I develop my own TESOL teaching resources, specifically aimed at adult learners at a range of abilities. My classes are beginner (CEFR A1-2), pre-intermediate (CEFR B1), upper intermediate (CEFR B2), and advanced (CEFR C1-2). I offer a range of topics including speaking, culture, grammar. In addition, I combine my passion for history with my EFL teaching experience in my History classes.
I develop my own TESOL teaching resources, specifically aimed at adult learners at a range of abilities. My classes are beginner (CEFR A1-2), pre-intermediate (CEFR B1), upper intermediate (CEFR B2), and advanced (CEFR C1-2). I offer a range of topics including speaking, culture, grammar. In addition, I combine my passion for history with my EFL teaching experience in my History classes.
This is an advanced (CEFR C1, IELTS 7.0) EFL Grammar class about prepositional phrases. Students learn some key vocabulary required to understand the concepts in the lesson. Students review the different kind of prepositions (place, time, manner, agency, direction). Students learn the concept of modifiers and then learn what a prepositional phrase is. The functions of prepositional phrases are introduced. Students complete sentences in a controlled exercise. Students learn about prepositional phrases with gerunds before reading a short text and identifying prepositional phrases.
This is an advanced (CEFR C1, IELTS 7.0) EFL Grammar class about perfect participle clauses. Students review the form and functions of present participle clauses, after which they learn the difference between them and perfect participle clauses. Students review past participles and test understanding with a concept check. Two controlled exercises follow. The passive perfect participle is then introduced, following a review of the passive in the simple aspect. Further concept check and exercises follow. Finally, students prepare a recipe for a popular Chinese dish using perfect participle clauses.
This is an advanced (CEFR C1, IELTS 7.0) EFL Grammar class about inversion. Students will learn the concept of inversion and its rhetorical uses. Students learn about limiting adverbs which normally precede inversion. The form of inversion using negative adverbs is learned. Students read an article and identify examples of inversion. Students then answer comprehension questions. Next, inversion including conditional sentences are learned. The final activity sees students converting a normal sentence into an inverted sentence.
This is an advanced (CEFR C1, IELTS 7.0) EFL Grammar class about relative clauses with wh- words. Students learn the form and function of a relative clause before learning how to use a relative clause with the words whose, whereby, when, where, whatever, whoever, and whichever. Students complete controlled exercises and free discussion activities throughout.
This is an upper intermediate (CEFR B2, IELTS 6.0) EFL Speaking class about accidents. Students will firstly brainstorm examples of accidents before looking at six images, each showing a piece of target language (fall, burn, broken bone, car crash, cut, animal bite). Students then discuss their experiences of accidents before looking at four images of different places (kitchen, office, road, park). In this activity, students brainstorm the types of accident that could happen in each place. Students then read a dialogue about a car accident before answering comprehension questions. Students end the class by talking to a partner in three different production activities (rank and defend, discussion, agree or disagree).
This is an upper intermediate (CEFR B2, IELTS 6.0) EFL Speaking class about emergencies. Students first brainstorm examples of emergencies, after which they look at images of the target language (fire, car crash, heart attack, hypothermia, broken bone, robbery). Students discuss general knowledge questions about emergencies. Next, students look at images of an emergency (falling into a frozen lake/river). Images of what to do in case of this emergency are shown, which students must put into the correct order. Students then read a sentence for each image and put them into the correct order. Further discussion about emergencies follows. Two free production activities (rank and defend the most serious emergency, discussion about if a given situation is an emergency or not) end the class.
Due to the nature of the topic, this class is recommended for adult learners only.
This is an upper intermediate (CEFR B2, IELTS 6.0) EFL Speaking class about crime. Students firstly describe pictures of things commonly associated with crime (arrest, fingerprints, courtroom) before they discuss basic questions about crime. The next few slides introduce the target vocabulary (burglary, bribery, vandalism, assault, fraud, pickpocketing). To confirm understanding, students read the description of each crime and match it to the vocabulary they learned in the previous slides. A further discussion follows. An agree/disagree activity follows in which students read a crime and the respective punishment. Students discuss whether or not they agree with the punishment. A news article about different instances of crime is introduced using images, before students read the short article. Students then check their understanding using comprehension questions. Finally, students rank the most serious crime to the least serious.
