Latest and greatest on TEFLtastic

A list of new content on TEFLtastic, mixed with some classic materials that are well worth remembering. Updated every couple of days. If you like anything here and want more, please support TEFLtastic.

Have something done coin games – NEW added to my Have Something Done page and to my coin games list

Make and do pelmanism and snap card games – NEW

IELTS Writing Task 2 on IELTS Reading (good for tying the different parts of the exam together and adding speaking to Reading and Writing prep) – NEW

How to make English plurals – NEW

Regular plurals lists by level (important plurals ending with -s from Elementary to Advanced) – NEW LINK

IELTS post-reading comparisons – NEW

How to interrupt politely – NEW

Fun make and do controlled practice activities – NEW ARTICLE added to Make and do games, worksheets and songs – NEW PAGE

Adjective word order games/ worksheets – NEW PAGE

How to use “actually” – NEW

How to use “will” – NEW

How to teach make and do – NEW

Six fun adjective word order activities – NEW

How to use English songs with your child (article for parents) – NEW

How to make listening to English easier – NEW

IELTS Reading overview – NEW WORKSHEETS

121 articles for English language learners – NEW PAGE

Business determiners games/ worksheets page – MUCH EXPANDED

Business English functional language reviews – MUCH EXPANDED

How to teach comparative adjectives – NEW

Teaching Negotiating: Interactive Classroom Activities – NEW E-BOOK

Updated 23 April 2024

New articles for ESL learners page

I’ve mainly written articles on how to teach this, that and the other, so I only recently thought to make a page with links to all of my articles for people who are learning English. Was surprised to find that there are well over a hundred! Will add many more to that page in the next few months and years, but here are the 121 articles up until the end of Feb 2024, covering better exam scores, language learning for children, cultural knowledge, grammar, vocabulary, listening, pronunciation, speaking, reading, writing, and Business English:

New articles for English language learners

How to count English syllables – NEW

How to use whereas, while and whilst (with contrasts to other linkers) – NEW

How to thank people in English

How to apologise in English 

How to disagree in English

How to disagree politely

How to make learning grammar easier 

How to read graded readers

How to read the news in English 

23 writing in English challenges 

21 reading in English challenges 

How to read more quickly in English 

What to read in English outside class 

Body language and gestures articles for English language learners

A guide to rude, insulting, offensive and taboo gestures

80 British gestures

British body language

Offensive, insulting and aggressive gestures in the UK

British and American body language and gestures 

British and American English articles for English language learners

Differences between British and American emails

Differences between British and American phone calls

British and American body language and gestures 

British culture articles for English language learners

80 British gestures

British body language

Offensive, insulting and aggressive gestures in the UK

Cultural training articles for English language learners

Cultural differences in emailing

Cultural differences in telephoning

50 ways to answer the telephone (in English and other languages)

and see British Culture Articles above, and British and American English Articles above

EFL exam articles for English language learners

IELTS articles for language learners

32 bad IELTS tips

100 IELTS Listening tips

100 IELTS Writing Task 1 tips 

100 IELTS Writing Task 2 tips 

The top six grammar points for IELTS

What your students need to know for IELTS Reading

IELTS Academic Reading Tips- Matching Headings to Paragraphs Task- Tips for Students 

Tips for the IELTS Academic Reading- Locating information task

Functional language for IELTS Speaking

TOEIC articles for language learners

100 ways to improve your TOEIC score 

21 ways to get more out of your TOEIC class

Choosing a good TOEIC class and good TOEIC teacher

The 24 hours before your TOEIC exam

TOEIC exam problems and solutions

TOEIC FAQ

100 ways to improve your TOEIC listening

TOEIC Listening Part One Photos Task- Tips for Students 

Cambridge exams articles for language learners

Cambridge First articles for language learners

25 stupid things about Cambridge First

Cambridge Proficiency articles for language learners

CPE Use of English Part One tips

CPE Use of English Part Three tips

BULATS articles for language learners

63 ways to improve your BULATS writing score

What your students need to know about BULATS Writing Part One

Aptis articles for language learners

Aptis speaking part one preparation tips

Aptis Speaking Part Two preparation tips

Other EFL exams articles for language learners

The three keys to doing well in speaking exams (for students and teachers)

Functional language articles for English language learners

How to complain and deal with complaints on the phone

How to thank people in English

How to apologise in English 

How to disagree in English

How to disagree politely

and see Social English Articles below

Learning English grammar articles for students

How to make learning grammar easier – NEW

General explanations for all English future forms

How to correct yourself outside class

The 15 best tips for learning articles

Why does my teacher make me correct my own answers?

Why does my teacher make me learn English grammar words?

Why doesn’t my teacher correct all my mistakes when I am speaking?

The top six grammar points for IELTS

and see Linking Expressions Articles below

Listening articles for English language learners

Why does my teacher not speak more slowly?

