have shorter English classes more often than longer ones but less frequently. Many top-rated English learning platforms allow learners to save some money down the line when they register for more classes.

Take an Academic English Trial Lesson Before You Fully Commit
A trial class is the perfect way to see if the teacher meets your unique needs. These trial lessons allow you to determine how effective the methodology of the academic teacher will be in helping you fulfill your needs and reach your goals. Try to be active during your trial class, and ask questions such as:
  • What educational materials and tools does the academic tutor use?
  • What do the tutor’s class plans look like?
  • How can the tutor help you prepare for your English exams, interviews, or presentations?

Also, it’s a great idea to learn about the teacher’s hobbies and likes. Apart from helping you establish strong rapport, talking about the interests of your teacher is the perfect way to gauge how easy it’ll be to practice your conversation skills in the next classes.

Keep in mind that not all learning platforms offer trial classes. While most of them aren’t free, they’ve got a satisfaction guarantee. If the teacher doesn’t meet your expectations, you can ask for a refund or tutor replacement.

What makes a perfect academic English teacher depends on your needs and requirements. Therefore, attending tailor-made lessons offered by a professional with the right experience and expertise is the perfect way to improve your English skills.
]]> Fri, 17 Nov 2023 16:56:00 GMT https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/?5-simple-steps-you-need-to-get-the-best-tutor-and-start-learning-english-online https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/rss/000000026 <![CDATA[Autumn game]]> imblog
Autumn time is a great opportunity to teach common vocabulary related to autumn such as: an acorn, a mushroom, an apple, grapes, leaves or a pumpkin. I would like to present an autumn game which is a perfect way to practice autumn vocabulary with young ESL learners.
 
 
 
Age: 4-10
 
Language focus:
 
- autumn vocabulary (in the example: acorn, apple, mushroom, pumpkin, leaves)
 
Materials: flashcards, a set of small pictures (about eight of each kind), a dice, a pawn

Autumn vocabulary for young ESL learners

Procedure:
 
1. Students play in groups of 3 or 4.
 
2. Put flashcards in the circle on the floor. In the middle of the circle put five piles of small autumn pictures (as in the picture below). The counter is placed on the one of the pictures.

Autumn game for primary school and kindergarten

 
 
3. Students throw the dice one by one and move the pawn clockwise.
 
4. When they stop on one of the flashcards they say the word and take a small picture of the same kind.
 
5. The winner is the first one who collects three pictures of one kind.
 
 

Teaching tips:
 
To make the autumn game more challenging small pictures in the middle of the circle can be put face down and students draw them. If they find the same picture as the chosen flashcard, they have the point. If not they put back the drawn picture on the same place in the middle of the circle. The winner is the student who has three small pictures of the same kind.

Enjoy:)
]]> Tue, 10 Oct 2023 08:21:00 GMT https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/?autumn-game https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/rss/000000021 <![CDATA[Systems of linear Equations: Explained with Methods for Finding Solutions]]> imblog
Math teachin tips

Solving a system of linear equations has multiple methods available to find the solution. These methods include substitution, cross-multiplication, elimination, and more. However, we will focus on the elimination method and substitution method only.

The elimination and substitution methods will be covered in this article, and the reader will learn how to use these techniques to solve a system of linear equations. Further, we will provide step-by-step solutions to several examples using both methods.

What is the system of linear equations?
A linear equation is an algebraic equation where the highest power of each variable is one. The general form of a linear equation with two variables is ax + by = c, where a, b, and c are constants. A system of linear equations is a collection of two or more linear equations that involve the same variables, and solving them to find a set of values that make all the equations in the system accurate.

Methods for Finding Solutions of linear equations
 
1.   Elimination method
 
The elimination method is a technique used to determine the solution of the system of linear equations. The coefficient of one variable in both equations should be equal in this method. Eliminate one variable by adding or subtracting the equations. This results in a new equation with only one variable, which can be solved easily.

The value of this variable can be used to determine the value of the other variable in the given system. The elimination method considers more efficient when the coefficient of the variables are relatively simple.

Solving the system of linear equations by elimination method
 
We will explore the process of solving a pair of linear equations by the elimination method.
 
  • Multiply one or both of the equations by any suitable non-zero constant, such that one variable’s coefficient in both equations becomes equal.
  • Check out the sign of the equal coefficient. If they have similar signs, subtract the system of linear equations. Add a system of linear equations if they have opposite signs.
  • Here, one variable will be eliminated, and calculate the value of other variables.  
  • Put this value in any given equation to get the value of another unknown variable.
  • Check the solution by putting the values of both variables into the system of linear equations to make sure the equation is satisfied.

Example
 
Solve the following system of linear equations using the elimination method
 
x + 2y = 3
 
2x + y = 6

Solution
 
Given the system of linear equation
 
x + 2y = 3_____ (i)
 
2x + y = 6_____ (ii)

Step 1. In the first step, we equate the coefficient (either variable x or y). To equate the coefficient of y, multiply equation (ii) by 2. We have
 

4x + 2y = 12_____ (iii)

 
Step 2. The coefficient of variable y is equal in equation (i) and equation (iii), but they have a similar sign, so subtract equation
(i) from (iii)
 
 


x = 3
 
Step 3. Put x = 3 in equation (i) i.e.
 
3 + 2y = 3
 
 
Step 4. Simplify the equation
 
3 + 2y = 3
 
2y = 3 – 3
 
2y = 0
 
y = 0 / 2 = 0
 
y = 0
 
So, x = 3, and y = 0 are the required solution of the given system of linear equations.

A system of equations calculator is a helpful way to solve system of linear equations with steps to get rid of lengthy calculations by manual method.
math teaching tips

2.   Substitution method
 
The substitution method is a useful mathematical tool to determine a set of linear equations by solving one equation for the value of one variable in terms of the other variables, and then putting this value into the other given equation. A new equation with a single variable, which can be easily computed, is produced by this step.
 
To determine the value of another variable, substitute the computed value back into any given equation.
Using the substitution method to find the solution of a linear equation
 
To determine the system of linear equations by substitution method, follow the given steps.
 
  • Determine the value of one variable in terms of other variables.
  • Substitute this expression into the other equation, creating a new equation with a single variable.
  • After obtaining the new equation, solve it to determine the value of one of the variables.
  • Put the value of the solved variable into another equation to get the value of other variables.
  • In order to confirm the solution, substitute the values of both variables into the system of linear equations to make sure the equation is satisfied.

Example
 
Solve the following system of linear equations by the substitution method
 
x + 2y = 3
 
2x + y = 6
 
Solution
 
x + 2y = 3_____ (i)
 
2x + y = 6_____ (ii)

Step 1. Determine the value of one variable (either x or y) in terms of other variables from any given equation.
 
From equation (ii), we get
 
y = 6 - 2x
 
Step 2. Put this value in equation (i), and we have
 
x + 2 (6 - 2x) = 3
 
x + 12 - 4x = 3
 
12 - 3x = 3
 
- 3x = 3 - 12
 
- 3x = - 9
 
x = - 9 / - 3 = 3
 
x = 3
 
Step 3. Put x = 3 in equation (i) i.e.
 
3 + 2y = 3
 
2y = 0
 
y = 0 / 2
 
y = 0
 
y = 0
 
Hence, x = 3, and y = 0 are required solutions.

Conclusion
In this article, we have covered the elimination and substitution methods, for solving a system of linear equations. We described steps to solve the linear equation system using both methods. The choice of method depends on the nature of the given equations. Further, we solved some examples by using both methods.

It is essential to practice solving problems using both methods to better understand of linear equations and improve problem-solving skills.
Author Bio
Jessica Helen is a highly experienced and passionate mathematician. Jessica Helen is not only an expert in her field, but she is also a natural educator, making even the most complex mathematical concepts approachable and engaging for students and enthusiasts alike. His unique writing style blends clarity and simplicity, making her blog a go-to resource for students, educators, and math enthusiasts worldwide.
]]> Thu, 13 Apr 2023 07:28:00 GMT https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/?systems-of-linear-equations--explained-with-methods-for-finding-solutions https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/rss/000000025 <![CDATA[Stand up and sit down flashcards activity]]> imblog
The goal of this activity is to teach recognition of new vocabulary. When the children are able to recognize them confidently they are ready to use the language in productive way. You can use any vocabulary you need in this activity.



Age: 4-10

 
Language focus: any familiar words

 
Materials: flashcards (any vocabulary you are going to teach)

 
Procedure:
 
1. Divide the class into 2-6 groups.
 
2. Students sit on the floor in the circle.
 
3. Put 3-6 flashcards in front of each group.
 
4. Say one word and students from the right group should stand up.
 
5. Continue with other words.

 
Teaching tips:
 
- Alternatively students from each group can say different words from the flashcards.

Enjoy teaching with the Teacher's Zone website :) Leave a comment if you find useful this teaching idea.
]]> Mon, 06 Feb 2023 08:29:00 GMT https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/?stand-up-and-sit-down-flashcards-activity https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/rss/000000024 <![CDATA[Counting songs and rhymes]]> imblog
Counting songs and rhymes are fantastic teaching resources not only for children who learn to count in their own language, but also for ESL kids. Repeating the songs and rhymes over and over again students build their confidence in counting.

There are many traditional counting songs and rhymes you can use in class. However, it is important to take into acount the level of difficulty of other vocabulary. You can also change a little bit the words to make the song/rhyme suitable for your students and your teaching goals. I would like to present several examples of songs/rhymes to get the children to practise counting in context.


1. Five little ducks

Before singing, tell the children the story of the five little ducks using pictures or puppets to introduce the vocabulary from the song. As children become familiar with the song they can sing it in many different ways. They can make their own puppets to present the song. They can also show the numbers with their fingers or act out the song in groups.

Counting song / rhyme for preschoolers and ESL kids

Five little ducks went out one day
Over the hill and far away
Mother duck said, "Quack, quack, quack, quack"
But only four little ducks came back

One, two, three, four

Four little ducks went out one day
Over the hill and far away
Mother duck said, "Quack, quack, quack, quack"
But only three little ducks came back

One, two, three

Three little ducks went out one day
Over the hill and far away
Mother duck said, "Quack, quack, quack, quack"
But only two little ducks came back

One, two

Two little ducks went out one day
Over the hill and far away
Mother duck said, "Quack, quack, quack, quack"
But only one little duck came back

One

One little duck went out one day
Over the hill and far away
Mother duck said, "Quack, quack, quack, quack"
But none of the five little ducks came back

Sad mother duck went out one day
Over the hill and far away
Mother duck said, "Quack, quack, quack, quack"
And all of the five little ducks came back

Five little ducks went out one day
Over the hill and far away
Mother duck said, "Quack, quack, quack, quack"
And all of the five little ducks came back


2. Five little monkeys jumping on the bed

This song includes counting and lots of movement which children just love. To act out this song your students can make finger puppets or headbands of monkeys.

Five little monkeys jumping on the bed
One fell off and bumped his head
Mama called the doctor and the doctor said
"No more monkeys jumping on the bed"

Four little monkeys jumping on the bed
One fell off and bumped his head
Mama called the doctor and the doctor said
"No more monkeys jumping on the bed"

Three little monkeys jumping on the bed
One fell off and bumped his head
Mama called the doctor and the doctor said
"No more monkeys jumping on the bed"

Two little monkeys jumping on the bed
One fell off and bumped his head
Mama called the doctor and the doctor said
"No more monkeys jumping on the bed"

One little monkey jumping on the bed
One fell off and bumped his head
Mama called the doctor and the doctor said
"No more monkeys jumping on the bed"


3. Five little monkeys swinging in the tree

This rhyme is quite similar to the previous song, but with slightly different vocabulary. To present it you can use the same puppets or headbands that was used to the 'Five little monkeys jumping on the bed' song. To find the text of this rhyme click the picture below.




4. One potato, two potatoes

Teaching counting to seven you can use 'One potato, two potatoes' song. My favourite version is that from Super Simple Songs. You can also change 'potatoes' for example into tomatoes or cucumbers.

One potato, two potatoes, three potatoes, four.
Five potatoes, six potatoes, seven potatoes, more.
One potato, two potatoes, three potatoes, four.
Five potatoes, six potatoes, seven potatoes, more.


5. Ten little Indians

This version is simplified to put more emphasis on numbers and counting. There are many popular adaptations of this song, where the word 'Indians' are changed into pumpkins, elves, Leprechauns, butterflies, dinosaurs, etc.

One little, two little, three little Indians,
Four little, five little, six little Indians,
Seven little, eight little, nine little Indians,
Ten little Indian boys.

Ten little, nine little, eight little Indians,
Seven little, six little, five little Indians,
Four little, three little, two little Indians,
One little Indian boy.



6. There were ten in the bed

If you plan teaching counting to ten, you can use this well known 'There were ten in the bed' song. It needs no preperations to act out this song in class.

There were ten in the bed
And the little one said,
"Roll over, roll over."
So they all rolled over and one fell out.

There were nine in the bed
And the little one said,
"Roll over, roll over."
So they all rolled over and one fell out.

There were eight in the bed
And the little one said,
"Roll over, roll over."
So they all rolled over and one fell out.

There were seven in the bed
And the little one said,
"Roll over, roll over."
So they all rolled over and one fell out.

There were six in the bed
And the little one said,
"Roll over, roll over."
So they all rolled over and one fell out.

There were five in the bed
And the little one said,
"Roll over, roll over."
So they all rolled over and one fell out.

There were four in the bed
And the little one said,
"Roll over, roll over."
So they all rolled over and one fell out.

There were three in the bed
And the little one said,
"Roll over, roll over."
So they all rolled over and one fell out.

There were two in the bed
And the little one said,
"Roll over, roll over."
So they all rolled over and one fell out.

There was one in the bed
And the little one said, "Goodnight!"


7. Big numbers song

The last but not least on my favourite counting songs and rhymes list is 'Big numbers song'. I use it when my students are able to count easily up to twenty. It is a great counting song to begin each lesson as a class routine. As it is quite challenging to keep up with the pace I also use it as a warm up before speaking activities. But most of all I use it very often in my class because my students ask about this song at the beginning of each lesson.  



]]> Mon, 09 Jan 2023 20:18:00 GMT https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/?counting-songs-and-rhymes https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/rss/000000023 <![CDATA[6 Ways to Revise Vocabulary with ESL Students]]> imblog
Teaching ESL students, apart from presenting and practicing new vocabulary, it is vital to revise it. The best way to commit new words and expressions to long-term memory is coming frequently back to well-known material. For instance, ESL teacher can introduce word games or the learners can read or listen again the texts have been studied before.

Ways to revise vocabulary with ELT students

 
There are several useful and enjoyable revision techniques worth presenting here:

1. Associations
 
This technique can be helpful in revising written or spoken language. The teacher gives a key word and the learners list their associations. For example, a key word can be ‘food’ and associations: cheese, tasty, to eat, bread, dinner etc. It can be used to revise vocabulary from a particular unit, text or topic area.
 
Another type of the technique is when the teacher gives the first word, a learner mentions his association and then this word becomes a key word for the next learner. For instance: water – to swim – a swimming pool – a lifeguard – a beach – holiday – summer – green - eyes etc.
 
2. Three of a kind
   
In this technique ESL students give three nouns related to a topic word given by the teacher such as ‘animal’ (e.g. a cat, a dog, a hamster) , ‘job’ (e.g. a pilot, a nurse, a teacher), ‘fruit’ (e.g. an apple, a pear, a plum)etc. There can be more than three words related depend on the level of the learners e.g. “Six of a kind”.

3. Odd one out  
 
ESL teacher gives four words and there is one among them that does not fit the rest. For, example, there are given words such as June, April, Monday, January – the word should be out is Monday that is not a month. It is also possible to ask the learner to explain why he/she choose the word  as the odd one out.

4. Memory
 
This technique stimulates visual memory of ESL students. There are two types of this game. In the first version, one piece of paper features a word in English and the other has a picture on it. In the second version, on separate cards there is a word in English and a word in a mother tongue to match. The task is to find a pair: a word in English and its picture equivalent or the same word in L1.

On the Teacher's Zone website you cam find some examples of memory games:

5. Throwing and catching
 
You can use his technique to revise the sequence of words (e.g. numbers, months, days of the week). The teacher needs a ball or a soft toy. He/she says the first number / month / day and throws the ball to a learner. After catching the ball the student is supposed to say the next number / month / day, and throw the ball to another student. It is also possible to give words in reverse order – from the last to the first.

6. Categories
 
This technique is useful if you want to revise several vocabulary groups. The only thing you need to do the task is a piece of paper and a pencil for each student or a group of students. Click here to get to know how to play the game.
 
Besides special techniques to revise vocabulary, it is also a good idea to come back to known lexical material during introducing  new grammar structures. The more you revise the vocabulary has been taught, the better your students will remember it. They will able to use it fluently whenever it is necessary.]]> Mon, 17 Oct 2022 07:48:00 GMT https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/?6-ways-to-revise-vocabulary-with-esl-students https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/rss/000000020 <![CDATA[Mr Crocodile, can we cross the river? – Game for ESL Young Learners]]> imblog
Mr Crocodile, can we cross the river? is one of the games that my students very often ask me to play. This traditional English game is engaging and perfectly suited to ESL young learners. You can play it with small or big groups, indoors or outside. You do not need any materials, but if you want to make it a little bit more attractive you can bring some gadgets.

Mr Crocodile, can we cross the river? - activity for ESL kids

Age: 4-10

 
Language focus:
 
- clothes,
 
- colours,
 
- appearance,
 
- conditions: If you have got… / you are wearing… / you are…
 
- questions: Can we…?

 
Materials: none; optionally (especially playing with the little ones):
 
- a blue or green scarf,
 
- a toy crocodile or a headband with a crocodile
 
- flashcards (colours, clothes, body parts)

Mr Crocodile, can we cross the river? - activity for ESL kids

 
Procedure:
 
1. Put the scarf on the floor in the middle of the classroom. It pretends a river.

 
2. Students sit or stand on one side of the scarf/ the river bank.

 
3. The teacher pretends to be a crocodile and goes along the scarf/river while children ask chorally: Please Mr Crocodile, can we cross the river?

 
4. Then the teacher answers making a conditio. For example: Yes, you can, but only if you have something blue / you are wearing jeans / you have long hair, etc. If it is necessary, you can show pictures to help your students to understand Mr Crocodile’s conditio.

 
5. Children who meet the condition are safe to cross the river freely. They move to the other side of the classroom above the scarf on the floor.

 
6. After that  rest of the group crosses the river trying to avoid getting caught by the crocodile.

 
7. Whoever is caught becomes the new Mr Crocodile.

 
8. Continue the game with the new Mr Crocodile helping students to ask questions and make conditions (the younger the students, the more suport they need)

Playing this game ESL young learners can use the language naturally in combination with physical activity. You can play not only in the classroom but also outside. Wherever we play Mr Crocodile, can we cross the river? we always have fun together learning English.

Try also an activity for preschoolers based on 'Five little monkeys swinging in the tree' chant.

What are favourite games of your students?
]]> Sun, 04 Sep 2022 13:18:00 GMT https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/?mr-crocodile,-can-we-cross-the-river-game-for-esl-young-learners https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/rss/00000001F <![CDATA[Teach ESL Kids How to Remember New English Vocabulary]]> imblog
Every new word or fixed expression that is taught in a foreign language should be followed by lots of practice. Presentation new English vocabulary should be supported by additional techniques to practice and memorise new material. In another case ESL kids can know vocabulary but they will experience difficulty in bringing to mind the right expression or using it in context. Here are presented some useful techniques to remember and consolidate new English vocabulary that you teach.

 
English vocabulary for ESL primary studentsDrawings
Students draw pictures illustrating new words in English or collect thematically connected items around one picture. It can be a seedbed to label the items on the picture, make sentences with new English vocabulary, describe what is going on the illustration or discuss more abstract issues with your ESL kids.
 



 

Mind maps
Mind maps help ESL kids to organize their vocabulary around a single topic. Creating a mind map is an ideal opportunity for your students to put all English words and phrases they know together. It is useful especially preparing for discussion on a specific subject.


ComicsTeaching tips for primary school
Sequence of pictures is drawn and then some texts are added in the bubbles. This technique is a great way to put phrases that are taught in the meaningful context created by students themselves. These dialogues from the comics can be practiced in pairs or small groups.
 

 

Calligrams
Students create pictures by the words which illustrate their meaning. New English vocabulary or phrases are written in such a way that expresses what they say and helps to learn them by heart. This technique matches greatly learning of a foreign language and ESL kids’ art creativity.
 