This is an upper intermediate (CEFR B2, IELTS 6.0) EFL Speaking class about electronics. Students first brainstorm prior knowledge of electronics, after which they discuss their own experiences with electronic devices. The target language (smartphone, camera, tablet, smartwatch, wireless speaker, e-reader) is introduced using images. Students then drill the structure “for …ing” to show purpose by describing the use of each device. Students then discuss their preferred brands as well as how technology changes over time. After that, students discuss the pros and cons of each device. In preparation for a role play between a parent and child, students look at and describe a picture of a young girl with a smartphone. Finally, home appliance vocabulary (fridge, dishwasher, washing machine, microwave, stove and oven) are introduced in images. Students then rank the most to least useful.
This is an upper intermediate (CEFR B2, IELTS 6.0) EFL Speaking class about driving. Students first read short sentences describing something related to driving, which they must guess. The target language (speed limit, traffic lights, petrol station, manual (gearbox), motorway, driving license) is introduced using images. Students then drill pronunciation of the vocabulary, after which they discuss it with a partner using question prompts. Students then look at images and short sentences as context for a reading activity, which is about the congestion charge in London. Students answer true/false questions to check their understanding. Two free production activities follow.
This is an advanced (CEFR C1, IELTS 7.0) EFL Speaking class about illness. Students begin the class by brainstorming as many illnesses as they know. Next, target language (high blood pressure, diabetes, cancer, allergy, stroke, dementia) is introduced using pictures. Students then drill the pronunciation and form of the vocabulary. Students then read a short text about diabetes and answer comprehension questions. The next part of the class focuses on treatments; students first brainstorm different medical treatments. Further target language (lifestyle changes, chemotherapy, insulin injections, medication, medicine) is learned in pictures. Teachers should emphasise the difference between medication and medicine. Students then look at four idioms about illness which they match to the respective meanings. Finally, students talk to their partners using the idioms.
This is an advanced (CEFR C1, IELTS 7.0) EFL Speaking class about investing. Students first look at two images showing the ideas of investing (growing money over time, risk and reward). Students should discuss what they think the images show. Target language (dividend, capital, bonds, return, make a killing, share) is introduced in a short reading text, after which students match the vocabulary to its meaning. Students then complete a gap-fill exercise. Students then discuss their own experiences of investing. Further target language in the form of investment products (oil, stock market, cryptocurrencies, real estate, pension fund, bonds) is introduced in pictures. Students then rank the best to worst investments before debating the best of three potential investments. Finally, students design their own investment portfolio using a pie chart and the investment products they learned.
This is an advanced (CEFR C1, IELTS 7.0) EFL Speaking class about maps. Students first look at pictures of different types of map and discuss what each one is used for. Students then discuss their knowledge of maps with a partner. Target language (grid coordinates, contour lines, legend, GPS tracker, scale, compass) is introduced using pictures. Students complete sentences using the correct word. Students then discuss more questions with a partner. Students then read an article about how to use a map. Finally, students discuss places they would like to visit using the 2nd conditional, followed by an activity in which they answer comprehension questions about map of some mountains in England.
This is an advanced (CEFR C1, IELTS 7.0) EFL Speaking class about the James Webb Space Telescope. Students first look at images showing various ideas related to outer space. An introductory discussion about astronomy follows. Target language related to the James Webb telescope (magnify, diameter, mirror, infrared, deploy, hexagon) is introduced in pictures. Students then complete a gap-fill activity using the vocabulary. A discussion expanding upon the target language follows. Students then read a summary text about the James Webb telescope, before reading an article about it. Students answer comprehension questions to demonstrate understanding. Finally, students complete two interactive speaking activities in pairs or groups.
This is an advanced (CEFR C1, IELTS 7.0) EFL Speaking class about motivation. Students will first describe various images showing different levels of motivation. Students should be encouraged to discuss what makes people motivated. Next, students discuss with their partners a definition of motivation and other basic concepts. Target language (empowerment, enthusiastic, incentive, admire, ambition, appreciation) is introduced in a match-up activity. Students then complete a gap-fill activity with the new vocabulary. Students then use the vocabulary in a discussion activity. Next, students read three situations and choose their particular motivation for doing that activity. Students are introduced to a reading activity by looking at a picture of a donkey, a carrot and a stick. Students should be encouraged to discuss the idea of motivating someone with a reward or a punishment. Finally, students think of examples of intrinsic and extrinsic motivations.
