5 Awesome EFL/ESL Role-play Scenarios for Teens (+ tips)
When using role play to teach teenagers EFL/ESL, the choice of scenario is crucial. If it’s too silly, they’ll lose interest because it’s “babyish”, but if you…
Teaching EFL/ESL to Teenagers & Adults With Role Play
I love role play when teaching. Not only does it add a flavour of excitement and energy to the class, but it’s a powerful method to get…
How to Teach Children EFL/ESL With Role Play: Best tips
Children love role play. If you’ve ever been in a school playground, you’ll have seen kids acting out wild scenarios, fighting battles against invisible enemies, or inviting…
Is There Anything Better Than Anki? 3 SRS Alternatives
For years, Anki has sat on the throne of the spaced repetition flashcard world. I’ve used it for my personal language learning and included it in my…
How to Make Vocab Last Forever: Reinforcing connections
Most vocabulary learning techniques work in the short term. They’re fantastic for recalling words in the few months leading up to an exam and allow you to…
Supercharge EFL/ESL Vocab With Spaced Repetition (Anki)
At times, I despair at how far the EFL/ESL industry lags behind modern technology. There are tools out there, such as spaced repetition apps, which can dramatically…
How to Teach Vocab in EFL/ESL with Memorable Moments
Emotions. The deep and confusing world of inner-feelings is something most teachers avoid talking about. When we think of ways to improve EFL/ESL students’ vocabulary, it’s rare…
Sounds and Audio Hooks for Lasting Memorisation in EFL/ESL
There are dozens of memorisation techniques available to EFL/ESL classes, including images, mnemonics and gestures, but one method is rarely mentioned. I’m talking about sounds and audio…
How to Test EFL/ESL Vocabulary: Best assessment methods
Vocab tests. The mere mention of them makes me shudder. For many students, they’re attached to negative emotions – stress, anxiety, and a sense of imminent failure…
How to Use Gestures to Embed Vocab in EFL/ESL + 2 Games
I’m not a physical person. Whenever someone suggests dancing or using physical teaching methods, I cringe inside. But when I first learned how gestures and physical hooks…
How to Use Images for Deep Vocab Memorisation in EFL/ESL
They say a picture paints a thousand words. For EFL/ESL students learning vocabulary, we only need our pictures to paint one word, but they must paint it…
What Vocab Should You Teach in EFL/ESL: Organic acquisition
As an EFL/ESL teacher, you might wonder what vocabulary to teach your students. Should you go with lists? Should you find the most common English words? How…
How to Elicit Vocabulary in EFL/ESL: 7 Effective Activities
Elicitation is a vital skill for EFL/ESL teachers in the modern classroom. I use it in every class, at least to a certain extent, through engaging and…
5 Problems to Avoid With Role Play in EFL/ESL + Solutions
Role play is one of the most powerful EFL/ESL techniques for developing fluency in speaking. I use it all the time, and my students love it. Not…
Why EFL/ESL Students Forget Vocab: Causes and Solutions
Have you ever taught a student who can’t seem to remember any of the vocab you teach them? It’s frustrating. The words go in one ear and…
Why All EFL/ESL Teachers Should Use Role Play Activities
Role play is one of the most under-used activities in the EFL/ESL classroom. I’ve used it to great success on many occasions, and it’s a vital tool…
Dramatization vs Simulation vs Role Play: Guide for EFL/ESL
One of the most effective learning strategies for students of all ages is acting out situations in a controlled environment. There are three main methods for doing this: dramatization, simulation, and role play. For teachers, it’s important to understand the differences between the methods and know how to apply them effectively in the classroom.