 
Associations
A new word in English can be associated with another one thematically connected, with its function or with some places. Associations between words and expression can be different even absurd, but each one is good if it makes remembering new English vocabulary easier.
 
 
Games and playGames and play for primary students
The best way for ESL kids to learn new English vocabulary are games and play. These are the most natural and the funniest activities for children. They have learnt their mother tongue this way and that is why they should learn a foreign language in the same way.
   


Imitation
ESL kids should experience as many as possible oportunities to listen and repeat a foreign language they have learnt. Repeating new English vocabulary and phrases after a teacher or a recording should be introduced gradually - at first in chorus and then the number of the repeating learners should be reduced to individual repetitions.


Rhymes, songs, stories for primary schoolSongs, rhymes and stories
 
Songs, rhymes and stories which are attuned perfectly to ESL kids needs can be effective teaching strategy. They not only help children remember English vocabulary and structures, but also practice listening and speaking skills. Besides, these teaching techniques help with creating friendly and motivating atmosphere to learn, as children love singing and listening to stories.


 
ESL kids should be taught that see or hear a new English word once is not enough to remember and use it properly. The role of a teacher is to organize English lessons so that ESL kids could practise new English vocabulary in many different ways and situations.

I hope that the tips given above will help you to teach ESL kids how to remember English vocabulary.
]]> Mon, 22 Aug 2022 08:58:00 GMT https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/?teach-esl-kids-how-to-remember-new-english-vocabulary https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/rss/74e75249 <![CDATA[Developing Communication Skills Among ESL Students in Primary School]]> imblog
A vital goal of teaching a foreign language is developing students' communication skills. They should be improved gradually among ESL students in primary school. Communication activities need to be adjusted to children’s age and stage of their development. In this post you can find some methodes and techniques how to improve foreign language skills in a child-friendly way.

 
 
Vocabulary
 
New vocabulary items and lexical chunks are the base of communication skills. They should be familiar to students in their mother tongue. They need to be connected with children’s interests and name objects around them. You can make memorization process easier and faster using flashcards, posters and illustrations as you teach new vocabulary. Whereas songs, rhymes and chants make the process long lasting and enjoyable. What is more, ESL students learn correct pronunciation and grammar structures by songs as well as how the words work together.

 
 
Listening skills
 
Listening comprehension exercises take various forms and their choice depends on teaching goals. At the beginning children listen to new vocabulary and try to recognize and remember them. Then they can listen new lexical items in simple content of a song or rhyme. Students listen to short dialogues packed with new vocabulary in chunks too. When they are familiarised with new words and structures they are ready to listen to a story on the topic. Even if it contains more complicated expressions and structures, when it is supported by colourful pictures, sound effects or well known context, students are able to understand general sense of the story.

 
 
Speaking skills
 
Speaking is crucial for improving communication skills. The main goal of speaking activities in ESL primary classroom is to encourage students to use a target language and build their self-esteem as foreign language speakers. That is why, children need to know some words, expressions and structures which they can use playing games, creating their own statements and dialogues or taking part in short performences and school plays. Additionaly, they are motivated to practise pronunciation, word stress and intonation during singing songs and speaking poems.

 
 
Reading and writing skills
 
The improvement of reading and writing skills among ESL students in primary school should be heavily dependent on literacy abilities in their mother tongue. At first children read and match single words to the pictures. Then they trace or rewrite them. After that they read simple sentences and write down missing words in gaps. That way they are getting ready for reading more complex texts and writing their own simple sentences, short dialogues and esseys in the future. They can practise these skills using reading comprehension and writing worksheets.

 
 
Developing communication skills of ESL learners is for sure a fundamental teaching purpose in primary school. It can be easily achieved if a teacher takes into account students’ interests, internal curiosity and their need to communicate with others. Playing games, singing songs and creating presentations they learn a foreign language in a natural and giving pleasure way.

To develope English language skills of your ESL students you can use variety ready-to-use worksheets and activities on many topics available on the Teacher's Zone website for free. Enjoy teaching :)

]]> Wed, 20 Apr 2022 08:57:00 GMT https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/?developing-communication-skills-among-esl-students-in-primary-school https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/rss/000000018 <![CDATA[FOOD GROUPS - CLIL lesson plan]]> imblog
The aim of this lesson is to teach food items which are split according to the groups of food they belong to. Products are divided into four food groups: fish & meat, fruit & vegetables, dairy products and grain products. It is also an oportunity to talk about students' likes and dislikes or what is healthy for us.
 

Nutrition CLIL lesson plan for primary school

 
Age: 8-12
 
Time: 90 minutes
 
Language focus:
 
- food groups: fish and meat, fruit and vegetables, dairy products, grain products,
 
- any food items (in the example: apples, pasta, strawberries,  peppers, tuna, meatballs, tomatoes, bananas, rolls, carrots, broccoli,  lettuce, rice, cherries, beef, butter, spinach, buckwheat groats, cream, baguette, cheese, chicken, milk, steak, cereal, sardines, bacon,  salmon, bread, cottage cheese, ham, yoghurt, sausages)
 
Materials:
 
- word cards: food items and food groups (to download the word cards click here)
 
- four sheets of paper (red, blue, yellow, green)
 
- paper for notes and pens
 
- a set of word cards and a bottle of water (one for each group of three or four students)
 
Food groups - CLIL lesson plan
 
 
Procedure:
 
1. Revise food vocabulary – divide students into groups of three and ask them to write down as many food items as they remember for three minutes. Then ask them to read their ideas in turns.
 
2. Attach food groups word cards to the board and ask students to match food items word cards to the right group.

Food groups - CLIL lesson plan for ESL kids

 
3. Then students can play Food Groups game in groups of three or four.
 

Click on the image below to find the instruction to the game.

Food - activity for ESL students
 
 

4. For more practise students can:
- make notes in their notebooks,
- prepare a poster including their favourite products from each food group,
- do ready-to-use exercises for food groups

CLIL lesson plan for primary school   CLIL lesson plan for primary kids

Enjoy teaching about nutrition and the foreign language at the same time. If you like the post and find it useful, please leave a comment and share this CLIL lesson plan for food groups.  
]]> Mon, 07 Mar 2022 15:34:00 GMT https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/?food-groups-clil-lesson-plan https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/rss/000000011 <![CDATA[Lesson Plan to Introduce Winter Clothes Vocabulary]]> imblog
As it is snowy and frosty outside, the time is perfect to introduce winter clothes vocabulary to your young students. If you bring realia to the classroom your lesson will be memorable, motivating and enjoyable. Children will learn new winter words easily and they will remember them longer.



 
 
Age: 3-8
 
Time: 30 minutes
 
Language focus:
- winter clothes (in the example: hat, scarf, coat, mittens, boots)
- parts of the body
- structures:
  • Do we need … for winter?
  • We need … (a hat) to keep our … (head) warm.
  • Put on … (mittens) to keep your … (hands) warm
  • Take off your … (coat).
       
Materials: a bag full of both winter and summer clothes (for example: a hat, a scarf, mittens, boots, a T-shirt, shorts, a swimsuit, flip-flops etc.), winter clothes worksheets.
 
Procedure:
  1. Students sit in the circle on the floor.
  2. Take the clothes out of the bag one by one, say their names and ask your students to repeat new words. Spread the clothes out on the floor.
  3. Ask which clothes we need for snowy weather. Point to each piece of clothing and ask: Do we need …. (a hat) for winter?  Put the clothes we do not need for cold weather back to the bag and leave only winter clothes on the floor.
  4. Ask children why we need to wear these clothes when it is snowy and frosty outside. Let them add missing body parts in sentences like this:
    
We need a hat to keep our … (head) warm.
 
We need a scarf to keep our … (neck) warm.
 
We need a coat to keep our … (body) warm.
 
We need mittens to keep our … (hands) warm.
 
We need boots to keep our … (feet) warm.

5. Children stand in the circle listen to the teacher’s instructions and pretend to put on winter clothes. The teacher shows the right piece of clothing and says:
  
Put on your boots to keep your feet warm.
 
Put on your coat to keep your body warm.
 
Put on your scarf to keep your neck warm.
 
Put on your hat to keep your hat warm.
 
Put on your mittens to keep your hands warm.

 
6. Then ask them to take off their pretend winter clothes in inverse order:
  
Take off your mittens.
 
Take off your hat., etc.

7. Distribute the winter clothes worksheets and ask children to colour outfits for the snow.

 
Click an image below to download winter clothes worksheet for free.

Winter clothes activities for ESL kids

Enjoy teaching with Teacher’s Zone ideas and materials 😊
]]> Mon, 10 Jan 2022 16:13:00 GMT https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/?lesson-plan-to-introduce-winter-clothes-vocabulary https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/rss/000000019 <![CDATA[How to Teach Simple Past Regular and Irregular Verbs]]> imblog
If you are looking for ideas how to teach Simple Past regular and irregular verbs to your primary students you are in the right place. You can find here some ideas and resources that can help your students to memorize verb forms faster and learn in a pleasure way.

 Regular and irregular past forms for primary school
 
Past Simple memory game
 
Encourage your students to learn Simple Past verb forms playing Memory game in groups. They can learn and have fun at the same time.
 
Simple Past memory game rules:
 
1.   Click a link below and download memory cards from the Teacher’s Zone website:
     
2. Print and cut the Simple Past memory cards out.
 
3. Divide students into groups of four and distribute one set of memory cards for each group.
 
4. Students put the cards facedown.
 
5. They randomly flip two of them and say the words aloud.
 
6. If the uncovered cards match (matching cards are basic verb form and Simple Past verb form), remove and keep the pair of cards. Then get another turn as a reward.
 
7. If the uncovered cards do not match, the two visible cards are flipped to be facedown.
 
8. The winner is the player with the most pairs of cards.


 
Past Simple domino game
 
Another form of learning through play is Domino game. This activity is a great way to learn by heart easily.

Simple Past domino game rules:
 
1. Click a link below and download domino cards from the Teacher’s Zone website:
     
2. Print and cut out domino cards.
 
3. Divide students into groups of four and distribute one set of domino cards for each group.
 
4. Students turn domino cards face down on the table and shuffle them.
 
5. Each player draw 3 cards and the other dominoes are used as a draw pile.
 
6. The first player choose a domino from the draw pile and place it in the middle of the table.
 
7. Continue to play clockwise. The next player selects the domino from his cards. Matching cards are basic verb form and Simple Past form. If one of the cards matches she/he sets the domino in the middle of the table. If none of dominoes can be played, the player picks a card from the draw pile.
 
8. The game ends when the domino sets close the circle.
 
9. The first student who gets rid of his last domino card is the winner.


  
Mysterious story
 
Creating a mysterious story with given verbs can help your students to use Simple Past forms of the verbs in sentences and memorize them in context. There are two versions of this activity. You can write five to ten past form verbs on the board and ask students to create their own mysterious stories using these words in any order. Another version of this task is to give one verb to write a sentence and after that the next one to create the following part of the story. You can continue the activity with any numbers of verbs.

 Regular and irregular past tense verbs for ESL students
  
Simple Past verbs printable exercises
 
 
For more practise of Simple Past regular and irregular verb forms you can download and print worksheets from the Teacher’s Zone website. You can find here wordsquares and matching exercises as well as filling the gap tasks.
 

Click the link below to download free printable worksheets:
 

 
 
Enjoy the Simple Past verb forms resources from the Teacher's Zone website:) Leave a comment if you find them useful.
 
]]> Sun, 19 Dec 2021 16:53:00 GMT https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/?how-to-teach-simple-past-regular-and-irregular-verbs https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/rss/00000001D <![CDATA[Colour Mixing CLIL Lesson Plan]]> imblog
Primary students love taking part in experiments. During this CLIL lesson they will identify colours, predict colour mixing results and carry out experiments on colours. I hope they will have a great fun and learn a lot.

Colour mixing CLIL lesson plan for primary students

 
 
Age: 6-10
 
Time: 60 minutes
 
Language focus:
- colours
- primary and secondary colours
- structures:
  • What colour is the …?, It is …
  • … (Red) and … (blue) make …(purple)
   
Materials: paints or plasticine, a sheet of paper or the colour mixing worksheet for each student
 
Procedure:
 
1. Revise names of the colours. Walk around and ask about colours of diffrent obejects in the classroom. You can also use colour flashcards or a colour poster to do that.
 
2. Introduce what primary colours are and name them.
 
3. Ask students to guess what happens if they mix the primary colours. Write their predictions on the board.
 
red + blue = (students’ ideas)
 
red + yellow = (students’ ideas)
 
blue + yellow = (students’ ideas)
 
4. Students using paints or plasticine check if they were right. You can use the colour mixing worksheet like this. Click an image below to download free printable colour mixing worksheet.

Mixing colours CLIL lesson plan for primary students

 
5. Encourage students to experiment with mixing other colours.

Primary and secondary colours CLIL lesson plan for primary students

 
6. To consolidate students’ knowledge let them watch the video on the colour mixing topic.


7. Create a bulletin board display to present your students’ projects about mixing colours.
8. For additional practice or as a homework you can use more colour worksheets from the Teacher’s Zone website.

Hope that will be a fun and informative lesson about primary and secondary colours for your students.

Enjoy teaching with Teacher’s Zone ideas and materials 😊
]]> Wed, 24 Nov 2021 14:11:00 GMT https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/?colour-mixing-clil-lesson-plan https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/rss/00000001A <![CDATA[Eat a Rainbow CLIL Lesson Plan]]> imblog
The goal of the lesson is to teach children that they should eat fruit and vegetables in five different colours every day.

Nutrition CLIL lesson plan for children


Age: 6-10
Time: 45-60 minutes
Language focus:
- vocabulary: fruit and vegetables, colours
- structures: What colour are ...? / They are ...
Materials: pictures of fruit and vegetables, sheets of paper in five colours (red, orange, yellow, green, purple), worksheets for each student

EFL project for food   Nutrition CLIL lesson plan for EFL students

Procedure:
1. Stick five colors of paper to the board.
2. Show different fruit and vegetables, name them and ask your students to say their colours.
3. Then stick them to the righ sheet of paper.
Food lesson plan for primary school

4. When all pictures are on the board ask your students to prepare their own projects 'Eat a rainbow for health'.
5. Hand out worksheets to colour and cut out the fruit and veggies and ask children to glue them to the worksheets with a rainbow template. Students can also label the fruit and vegetables.

Eat a rainbow project for primary school    Healthy food - lesson plan for EFL/ESL students

Enjoy teaching with Teacher's Zone materials. Leave a comment and share if you find them useful :)

]]> Sun, 18 Apr 2021 17:45:00 GMT https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/?eat-a-rainbow-clil-lesson-plan https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/rss/7qff89w2 <![CDATA[Dragon for St. George's Day]]> imblog
Celebrating St. George's Day with your ESL students on 23rd April you can try this dragon craft activity. It is also a great opportunity to talk about British history and teach the language.

Age: 8-12
Time: at least 60-90 minutes
Language focu:
- body parts
- structures: I am ..., I have got ..., I can ...
Materials: Legend of St.George and the Dragon; sheets of paper (one for each group of students), crayons, markers, scissors and any materials to make a poster; worksheets to practise key vocabulary


British history for ESL kids and primary school

Procedure:
1. As an introduction tell the Legend of George and the Dragon. You can also watch the story of St. George. I recommend George and the Dragon story from British Council website.
2. Then, divide your students into groups of five and ask them to draw a dragon, decorate it and label the body parts.
To do the task more challenging your students can make speech bubbles with short sentences like in the example:

St. George's Day - activity for primary learners

3. When the posters of dragons are ready put them up in the classroom.

4. Copy and distribute the worksheet to practise key words from St. George's legend.

Printable task for St. George's Day

Enjoy St. George's Day ideas from the Teacher's Zone website. Leave a comment and share if you find them useful:)
]]> Sun, 11 Apr 2021 11:15:00 GMT https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/?dragon-for-st-george-s-day https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/rss/9v79bva7 <![CDATA[Numbers 1-10 Teaching Resources for ESL Kids]]> imblog One of the most common topics for ESL kids is numbers. We often introduce them very early and come back to the topic on many ocassions. That is why teachers need new ideas and materials to keep children's attention and interest. You are welcome to try teaching resources from the Teacher's Zone website to engage your students in practising numbers 1 to 10.

Numbers 1-10 flashcards

There is a set of colourful flashcards for numbers 1-10. You can print them or display on the board to introduce new vocabulary.

Click the image below to download free numbers 1-10 flashcards.

Free numbers 1-10 flashcards for ESL kids


Numbers 1-10 worksheets

If you would like to practise the vocabulary with your ESL kids, use these worksheets for numbers 1-10.

Click the image below to download free printable worksheets.

Free printable number worksheets

Numbers 1-10 poster

You can use this poster to consolidate knowledge of numbers 1 to 10 - print and attach it to the class bulletin board.

Click the image below to download the poster.

Free numbers 1 to 10 poster to download

Numbers 1-10 activities for ESL kids

If you need some more ideas how to teach numbers 1 - 10 to ESL kids you can also try these activities below.

Funny numbers show

Your students can be heavily involved in an arrangement for Funny Numbers Show. This activity is really easy to organise. You only need a paper sheet for each student, crayons and markers. Click the link to continue reading: Funny numbers show


Fortune teller

Speaking and craft activity to practise not only numbers but also colours, jobs, letters of the alphabet and future simple. Click the link to continue reading: Fortune teller

Enjoy the number resources from the Teacher's Zone website! Leave a comment if you find them useful.


]]> Sun, 07 Mar 2021 12:08:00 GMT https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/?numbers-1-10-teaching-resources-for-esl-kids https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/rss/00000001B <![CDATA[How to Make a Leprechaun Hat for St. Patrick's Day]]> imblog
 
St. Patrick’s Day is coming – Irish festival celebrated on 17th March.  It is high time to make a Leprechaun hat. This one is not for putting on a head, but it can be used as a container to collect students' works or as a decoration in the classroom.

Leprechaun hat

 
To make a Leprechaun hat you need:
 
- a bin or a pot
 
- green and black hard paper
 
- yellow paper
 
- green crepe paper
 
- a double sided tape
 
- scissors
 
       
 
Use a bin as a side band of the hat and green hard paper to make a brim of the hat. Remember to cut tabs on the inside edge of the brim to attach the brim to the side band / the bin with a double side tape.

    How to make a Leprechaun hat

 
Then twist green crepe paper round the bin and attach a crown of the hat made with green hard paper.

Finally decorate the Leprechaun hat taping a bond. Make it with a black stripe of hard paper and a yellow square.

Leprechaun hat for St. Patrick's Day    St. Patricks Day activity

 
Start teaching about St. Patrick’s Day with the Leprechaun hat and use it during the lessons in March.

 
Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
]]> Sat, 27 Feb 2021 15:00:00 GMT https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/?leprechaun-hat-for-st-patrick-s-day https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/rss/on009004 <![CDATA[SPRING IS COMING - CLIL resources]]> imblog
Valentine's Day means that spring is around. Are you ready for spring lessons? On the Teacher's Zone website you can find catchy resources for spring flowers vocabulary to prepare CLIL lessons for EFL students.

Spring flowers flashcards

There is a set of 9 colourful flashcards for spring flowers. You can print them or display on the board to introduce new vocabulary.

Click the image below to download free flashcards.

Spring flowers - flashcards for EFL students


Spring flowers worksheets

If you would like to practise the vocabulary with your EFL students, use these worksheets for spring flowers which are related to the flashcards.

Click the image below to download free printable worksheets.

Spring flowers - CLIL resources

Spring flowers poster

You can use this poster to consolidate knowledge of spring flowers vocabulary - print and attach it to the class bulletin board.

Click the image below to download the poster.

Spring flowers -resources for CLIL lesson plan

Spring flowers craft activity

If you look for ready to use CLIL lesson plan for spring flowers, I encourage to try this craft activity.

Click the image below to read the lesson plan.

Spring craft activity for primary school

Enjoy the spring resources from the Teacher's Zone website! Leave a comment if you find them useful.
]]> Sun, 14 Feb 2021 12:48:00 GMT https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/?spring-is-coming-clil-resources https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/rss/000000006 <![CDATA[Months of the Year resources for teachers]]> imblog
Are you looking for ideas to teach months of the year vocabulary? You are welcome to try teaching resources on the topic which are available on the Teacher's Zone website.

Months of the year flashcards
There is a set of months flashcards. You can print them or display on the screen to introduce new vocabulary.

Click the image below to download free months of the year flashcards.
 
