Teachers First - Thinking Teachers Teaching Thinkers

Learn and make mental notes about which sounds Japanese-speakers have difficulty with in learning English. MP3 files play the example sounds for you (with a British accent). You will need a plug-in such as Windows Media Play to make these play.

tag(s): japan (57), japanese (47), pronunciation (34)

Learn the basics of Chinese. This could be very helpful for teachers working with Chinese-speaking ESL/ELL students or for your English-speaking students who are curious about other languages. Gifted students might enjoy comparing languages using this site and other tools.

tag(s): chinese (45), gifted (66), phrases (6), pronunciation (34)

Learn the basics of Japanese. This could be very helpful for teachers working with Japanese-speaking ESL/ELL students or for your English-speaking students who are curious about other languages. Gifted students might enjoy comparing languages using this site and other tools. Requires Quicktime to play the pronunciations.

tag(s): gifted (66), japan (57), japanese (47), pronunciation (34)

Learn the basics of Arabic. This could be very helpful for teachers working with Arabic-speaking ENL/ESL students or for your English-speaking students who are curious about other languages. Gifted students might enjoy comparing languages using this site and other tools.

tag(s): arab (12), arabic (13), gifted (66)

Learn the basics of Russian. This could be very helpful for teachers working with Russian-speaking ESL/ELL students or for your English-speaking students who are curious about other languages. Gifted students might enjoy comparing languages using this site and other tools.

tag(s): gifted (66), russia (36), russian (26)

Learn the basics of Portuguese. This could be very helpful for teachers working with Portuguese-speaking ESL/ELL students or for your English-speaking students who are curious about other languages. Gifted students might enjoy comparing languages using this site and other tools.

tag(s): gifted (66), portuguese (22)

Learn the basics of French. This could be very helpful for teachers working with French-speaking ESL/ELL students or for your English-speaking students who are curious about other languages. Gifted students might enjoy comparing languages using this site and other tools.

tag(s): french (75), gifted (66)

Learn the basics of many languages, including may less-common ones. This could be very helpful for working with ESL/ELL students or for your English-speaking students who are curious about other languages. Gifted students might enjoy comparing languages using these tools.

tag(s): gifted (66)

This lesson plan provides a way to encourage cultural awareness and make your ENL/ESL students' knowledge of their home culture a classroom asset. The lesson can be done in an all-ENL/ESL class or in a regular class as part of an investigation of cultures, part of a unit on research, or as an art lesson. It can also be adapted for use in a high school level world cultures class.

tag(s): holidays (187)

Try this article on using buddies as a helpful strategy for your ENL/ESL students. Specific suggestions about what kind of buddy to choose and what buddy responsibilitites should be are very useful. You may want to share some portions of this article with the buddies themselves in secondary-level classes. Don't forget to also read TeachersFirst's Top Ten Tips for Working with ESL/ELL students.

tag(s): classroom management (120)

Your class is welcoming some ENL/ESL students. Here are some tips for starting out right with newcomers who speak little or no English. The tips include drawing on the resources of others so you, as the teacher, do not feel you must do everything yourself. Don't forget to also read TeachersFirst's Top Ten Tips for Working with ENL/ESL students.

tag(s): back to school (55), learning styles (18)

Hear English pronunciation and read about exactly how the moouth forms the sounds on this very thorough site. This can help you with ESL students or English-speakers having difficulty with articulation. Requires Real Player to play the sound files.

tag(s): pronunciation (34), speech (69)

Use this explanation of how to form questions in English to help your ESL/ELL students with basic skille they need in class and elsewhere. Be sure to show them where to click for pages 2 and 3 so they can practice forming questions.

tag(s): grammar (137)

Find ESL Teacher Handouts, Grammar Worksheets, and Printables on this site. These will give you a quick source of easy-to-use handouts for instant extra practice with your ESL/ELL students. Parents may elso find the handouts helpful at home.

tag(s): grammar (137), worksheets (69)

Search like a librarian using the hints on this page! This re-do of a Google search page helps searchers know exactly what they're searching and what types of answers they can expect to receive without understanding the complexity of Boolean search terms, etc. Especially valuable are tips on how to search precisely and, at the same time, avoid certain results such as bookstores or pages with only commercial intent. Use of the wildcard search "*" is explained so that it seems easy and useful. Searching sentences, phrases, and other collocations is simple after looking at this page. There is also a link to the original Google search page. Not only ESL teachers, but also all instructors looking for specific types of info will find ways to make their searches more fruitful and economical.

tag(s): search strategies (22)

Long known to improve accents and intonations, singing with limited English speakers also provides cultural knowledge, fun, and a whole-language way to assist students to memorize English in meaningful chunks. Mainly an alphabetical index to many enjoyable songs, this site also gives suggestions about how to use the lyrics to help improve the students' English.

tag(s): lyrics (15)

This helpful collection of classic movie clips grants limited English speakers access to unusual or idiomatic phrases said in popular movies. For example, in Guess Who's Coming to Dinner the phrase "break it gently" is explored, then students are give two choices to choose from for the meaning and then the answer comes on. The clip includes not only the idiomatic phrase, but also explanations of the cultural and historical background of the movie. This is an excellent way for students to learn some of the peculiar phrases in our English language in an enjoyable way!

tag(s): movies (54)

A great source of primary documents covering many topics of interest to grade school children including the real stories some of the people killed on Sept. 11. Although this is usually a pay site ($9.95/yr), free membership is available for educators, schools, and libraries. Each feature article is divided into "Story Chapter Links" and highlighted vocabulary clicks to photographs, maps, artifacts, documents, audio-visual clips, and articles with more information about the word. Topics offered include history, culture, literature, disasters, and media. You can find passages on topics related to almost any student's interests and use the resources to teacher reading skills. In December, 2006, Awesome Stories announced free accounts for individuals, as well, but for a "limited time." If you would like your students to be abe to use it at home, consider setting up accounts for students, as well, while they are free.

tag(s): dinosaurs (43), disasters (37), literature (222), movies (54), space (222)

Read the tips on this web page or download a single sheet of suggestions to make reading together fun and funny for parents and kids together, while encouraging the skills to make a lifelong reader. Teachers can download the tips for third grade in NINE languages in addition to English to print out and send home with your ESL/ELL students. Their parents will appreciate the opportunity to participate in their learning, and everyone wins. Printables require Acrobat Reader.

tag(s): literacy (122)

Read this web page or download a single sheet of suggestions to make reading together fun and funny for parents and kids together, while encouraging the skills to make a lifelong reader. Teachers can download the tips for th in NINE languages in addition to English to print out and send home with your ESL/ELL students. Their parents will appreciate the opportunity to participate in their learning, and everyone wins. Printables require Acrobat Reader.