This is an advanced (CEFR C1, IELTS 7.0) EFL Speaking class about nuclear power. Students first look at images related to nuclear power issues (reactor, waste, plant). Students then discuss the concept of energy. Target language (technician, meltdown, reactor, nuclear waste, turbine, contamination) is introduced using pictures. Students then complete sentences using the vocabulary. Finally, students complete three interactive speaking activities (discussion, agree/disagree, debate) about the topic.
Due to the sensitivity of the topic, this class is recommended for adult learners. This is an upper intermediate (CEFR B2, IELTS 6.0) EFL Speaking class about first dates. Students begin by describing some photographs of common first date ideas. Students then discuss generic ideas about first dates. Vocabulary is introduced using a match-up activity, after which they complete a gap-fill exercise to confirm their understanding. Students brainstorm common places to go on a first date. Next they will rank and defend the best and worst places to go on a first date. Finally, students engage in discussion with a partner.
This is an upper intermediate (CEFR B2, IELTS 6.0) EFL Speaking class about jobs. Students describe images of different jobs to activate prior knowledge. Not only the jobs themselves, but also the responsibilities and workplace should be elicited. A short discussion about the students’ jobs follows (if your students are school-age, you can skip this discussion or tailor the questions to their age group). Target language (firefighter, salesperson, farmer, pilot, mechanic, plumber) is introduced using photographs. Students then read a description of each job, which they must match to the job itself. Students then choose their preferred job and discuss it with a partner. To introduce the concept of home working, students look at two images; one showing a man working on a laptop with his young son at the kitchen table, and another showing a man commuting by subway. Students then look at five pictures, each showing a key word related to the reading article (convenient, stressful, boring, comfortable, healthy). A reading activity about home working at Twitter follows. Students demonstrate their understanding by answering comprehension questions. Finally, students perform a role play between a boss and an employer.
This is an upper intermediate (CEFR B2, IELTS 6.0) EFL Speaking class about jokes. Students first describe a picture of some men laughing. Teachers could elicit information about the situation to contextualise the class. A short discussion about jokes follows. Students then read a short text which introduces the target language (prank, knock-knock, dad jokes, pun). Students then look at various pictures which should introduce some different jokes. Students should then decide what kind of joke it is by referring back to the text they read. Students can discuss the jokes they learned and jokes in their culture. Verbs of speech (whisper, sigh, mumble, blurt out, whine, snap) are then practiced using a vocabulary match-up activity. Comprehension is then confirmed using pictures. The next activity sees students reading some jokes, in which they must find the verb of speech they learned. Some more puns are learned. Finally, students can practice their punchline delivery in English; print out slides 28-37. Every two slides is a new joke, assign students a partner and have them read the joke and deliver the punchline.
This is an upper intermediate (CEFR B2, IELTS 6.0) EFL Speaking class about lakes. Students will first describe pictures of lakes and lakeside activities. Each picture should be used to elicit prior knowledge from students. A short discussion about lakes in general follows. Target language (dock, freshwater, shore, shallow, deep, irrigation) is introduced using pictures, after which students check their understanding by choosing the correct word for a gap-fill exercise. A further discussion about lakes follows. A reading activity is contextualised with a short factual text about Lake Chad in Africa. Students read an article about the lake, which has been shrinking for decades. Students will then answer true/false questions about the text. Finally, students discuss their opinions with a partner in an agree/disagree activity.
This is an upper intermediate (CEFR B2, IELTS 6.0) EFL Speaking class about gardening. Students first describe images of gardens, after which they discuss gardening in general with a partner. Target language (lawn, soil, shrubs, pond, path, flowerbed) is introduced using photographs. Students confirm their understanding by choosing the correct piece of vocabulary for each sentence. A discussion then follows. Next, students look at a birds-eye view of a garden plan, which they should describe. Next, students can design their own garden (recommend printing slide 12). Finally, students give their opinions using agree/disagree statements.