Months of the year flashcards
 

 
Months of the year word cards
Instead of flashcards you can use months of the year word cards. Present months word cards one by one to introduce new vocabulary. Then give sets of months word cards to your students and ask them to put the cards in the right order. After that students can also play What is missing game in pairs or small groups. One student hides a word card then says months of the year omitting the hidden name. The other student try to guess what month is missing.

Click the image below to download free printable months of the year word cards.
 
 Months of the year teaching materials for EFL students
 


Months of the year worksheets
If you would like to practise the months vocabulary with your students, use these worksheets. These teaching resources include tasks to practise reading, ordering and spelling months of the year names as well as matching them to the seasons.
 
Click the image below to download free printable months of the year worksheets.
 
 Months of the year teacher resources

 
Months of the year poster
You can use this poster to consolidate knowledge of months of the year vocabulary - print and attach it to the class bulletin board. Repeat the vocabulary at the beginning of each lesson or as a filler activity.

Click the image below to download months of the year poster.
 
 Months of the year poster for EFL students


Months of the year activity
Class birthday chart is a great activity to practise months of the year vocabulary. It is an opportunity to get to know more about students’ classmates too.

Click the image below to read the instruction of the Class birthday chart activity.
 
 Birthday speaking activity
 
 
Enjoy the months of the year resources from the Teacher's Zone website! Leave a comment if you find our teaching materials useful😊
]]> Sun, 17 Jan 2021 14:35:00 GMT https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/?months-of-the-year-resources-for-teachers https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/rss/000000017 <![CDATA[WHAT PET HAVE I GOT? - guessing game]]> imblog
If your ESL students know lots of animal names, especially pets, but they need to practice the vocabulary in interesting context, try this guessing game ‘What pet have I got?’. Students feel comfortable to speak English, even those with low self-esteem or shy, when they work in pairs.

Pets/animals - speaking activity for EFL students

Age: 7-10
 
Language focus:
 
- vocabulary:
  • pets (in the example: hamster, cat, tortoise, budgie, dog, spider, rabbit, guinea pig, fish),
  • body parts (for example: ears, wings, legs, fins, a tail, etc.),
  • verbs (for example: sing, fly, jump, climb trees, swim, run, etc.)
 
- structures:
 
  • Can it …?; Yes, it can. / No, it can’t.
  • Has it got…?; Yes, it has. / No, it hasn’t.
  • Have you got…?; Yes, I have. / No, I haven’t.
 
Materials: stripes of paper and pens (optionally: a set of word cards with pets for each pair of students)

Procedure:
- Revise vocabulary related to pets, body parts and verbs to describe what animals can do.
 
- Divide students into pairs.
 
- Distribute stripes of paper and pens and ask students to write some pets on them. Optionally you can prepare word cards with pet names before the lesson.
 
- Students put their word cards face down.
 
- One student takes a word card (his partner cannot see what is on the card) and asks: What pet have I got?
 
- The other student should guess what animal his partner chooses. He can ask three supplementary questions, using structures: Can it…? or Has it got…?, before he attempts to answer the question.
 
Example:
 
Student A: Can it fly?
 
Student B: No, it can’t.
 
Student A: Has it got four legs?
 
Student B: No, it hasn’t.
 
Student A: Can it swim?
 
Student B: Yes, it can.
 
Student A: Have you got a fish?
 
Student B: Yes, I have.
 
- If he spots the answer, gets a point and can take the word card. If he guesses wrong, the word card goes back on the table.
 
- Students mix the cards and continue playing in turns.
 
- Student who racks up more points / word cards is a winner.
 

This guessing game you can organize as a whole class activity too. In this case, one of the students chooses a word card and the rest of the class try to guess the pet.
 
I hope you like the activity and find it useful and beneficial for your ESL students. Enjoy teaching with the Teacher's Zone ideas and leave a comment :)
]]> Wed, 13 Jan 2021 10:15:00 GMT https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/?what-pet-have-i-got-guessing-game https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/rss/000000007 <![CDATA[COLLOCATIONS WITH MAKE, PLAY, RIDE]]> imblog
Dear Teachers, you are welcome to try a new set of resources which have appeared on the Teacher's Zone website. You are able to find and download free flashcards and printable worksheets for the collocations with the verbs: make, play and ride.

Flashcards for collocations
This set of flashcards includes such collocations as make (a poster, cupcakes), play (computer games, a board game, cards, chess, the piano, the violin, football, volleyball), ride (a bike, a horse). You can print them or display on the board.

Click the image below to download flash cards for collocations with make, play and ride.

Collocations for ESL kids


Worksheets for collocations
If you would like to practise the vocabulary with your EFL students, use the worksheets for these collocations which are related to the flashcards.

Click the image below to download free printable worksheets for collocations.

Free printable worksheets for collocations

If you find these materials useful, please leave a comment and share them. Enjoy teaching with Teacher's Zone resources!
]]> Sun, 03 Jan 2021 14:30:00 GMT https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/?collocations-make-play-ride https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/rss/000000014 <![CDATA[WHERE ARE MY TOYS? - lesson plan]]> imblog
Simple and involving game to practise toys (or school supplies, or pets) and rooms of the house vocabulary.

Age: 6-10
Language focus:
- rooms in the house; toys (like in the example) / school supplies / pets
- question: Is there a ... in the ...?
- answers: Yes, there is. / No, there isn't.
Materials: sheets of paper, pencils, scissors
Time: 45 minutes

Activity to practise house and toys, school supplies or pets vocabulary

Proceure:
- Ask children to give you examples of some toys and rooms in the house. Write students' ideas on the board.
- Then take out the board prepared earlier and hide one of the toys (piece of paper with its name) under a flap. Ask your students to guess where the toy is asking the questions: Is there a ... in the ...? (for example: Is there a teddy in the kitchen?). Let them ask three questions. If they find the right room, get the point. If not the teacher has got one. Carry on with some other toys.

board game for toys and house topic

- When they catch on the rules of the game, ask them to prepare in pairs their own boards like this:

Teaching idea for house and toys topic

- Students play the game in pairs.

Find more teaching ideas on the house topic in the previous post AROUND THE HOUSE.

You can also download printable house worksheets or toys worksheets for free.

Enjoy teaching with the Teacher's Zone website:)

]]> Mon, 30 Nov 2020 11:02:00 GMT https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/?where-are-my-toys-lesson-plan https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/rss/8a38q861 <![CDATA[TOMATO - speaking activity]]> imblog
Try this Tomato activity to practise asking questions with primary students in a funny way. The Tomato game does not need any preperation or materials. You can organize the whole lesson around this activity or use it as a filler game in your classroom.


Asking questions - game for English learners

 
Age: 8-12
 
Language focus: asking questions
 
Materials: none or a Tomato headband
 
Procedure:
 
1. Divide the class into groups of five.
 
2. Single one student out in each group who will be a ‘Tomato’. The student puts on a Tomato headband or take a tomato soft toy. You can use the tomato headband like this below to mark the student who answers the questions.

Speaking game for primary students   
 
3. Students in each group ask questions to the ‘Tomato’ in turns and try to make him/her laugh. The only possible answer to all questions can be ‘tomato’.
 
Examples of questions:
 
- What’s your name?
 
- What’s your pet?
 
- What are you wearing on your head?
 
- Why do you like dancing?
 
- What did you do at school yesterday?
 
6. If somebody makes the student who is ‘Tomato’ laugh or gets a wrong answer, he/she supplants the ‘Tomato’.

There are no winners in this game. The goal of the Tomato activity is practising question structures and having fun.

To find more speaking activities for young learners, click here.

Enjoy teaching with ideas from the Teacher's Zone website. Please leave a comment if you find this activity useful:)
]]> Mon, 05 Oct 2020 12:51:00 GMT https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/?tomato-speaking-activity https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/rss/7g98dhho <![CDATA[TEACHING VOCABULARY TO ESL CHILDREN]]> imblog
Teaching some new vocabulary to children you have to be sure that they will be able to use them properly. At first new items need to be introduced. Then it is necessary to give ESL children lots of possibilities to practise vocabulary. And finally, do not forget about consolidation of the knowledge by frequent revision.

Teach vocabulary to ESL kids

Introducing vocabulary
Presentation new vocabulary should be attractive enough to catch children’s attention. It is a good idea to use lots of visuals such as real objects, drawings, illustrations or flashcards. The simplest way is to show the object and repeat the name several times. To spice the presentation up you can use a magic box or say the new words in different way (ex. quietly, loudly, with exaggerated voice, fast or slowly). It is also necessary to use the new vocabulary in context to show students how the words work in sentences. What is important, sentences included new vocabulary should be as short and simple as possible and new items should be emphasised.

Practising vocabulary
At the stage of practising vocabulary children are those who should be more active than a teacher. It is an opportunity to put new vocabulary into practise and learn how to use them correctly. There is a wide range of techniques for practising vocabulary. All types of flashcards activities can be helpful, for example ‘What’s missing?’ or matching words to pictures. Some other fun and effective activities are guessing or miming games, picture dictation, board games, Bingo, Domino, Memory games or Chinese whisper. All kinds of sorting and classifying activities can be also involving and valuable. Play and games in the primary classroom is a funny way to teach a foreign language to children. They provide meaningful context and students’ motivation.

Teaching vocabulary to ESL kids

Consolidating vocabulary
Consolidating vocabulary is essential for effective teaching because children forget almost as quickly as they learn new things. ESL kids can create their own picture dictionaries, minibooks, collages or comics. They can make posters of word families or vocabulary cards. Some students will  be interested in reading stories or taking part in mini school plays. It is also a good idea to play over and over again children’s favourite games.

To teach ESL children new words and how to use them properly none of the three stages cannot be omitted. New vocabulary needs to be introduced, practised and consolidated, then we can be sure that new items have been taught and learnt properly.
]]> Thu, 16 Jul 2020 13:27:00 GMT https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/?teaching-vocabulary-to-esl-children https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/rss/000000015 <![CDATA[GARDEN FLOWERS TEACHING MATERIALS]]> imblog
If you are looking for some unique flashcards and printable worksheets for garden flowers vocabulary to prepare CLIL lessons for EFL students, you are welcome to use these presented in this post. You can find here two sets of garden flowers flashcards. One of them includes only pictures of garden flowers and the other one contains pictures and labels of flowers. If you would like to practise the vocabulary with your students, the flashcards are related to the garden flowers worksheets.



GARDEN FLOWERS FLASHCARDS

This set of flashcards includes such vocabulary as betony, tulip, narcisus, lily, giant onion, water lily, geranium, rose, lavender, orchid, echinacea, lilac. You can print them or display on the board. Click the image to download flash cards for garden flowers vocabulary.

CLIL materials for garden flowers


GARDEN FLOWERS WORKSHEETS
If you would like to practise the vocabulary with your EFL students, use these worksheets for garden flowers which are related to the flashcards.

Click the image below to download free printable worksheets.

CLIL materials for garden flowers

]]> Sun, 10 May 2020 13:24:00 GMT https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/?plants-flashcards-and-worksheets https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/rss/72t48668 <![CDATA[VERB TO BE - grammar worksheets]]> imblog There is a new set of grammar worksheets on the Teacher's Zone website. Teachers are able to find and download free printable worksheets for the verb to be.

Click the image below to download free grammar worksheets to practise the verb to be.

Verb to be for ESL kids

Your students can practise with these grammar worksheets:
  • affirmative long and short forms of the verb to be,
  • negative forms of the verb to be,
  • questions with the verb to be,
  • affirmative and negative short answers.

If you find these materials useful, please leave a comment and share them.
]]> Sun, 15 Mar 2020 13:31:00 GMT https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/?verb-to-be-grammar-worksheets https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/rss/00000000D <![CDATA[TEACHER RESOURCES FOR WEATHER TOPIC ]]> imblog
On the Teacher's Zone website you can find new teaching resources relating to weather topic. There are flashcards, worksheets and posters to practise different types of weather. All materials for ESL kids you can download for free for teaching purposes.

Weather posters
You can use these posters to consolidate knowledge of weather vocabulary. You can print and attach it to the class bulletin board and use it to ask the question about the weather as a class routine.

Click the image below to download a weather poster.

Weather teaching materials


Weather flashcards
Here are four sets of weather flashcards. You can choose just weather images or pictures with labels and phonetic transcription. Click the image below to download free flashcards and teach ESL kids how to ask and answer about weather.

Flashcards for weather vocabulary


Weather worksheets
Introduction of new vocabulary should be followed by lots of practise. Try these printable weather worksheets which are related to the flashcards.
Click the image below to download weather worksheets.

Free printable worksheets for weather vocabulary



Enjoy new weather teaching resources from the Teacher's Zone website! Leave a comment if you find them useful :)
]]> Sun, 01 Mar 2020 12:02:00 GMT https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/?weather-vocabulary-resources https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/rss/000000008 <![CDATA[LEARNING STYLES IN EFL CLASSROOM]]> imblog
Every student in EFL classroom learns in a unique way. Learning style means that different people receive and process information differently. The basic types of learning are visual, auditory and kinesthetic. However, every student may have a combination of learning styles and strategies or only one dominant way of foreign language assimilation.

Teaching strategies in EFL class

 
Teachers should focus on identifying learning styles of their students to adjust teaching strategies and techniques that are best for their students’ learning preferences. How recognize the learning styles? What teaching methods and activities should teachers use? Here are some teaching tips to help students learn more quickly and effectively.

Visual learners
 
A visual learner is someone who remembers written information and pictures. They learn best by using posters, maps, charts, real objects and other visual aids. Students who prefer this learning style often recognize words by sight and take notes to organize their thoughts even when they have printed material. During a lesson they look at the teacher intently. Learning a foreign language they highlight new words and phrases in contrasting colours. They like making flashcards to memorize new lexical items and use sticky notes containing key phrases and attach them in clearly visible places.
 
Teachers who have visual learners in EFL classroom should use flashcards, illustrations and photos. They should use different colours of chalk or markers and underline the most important information. The classroom should be decorated with posters, maps and other visual aids. Encourage these students to take notes, highlight key words and make picture dictionaries.
 
 
Auditory learners
 
Auditory learners process information best when they can hear it. They are great in following verbal instructions rather than written directions. Auditory learners benefit from lectures and readily participate in discussions. They prefer gather information presented through speech over long texts to read. In the classroom they listen to the teacher intently, but they can get easily distracted by what they can hear around (ex. talking classmates or outside sounds). This type of student is usually very social and talkative so he does not afraid to speak in public. These students would willingly prepare a dialogue, a short performance or a presentation.
 
Teachers who have auditory learnes in EFL classroom should call on them to summarise or paraphrase what they have heard or answer questions. Introduce songs and chants to practise vocabulary and whole chunks of the language. Put their social skills to good use with creating lesson plans which include group work and collaboration.
 
 
Kinaesthetic learners
 
Kinaesthetic learners retain information best when they are doing something or manipulating objects in the same time. They need to be physically engaged in the learning process. A kinaesthetic learner walks around and moves while he tries to learn something by heart. They are usually full of energy, vigorous and do a lot of sport. They have great hand-eye coordination and high level of motor skills. They can be distracted by sitting still and just listening without any additional activities.
 
Teachers working with kinaesthetic learners in EFL classroom should let them do notes or just doodle during lectures. Creating lesson plans you need to include lots of physical activities and games to facilitate memorization. Use teaching materials your students can manipulate such as blocks, puzzles or board games. Encourage your kinaesthetic learners to prepare presentations or performances and combine study sessions with some movement.
 
 
In fact, teaching in EFL classroom you meet all of these students presented above at the same place and time. That could be a challenge. The only thing you can do is diversify teaching materials and strategies. Teachers should take into account all of the needs and learning styles to prepare a beneficial and effective lesson plan. That is why you should visualise teaching material, present a good model of spoken language and put what you teach into practise during every single lesson.
]]> Mon, 11 Nov 2019 16:41:00 GMT https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/?learning-styles-in-efl-classroom https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/rss/00000000C <![CDATA[5 STEPS TO BE A SUCCESSFUL ENGLISH TEACHER IN A KINDERGARTEN]]> imblog
 
Unique needs and development potential of preschool-age children demand creative attitude towards organisation of learning environment. That is why well-qualified teachers are needed who are able to understand differences in teaching children and adults.

5 steps to be successful english teacher in a kindergarten

 
1.       Understanding how children assimilate a foreign language
 
Children learn in a natural way. It is essential to expose them to a language as often as possible during activities that are real and understandable. Read more about HOW CHILDREN ASSIMILATE A FOREIGN LANGUAGE

 
2.       Flexibility
 
Typical teaching stages as presentation, exercises and free communication, teachers of English in kindergartens should replace with physical movement, games, songs, rhymes and craft activities. Because of short attention span teachers have to monitor students’ involvement and change the activities to keep their interest.

 
3.       Qualification
 
A teacher is responsible not only for appropriate using of the language, but also for students’ motivation and attitude to English classes. That is why kindergarten teachers of English have to be great linguists as well as early childhood educators.

 
4.       Diversified and catching resources
 
The best way to catch children’s attention is using the rich range of materials and resources such as toys, pictures, board games, storybooks, jigsaw puzzles, etc. What is more, visuals are helpful in support students’ understanding of context.

 
5.       Individualisation
 
All children are unique in their experience that they bring to the classroom as well as in their personal preferences and development. Different reactions for a foreign language are possible – some students actively participate in games, sing songs and repeat new words and phrases. On the other hand some students stand aside and only observe the teacher and other students, but it does not mean they do not learn.

 
All these conditions have a great  influence on effective and child-friendly English learning. Positive experience in early stage will be a solid foundation for learning in the next years.

References:
- Granddol, D. 2006 English Next. Why Global English may mean the end of 'English as a Foreign Language', British Council
- Moon, J. 2005 Children Learning English. A Guidebook For English Language Teachers, Macmillan
- Szpotowicz, M., Szulc-Kurpska, M. 2011 Teaching English to Young Learners, Warsaw: Wydawnictwo Naukowe PWN

]]> Tue, 05 Nov 2019 14:11:00 GMT https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/?5-steps-to-be-a-successful-english-teacher-in-a-kindergarten https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/rss/59l980uw <![CDATA[DRAW A MONSTER]]> imblog
Speaking activity for young learners to practise parts of the body, numbers and colours. Try this entertaining activity to teach new vocabulary and give your students a lot of joy.

Age: 6-10
Language focus:
- parts of the body, numbers 1-6, colours
- My monster’s name is …;  It has got …; It is… / They are…
Materials: dices, paper (one sheet for each student), pencils and crayons.

Speaking activity for body parts
 

Procedure:
 
1. Children draw on their sheets of paper a body of the monster (it can be any shape).

 
2. Students throw a dice several times and draw parts of the monster’s  body:

 
1st throw – eyes ( as many dots on the dice as many eyes on the monster)

2nd – noses          
Body parts activity
 
3rd – mouths
 
4th – ears
 
5th – arms
 
6th – hands                
 
7th – fingers
 
8th – legs
 
9th – feet
 
10th – toes, etc.

 
3. Students can colour their monsters.

 
4. When students finish their drawings, they sit on the floor in the circle, show the monsters to other students and describe them:

 
Example:      
My monster’s name is Wooly.
 
It has got three eyes and they are pink.
 
It has got four noses and they are blue.
 
It has got one mouth and it is purple. etc.
 

Teaching tips:
 
- You can introduce any parts of the body you need.
 
- You can write what each throw means on the board or dictate one by one.

Click here to download worksheets for body parts.
]]> Wed, 16 Oct 2019 19:32:00 GMT https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/?draw-a-monster https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/rss/7aidej84 <![CDATA[ACTIVITIES FOR CHILDREN ABOUT ANIMALS]]> imblog
It is well-known that animal topics are interesting on their own for children. However, a teacher needs to prepare some activities which involve students. The best way to catch their attention are objects they can see, touch or even taste. Here you can find some ideas what and how to use that your lessons about animals would be a great success.

Finger puppets

 Zoo animals activities for children Zoo animals for EFL children

It is a good idea to use finger puppets to introduce a new set of vocabulary. Put on finger puppets one by one and say "Hello, children. I'm (ex. a parrot)." Encourage children to say "Hello (ex. parrot)" to each animal. Then you can say or sing the rhyme like this:

"Parrot finger, parrot finger, where are you? (point to a parrot)
Here I am, here I am, how are you?"
and students respond:                                       "I'm fine, thank you."

Repeat the rhyme with the rest of the animals you would like to teach.

Matching game

     Animals activities for EFL kids  Activities for zoo animals vocabulary

Put the animal puzzles into the bag and ask different students to take out a puzzle and match it to the board. Then you can ask children to name the zoo animals they can see.

