English as a Second Language
Lesson plans and teaching ideas
For teaching materials about idioms, click here.
1000 Most Common Words in English
The top 1000 words in order of frequency and in alphabetical order. Scroll down for the top 150 nouns used in example sentences.
Activities for ESL Students
More than a thousand activities contributed by teachers. Some can be downloaded; others require Internet access to use.
The Adult Literacy Resource Institute Web Site
Be sure to check Resources > Web-based Lesson Plans.
American Accent Training
Give yourself a no-nonsense American accent. Tips are available at this site, as are a book and training via telephone.
Auto-English
Teaching materials in two formats: Web-based and interactive, or print-out. Lots of animation and attitude to keep things interesting.
Better English: English Exercises
Free online exercises in grammar, vocabulary, business English, spelling, and other aspects of English.
Boggle's World
Extensive materials available for teachers to print out: crosswords, word searches, songs, worksheets, lots more.
Breaking News English
This site provides international current events stories in "easier" and "harder" versions. Each lesson comes with activities for before, during, and after reading, as well as vocabulary and other support activities.
The Canadian Association of Second Language Teachers
A wide array of resources, including online activities in several languages, articles by veteran teachers and researchers, information on conferences, printable handouts, and annotated links to other online ESL resources.
Center for Adult English Language Acquisition
Links to articles on ESL and the ERIC database of lesson plans and activities.
Color Coded Parts of Speech
Three kinesthetic small group activities to help students identify parts of speech.
Easy English On Line
The 200+ free exercises at this site are designed for native speakers of French who are learning English.
English as Second Language from About.com
A wealth of resources from e-Zines to quizzes and tests.
English, Baby!
A wealth of materials focusing on American usage, including slang and cultural materials. Message boards, chat room, movie reviews with built-in language lessons, free newsletter -- this site is very professional and very useful.
English Exercises Online
Lessons, exercises, handouts, a generous assortment of links for more help, lessons you can cut and paste to your word processor, dictation exercises (requires RealAudio).
English Firsthand Cafe
This site features a variety of resources, including a monthly contest for students and bulletin boards where teachers can post questions and receive helpful suggestions.
English Language Listening Lab Online
A variety of audio clips of English native speakers and interactive learning activities.
English Materials
Audio files and worksheets for teaching English. Requires free registration.
English Online
A wealth of materials for teaching English as a second language, including links for business English and information about currency, flags, holidays, humor, religion, sports, and more. Teaching suggestions are also available. This site makes a real effort to go beyond just American English.
English Study Direct
Online ESL courses and free Web resources for teachers and students.
English Teacher Online.FR
This site, based in Pontoise, France, invites teachers to share their own suggestions in addition to freely using what has been posted.
English Teaching Program
Many useful resources, including ideas for skits and discussions.
English-Zone
An extensive, interactive site for both students and teachers, including jokes that will "translate."
EnglishPage.com
Extensive grammar resources, games, dictionaries, chat rooms.