Animal dominoes

Zoo animals games for ESL kids

Divide your students into groups of four and give a set of dominoes to each group. Ask children to say aloud names of the animals which are on a tile they draw.

Zoo animals biscuits

     Animals activities for ESL kids  Wild animals games for children

Children one by one choose an animal they can name, say it aloud and then they can eat the biscuit. Bon appetit!

Click the links below to find more ideas to teach EFL kids about animals:
Trip to the zoo project
Five little monkeys swinging in the tree chant
What pet have I got? guessing game
Hide and seek with pets

I hope you find my ideas interesting and useful for EFL kids. I will be greatful for your comments or feedback.

]]> Wed, 18 Sep 2019 05:50:00 GMT https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/?activities-for-children-about-animals https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/rss/a370z48j <![CDATA[The Main Setbacks of Content and Language Integrated Learning]]> imblog
1. Introduction

Content and language integrated learning, more commonly known as CLIL, is a term coined in 1994 and originally defined as a set of educational methods which aim at teaching a subject in a foreign language, thus bearing a dual focus: learning the contents of a subject and a foreign language, simultaneously. Since then, many authors have strived to further define what CLIL means, as well as to gain further insight into what it implies. Coyle et al (2010) define it as "an educational  approach in which various language-supportive methodologies are used which lead to a dual-focused form of instruction, where attention is given both to the language and the content". If we look at both definitions, the former given by Kohonen (1994) through UniCOM (a project integrating the University of Jyväskylä (Finland) and the European Platform for Dutch Education), we see that most elements are repeated, namely educational methods/approach, dual focus, language and content, etc. Hence, we can see that despite time, almost a good twenty years now, the essence of CLIL still remains the same.

But why has CLIL become an important approach in terms of teaching? Although this question may be answered at length at any time by many respected authors, it may also be summarised in only a few lines. Its importance is widely understood to lie in the idea that any given language should be the means towards achieving something else. In our context, an educational one, language learning is regarded as a tool  towards learning other contents, as well as an educational goal in itself. In this sense, CLIL may be regarded as the perfect educational approach. Firstly, we learn a subject's content. Secondly, we acquire a foreign language. Thirdly, we are to use the foreign language, not just to learn about it, which is as optimal as it gets. Sadly, the sociocultural and educational contexts in which CLIL may be implemented  are in most cases far from perfect, making it difficult or even  impossible to be carried out. In this sense, we should ask ourselves whether CLIL is actually as good as it sounds, whether it is really determining the course to be followed, or if it is simply another utopic approach that will eventually be cast into oblivion. This article aims to clarify this particular issue: is CLIL the approach for the future? In order to be able to answer this controversial query, I will outline some of the drawbacks in relation to the implementation of CLIL, dividing them into those which I consider have a greater importance in terms of difficulty, and those which may be overcome more easily.

2. Major CLIL setbacks

CLIL, just as any other teaching approach, has its supporters and detractors, and it is our goal now to focus on the arguments expressed by the latter, in order to determine whether CLIL is worth all the fuss or not. Let us now see some of the greatest difficulties that implementing a CLIL approach brings about.

Firstly, off the top of any teacher's head, arise what are surely regarded as the major obstacles when even considering implementing CLIL in any given educational context: time constraints and attainment of goals. These two issues, though they may be treated separately, should be dealt with together, as they always come hand-in-hand. On the one hand, we have to take into account that learning a language, by whatever means, is no easy feat. It takes years to master a mother tongue, how easy can it be to excel in a foreign  language? Not at all. In this sense, we ought to consider the time that  pupils under a CLIL approach are exposed to the foreign language. Ideally, if every subject were taught in that foreign language, every student would benefit from a good 25-30 hours a week of language exposure, at least. This amount of time is surely enough to become fluent in a foreign language in several years. However, thinking so is  unrealistic. Firstly, it is rather unlikely that such amount of exposure really took place, due to other related issues such as culture-related  problems, shortage of teacher training or lack of linguistic fluency or mastery. Also, some students would need a good deal of instruction in their mother tongue to take place so as to be provided with a comprehensible starting point. Besides, during these 25-30 hours, how long do students spend speaking to each other for non-academic purposes? And more specifically, which language would they use to do so, or even for academic reasons, their own comfortable mother tongue or a second language with which they might not feel confident enough? This would  deduct a considerable amount of time from the initially given figure.

On the other hand, closely related to time constraints, there come the  different educational demands expected from teachers and higher spheres. In the first place, teachers ought to fulfil a set of goals in terms of what students must learn and the skills they must acquire or develop. That is, not only in a foreign language, but in every subject of the educational curriculum. In this sense, it is already difficult to meet these demands, so simply imagine how hard it would be for both teachers and students to add the element of working entirely in a language which is not their own and still being compelled to fulfil the same educational goals. This would only be possible in contexts in which the foreign language is well rooted into society, as it happens in countries such as the Netherlands, where the English language is widely spread amongst its population as well as its culture. However, in other countries, take Spain for instance, there is hardly any exposure to a second language outside an educational context. In such case, how can students cope with the dual-focus of a CLIL approach and still accomplish the same objectives as non-CLIL students? It is virtually impossible, and pupils are at risk of what it is called backsliding, meaning that CLIL may even have counter-productive effect on students' performance, not only in their subjects but also in their first language. Per contra, there may be a possible solution to this, though it may not be fair for some students. However, we will see to that at the end of this article. Let us now continue focusing on some other related CLIL issues.

Another important setback of CLIL is the fluency of the teachers in the foreign language. If a teacher is to teach a subject by means of a foreign language, he or she undoubtedly needs to be extremely fluent in this particular language, as well as versed in the subject in hand. Anyone can learn something by heart in another language, and just "spit" it. However, a teacher has to explain concepts, has to provide with examples, has to face challenging questions from students, has to be able to simplify things, has to have the necessary skills to improvise, etc. Therefore, if a teacher is not extremely fluent in the foreign language, he or she is not qualified to teach content and language in an integrated manner. It is just absurd to even consider so. This is for example the problem that some countries are facing nowadays. In the case of Spain, there is a huge demand for bilingual schools, in which every subject is taught in English by means of CLIL. In doing so, teachers, both veterans and newly-qualified ones, are expected to be fluent in the language. Be that as it may, it is quixotic to think that all of a sudden teachers are going to become fluent in a foreign language. It must be said that it is not a matter of teachers not willing to learn a language, but rather that based on historical educational tradition, even some language teachers are not fluent enough in the language they teach, let alone subject teachers, who have not received proper language instruction in years or even in their lives. It is for this reason that, although many Spanish schools, both state and private ones, claim to be educating pupils in a bilingual environment, it is a lie or rather a dream from which society will eventually have to awaken. For a school to be able to provide students  with a bilingual education, it must count with a fully bilingual staff, and that, in current Spanish state schools can simply not happen nowadays. Some private schools offer effective immersion programmes where teachers are either native or completely bilingual. However, attending these schools can only be afforded by wealthy families, which  leaves middle and lower classes at a disadvantage from a linguistic and academic point of view.

Related to teachers as well, we encounter the problem with current foreign language teachers. In this regard, if  CLIL were to be the future of all schools' approach, what would happen to language teachers? Maybe, in a primary school context language teachers would be able to adapt, since in many countries they are also trained in teaching other subjects apart from the foreign language. However, language teachers in higher educational levels would be in deep water. They would either end up out of a job or would have to transform their role drastically. In some cases, they could aid subject teachers in adapting and creating teaching materials or maybe provide linguistically weaker students with language support and assistance. Either way, the role of the language teacher would become practically extinct or obsolete.

3. Minor CLIL setbacks

We will now be looking at some downsides of any CLIL approach that even though they are not as hard to overcome as the ones previously analysed, they still need a fair share of thought and consideration.

Closely related to the issue of teachers' linguistic level and so-called bilingual schools, we have some political issues. With reference to this, one must consider that any political party that promises to improve and foster how foreign languages are taught, will no doubt attract the attention of those parents that are worried about their children's education and future. And this promise may be done by means of implementing CLIL in schools. Nevertheless, politicians only convey to voters the bright side of any political decision. Therefore, some gullible parents may be lured into believing that their children will be bilingual if they vote for one particular party or another, while in fact this "change" will only take place on paper, and not as a real enhancement or improvement of students' linguistic level.

In addition to political lies, we encounter the Trojan Horse argument. The problem in this case is that, in multilingual countries, CLIL may be  used for politico-linguistic reasons (Ball, 2012). In some countries, such as Spain, there are regions in which there are various official languages. Such is the case of Catalonia or the Basque Country, where there are two official languages and the use of each is closely linked to political, cultural and social issues. In these cases and in educational contexts, there exist tensions as regards the language in which pupils are taught. Therefore, implementing CLIL in Catalonian or Basque, respectively, has consequences that transcend educational boundaries and both sociocultural and political elements come into play. As a result of this, CLIL in this type of regions must be very carefully planned and considered, in order not to give rise to further social and political tensions.

Veering towards non-political issues, another setback that we encounter when thinking about CLIL is the issue of materials. This affects not only teachers, but also publishers. On the one hand, teachers under CLIL circumstances would  have to invest a considerably larger amount of time in creating and  adapting materials so as to make them suitable for pupils. This is not only rather difficult to do, but also quite unfair. Teachers already have enough work and responsibilities for a couple of lifetimes, so undertaking such a time-consuming task is just not fair on them. On the other hand, since CLIL is difficult to export across frontiers, publishers seem reluctant to publish any general textbooks (Ball, 2012). In consequence, all the work falls upon teachers, and for them to painstakingly adapt everything is almost impossible. Furthermore, how would publishing most materials in a foreign language affect the industry of publishers of subjects such as history, maths or science? How would they react to having to translate and adapt everything? I do not believe that they would be willing to do so overnight.

Finally, an important change has to take place when testing and assessing students being taught from a CLIL approach. Since CLIL has a dual focus, content and language, teachers have to create a different means of "measuring" students' performance that took into consideration both content and language performance at the same time. As a result of this, the task of assessing students becomes remarkably harder than it is nowadays.

4. Conclusion

Throughout  the course of this article I have focused mainly on the downsides of  Content and Language Integrated Learning, and not on its upsides. However, and although I believe the drawbacks are numerous and somewhat tough to overcome, CLIL probably has greater advantages than disadvantages. By saying so, I mean that whilst CLIL is far from being perfect, it is definitely closer to perfection than what came before it. In my view, CLIL is an approach towards which we should steer our educational system. The fact that something is utopic does not mean that it should be disregarded. All to the contrary, it means that it is what we should be seeking.

Humans use language to communicate. Thus, communicating is the only reason for language to exist. In education, communication is the basis for conveying and transmitting knowledge. Therefore, if we can use a foreign language as the main tool to share  and acquire knowledge, we are learning a second language in the most  meaningful way possible, and that is, or rather would be, the perfect way to acquire any foreign language, by using it. And, fortunately, CLIL meets this requirement. Accordingly, I believe that CLIL is the approach for the future. However, I believe that in my country, Spain, it is not being implemented in an appropriate way. I feel that the cart is being put before the horse. Teachers leave college with barely any  knowledge of CLIL, and they are expected in so-called bilingual schools to teach subjects in a foreign language. The government sells to parents the idea of raising bilingual children, while they pressure teachers to attain a B2 level of English that is hardly enough to be teaching English at a primary level, let alone to teach all the different subject contents, such as Maths, History, Science, Philosophy, etc.

From my point of view, CLIL is an ideal approach. But it calls for a change  that cannot happen overnight. It cannot even happen in the course of ten  years. I am in no position to say how long it may take, but I know that  if it is to be implemented flawlessly it must be done from the bottom, starting in kindergarten and moving up through primary, secondary and  college levels. It is either that or stumbling once and again over the same mistakes that we are currently making. Pupils must start with CLIL from the very beginning of their educational stages. And, although this seems ideal and somewhat viable, it would be highly unfair to previous  generations of students who would miss out on a great opportunity of  being by far more fluent in a foreign language. Nonetheless, I still believe it is the only way of making things right. With regard to teachers, these should be fully qualified and competent in the use of a  foreign language, and should have received specific CLIL training throughout their studying days. Besides, veteran teachers should not be  forced to learn another language. It is unfair that they are being made to do so nowadays, after so many years studying and teaching in their own mother tongue, as, in most cases, it is impossible for them to acquire a level that would enable them to competently carry out their service in a different language from their own.

After having  expressed my views on the subject, I believe that the only thing left to  say is that CLIL should either be carried out properly, or not carried out at all.

5. Bibliography

- Ball, P. & Master in Applied Linguistics (University of Essex) (Eds.) (2012). Content and Language Integrated Learning. FUNIBER
- Coyle, D., Hood, P., and Marsh, D. (2010). CLIL. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
- Kohonen, V. (1994). Teaching Content through a Foreign Language is a Matter of School Development. UniCom. Jyväskylä University of Jyväskylä, Finland.
Luis PW is an English teacher, blogger and translator currently working at:
- uTandem ( http://utandem.com/en )
- Keep Smiling English ( http://keepsmilingenglish.com )

He owns a Master's Degree in Applied Linguistics and is specialised in Cambridge English exams. He is also a certified Cambridge English Test Sitting Administrator and Invigilator.
 
Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Luis_PW/2247623
]]> Wed, 17 Jul 2019 19:12:00 GMT https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/?the-main-setbacks-of-content-and-language-integrated-learning https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/rss/00000000B <![CDATA[My Dream House Lesson Plan]]> imblog
When lots of house vocabulary is introduced. Students are familiarised with There is/are structure and prepostions of place. It is time to apply their knowledge in practise. You can ask your students to design and draw their dream house and stimulate them to speak and write about it. Try this lesson plan to consolidate your students' knowledge and encourage them to use their creativity.

Dream house - read & write

Age: 8-12
Time: 90 minutes
Language focus:
- rooms and furniture,
- There is/are structure, It is ...
- prepostions of place
Materials: paper, pencils, crayons, reading comprehension worksheets (one for each student)

Procedure:
1. Revise vocabulary and grammar structures if it is necessary.
2. Distribute reading comprehension worksheets and ask students to read the text and answer the questions.

Click on the image below to download the worksheet.

Dream house - worksheet for ESL kids

3. Ask your students to design and draw their dream house on the separate piece of paper.
4. In pairs students talk about designs of their houses - What type of house is it?, Is it big or small?, How many and what rooms are there?
5. Then they write about their dream houses.

Dream house - project for young learners       Dream house - lesson plan for ESL kids

Teaching tips:
- Younger students can write 3-5 sentences according to the template:
I want to live in a ... .
There are ... rooms.
There is a ... in the ... .
- When students' projects are ready you can ask them to present them in front of the class.
- Students can also prepare reading comprehension tasks based on their house descriptions and exchange them with the classmates.

Have fun and let your students use their creativity. If you like 'My dream house' lesson plan and find it useful, please share it and leave a comment.
]]> Sun, 02 Jun 2019 09:19:00 GMT https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/?my-dream-house-lesson-plan https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/rss/00000000F <![CDATA[TOTAL PHYSICAL RESPONSE (TPR) METHOD]]> imblog
 

‘The first step in learning another language is to internalize the code in the same way you assimilated your native language, which was through commands.’
[James Asher]
 

TPR Method



TPR is a language teaching method created by James Asher in 60’s that use physical movement to react to verbal teacher’s commands. It is one of the variety ways of teaching young learners, because children naturally delight in movement. TPR method requires instant reactions to the language without thinking too much, what reduce students’ stress and a language barrier. Some significant TPR method features are:
 
 
From comprehension to production

 
TPR is modeled on the natural process of language learning by children. Asher claims that demonstration of the comprehension by physical reactions goes before children can produce utterances. Just as in parent-child interactions that are based on imperatives given by the adult and executed by the child.
 

Stress reduction

 
Students are not forced to repeat commands what reduce pressure and stress. Young learners understand what is expected from them resulting in increasing self-esteem and reducing a language barrier. What is important, limited number of new lexical items should be introduced to avoid students’ confusion and overload.

 
Right and left brain learning

 
Most learning activities at the classroom are aimed to the left brain which is used during discussing, analyzing, solving logical problems, etc. The information is kept in short term memory and soon forgotten. In TPR method when language is learnt through movement and acting it is remembered long term – both the right and left brain is used then.
 

Young learners enjoy this method due to a lot of movement and fun during TPR practise. This method does well in both small and big groups. It can be successfully used in mixed-ability classes.
 


References:
 
- Asher, J. 1977 Learning Another Language Through Action: The Complete Teacher’s Guide Book, Sky Oaks Productions, Inc.
 
- Dakowska, M.2005 Teaching English as a Foreign Language: A Guide for Professionals, Warsaw: PWN
]]> Tue, 21 May 2019 08:08:00 GMT https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/?total-physical-response--tpr--method https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/rss/f51gdt53 <![CDATA[DAILY ROUTINES - communication skills activity]]> imblog
In this post you can find an example how to practise communication skills with ESL kids. Try this activity with your students to practise speaking, listening and writing skills as well as present simple tense, vocabulary for daily routines and telling the time.

Age: 9-12  
Language focus:
- vocabulary for daily routines
- telling the time
- Present Simple
Materials: photocopies of a table to complete (one for each student)

Click the image to download the worksheet.

Lesson plan for daily routines, telling the time and present simple
Procedure:
 
1. Divide the class into groups of three and distribute copies of the worksheet.
 
2. Ask students to write down what time they do each daily routine.
 
3. Each member of the group tells about his/her day and the rest of students in the group note the times in the table.
For example: I get up at six o’clock. Then I have a shower, get dressed and have breakfast at half past six. etc.)
 
4. After speaking activity or as homework your students write description using information from the table.
 
For example: I get up at six o’clock, but Matt and Kate get up at half past six. I have breakfast at half past six and Matt has breakfast at seven o’clock. Kate doesn’t have breakfast. etc.



]]> Tue, 30 Apr 2019 06:48:00 GMT https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/?daily-routines-communication-skills-activity https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/rss/m140v735 <![CDATA[DEALING WITH DYSLEXIA IN ENGLISH CLASS]]> imblog
It is not possible to cure somebody of dyslexia and nobody grows out of it. Therefore, it is necessary to teach dyslexic children how to learn a foreign language and how to develop their own learning strategies. Using their talents and intelligence and with the help and support of the teacher in English class, they can compensate and deal with their weak points.
 
students with special needs

Gathering information
The most important for EFL teachers is gathering information about a student with dyslexia. They can start from acquainting themselves with students’ written assessments. There is not only description of a child, his strong and weak points, but also useful instructions how to work with that student. It is also important to be in close cooperation with dyslexic student’s parents, as they know their child very well. Besides, EFL teachers should find out student’s learning style and respect it teaching a foreign language.

Motivation
Since children with dyslexia have often low motivation for learning a foreign language, EFL teachers should create pleasant and friendly atmosphere in English class. They should also encourage students to have positive attitude towards English with the use of varied interesting tasks and materials. What is significant students ought to have opportunities to get into contact with English speaking countries’ culture. For example, they may write to a pen-friend, get in touch with native speakers or take part in student exchange programs.

Self-esteem
Motivation of dyslexic learners in English class is often connected with their self-esteem. They need a lot of positive feedback and praise. EFL teachers have duty not only help to overcome dyslexic children difficulties, but also emphasize their strong points. School success is motivating and causes reduction of the child’s stress. These learners also need more understanding and support than their peers. On the other hand, teachers cannot be overprotective. They should encourage children with dyslexia to be independent. EFL teachers should set reasonable goals and requirements and after performing a task they should praise the child for great effort even if the dyslexic student does not quite succeed with exercise.
 
Cooperation
As children with dyslexia take up a lot of teacher’s time, it may cause problems with their classmates. Therefore it is necessary to explain the situation of the dyslexics to the rest of the class and promote mutual help and cooperation between students in English class. As often as possible let your students work in pairs or small groups to prepare dialogues or collaborative projects. It is worth to remember that students learn not only from teachers but also from their peers.

 
In English class where students with dyslexia are mixed with non-dyslexics who learn easily, the dyslexic learner will more often experience failure. That is why there is a huge role of teachers to organize lessons in such a way that each student would have an opportunity to show their strengths and enjoy English lessons.
]]> Mon, 11 Mar 2019 09:00:00 GMT https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/?dealing-with-dyslexia-in-english-class https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/rss/488gmlh6 <![CDATA[ST. PATRICK'S DAY IDEAS]]> imblog
Saint Patrick's Day is coming. It is a great oportunity to come forth with some Irish symbols and traditions. Celebrating St. Patrick’s Day (17th March) with your students you can choose some of these activities.


Activities for St. Patrick's Day


 
1.       Legend of St. Patrick
 
That day you can tell the legend of saint patron of Ireland. You can watch the story with your EFL students, as well. I recommend this one:

 
2.       Flag of Ireland
 
Draw a shape of Irish flag on the board and ask students to try to put green, white and orange sheets of paper in the right order. Then display the right answer and ask them to colour Irish flags.
 
As a titbit you can tell the students that inverted colours mean that it is the flag of Ivory Coast.

Colours of Irish flag


 
3.       Symbols of Ireland
 
Print or draw the most common symbols of Ireland (a pot of gold, a shamrock, Leprechaun, a harp, a rainbow, and the Irish flag), name them and encourage your students to repeat the names. Then explain what they mean and ask children to make in pairs or on their own posters – a picture dictionary of Irish symbols.

St. Patrick's Day - activities for primary school

 
4.       Colors of the Rainbow
 
Put stripes of paper in colours of the rainbow on the floor and ask your students to arrange them in the right order. Then learn them the song 'In the Rainbow' to sing together. My students love this song!



 
5.       At the End of the Rainbow
 
As a class or whole school project you can prepare a bulletin board. Ask your students to draw their hands on the sheets of papers in colours of a rainbow, sign them and write ‘Happy St. Patrick’s Day!’ on each one. Collect them in the Leprehaun hat (to find how to make a Leprehaun hat click here) and then arrange them into the rainbow on the bulletin board. Children will have a great fun looking for their ‘hands’.


       

I would appreciate if you share these ideas with your teaching friends or leave a comment.
Happy St. Patrick's Day from the Teacher's Zone!
]]> Tue, 05 Mar 2019 11:54:00 GMT https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/?at-the-end-of-the-rainbow-st-patrick-s-day-ideas https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/rss/h2y5f5d4 <![CDATA[CLASS BIRTHDAY CHART - speaking activity]]> imblog
Today I encourage to try simple speaking activity 'Class Birthday Chart'. You can use this idea in many different situations, for example teaching months of the year, as an ice breaker activity or just a spur to talk in English.

Months of the year activity for young ESL learners

Age: 8-10
Language focus:
- months of the year (optionally: ordinal numbers)
- question: When is your birthday?,
- answers: It's in ... (optionally: It's on the ... of ... .)
Materials: a printable worksheet (click the image below to download the worksheet), a pen

Birthday speaking activity for ptimary students

Procedure:
1. Revise the months of the year with your students. You can use printed word cards or display a poster or flashcards. Click an image below to download free teaching materials.

Months of the year taeching resources   Months of the year teaching materials   Months of the year reasources

2. Distribute worksheets and ask your students to write the months of the year.

3. When their charts are ready, they ask all their classmates the question When is your birthday? to find out their birth months and write names in the right circle on the worksheet.

Teaching tips:
To make the task a little bit harder you can introduce ordinal numbers and ask your students to give more specific answers: It's on the ... of ... .
]]> Wed, 20 Feb 2019 10:40:00 GMT https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/?class-birthday-chart-speaking-activity https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/rss/000000005 <![CDATA[Spelling Activities for Primary School and ESL Students]]> imblog
Today's post is written by Catherine - an English teacher who creates and maintains Eco ESL website.


A fundamental skill in learning, understanding, and speaking English is spelling. When students know how to spell words, they have a stronger grasp on how to pronounce, read, and write words. This is crucial for their English development. For both ESL students and pupils in primary school, it is essential to give the skill of spelling a strong foundation.
 
There are many ways to make spelling interesting and engaging. Moving away from rote learning words and bland spelling tests, teachers have the potential to get creative with ways they help students spell. Words, letters, and spelling can become much more exciting in the ESL and primary school classroom with some of these handy tips and tricks.


Puzzle spellers
 
Students are more engaged when their brain and hands are doing something together. For younger learners especially, it can be much more productive to visually see the letters they are spelling and have something physical to hold. This taps into kinaesthetic learning and engages them on another level.

spelling activities for ESL students

Spelling puzzles are a great idea for this. These puzzles can involve any type of picture and the letters featured on each piece. Students need to join together the picture and put the words in order at the same time. These zoo animal spellers are a great example of this. They are perfect to use as a warm up exercise or a brain break activity. Spelling puzzle using any word and picture are easy to create and go a long way in a classroom setting.

Spelling activities for primary students


CVC cards

CVC cards for young learners

Consonant Vowel Consonant spelling exercises are highly useful. These are great for sight word practice, sound it out spelling, and helping students identify the vowel sound in the middle of the word.

These simple flashcards with an attractive visual piece can help students with spelling. The letters are designed in block format so students can spell them out individually. It is also important to help students hear the sound each letter makes in CVC spelling.




Vowel placement
 

Spelling activities for kids

Using CVC words as a basis again, it is good to expose students to a range of words that have the same beginning and ending. This exercise helps students to understand the important of vowels in spelling. Focusing on the way different words can be created using different vowels, this exercise is also good for kinaesthetic and visual learning.

As students place the vowel in the middle of each card, they can try and sound out the word. Guide students to hear the sound the word makes with different vowels and help them decide if it is a real word or not. This activity can be extended by writing down the words created. This helps students to further visualise the spelling words.





Get creative and DIY
 
All these spelling exercises and activities were created on recycled materials. Spelling can be fun and exciting for students as well as helpful for the planet! Find more ideas and inspiration on how to create your own spelling activities at www.ecoesl.com
]]> Sun, 18 Nov 2018 12:15:00 GMT https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/?spelling-activities-for-primary-school-and-esl-students https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/rss/000000002 <![CDATA[SPORTS I CAN DO - lesson plan]]> imblog
Children are always fond of writing and making projects about their hobbies and interests. They are also interested in their friends free time activities. The idea is making a poster about sports your students can do followed by short presentation in front of their classmates.

Sports and equipment project for EFL / ESL students

Age: 7-10

Language focus:
- sports and equipment
- structures:
  • What sport can you do?; I can..., but I can't...;
  • Can you...?; Yes, I can. / No, I can't.
  • What do you need to...?; To... I need...

Time: 90 minutes

Materials:
- A3 sheet of paper,
- some pictures from sports magazines, photos or printed images from the Internet,
- a pencil, crayons, markers, glue and scissors.

Procedure:
1. Revise vocabulary for sports and sport equipment and introduce new lexical items that your students need to talk about sports they can do.

2. Ask some students: What sports can you do?; What do you need to ...?; Can you...?

3. Encourage students to talk in pairs about sports they can do.

4. Then students stick the pictures of sports they can do to the poster and write short descriptions.
Example:
I can play tennis. To play tennis I need a racket, a ball and trainers.

Sports - activity for young learners     Sports and equipment - teaching idea for primary students

5. Students present their posters in front of the class.

Click here to find another activity for primary students about their abilities.
]]> Mon, 12 Nov 2018 10:08:00 GMT https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/?sports-i-can-do https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/rss/5dqnk7v4 <![CDATA[HEALTHY BREAKFAST - CLIL lesson plan]]> imblog
CLIL lesson plan to teach students that breakfast is the most important meal during the day. Your students will have an oportunity to practise food vocabulary as well.

Age: 8-12

Language focus:
- vocabulary: food for breakfast
- structures: What do you usually have for breakfast? I usually have ... / For my healthy breakfast I would like to have ...

Materials: flashcards, worksheets (one for each student)

Time: 45 minutes

Food - CLIL lesson plan for children
Procedure:
1.  The lesson is started with a small talk about breakfast as the most important meal of a day. Ask if and what your students have for  braekfast.

2. Then introduce or revise some food vocabulary with flashcards. Click here to download free flashcards.

3. After that ask your students to prepare their healthy breakfast - draw pictures and label them or write short  descriptions. Click here to download the printable worksheet.

CLIL lesson plan for food

4. Ask your students to share their ideas on healthy breakfast in pairs.









]]> Mon, 05 Nov 2018 09:13:00 GMT https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/?healthy-breakfast https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/rss/jw398ss5 <![CDATA[HALLOWEEN CRAFTS]]> imblog Are you going to decorate your classroom for Halloween? Then you can find here some inspirational ideas. You should draw your students in preparing for the Halloween lessons or parties. Making crafts is also an excellent moment to talk about Halloween traditions in English speaking countries with EFL students.


PUMPKINS FOR HALLOWEEN

Felt pumpkin
Materials needed to make these felt pumpkin crafts:   Halloween craft activities for EFL learnersHalloween ideas for primary school
- felt cloth in different colours (especially orange and black),
- glue and scissors.

     





Paper pumpkin
Materials needed to make these paper pumpkin crafts:   Halloween craft activities for primary studentsHalloween pumpkins for primary stydents
- sheets of white hard paper,
- orange crepe paper,
- markers,
- glue and scissors.






Decorated pumpkin
Materials needed to decorate a pumpkin:  Halloween traditions - lesson for primary students
- a pumpkin,
- markers,
- a polystyrene ball (cut it in half to make eyes),
- pipe cleaners for pumpkin's hair,
- a crumpled ball of paper for a nose.







SPIDERS FOR HALLOWEEN

Pom pom spider
Materials needed to make this pom pom spider:   Halloween decorations for EFL/ESL students
- black hard paper,
- black pom pom balls,
- self-adhesive rhinestones,
- glue and scissors.







Ping pong spider
Materials needed to make this ping pong spider:   Inspirations for Halloween in primary school
- black and white hard paper,
- half of a table tennis ball / a polystyrene ball,
- strong glue,
- scissors.








Paper spider
Materials needed to make this simple paper spider: Halloween projects for kids
- black and white crepe paper,
- glue.










GHOSTS

Leaves ghosts
Materials needed to make these leaves ghosts:     Halloween lesson plan for primary school
- leaves,
- a white paint,
- markers.








Fabric ghosts
Materials needed to make these small fabric ghosts:   Halloween crafts for primary students
- a piece of white fabric,
- a cotton wool ball,
- a white rubber band,
- a black marker.








BLACK CATS

Paper black cat
Materials needed to make this paper black cat:   Halloween black cat for primary school
- black hard paper,
- glue and scissors.


















Black cat and full moon poster
Materials needed to make this DIY poster for Halloween:   Halloween culture lesson for EFL / ESL students
- black hard paper,
- a foil holographic metallic card (to make the gleaming full moon),
- soft pastels (to draw bats around the moon),
- scissors and glue.








HALLOWEEN WITCH

Toilet paper roll witch
Materials needed to make this toilet paper roll witch:   Halloween projects for kindergarten
- a toilet paper roll,
- black hard paper,
- paints,
- a paper raffia ribbon,
- scissors and glue.















Click here to find more inspirations to teach primary EFL students about Halloween fesival.

Have a spooky but happy Halloween! Trick or a comment!                Happy Halloween
]]> Sun, 21 Oct 2018 08:11:00 GMT https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/?halloween-crafts https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/rss/000000000 <![CDATA[HIDE AND SEEK WITH PETS]]> imblog Do your students like playing hide and seek? Do they love animals? Let them play with the pets practising spelling at the same time.

Age: 7-10

Language focus:
- any animals (in the example: dog, tortoise, mouse, lamb, guinea pig, budgie, hamster, cat, rabbit, horse)
- expression: Where's the ...?; Here it is.

Materials:
- a notebook and crayons
- sticky notes and a pen
- optionally: pictures of the animals and word cards (click here to download word cards for the pets)

Animals - vocabulary activity

Procedure:
1. Ask your students to draw the pets in their notebooks (for example: dog, tortoise, mouse, lamb, guinea pig, budgie, hamster, cat, rabbit, horse).

2. Distribute sticky notes to cover each picture of the pet.

3. Then ask questions Where's the ...? and students answer: Here it is. and uncover the right image. Optionally you can show flash cards of the animals during asking the questions.

4. Put up the word cards or write the names of the pets on the board one by one. Ask students to copy the names of the animals on their sticky notes (one label on a sticky note).

Pets - practising vocabulary

5. When the labels are ready the students match them to the images in their notebooks.

Pets activity

6. Then students rewrite the names of the pets under the pictures.

Animals - spelling activity

Enjoy and if you like the activity leave a comment.

]]> Thu, 04 Oct 2018 13:02:00 GMT https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/?hide-and-seek-with-pets https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/rss/ji2slqbh <![CDATA[SHAPES - free teaching resources]]> imblog
Are you going to teach SHAPES to your young learners? You can use free teaching materials from the Teacher's Zone website.

1. Flashcards for shapes

Flashcards are the most useful material for teachers to introduce and practise vocabulary with children.
Click the pictures below and download two sets of the shapes flashcards. You can choose one of three versions:
  • shapes and the labels,
  • shapes and the labels with phonetic transcription,
  • pictures of the shapes without labels.

Teaching shapes    


Flashcards for shapes vocabulary

If you need some ideas how to use these shapes flashcards click here.

2. Poster for shapes

Instead of flashcards, you can use a poster with shapes vocabulary. Print the poster and attach it to the board or just display on the screen to teach names of the shapes.

Click the picture below to download the shapes poster.

Poster for shapes vocabulary

Click here to find some poster activities.

3. Worksheets for shapes

For more practise or as homework, print some of these worksheets. To download the printables for shapes vocabulary, click the picture:

Printables for shapes vocabulary

If you find these materials useful, give them the thumbs-up or leave a comment.
Thank you and enjoy teaching with the Teacher's zone website!

]]> Thu, 26 Apr 2018 13:10:00 GMT https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/?shapes-free-teaching-resources https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/rss/cv4d18x3 <![CDATA[FAVOURITE FRUIT AND VEGETABLE - speaking activity]]> imblog
Speaking activity for young learners to practise fruit and vegetables vocabulary and questions about their likes and dislikes.

Age: 7-12

Language focus:
- questions: What’s your favourite...?, Do you like...?,
- short answers: Yes, I do. / No, I don’t.
- asking and talking about favourite fruit and vegetables,
- present simple tense

Materials: photocopies of the worksheet (one for each child)

Food - favourite fruit and vegetables

Procedure:
1. Pre-teach or revise fruit and vegetables using flashcards.
  • To download free fruit flashcards click here.
  • To download free vegetable flashcards click here.

2. Ask each student questions:
What’s your favourite fruit? and What’s your favourite vegetable?

3. Hand the worksheets out one for each child.

4. The students ask five of their classmates questions: Do you like...? and complete the form.

5. At the end some students tell the classmates about results of their survey.


Teaching tips:
- Students can prepare their own forms.
- Students who finish the activity earlier can ask questions to some other children or prepare a bar chart ‘Our favourite fruit and vegetable.’
- For students who finish the task earlier or as a homework, you can copy fruit worksheets or vegetables worksheets.

Click here to find more activities for food topic.
]]> Mon, 16 Apr 2018 13:34:00 GMT https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/?favourite-fruit-and-vegetable-speaking-activity https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/rss/h89jv345 <![CDATA[FOOD GROUPS - word game]]> imblog Spin the bottle and let your students practise any food vocabulary.

Age: 8-12

Language focus:
- food groups: fish and meat, fruit and vegetables, dairy products, grain products,
- any food items (in the example: apples, pasta, strawberries,  peppers, tuna, meatballs, tomatoes, bananas, rolls, carrots, broccoli,  lettuce, rice, cherries, beef, butter, spinach, buckwheat groats, cream,  baguette, cheese, chicken, milk, steak, cereal, sardines, bacon,  salmon, bread, cottage cheese, ham, yoghurt, sausages)

Materials:
- word cards: food items and food groups (to download the word cards click here)
- a bottle of water.

Food groups - word game      Food - word game

Procedure:
1. Print the word cards and cut them out. You can use different colours of paper for food groups.

2. Put the food groups in the circle and the food word cards face down. In the middle of the circle put a bottle of water.

3. Students sit around and spin the bottle to choose the food group and turn over one food card in turn. If the card matches to the food group they put the card next to the food group. If the card does not match they keep it.

Food groups - CLIL activity   Food - vocabulary activity

4. Next rounds students start with spinning the bottle, but they can add the food card they have kept earlier instead of turning over another one.

5. The winner is the player who the first gets rid of the food cards.

Suggestions:
- You can play the game with the whole class or divide students into groups.
- For younger students you can simplify the game using some picture food cards.

Enjoy the FOOD GROUPS game!

]]> Tue, 20 Mar 2018 14:28:00 GMT https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/?food-groups-word-game https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/rss/204hnix3 <![CDATA[HOUSE PAIRS]]> imblog
 
Try this activity to practise house vocabulary - pronunciation as well as spelling. If it is necessary introduce or revise the vocabulary before the game. I hope your students will learn a lot having great fun.

Age: 8-12
 
Language focus:
 
- rooms and furniture vocabulary (kitchen, bathroom, basement, attic, garage, living room,  study, bedroom, armchair, cooker, desk, washbasin, wardrobe, table, cupboard, fridge, sofa, bookcase)
- sentence formation
 
Materials: a set of cards for each group (click here to download the cards)

House - rooms and furniture matching game

 
Procedure:
 
1. Divide the class into groups three or four.

2. Give each group a set of cards.

3. Students put the cards face down on the desk.

4. Students turn over two cards in turn.

Rooms and furniture - vocabulary activity  Rooms and furniture - vocabulary activity

5. If the cards match, they form a sentence with the word (for example, ARM+CHAIR:     There is an armchair in the living room.). If the sentence is correct, they keep the cards as a point.

6. If the cards do not match or the sentence is incorrect, the student flips the cards face down again and the next student has a go.

7. The winner is the player with the most cards at the end of the game.
 
 
 
Teaching tips:
 
- You can cut out the cards before the lesson and laminate them or ask the students to do it before the game.
 
- With younger students you can omit sentence formation and ask them to pronounce the word correctly each time they find a pair.
]]> Mon, 12 Mar 2018 11:59:00 GMT https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/?house-pairs https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/rss/o79g0fh3 <![CDATA[CAN YOU ...? - ice breaker activity]]> imblog
I would like to present an involving activity to encourage students to get to know about their classmates' skills and abilities. It is a great way to practise vocabulary for free time activities and the modal verb 'can'. This task can be used to stimulate students to speak English in class as well as a simple ice breaker activity.


Age: 8-12
 
Language focus:
 
- sports and free time activities
 
- question: Can you …?,
 
- short answers: Yes, I can. / No, I can't.
 
- He/She can ..., but he/she can't ... .
 
Materials: a sheet of paper and a pencil for each student

Procedure:

1. Students draw a table, write down some free time activities and three names of their classmates.

Freetime activities, modal verb 'can'

2. Then students tick or cross answers about themselves and walk around the classroom to ask their classmates about what they can do.

Sports, free time activities, modal verb 'can'

3. When students complete their charts they can tell about their classmates' abilities in front of the classroom.

4. Additionally, students can write a few sentences in their notebooks, for example: I can ..., but I can't ... . Kate can ... and ..., but she can't ... . Tom can ..., but he can't ... ., etc.

]]> Mon, 05 Mar 2018 11:18:00 GMT https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/?can-you-ice-breaker-activity https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/rss/2ev4t4wz <![CDATA[YUMMY!]]> imblog
 
Practise or introduce some food vocabulary talking with your young students about their likes and dislikes.

Age: 6-10
 
Language focus:
 
- any food items
 
- question: Do you like…?,
 
- short answers: Yes, I do. Yummy!/ No, I don’t.Yuk!
 
- present simple
 
Materials: pictures with food items

Click a picture to find some food flash cards:

Speaking about likes and dislikes

Talking about likes and dislikes  Talking about likes and dislikes


 
Procedure:
 
1. Ask students a question Do you like (ex. chips)? and they answer rhythmically if it is true
 
Yes, I do. (students clap their hands three times) Yummy!  (students rub their bellies)
 
If it is not true they do not say anything and make a face like they would like to say Yuk!

 
2. After such introduction ask one student to come in front of the class, show him food flashcards to point to his favourite one.

 
3. Then other students try to guess his choice asking Do you like...? and the student in front of the class answers No, I don’t. Yuk! or Yes, I do. Yummy!

Your students need more practise - print some free worksheets:
- food
- fruit
- vegetables
]]> Mon, 26 Feb 2018 12:38:00 GMT https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/?yummy https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/rss/z585z3bj <![CDATA[ANIMALS - FINGER PUPPETS RHYME]]> imblog
 
Your students will enjoy participating in this super simple and easy to remember rhyme if you use finger puppets to introduce a new set of vocabulary.

Age: 4-8
 
Language focus:
 
- any vocabulary (in the example: zoo animals)
 
- Hello. / Bye, bye.
 
- Where are you? / Here I am.
 
- How are you? / I’m fine, thank you.
 
Materials: finger puppets (in the example zoo animals)


 


Procedure:
 
1. Put on one of the finger puppets and say "Hello, children. I'm (ex. a parrot)."  and encourage children to say "Hello (ex. parrot)" .

 
2. Then say or sing the rhyme like this:
 
"Parrot finger, parrot finger, where are you?
 
Here I am, here I am. How are you?"
 
and students respond:                  "I'm fine, thank you."
 
 

3. Continue with other animals.

 
4. Then take out finger puppets one by one and say “Bye, bye children.” and students respond “Bye, bye, (ex. a parrot)."  


 
Teaching tips:
 
- You can introduce different types of greetings at the beginning (Hello, Hi, Good morning, Good afternoon) and at the end (Bye, Goodbye, See you) of the activity.

Click here to download free zoo animals flash cards.

Click here to download animals posters.

Click here to download zoo animals worksheets.
]]> Sun, 18 Feb 2018 14:49:00 GMT https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/?animals-finger-puppets-rhyme https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/rss/c0u55rdn <![CDATA[PLAY AND GAMES IN THE PRIMARY CLASSROOM]]> imblog
"Play is the work of childchood."
                     [Jean Piaget]

primary classroom

Children learn a foreign language through play and games. Active learning presuposses a lot of advantages, however teachers can meet some problems. What take into consideration to make sure your students get all the profits?

Advantages of play and games
Lessons including games are fun and provide meaningful situations to practise and improve a foreign language. Games help to form a positive attitude to learning and develope teamwork skills. Children foster co-operation and participation as well.
Play and games add variety to lessons and valuable way to reenergise young learners. They provide not only secure learning environment but also they are highly motivated. Children play and they do not even know that they practise hidden language items and fluency of speech.

Disadvantages of play and games
Playing games can cause hustle and bustle in the classroom. In such a situation, it is easy to lose control of the class. Sometimes children are as involved in the game that they start to talk in their mother tongue. What is more, game can be too competitive and can cause arguments about scored points. Teachers can also face parents' opinion that games are waste time in the classroom.

Taking into consideration all the pros and cons of play and games in the classroom, plan the activities to avoid all the 'cons'. First of all activities should be well-matched to your students, neither too simple nor too complicated. What is more, they should be fitted to your classroom - make sure there is enough space to play safely. Brief thought-out instructions are crucial to avoid boredom befor the game begins. Moreover, teachers should plan carefuly lexical aspect and introduce language which will be used. As children playing monitor if all the students are involved and interested in the game. Remember to be vigiliant and defuse the problems at the start.

Initially playing games in the classroom can be hard, especially in big classes. However, if you scrape through the beginning, children learn co-operate in groups. Using the same activity with different language elements students will play the game without any introductions.

Have fun and play with your students!
]]> Mon, 28 Aug 2017 13:37:00 GMT https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/?play-and-games-in-the-primary-classroom https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/rss/kbgok9q6 <![CDATA[UP SIDE DOWN QUIZ]]> imblog
 
To practise question words and structures you should try 'Up Side Down Quiz' with your students.Working in groups children will feel comfortable to speak and have fun. All you need to do this activity is a sheet of paper for each group and pencils.

Spaeking activity for ESL / EFL learners

Age: 10-12
 
Language focus: making questions to given answers
 
Materials: a sheet of paper for each group to write down the questions, pencils or pens


 
Procedure:
 
1.      Divide the class into groups of four.
 
2.      Give the answer and each group has to make a correct question and write it down.
 
3.      Each correct question gives a point to a team.
 

         
     Speaking activity to teach making questions
       
 
Teaching tips:

 
- Before starting the activity you can ask students to prepare some answers, write them on stripes of paper and put them into a small bag or box. Then you can use them during the quiz.
- At the beginning of the activity revise question words and write them on the board.

To find more speaking activities for young learners, click here.
]]> Wed, 08 Feb 2017 13:06:00 GMT https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/?up-side-down-quiz https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/rss/g5u1v93o <![CDATA[MY FIVE SENSES MINIBOOK]]> imblog
Making a minibook is an interesting way to teach five human senses and revise names of the body parts. This craft activity encourage young students to read and give an oportunity to use their creativity.

Body parts and five senses craft work


Age: 5-7

Language focus:
- lexical items: body parts, five human senses
- structure: I can ... with my ...

Materials: a sheet of A4 paper (one for each child), crayons, a pencil, scissors, pieces with sentenses to read and paste into the minibook.

Procedure:
1. Demonstrate how to make a miniboook step by step:

How to make a minibook

2. Ask your students to make a front page - write a title 'My five senses'.

3. Then pass sentences to read and paste on the pages of the minibook. You can use this printable worksheet:

My 5 senses and body parts - simple reading task.

4. Now it is time to complete the minibooks with some pictures. Students draw on each page what they can see, hear, smell, taste or touch.

Minibook abou the human senses        Mini booklete about human senses

5. Give your students some time to talk and share their ideas.

Have fun!
]]> Sun, 29 Jan 2017 16:24:00 GMT https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/?five-senses-minibook https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/rss/80tg3qn6 <![CDATA[COGNITIVE SKILLS IN PRESCHOOLERS]]> imblog

 
According to Piaget’s theory of cognitive development children aged 3-6 years old are in preoperational stage of their lifespan. During this period logical thinking and solving problem skills begin to form. Preschoolers are egocentric – their abilities to see someone else’s point of view are limited. However, they start to engage in games in which they pretended to be people they are not (for example: cartoons’ characters or different members of the family).


 
teaching tips - preschoolers


 
1.  Memory span

 
Memory span develops in different areas with age. Changes apply to increase of memory capacity, advance in general knowledge and learning strategies. There is a direct relationship between memory span and the age of a child. Young students need stimulation to repeat and memorise new material. That is why a teacher needs a wide range of resources attracting preschoolers’ attention and supporting their memorisation skills.
 



teaching tips - preschoolers
 
2.  Visual perception
 
Most preschoolers are able to recognize colours and identify shapes. They often can distinguish and name some letters of the alphabet, but they are not able to copy them properly. However, visual perception has to be constantly stimulated by finding differences and similarities, sorting objects or copying sequences.
 


 
3.  Sound recognition and production

 
A significant increase in sound recognition is distinguishable at this age. Children’s sound recognition is concerned with sensitivity to music and language sounds. Preschoolers internalise rhythm and melody of a language in natural way.


 

 
4.  Time orientation

 
Preschoolers perceive time subjectively – it can be called egocentric time orientation. Children begin with acquiring days of the week, seasons and months of the year. They often learn opposites: day – night, summer – winter, etc. Preschoolers attain skills to arrange events in chronological order.
 
 

5.  Depth perception

 
Preschoolers develop their depth perception as ability to see in three dimensions and eye-body coordination. They learn to distinguish between up and down, left and right side, in front of and behind, etc.
 
teaching tips - preschoolers
 

6.  Numeration

For children at this age counting is a quite abstract activity. They can name the numbers but some of them cannot understand that number means a sequence of things and a total count.
 



Working with preschoolers and planning some activities for them a teacher is obliged to take into consideration their cognitive development and skills. It will help to avoid some of the methodologic mistakes or confusion and disorientation in children.
 

 
References:
 
Clark, E. 1976 From Gesture to Word. Human Growth and Development. Oxford: Wolson College Lectures.
 
Piaget, J. 1952 The Origins of Intelligence in Children. New York: International University Press.
]]> Sun, 20 Nov 2016 15:08:00 GMT https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/?cognitive-skills-in-preschoolers https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/rss/5215c792 <![CDATA[POSTERS FOR NUMBERS 1-100]]> imblog
A new set of five posters for numbers to print or display. Great material to revise or introduce numbers with your students.

Poster for numbers 1-10      Poster for numbers 11-20

  
Poster for numbers 1-20     Poster for numbers 10-100


 Poster for numbers 1-10

For additional practise you can use flash cards for numbers and WORKSHEETS for:
- NUMBERS 1-10
- NUMBERS 11-20
- NUMBERS 20-100
]]> Sun, 04 Sep 2016 14:51:00 GMT https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/?posters-for-numbers-1-100 https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/rss/03z9921y <![CDATA[CATEGORIES - back to school activity]]> imblog
This is a fun first day of school activity. CATEGORIES game lets your students to revise vocabulary and warm up before the school year.

 
Age: 9-12
 
Language focus: any familiar lexical sets (in the example: animals, food, clothes, sports, jobs)
 
Materials: A4 paper (one for each group)
 

Procedure:
 
1. Divide the class into groups of 3-4.

 
2. Write on the board the names of the lexical sets and ask each group to copy them.


         
Game to revise vocabulary


3. Say a letter of the alphabet and each group has five minutes to think of and write down one word in each category beginning with the given letter.

 
4. After five minutes groups take turns to say their words in each category and score points:

 
- 15 points – if only one group has the word in the category,
 
- 10 points – if at least two groups have the words and they are different,
 
-  5 points – if two or more groups have the same word.

 
5. After the round each group keeps a score in the last column.

 
6. Continue the activity with some other letters.

 
7. The winning group is the one with the most points at the end of the game.


 
Teaching tips:
 
Avoid letters such as: Y, Z, Q, X etc. – it can be difficult for students to think of a word beginning with these letters.


To print the instruction click here.
]]> Wed, 31 Aug 2016 11:16:00 GMT https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/?categories-back-to-school-activity https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/rss/708f97dn <![CDATA[TIPS FOR TECHING CHILDREN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE]]> imblog
 
To teach young learners a second language in an effective way you should take into consideration their developmental characteristics and how children assimilate a foreign language.

Tips for teaching young learners a second language

Planning a lesson you should follow several teaching tips:
 
 
1.   Introduce classroom routines
 
Classroom routines let your students feel safe and confident during the language lessons. Besides, you will not lose time for additional explanations at every turn. Introduce several classroom routines - children will know what you expect from them. Use rhymes, chants and songs to say Hello and Goodbye, clean the classroom or change children’s position.
 
 
2.   Catch children’s attention
 
Children learn faster when they are curious about the subject. Use pictures, posters, books, toys or any everyday items to catch your young students’ attention. Be flexible and change or modify activities which are unattractive for your students.
 
 
3.   Name what you show or do
 
A second language should be used to comment what you and your students do. Be sure that your gestures match to the spoken words. Create conditions to introduce the foreign language in natural way - use the foreign language to name objects in the classroom, set rules of the games, sing songs, tell stories.
 
 
4.   Plan short activities
 
Each activity should not be longer than 5-10 minutes because of children’s short attention span. Include several kinesthetic activities during the lesson and monitor children’s engagement. Remember to intersperse static and dynamic activities.
 
 
5.   Be enthusiastic
 
Children will mirror teacher’s engagement. Play with them with enthusiasm and do not afraid to act foolish. If you enjoy the game or the song your students will like it as well. Do not forget about setting the rules before each activity and monitor if children respect them.
 
 
6.   Tell stories
 
Storytelling is a natural way for children to assimilate a language. Use colorful pictures and large books. Involve students into telling the story – ask them to repeat or guess some words from the story, encourage them to do the actions from the story.
 
 
Read more about why tell stories to children.
 
 
7.   Sing and dance
 
Children gladly plug into singing and dancing. They remember easily whole expressions if they follow not only the words but also rhythm and motion. Including TPR activities you can avoid children’s boredom and satisfy their need for movement.  

 
Read more about TPR Method.
 
 
8.   Create art and craft activities
 
Most children love to manipulate objects and create their own masterpieces. However the task cannot be too complicated and adjusted to children’s motor skills. Demonstrating how to do the craft speak a second language. What is more choose crafts that can be used afterwards (cards, pictures, puppets, posters, etc.) to tell stories, act dialogues, play games or decorate the classroom.
 
 
All these teaching tips have a great influence on effectiveness and child-friendly teaching environment. Young learners who are involved in educational process learn faster and easier without additional effort.
]]> Sun, 28 Aug 2016 15:17:00 GMT https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/?tips-for-teching-children-a-foreign-language https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/rss/jf7grmqd <![CDATA[WHAT DO YOU WANT TO EAT? - LESSON PLAN]]> imblog
Teach your students new vocabulary for food and encourage them to talk what they want to eat.

Age: 7-10
Time: 45 minutes
Language focus:
- any food items (in the example: spaghetti, meatballs, sandwiches, chicken, sausages, salad, potatoes, eggs, ice cream, chocolate)
 
- question and answers: Do you want …? / Yes, I do. / No, I don’t.; What do you want to eat? / I want to eat…
Materials: food flashcards, wordcards, worksheets.

Food vocabulary


Procedure:
- Students sit in the circle.
- Put the flashcards on the floor, say the names of the food items and ask students to repeat them.
- Turn the flashcards face down, point to each card and ask students to guess what is at the picture.
- Students read the names on the wordcards and match tem to the right pictures.
- Ask yor students: Do you want ...?  to answer: Yes, I do. or No, I don't.
- Then ask : What do you want to eat? and students answer: I want to eat ... and get the right picture.
- Students complete the worksheets and then write what they want to eat.

Exercises for food vocabulary

- Students in pairs make small talks asking and answering questions: Do you want to eat ...? and What do you want to eat?


                               
]]> Sun, 29 May 2016 11:22:00 GMT https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/?what-do-you-want-to-eat-lesson-plan https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/rss/4b9gso78 <![CDATA[VOCABULARY POSTERS]]> imblog
A vocabulary poster is a great teaching idea to introduce or practise lexical items. You can print one and attache it to the board or display on the screen.

Free posters for spring flowers vocabulary
You can use vocabulary poster activities like these:

Touch First

Ask two students to come to the board. Say one word and they have to touch the right picture. Student who does it first gets the point. You can involve all students from the class by asking them to name pictures from the poster to point by those at the board.


What is behind the number?

Cover the pictures with sheets of paper (you can write numbers on the paper). Students try to guess the words from the poster one by one.

Animals resources

Repeat if it's true

Point to a picture from the poster and say a word. If it is the right word to call the picture, students repeat it. If it is not true, children put the fingers on their mouths and keep quiet.


Mime a word

Ask one of the students to come to the board and choose one word from the poster to mime it. The rest of the class try to guess asking: Is it a ...? and the only answer they can get is: No, it isn't or Yes, it is. Who gives the right word, can mime the next one.


Download free vocabulary posters:

ANIMALS
COLOURS
SPRING FLOWERS
SHAPES
HALLOWEEN


]]> Tue, 26 Apr 2016 16:14:00 GMT https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/?vocabulary-posters https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/rss/2vza9346 <![CDATA[SPRING FLOWERS - CLIL lesson plan]]> imblog
Spring is in full bloom. What about teaching names of spring flowers? To do that you need realia or nice pictures, coloured sheets of paper, crayons and clips. Try this idea.

Age: 6-10
Language focus:
- names of spring flowers, petals, leaves
- question: What colour is the ...?; What flower do you like...?
- answers: It is .... ; I like...
Materials: flashcards or a poster, sheets of paper (yellow, green and white), crayons, scissors, clips
Time: at least 45 minutes


Free poster for sprin flowers vocabulary       Free flashcards for spring flowers vocabulary

Show flowers or pictures and name each one. Ask your students to repeat the names. Then ask some questions about the colours of flowers' petals and flowers your students like.

Give out your students petal-shaped papers to draw spring flowers and label them. Children stick their petals to the clips (they can use Blu-tack) and form a flower around a yellow circle.

Spring flowers activity        Spring flowers crafts


Spring flowers lesson plan        Spring flowers for kids


Spring flowers craft activity

If only it is possible, take your students for a walk to the park or garden. It will be a great fun for them to find and name spring flowers in English. You can ask them to bring one of spring flowers to plant in the school garden or in pots in the classroom. It is a fantastic learning experience to observe growing plants.
]]> Sun, 24 Apr 2016 07:53:00 GMT https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/?spring-flowers-clil-lesson-plan https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/rss/jagd29e1 <![CDATA[ENGLISH TEACHING RESOURCES FOR YOUNG LEARNERS]]> imblog
 
Teaching resources support teachers and make their lessons more attractive. Good teaching materials and a head full of ideas is the way to create a successful lesson for young learners. Here are presented the most common resources that are used in a process of teaching English as a foreign language.


Teaching materials


 
Songs and rhymes

 
The most common teaching resources are songs, rhymes and poems for kids. Some of them are prepared for children who learn English as a foreign language, others are traditional English pieces.  What is important, they not only help children remember vocabulary and structures, but also practice listening and speaking skills. Teachers can use them in different everyday situations, like beginning / end of the classes, tiding up after activities or washing hands before the meals.
 
To make songs or rhymes more understandable, they should be pictured with gestures and movement. Music and motion are the best way for children to assimilate a foreign language.

 
Read more about how children assimilate a foreign language.
 

Audiovisual materials

 
Nowadays, audiovisual resources are significant part of teaching young learners. Linking pictures to the language has a great influence on teaching results. A wide range of audiovisual materials is available on DVDs, TV or the Internet. They can become a great addition to the foreign language lessons. These resources will fulfil a didactic function, if the students are properly prepared for the lessons with audiovisual materials. Particularly key vocabulary should be taught and a main idea of audiovisual material should be discussed as preparation before watching.
 

Storybooks - teaching materials
Storybooks

 
A foreign language teacher’s resources pack should not be missing from storybooks for young learners. Storybooks for children should be illustrated with big and readable pictures which are as important for your students as the text. The language of the story should be as simple as possible. Then children will follow the story, if they know only the key vocabulary. Repetitive and catchy phrases enable young learners take part in telling the story.

 
Read more about why tell stories to children.
 

Games

 
Children learn a foreign language through games and teacher-directed play in a natural way.  Planning your lessons it is a good idea to use teaching resources as board games, memory or domino games. Teachers working with young leaners can adapt well-known games to children which they play using their mother tongue as well. Teachers of English should draw their attention to the language aspect – naming pictures, asking questions, reacting to the language which is taught.
 

Toys

 
Toys are the teaching resources which English teachers can find in each kindergarten or primary classroom. They can be used during English lessons as well. Glove or finger puppets, teddy bears and dolls are great teaching resources to act out stories. Building blocks, jigsaw puzzles, cars, balls, etc. are useful to manipulate, name, guess from the shape or count.

 
Try these activities with your students: Pass the toy, Finger puppets rhyme or Five little monkeys swinging in the tree.

 
Poster - teaching aids
Posters

 
Posters and wall charts subserve a context of teaching subjects. These resources are useful to introduce new vocabulary or phrases – the teacher can point to different elements of the poster, name them, ask questions and encourage students to short statements in a foreign language according to given pattern.

 
Posters you can print or display and poster activities to use in the classroom.
 

Flashcards

 
Flashcards are the most popular teaching resources in English classes. They can be very helpful in teaching a foreign language. Flashcards facilitate presentation new vocabulary, songs, chants and stories. What is more, they can be used to practise and revise lexical items.

 
Read more about flashcards activities and download free flashcards.

Digital resources

 
An interactive whiteboard, a projector, a laptop and access to the Internet in the classroom facilitate uncontainable possibilities to communicate in English with your students’ peers and prepare language projects together. New technologies enable using teaching resources from the Internet as well.
 
 
Collecting language teaching materials draw attention to their durability, operational safety, attractiveness to your students and possibility to use them on various teaching occasions.

]]> Sun, 17 Jan 2016 16:31:00 GMT https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/?english-teaching-resources-for-young-learners https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/rss/2qu5x196 <![CDATA[COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT OF DYSLEXIC LEARNERS]]> imblog
 
The early recognition of dyslexia symptoms is crucial for further cognitive development of children with special needs.

Children with special needs and their cognitive development

Teaching 6-9-year-olds you should be particular about your students’:

Spatial orientation
 
Dyslexic children have problems with following the spatial instructions – they are unable to differentiate between left and right side. It is complicated for them to decode prepositions of place, such as: next to, between, opposite, on the left/right, above, under, behind, etc.

Memorisation
 
Children with dyslexia find difficult to learn by heart simple rhymes and poems or even words. Speech disorder - children with specific difficulties in learning start to speak later than their peers. They have problems with appropriate sound production and pronunciation. They cannot see differences between minimal pairs, such as: bed/bad, pig/big, foot/food, dry/try, etc.
 
 
Classification and sequencing
 
Dyslexic students not only find difficult learning shapes and colours, but also have problems with words classification according to shape, size or colour.  It is not easy for them to tell the time or sequence events. Children with special needs learn numbers with difficulty – they mix numbers order, they are unable to remember mathematical signs (+, -, =) or they very often miscount.
 
 
Alphabet and spelling
 
Children with dyslexic problems find difficult to learn letters of the alphabet – they mix the order or cannot match the letter and the sound. They have problem with isolating words from the sentence or syllables from the words. They are unable to understand the instructions or stories. What is more, they spell and write the words with a lot of mistakes.

 
Read more on: Auditory and visual perception of dyslexic learners.

 
Here are presented some ideas to support dyslexic children’s cognitive development:

 
1.       Observation and description

 
- Point to different objects and name them or play the game Guess what I can see or I can see something (blue / oval / fluffy, etc.).
 
- Encourage children to find differences or similarities at the closest environment or at the pictures.
 
- Ask students to find and name distinguishing features of some objects.

 
2.       Classification

 
- Divide objects according to their size, colour or shape with the students.
 
- Play Odd one out and ask children to explain why some things do not go together.
 
 
3.       Sequencing

 
- Tell the story and then ask your students to put its parts in the right order (use pictures or clue words / expressions). You can encourage children to retell the story as well.
 
 
4.       Perceptiveness

 
- Play the game What is missing? (use pictures, toys or any objects)
 
- Ask children to match pictures to their shadows.
 
- Encourage children to play with the puzzles or building blocks.

 
Read more on: Dealing with dyslexia in the classroom.
 
]]> Wed, 06 Jan 2016 15:47:00 GMT https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/?cognitive-development-of-dyslexic-learners https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/rss/rxh953r9 <![CDATA[WHY TELL STORIES TO CHILDREN?]]> imblog
Children love listening to stories. It is a natural way for them to assimilate a language. For this reason, teachers use storytelling as a perfect introduction to the foreign language in a familiar context. What is more, stories are motivating and develope social skills.

Using storybooks

1. LANGUAGE SKILLS
Stories set the language in a natural, meaningful and enjoyable context. They link well to different topics across the curriculum and develop children's language skills in a holistic way. Listening to stories children repeat and recycle language naturally, because they like to hear the same stories over and over again. Besides, many stories contain repetition of key vocabulary and structures what develop their fluency in speaking. Storytelling is an opportunity to familiarize children with sounds, rhythm and intonation of the language.

2. MOTIVATION
Stories are enjoyable, motivating and fun. That is why, they are create positive attitude to the language and desire to continue learning. They engage children's interest, attention and imagination. Young students are very often personally involved in a story and identify with the characters, their adventures and emotions. They increasingly develope their ability to understand, retell, act out and create their own stories. What is more, stories appeal to children with different intelligences and learning styles.

3. SOCIAL SKILLS
Listening to stories children develope understanding of themselves and the world around them. Storybooks teach about ethical behaviour and enable children to make critical judgments. Storytelling provides a framework for such social skills as listening, concentration, turn taking, collaborating and respect for others. Children participate in storytelling by sharing natural emotional resposes like laughter, happiness, sadness or excitment. Acting out the stories encourage children to work together what develop their social skills in different real situations.

]]> Thu, 03 Dec 2015 21:10:00 GMT https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/?why-tell-stories-to-children- https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/rss/4670k54n <![CDATA[PAST TENSE VERBS - memory cards]]> imblog
Encourage your students to play memory game to remember past forms of verbs. Print these cards, cut them out and play the game.

Download free mamory cards for irregular past forms.

past verb forms - memory cards

Download free memory cards for regular verbs.

past forms of regular verbs - memory game

Memory game rules:
1. Download memory cards for irregular verbs or regular verbs and cut them out.
2. Put the cards facedown.
3. Randomly flip two of them and say the words aloud.
4. If the uncovered cards match, remove and keep the pair of cards. Then get another turn as a reward.
5. If the uncovered cards do not match, the two visible cards are flipped to be facedown.
6. The winner is the player with the most pairs of cards.

To take more practise past forms of verbs play a domino game:

Download free domino sets for irregular verbs.

Download free domino sets for regular verbs.


]]> Wed, 11 Nov 2015 16:44:00 GMT https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/?past-tense-verbs-memory-cards https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/rss/i8fn0ea9 <![CDATA[FIVE LITTLE MONKEYS SWINGING IN THE TREE]]> imblog
This is an activity for preschoolers based on 'Five little monkeys swinging in the tree' chant.

Activity for preschoolers

Language focus:
- counting 1-5
- vocabulary: little monkeys, a crocodile / an alligator, in the tree, swinging, teasing, quiet, to snap, to catch
- grammar: can / can't
Materials: monkey finger puppets, paper tree, a crocodile / alligator toy

Teaching English to preschoolers


'FIVE LITTLE MONKEYS SWINGING IN THE TREE' lyric

Five little monkeys swinging in the tree
teasing Mr. Alligator can’t catch me….can’t catch me
along came Mr. Alligator quiet as can be
and snapped ... that monkey out that tree

Four little monkeys swinging in the tree
teasing Mr. Alligator can’t catch me….can’t catch me
along came Mr. Alligator quiet as can be
and snapped ... that monkey out that tree

Three little monkeys swinging in the tree
teasing Mr. Alligator can’t catch me….can’t catch me
along came Mr. Alligator quiet as can be
and snapped ... that monkey out that tree

Two little monkeys swinging in the tree
teasing Mr. Alligator can’t catch me….can’t catch me
along came Mr. Alligator quiet as can be
and snapped ... that monkey out that tree

One little monkey swinging in the tree
teasing Mr. Alligator can’t catch me….can’t catch me
along came Mr. Alligator quiet as can be
and snapped ... that monkey out that tree

No more monkeys swinging in the tree!

Trere is a great presentation of this rhyme from Cullen's Abc's.
]]> Fri, 06 Nov 2015 09:31:00 GMT https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/?five-little-monkeys-swinging-in-the-tree https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/rss/p88y4524 <![CDATA[HOW CHILDREN ASSIMILATE A FOREIGN LANGUAGE]]> imblog
It is believed that children can start learning a foreign language as early as possible even if they cannot speak their mother tongue. It is crucial to organise optimal conditions to learn the language naturally in the same way as the first language.

How children assimilate a foreign language

According to Jayne Moon (2005) teaching a foreign language is more effective if:
- children will be frequently exposed to the language,
- optimal conditions will be provided to encourage natural needs of using the language,
- communication will be the main goal.

Children should be exposed to the language as often as possible. The learning process will be more effective if we spread the learning span beyond English classes. Children can listen to songs, rhymes and stories and play the same toys and games as during English lessons in their free time in the kindergarten, at home or in the car. Encourage parents to watch with children English programmes for kids on TV or the Internet.

Creating positive attitude to the foreign language during English classes, teachers encourage children to communicate in English - at first with a teacher and then with peers.

References:
- Moon, J. 2005 Children Learning English. A Guidebook For English Language Teachers, Macmillan
- Szpotowicz, M., Szulc-Kurpska, M. 2011 Teaching English to Young Learners, Warsaw: Wydawnictwo Naukowe PWN


]]> Sat, 31 Oct 2015 10:29:00 GMT https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/?how-children-assimilate-a-foreign-language https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/rss/74y513m0 <![CDATA[HALLOWEEN INSPIRATION]]> imblog
Halloween as a festival celebrated in English-speaking countries is a great opportunity to introduce or remember some words and expressions. Here you can find Halloween traditions ready to present to your young students, vocabulary posters, printable worksheets and wall board inspiration.

Halloween traditions

1. Halloween is celebrated in the USA, England, Ireland and many other countries on 31st October.

Halloween basic informations

2. At Halloween children wear scary costumes and go from door to door 'trick or treating' to get some sweets.

Trick or treating


3. Children carve pumpkins to make special lamps called Jack-o'-Lanterns.

Jack-o'-Lantern

4. A popular game for Hallowen party is 'apple bobbing'. Children try and pick up an apple from the bowl of water with their teeth.

Halloween games


Halloween symbols

These two posters include basic and more challenging vocabulary for Halloween symbols. You can use the ideas for poster activities.

Halloween vocabulary     Halloween expressions

You can teach the new words and then practice them with printable worksheets.

Halloween printables     Printables for Halloween symbols


Wall Board Ideas for Halloween

Ask your students to make Halloween decorations and display them on a school wall board.

Halloween decorations

Halloween wall board inspiration

]]> Sat, 24 Oct 2015 14:25:00 GMT https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/?halloween-inspiration https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/rss/sz8gs6k4 <![CDATA[TEACHING PRONUNCIATION]]> imblog
 
To avoid misunderstanding the learners have to differentiate between English sounds. That is why activities to practice sound pronunciation, word stress and intonation are crucial for the learning process.



Here are presented several examples of the teaching pronunciation techniques:
 
1. Imitation
 
This technique may be used to teach producing sounds, word and sentence stress, and intonation. The learners follow a good model to command of the spoken language.

2. Rhymes
The teacher says a word and the learners try to find another rhyming word (e.g. hat – cat, higher – choir, train – rain etc).
 
 
3. Minimal pairs
 
In this task there are given pairs of words whose pronunciation differs at only one sound, such as ‘sheep’ and ‘ship’ or ‘peg’ and ‘beg’ etc. The learners should identify if they hear the same words or different ones.
 
 
4. Odd man out
 
The teacher gives three words and among them there are two identical and one different. The learners have to guess which one should be out (e.g. sit – seat – sit).
 
 
5. Tongue-twister                  
It is memorising and repeating some sequences of the words, such as short poems, nursery rhymes or jokes, difficult to articulate quickly.
 
Teaching pronunciation is not optional, but it should be an integral part of an English teaching programme from the early stages, just as teaching vocabulary and grammar structures.
]]> Wed, 16 Sep 2015 19:42:00 GMT https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/?teaching-pronunciation https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/rss/826sn14f <![CDATA[SCHOOL BAG]]> imblog
In this post you can find several activities to revise school supplies vocabulary for young ESL learners.

Age: 6-8
Language focus:
- any school supplies (in the example: book, notebook, pen, glue, marker, paitbrush, paints, pencil, sharpener, ruler)
- What's in my school bag?  / Have you got ...? / Yes, I have. / No, I haven't.
- Close / Open your eyes.
- What is missing?
- Can I have ..., please? / Here you are. / Thank you.
Materials: school bag, school supplies, (optional: flashcards)

1. What's in my school bag?

Activity to teach school supplies

Students sit in the circle and they try to guess what you bring to school in your bag. They ask questions Have you got ...? If they say a supply which is in the schol bag, you will take it out and put on the floor. Continue as all items will be out.

2. What is missing?

School things lesson plan for primary students

Students sit in the circle. School supplies are on the floor. Ask children Close your eyes. Put one item into a school bag and say Open your eyes. What is missing?
You can hide more than one item to make the task more challenging.

School things activities for young learners

Continue the game till your students are interested in guessing.

3. Can I have ...?

Students sit in the circle. Items from your school bag are on the floor. Encourage students to pass you school supplies asking Can I have ..., please?. Giving objects children say Here you are. Say Thank you. and put the item into your school bag, Continue as all the school supplies will be inside.

Revising vocabulary for school supplies you can use flashcards as well. Click on the links below to download free flashcards related to school supplies:
- IN THE SCHOOL BAG
- IN THE PENCIL CASE
]]> Wed, 19 Aug 2015 13:59:00 GMT https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/?school-bag https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/rss/50ke1sza <![CDATA[GARDNER'S MULTIPLE INTELLIGENCES]]> imblog A teacher, who would like to organize a great lesson involving all students, has to take into consideration that everyone learns in different way. Howard Gardner lists eight types of intelligence which have direct influence on people's learning style. According to Gardner all individuals possess all eight intelligences in varying amounts. That is why, the teacher should diversify methods and techniques to support development of students' multiple intelligences.

Theory of Howard Gardner

1. VERBAL - LINGUISTIC INTELLIGENCE
Students like:
- read books,
- listen to stories,
- making notes,
- poems and rhymes,
- crosswords, wordsquars and word games.

Gardner's Multiple Intelligences

2. LOGICAL - MATHEMATICAL INTELLIGENCE
Students like:
- counting tasks,
- analysing texts,
- riddles to solve.

Theory of Multiple Intelligences

3. BODILY - KINESTHETIC INTELLIGENCE
Students like:
- playing games,
- dances and activities with music,
- craft activities,
- class or school plays.

Theory of Gardner's Multiple Intelligences

4. VISUAL-SPATILA INTELLIGENCE
Students like:
- pictures, posters, photos in the classroom,
- watching films,
- making notes,
- drawing mind maps,
- highlighting or underlining important information.

Multiple Intelligences

5. MUSICAL INTELLIGENCE
Students like:
- songs,
- playing and listening to music,
- writing songs with new vocabulary.

Theory of Multiple Intelligences

6. INTERPERSONAL INTELLIGENCE
Students like:
- pair and group working,
- group or class discussions,
- practising and presenting dialogues.

Gardner's Multiple Intelligences

7. INTRAPERSONAL INTELLIGENCE
Students like:
- writing diaries,
- individual projects,
- personality tests.


Theory of Howard Gardner

8. NATURALISTIC INTELLIGENCE
Students like:
- recognizing objects in nature (plants, animals),
- playing and learning outdoors,
- eco-projects.

Theory of Howard Gardner's Multiple Intelligences

]]> Sat, 25 Jul 2015 22:30:00 GMT https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/?gardner-s-multiple-intelligences https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/rss/9y8z2yk6 <![CDATA[TEACHING GRAMMAR STRUCTURES]]> imblog
 
Before presenting new grammar material, a teacher should decide which structure or its part will be taught. It is also important to know which usage is necessary for the learners. Besides, it should be introduced with the use of well-known vocabulary, because the grammar rule should be the only difficulty.



 
There are two methods to present new grammar material: deductive or inductive.

1. DEDUCTIVE METHOD

A grammar rule is given to the learners at the beginning, and then the structure is repeated by them.

2. INDUCTIVE METHOD

Some teaching grammar techniques connected with inductive approach:
 
• searching a text to find a new grammar structure
 
• guessing usage and a grammar construction from the examples in the text
 
• making a grammar rule
 
• using a new grammar structure
]]> Tue, 21 Jul 2015 06:36:00 GMT https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/?teaching-grammar-structures https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/rss/l6dvb8f8 <![CDATA[Farm Animals Flashcards]]> imblog
A set of flashcards for farm animals vocabulary which contain photos, labels and phonetic transcription. They can be  used for teaching new words, games, speaking activities, posters, etc.

Flashcards for farm animals

Introduce farm animals with flashcards which contain labels and check the vocabulary with picture flashcards.



Teach irregular plural forms of 'sheep' and 'goose':


]]> Mon, 13 Jul 2015 19:04:00 GMT https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/?farm-animals-flashcards- https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/rss/v72r19g6 <![CDATA[INTRODUCTION NEW LEXICAL ITEMS]]> imblog
 
New vocabulary should be presented in a well-known context - a new word has to be the only difficulty. A teacher can also show a picture, a gesture or an object that help students to understand the meaning of a new item. No matter how the new words have been presented, the teacher has to check whether the learners have understood them. Besides, the words should be taught in spoken form first to avoid wrong pronunciation.            

Teaching tips, methodology of teaching

 
Some techniques to introduce new lexical items:
 

Showing an object
 
 
A new word is illustrated by an object which is its equivalent. This technique is useful when the teacher presents objects in the classroom or things that are easy to bring.
 
Showing a picture
 
A new vocabulary item is illustrated by a chart, a map, a picture, a postcard or a photo. The best way to present the words that can be visualised, but there are not appropriate objects in the classroom. In this way the teacher can also present verbs by pictures of some activities.
 
 
Gesture and mimic
 
Giving the meaning of the word in nonverbal way: gesture, mimic - this technique is useful to present some verbs (e.g.: open, close, write, read, sit down, stand up), shapes, feelings and prepositions of place.
 
 
Synonym
 
The teacher gives a well-known word of a similar meaning to explain a new lexical item.
 
 
Antonym
 
The meaning of a new word is given by its opposite. It is necessary to underline that it is antonym to avoid misunderstanding.
 
Explanations and definitions     
 
This teaching technique is rather for intermediate students. The teacher explains a word by presenting a short speech, a dialogue or a simple definition. It can be also a dictionary definition as an introduction to using a monolingual dictionary. In the event of doubt about meaning the teacher should ask the learners to translate the word.
 
 
Translation
 
Giving the meaning of the word in learners’ mother tongue - it is useful technique when the teacher cannot explain a word by above-mentioned ways, for example an abstract concept or when the learners have problems with appropriate understanding. It can sometimes save time but should not be overused and a foreign word has to be expressed emphatically.
]]> Mon, 06 Jul 2015 10:00:00 GMT https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/?introduction-new-lexical-items https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/rss/20wm9773 <![CDATA[FRUIT SALAD]]> imblog
 
Activity for children to practise singular and plural forms of fruit vocabulary.



Age: 4-8
 

Language focus:
- fruit (in the example: apple, banana, orange, pear, plums, strawberries, kiwis, grapefruit, lemon);
- verbs: take, peel, cut, put, add, mix;
- singular and plural forms of fruit;
- indefinite and definite articles
 

Materials: pictures of fruit (one for each child), fruit salad recipe


Procedure:
 
1. Children sit in the circle.
 
2. Pre-teach or revise fruit names with flashcards.


 

3. Say a recipe for fruit salad, but instead of reading the fruit names hold up the pictures and the children should say their names chorally.



 
4. Hand out pictures of fruit.
 
5. Ask the children to stand up and sit down when they hear their fruit and read the recipe again.
 
 
Teaching tips:
 
- If the children like the activity, ask them to pass their pictures clockwise to their friends, change the action (ex.  jump, clap your hands, turn around) and read the recipe again.

Download more fruit flashcards for free.

Download printable worksheets for fruit.

]]> Wed, 10 Jun 2015 15:27:00 GMT https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/?fruit-salad https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/rss/rvrl42a4 <![CDATA[FORTUNE TELLER]]> imblog
 
Speaking and craft activity to practise colours, numbers, jobs, letters of the alphabet and future simple.

Dragon snap lesson plan for primary school
 
 
Age: 6-12
 

Language focus:
 
- lexical items: colours, numbers, letters of the alphabet, jobs,
 
- question: What’s your favourite…?,
 
- verb ‘to be’
 
- future simple: You will be a/an …
 

Materials: a sheet of A4 paper (one for each child), crayons, a pencil, scissors.
 

Procedure:
 
1. Demonstrate how to make a fortune teller.

how to make a fortune teller
 

2. Ask the children to colour the outside flaps different colours.

Colours lesson plan for primary school

 
 
3. Ask the students to write numbers 1-8 on the inside.
4. Ask the children to write messages on the other side of flaps with numbers. In the example: You will be a vet / fire fighter / pilot / teacher / singer / lawyer / gardener / police officer.

Colours, numbers, occupations for primary school
 
 

 
 
 
5. Children move around the classroom and play in pairs with their fortune tellers:

 
STUDENT 1: What’s your favourite colour?
 
STUDENT 2: Green.
 
STUDENT 1: G-R-E-E-N (student 1 spells the letters and opens and closes the fortune teller as many times as the number of the letters in the chosen colour). Choose the number.
 
STUDENT 2: Six.
 
STUDENT 1:  (student 1 reads the message written under the number 6) You will be a police officer.
]]> Sun, 07 Jun 2015 08:21:00 GMT https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/?fortune-teller https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/rss/a78hmo4s <![CDATA[PASS THE TOY]]> imblog
Speaking activity to practise short dialogues and teach children toys vocabulary.

Speaking activity for toys vocabulary

 
Age: 4-8
 
Language focus:
 
- any toys (in the example: a ball, a doll, a car, a plane, a parrot, a humming top)
- What's this? / It's a ...
 
- Here you are. ; Thank you.
 
Materials: toys, bag
 

Procedure:
 
1. Children sit in the circle.
 
2. Take out the toys from the bag one by one and ask students to repeat each name.
 
3. Pass one toy to the student who sits next to you and ask: 'What's this?' and encurage him/her to answer: 'It's a ...'. Then say ‘Here you are.’  and pass the toy and the student answers: ‘Thank you’.
 
4. Students continue asking and passing the toy clockwise.
 
5. Continue the activity with other toys.
 
6. Wait until all the toys get back to you.


]]> Fri, 15 May 2015 11:52:00 GMT https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/?pass-the-toy https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/rss/d2yba822 <![CDATA[FOUR SEASONS]]> imblog
Simple but involving way to practise seasons of the year with young learners.

Seasons of the year - idea for primary students

Age: 5-8
Materials: four A3 sheets of paper with labels (spring, summer, autumn, winter), some black and white pictures representing each season of the yaer (download exemplary images)

CLIL lesson plan for primary school

Procedure:
1. Attach four sheets of paper with seasons labels to the board.
2. Say several times each season name and encourage students to repat after you.
3. Hold up one of the printed pictures and say its name (for example: SHORTS). Then say seasons one by one and ask students to repeat season's name if they are connected. Continue with different items.
4. Put all the pictures into the bag and ask each student to close the eyes and draw one item. Children colour the picture and say the season's name where they are going to stick it. Then they can draw another item.

]]> Fri, 08 May 2015 14:11:00 GMT https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/?four-seasons https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/rss/dbh9h6d9 <![CDATA[MEMORY AND CONCENTRATION OF DYSLEXIC LEARNERS]]> imblog
 
Two of the general dyslexia symptoms in primary school are poor memory and short attention span. As a teacher you have to take into consideration some difficulties connected with these weak points of your students.

Dyslexic learners

 
MEMORY OF DYSLEXIC LEARNERS

 
Because of poor memory dyslexic students often experience difficulties with learning sequences (e.g. days of the week, numbers, months of the year, alphabet). They also cannot remind well-known words, so if they are asked to translate the word they often do not answer immediately. In connection with the above they may encounter problems with remembering and automatic applying spelling and grammar rules. Therefore, they often have problems with expressive writing and fluency in speech.

Symptoms of dyslexia

 
CONCENTRATION OF DYSLEXIC LEARNERS

 
Dyslexic students often have difficulties with concentration. They may get easily distracted, bored and become mentally tired, especially during long monotonous tasks (e.g. grammar exercises, reading, repetitions). They may also encounter problems with listening that requires not only good concentration span, but also memory and auditory perception and processing.

Read more about visual and auditory perception of dyslexic learners.
]]> Thu, 07 May 2015 15:49:00 GMT https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/?memory-and-concentration-of-dyslexic-learners https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/rss/11fl53m5 <![CDATA[FLASHCARDS FOR FRUIT TOPIC]]> imblog plural forms

- pictures with labels and phonetic transcription
- pictures without names
- singular and plural forms

Examples of flashcards activities you can find here.

Worksheets to practise fruit vocabulary.
]]> Fri, 24 Apr 2015 13:05:00 GMT https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/?flashcards-for-fruit-vocabulary https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/rss/904y0hr0 <![CDATA[FIND SOMEONE WHO ... - speaking activity]]> imblog
 
The aim of this speaking activity is to practise asking and answering questions in Present Simple. It can be used as an ice breaker activity at the begining of the school year as well.

Age: 8-10
Language focus:
Questions and short answers in present simple tense:
 
- Do you …? ; Yes, I do. / No, I don’t.
 
- Have you got …? ; Yes, I have. / No, I haven’t.
 
- Can you …? ; Yes, I can. / No, I can’t.

 
Materials: questionnaire (one for each student)


 
Procedure:
 
1. Revise rules of making questions in present simple tense and write some examples on the board.
 
2. Students ask their classmates questions and write the names in the questionnaires.
 
3. When the questionnaires are filled, ask questions: Who… (likes bananas / can play the guitar/ has got a pet, etc.)?
]]> Tue, 14 Apr 2015 16:06:00 GMT https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/?find-someone-who-speaking-activity https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/rss/mz1560rk <![CDATA[REGULAR PAST TENSE VERBS - domino sets]]> imblog
Domino sets for regular past tense verbs to download for free.

regular past tense verbs
Domino game rules:
1. Download domino sets, print the page and cut out the cards.
2. Turn domino cards face down on the table and shuffle them.
3. Each player draw 3 cards.
4. The remaining dominoes are used as a draw pile.
5. The first player choose a domino from the draw pile and place it in the middle of the table.
6.  Continue to play clockwise. The next player selects the domino from his  pile if it matches the domino in the middle of the table. If none of  dominoes can be played, the player picks a card from the draw pile.
7. The game ends when the domino sets close the circle.
8. The first who plays his last domino card is the winner.

Download also irregular verbs domino sets.

]]> Sun, 12 Apr 2015 20:00:00 GMT https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/?regular-verbs---domino-sets https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/rss/9g316671 <![CDATA[IRREGULAR PAST TENSE VERBS - domino sets]]> imblog
It is a really hard work for your students to learn irregular past tense verbs by heart. How to make it a little bit easier? Domino game can be helpful.

domino sets

Domino game rules:
1. Download domino sets, print the page and cut out the cards.
2. Turn domino cards face down on the table and shuffle them.
3. Each player draw 3 cards.
4. The remaining dominoes are used as a draw pile.
5. The first player choose a domino from the draw pile and place it in the middle of the table.
6. Continue to play clockwise. The next player selects the domino from his pile if it matches the domino in the middle of the table. If none of dominoes can be played, the player picks a card from the draw pile.
7. The game ends when the domino sets close the circle.
8. The first who plays his last domino card is the winner.

]]> Mon, 06 Apr 2015 12:40:00 GMT https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/?irregular-past-tense-verbs---domino-sets https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/rss/q70342n3 <![CDATA['FIVE-A-DAY' - CLIL lesson plan]]> imblog
Healthy food project for primary students

Teaching food vocabulary it is the right moment to introduce a crucial nutrition rule: FIVE-A-DAY portions of fruit or vegetables.
Age: 6-8
Language focus:
- vocabulary: fruit and vegetables
- structures: What fruit/vegetables do you like? / I like ...
Materials: flashcards, a sheet of paper for each student, crayons, worksheets for fast finishers
Time: 45 minutes
Procedure:
1. Display or show printed flashcards with fruit and vegetables which are familiar to your students and ask them to name the items. Click on the pictures below to download fruit or vegetables flashcards:

fruit vocabulary

vegetables vocabulary

2. Ask some students the question: What fruit / vegetables do you like?  and encourage them to answer:
I like ...
3. Introduce five-a-day nutrition rule and ask children to make their own projects to picture this good habit. Students write a big 5 in the middle of the paper. Then they draw five fruit or vegetables (juice is also possible) they like and label them. Finally, children decorate the five number and colour their five-a-day.

FOOD - CLIL lesson plan for children in primary school

6. Stick ready projects to the board.
7. Fast finishers can do some additional tasks. Click on the links and print fruit worksheets or vegetables worksheets. You can use some of them as a homework as well.

]]> Mon, 16 Mar 2015 13:59:00 GMT https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/?-five-a-day----clil-lesson-plan https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/rss/1s4ooe42 <![CDATA[AUDITORY AND VISUAL PERCEPTION OF DYSLEXIC LEARNERS]]> imblog
 



Dyslexic learners can have difficulties with mastering written language. For some of them oral language can be also too complicated. The more differences between written and spoken words, the more difficulty with learning them.

Main mistakes are the following:
 
- phonic writing (e.g. cheese / “cziz”; book / “buk”)
 
- mirrored writing (b/d; p/g)
 
- letters replaced by similar ones (w/m/n; p/b/g/d)
 
- letters written in the wrong order, omitted or added (e.g. mouse / “muose”; chess / “ches”; shop/“schop”)
 
Besides, these children read slowly, because they have difficulties with accurate and fluent word recognition.

Lack of good auditory perception and processing causes also that dyslexic learners find pronunciation difficult, especially long words. They cannot see differences between minimal pairs (e.g. cut / cat; foot / food). Recognizing and producing rhymes is almost impossible. Therefore, it appears that learning pronunciation by imitation is hindered.
 
 

]]> Sat, 14 Mar 2015 16:39:00 GMT https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/?auditory-and-visual-perception-of-dyslexic-learners https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/rss/wht3e33h <![CDATA[TRIP TO THE ZOO]]> imblog
To practise animals vocabulary your students can make a 'Trip to the zoo' poster.

Age: 6-9
Language focus:
- names of the animals and their body parts, colours, animls natural habitats (for example: jungle, grasslands, river, forest, etc.)
- It is ...; It has got ...

Zoo Animals - activity for young learners

Procedure:
Children draw or stick some pictures of zoo animals and describe each one like in the example:
It is a monkey.
It lives in the jungle.
It is brown and it has got a long tail.

To introduce vocabulary use zoo animals flashcards or animal posters and for more practise print zoo animals worksheets.

]]> Sat, 07 Mar 2015 18:51:00 GMT https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/?trip-to-the-zoo https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/rss/9yg7tv84 <![CDATA[FRUIT OR VEGETABLE]]> imblog


Teaching fruit and vegetables it is a good idea to ask children to make some paper objects. They can be used to many activities:
1. Point to different pictures and ask students: Do you like...? and children answer 'Yes, I do.' or 'No, I don't.'
2. Children ask each other: What fruit / vegetable do you like...?
3. Ask students: How many carrots/pineapples/tomatoes can you see?, What colour is this carrot/hot chilly/broccoli?
4. Students clap their hands if they hear a fruit name and stand up if they hear a vegetable name.
5. Children stick their pictures to the board dividing them into two categories: fruit and vegetables.



To make paper fruit and vegetables I used templates from the webpage DLTK's crafts for kids, but children can make their own crafts.

]]> Fri, 06 Mar 2015 12:13:00 GMT https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/?fruit-or-vegetable https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/rss/5o86ytpv <![CDATA[FOOD ZONE - introduction of new vocabulary]]> imblog
LESSON PLAN
Age: 6-8
Language focus:
- any food items (in the example: carrots, broccoli, chips, pizza, apples, cake, strawberries, bananas)
- question: Do you like...?
- answers: Yes, I do. Yummy! / No, I don't. Yuk!
Materials: food flashcards, a sheet of paper with a hole
Time: 45 minutes



Procedure:
1. Say your students that the subject of the lesson is food and show them flashcards one by one covered by sheet of paper with a hole. Encourage children to guess food items they are going to learn. If the answers are in L1 translate them into English and encourage students to repeat the names.
2. Students repeat the names of the food after a teacher if they are true about the pictures.
3. Divide your students into two groups and put four flashcards in front of each group. Then say one food item and ask students from the right group to stand up. When students sit down again continue with the rest of vocabulary.
4. Ask questions: Do you like...? Students will answer Yes, I do. Yummy! (clapping three times for 'Yes, I do.' and rubbing their bellies for 'Yummy!'), if they like the food. If they do not like the food they will not say anything but will make the face as they would like to say 'Yuk!'.
5. Ask one student to come in front of the class, show him flashcards to point to his favourite food. Then other students try to guess his choice asking Do you like ...? questions. The student in front of the class answers: No, I don't. Yuk! or Yes, I do. Yummy!
6. Students walk around the classroom and ask each other Do you like ...? questions about different products.
7. Show a flashcard and ask questions What is this?/ What are these? and Do you like ...? to individual students to check what they have remembered.

]]> Wed, 25 Feb 2015 10:27:00 GMT https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/?food-zone-introduction-of-new-vocabulary https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/rss/u823qs99 <![CDATA[FUNNY NUMBERS SHOW]]> imblog
Your students can be heavily involved in an arrangement for Funny Numbers Show. This activity is really easy to organise. You only need a paper sheet for each student, crayons and markers.

Children can draw their own numbers or use your templates and decorate them in funny way.

    


When numbers are ready you can use them to practise your students language skills (not only vocabulary for numbers). Here are some examples of possible activities:

1. Say the number
Funny numbers are sticked to the board. Point to the pictures one by one and ask different students to say the numbers.

2. Guess the number
One of the students selects and describes a number and other students try to guess the number.

3. Touch first
Numbers are on the board and two or three students stay in front of the class. Students from the classroom say numbers and students at the board point to the right numbers. The winner is a student who is the fastest.

4. Classroom survey
Students ask each other what number is their favourite.

5. Flashcards activities
You can use your students' funny numbers as  flash cards and find more teaching ideas here.
]]> Mon, 23 Feb 2015 11:44:00 GMT https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/?funny-numbers-show https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/rss/3eheta1j <![CDATA[AROUND THE HOUSE]]> imblog
I would like to present some ideas to practice rooms in the house vocabulary with young learners. They can be used with both small and big grups of students. They are proper for groups where students have different level of language skills as well.

Puzzles 3D or doll's house is a graet fun for children to practise names of the rooms or furnitures and objects in the house. You can ask students to prepare furnitures with given elements and put them in the right room. At the same time they call furnitures they make and name the rooms where should they go.  

Furnitures and objects in the house ideas for teaching     around the house recourses

  teaching resources for house vocabulary

If you do not have such a toy make a poster of the house and cut out paper furnitures. It can be one poster for whole group or several posters for smaller groups. Children colour and stick objects to the right places.

teaching ideas for rooms in the house vocabulary   rooms and furnitures activities

romms and furnitures in the house teaching ideas

Students with writing skills can not only stick furnitures but also label them. It is a good oportunity to encourage children to use picture or bilingual dictionaries.

picture dictionary for house items  picture dictionary for bathroom objects  picture dictionary for kitchen items

For additional practise or homework ask students to complete the worksheet like this:

house, rooms, furnitures printables
]]> Fri, 20 Feb 2015 14:11:00 GMT https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/?around-the-house https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/rss/injb74j8 <![CDATA[ZOO ANIMALS RESOURCES]]> imblog
I would like to encourage you to try printable resources from the Teacher's Zone website to teach vocabulary for zoo animals. You can find here zoo animals flashcards with labels and phonetic transcription or zoo animals pictures without labels. You can use printable worksheets to practise zoo animals vocabulary as well.

Zoo animals flashcards

Click the image to download zoo animals flashcards for free.


Pictures for zoo animals vocabulary

Real pictures of animals are always catchy. If you display flashcards presentation on the screen, children will call them in L1 so you can say their names in English and students repeat after you. If you print them, you can use some flashcards activities ideas from here.

Zoo animals worksheets


Practise zoo animals vocabulary with exercises you can print or display on a whiteboard. To download free worksheets for zoo animals click here.


Label the zoo animals  Match the pictures of the zoo animals to their names
Draw the zoo animals  Rearrange the letters and write the names of the zoo animals



To see more activities to teach zoo animals click here.
]]> Mon, 16 Feb 2015 12:08:00 GMT https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/?teaching-vocabulary-for-zoo-animals--part-2- https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/rss/0d58642y <![CDATA[MY FAVOURITE FLASHCARDS ACTIVITIES]]> imblog
 
I would like to share with you some flashcards vocabulary activities that I often use  to introduce, practice or revise lexical sets. For my primary students it is the best way to recognize and memorize new words. These activites are possible to use even in big classes, involve a whole group, are easy to prepare (the only thing you need is a set of pictures that represent vocabulary you would like to teach)and children have a great fun.


 

1. Missing flashcards
 
A set of flashcards is sticked on the board and children say the words or repeat them after a teacher. Then ask the children to close their eyes and remove one or two of the flashcards. Children open their eyes and name missing flashcards.
 

2. Gaps
 
A set of flashcards is sticked in a row on the board. Children say or repeat the pointed words. Then remove the flashcards one by one and the children name the pictures as if they were still on the board.
 

3. Lip reading
 
Take a set of flashcards that you introduce before, mouth one of the words silently and the students try to guess the word.
 

4. Repeat if it’s true
 
Show a flashcard and say the word or sentence. If you say the correct word (sentence), students repeat it. If not, they stay silent.
 

5. Mime the word
 
Ask one student to mime the word from the picture and the rest of the class try to guess. Who guess correctly mimes the next flashcard. This activity is a great way to teach asking questions and giving short answers – students from the class ask questions and a student in front of the class answers.
 

6. Stand up and sit down
 
Divide the class into 2-4 groups and ask them to sit down. Put a set of 3-6 flashcards in front of each group. Say the words one by one and the right group of students stands up for a moment and sits down again.
]]> Tue, 10 Feb 2015 18:57:00 GMT https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/?my-favourite-flashcards-activities https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/rss/6oae9222 <![CDATA[SIX MYTHS ABOUT DYSLEXIA]]> imblog
 
What do we know about dyslexia? There are many myths about dyslexia and you can find some of them in this article.

1. Dyslexia is a developmental disability.
 
False. People who have been diagnosed as being dyslexic have a normal IQ - dyslexia and level of intelligence are two different things. It is rather a learning difficulty, dyslexics find dealing with language (written or spoken) hard. They have to find out their own learning strategies and ways to compensate their weak points and use their strengths and talents.
 
 
2. Dyslexia is laziness.
 
False. Some dyslexics may be lazy and try to use their dyslexia as an excuse for not working but laziness is rather personality trait. That is why, they cannot be release from responsibility for their educational achievemets.
 
 
3. Dyslexia is something rare.
 
False. Some experts claim that the problem of dyslexia relates to about 10% of population, which means that in an average classroom there are usually several pupils with dyslexia.
 

4. Dyslexics are all the same.
 
False. In fact they differ a lot one from another. Some of them have some difficulties with visual or auditory perception and processing. Some can have problems with spatial orientation or motor skills. Their weaknesses may be a short-term memory, concentration and organizational skills as well. These general dyslexia symptomps appear either singly or as a set.
 
 
5. Children grow out of dyslexia.
 
False. It is usually problem for life but the symptoms are particular at different life stages. Their form depends on different educational methods, work input and individual features. It is crucial for dyslexics to learn how to cope with their problems and to find suitable compensation strategies. The problems tend to come back in stressful situations.
 
 
6. Dyslexia is a reason for failing in life.
 
False. There is a long list of famous dyslexics, some of them are: Hans Christian Andersen, Winston Churchill, Thomas Edison, Albert Einstein, Pablo Picasso, Andy Warhol, Steven Spilberg, etc. The right kind of teaching enables to avoid educational failure. The earlier help is given, the more effective it is. Motivation, a positive attitiude and a hard work is the key to self-esteem and to success.

Which of those myths have you believed so far?
]]> Sun, 08 Feb 2015 16:05:00 GMT https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/?six-myths-about-dyslexia https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/rss/o2h5ni94 <![CDATA[FORMS AND CAUSES OF DYSLEXIA]]> imblog
I have been interested in teaching students with special needs since I started to be a teacher. Nowadays, about 10% of students have specific learning disabilities that should be taken into considaration during organisation of teaching process. They are not all the same, they have to cope with different difficulties - with reading (dyslexia), handwriting (dysgraphia), spelling (dysortographia), counting (dyscalculia), music (dysmusia) or mixed disorder of scholastic skills.


Visual / auditory dyslexia

It will be presented here some forms and causes of dyslexia:

1. Auditory dyslexia
It is a retarded ability to discern differences between similar phonemic letters, like k/g, t/d, p/b. Students have difficuties with articulation of all phonemes in complex words or with connecting sounds to printed letters. They cannot see differences between minimal pairs (e.g. cut/cat, foot/food, aunt/ant). It is almost impossible for them to recognize and produce rhymes. Therefore, appears that learning pronunciation by imitation is hindered.

2. Visual dyslexia
Children have difficulties with directionality, symbol reading and spelling words. They have also problems with fluent reading, they can skip endings and small words. Main mistakes are:  
- phonic writing (e.g. cheese / “cziz”; book / buk),
- mirrored writing (b/d; p/g),        
- letters replaced by similar ones (w/m/n; p/b/g/d),        
- letters written in the wrong order, omitted or added (e.g. mouse / “muose”; chess / “ches”; shop/“schop”).

3. Audiovisual dyslexia
It combains problems of auditiry and visual dyslexia.

4. Emotional dyslexia
 
Dyslexic students have usually experienced many school defeats. Therefore, they may feel anxiety and be discouraged. They may also become prejudiced against school subjects that they find difficult and what is more these students have low self-esteem and motivation for learning. That is why they cannot enjoy learning or refuse to go to school. Due to frustration, there may appear some behaviour problems, such as passivity (a withdrawn student), aggression and tantrums as a form of protest or a student becomes a classroom “clown”.
Students can try to hide the faulty reading bi skimming or guessing the text. They have problems with correct pronunciation.

5. Pedagogical dyslexia.
It is usually a result of bad teaching.
]]> Fri, 06 Feb 2015 13:22:00 GMT https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/?forms-and-causes-of-dyslexia https://www.teachers-zone.com/blog/rss/yes6wff5 <![CDATA[TOYS FLASHCARDS AND WORKSHEETS]]> imblog
Two new sets of toy flashcards which contain photos, labels and phonetic transcription. They can be used for teaching new words, games, speaking activities, posters, etc.

Pictures, labels and phonetic transcription     Toys flashcards

To practise vocabulary with your students use these toy worksheets.
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