100 IELTS Listening tips

100 ways to improve your TOEIC listening

TOEIC Listening Part One Photos Task- Tips for Students 

How to give English presentations articles for language learners

How to make a personal connection in presentations

How to deal with difficult questions in a presentation

How to thank people in presentations

How to introduce yourself in presentations

English pronunciation articles for language learners

How to count English syllables – NEW

How to improve your pronunciation outside class

Why does my teacher make me learn the phonemic script

How to pronounce consonant clusters

Pronunciation problems for Spanish speaking learners of English

Reading articles for English language learners

How to read graded readers

21 reading in English challenges

How to read in English outside class

What to read in English outside class

How to read more quickly in English

How to read the news in English 

Tips for the IELTS Academic Reading- Locating information task

IELTS Academic Reading Tips- Matching Headings to Paragraphs Task- Tips for Students 

Why does my teacher make me read silently?

Why does my teacher make us read difficult authentic texts?

Self-study articles for English language learners

70 ways to improve your English

Activities for conversation exchanges

Social English articles for language learners

35 ways to say hello in English

41 ways to say goodbye in English

Speaking articles for English language learners

57 ways to improve your fluency

Activities for conversation exchanges

The three keys to doing well in speaking exams (for students and teachers)

Why does my teacher make us work in pairs?

Why doesn’t my teacher correct all my mistakes when I am speaking?

100 IELTS speaking tips

Aptis speaking part one preparation tips

Aptis Speaking Part Two preparation tips

Functional language for IELTS Speaking

and see Pronunciation Articles above, and Telephoning Articles below

Telephoning articles for English language learners

100 polite telephoning dos and don’ts

100 common telephoning mistakes

50 ways to answer the telephone (in English and other languages)

Being polite on the phone – a step by step guide

British and American phone calls

Cultural differences in telephoning

How to be friendly on the phone in English

How to complain and deal with complaints on the phone

How to end phone calls smoothly and politely

How to leave and take telephone messages

How to start phone calls in English

Learning vocabulary articles for English language learners

Why does my teacher make me use an English-English dictionary?

Why does my teacher stop me using my dictionary?

Writing in English articles for language learners

Emailing in English articles for language learners

Writing emails checklist

Cultural differences in emailing

How to be friendly in emails

Differences between British and American emails

100 common mistakes with starting and ending emails

Using linking expressions articles for English language learners

How to use whereas, while and whilst (with contrasts to other linkers) – NEW

How to use although, though and even though

How to use contrast and concesssion linkers

Other writing articles for English language learners

What to write in English outside class

Advantages and disadvantages of model answers for learning writing (with how to exploit the advantages and get rid of the disadvantages)

How to write in English more quickly

How to write in English outside class

100 IELTS Writing Task 1 tips 

100 IELTS Writing Task 2 tips 

63 ways to improve your BULATS writing score

What your students need to know about BULATS Writing Part One

English for young learners articles for parents of language learners

How to choose English classes for your young kids

How to learn English with your young child

Other articles for English language learners

Why does my teacher skip exercises in the textbook?

Why does my teacher use games in an adult class?

New Valentine’s Day teaching tips and materials page

Valentine’s Day games/ worksheets – NEW PAGE

with two new articles and 10 new PDFs on linking the best topic for February with more useful language like common grammar points, plus a link to materials dealing with festivals and celebrations more generally.

New Teaching Negotiating e-book

Over 300 photocopiable pages on the most important tactics and language for the vital skill of negotiating, including much improved versions of some of my favourite activities ever and stacks of new materials:

Teaching Negotiating: Interactive Classroom Activities – NEW E-BOOK 

At under a penny a page, hopefully cheap enough even for those who don’t teach negotiating very often, and also a reasonable level at which to support TEFLtastic (as I still haven’t got around to making a Patreon page).

Grammar in Xmas lessons links

I gave teaching tips and PDFs for tenses in Xmas lesson here, so this is the same for other grammar points like modals, prepositions and adjectives.

Teaching grammar in Xmas lessons article – NEW

Relative clauses Xmas photocopiables

Christmas vocabulary relative clauses definitions game

Have/ Have got Xmas photocopiables

Describing Xmas things with “have” games – NEW

Adjective word order Xmas photocopiables

The best Xmas adjectives word practice

There is/ are Xmas photocopiables

There is/ There are and Xmas vocabulary drawing game

Possessives Xmas photocopiables

Possessive S Xmas vocabulary drawing games

Prepositions Xmas photocopiables

Xmas vocabulary prepositions of position games

Like and be like Xmas questions

Superlatives Xmas photocopiables

Xmas and New Year recommendations superlatives practice

Question formation Xmas photocopiables

Indirect questions Xmas photocopiables

Direct, indirect and taboo Christmas questions

Yes/ No questions Xmas photocopiables

Xmas vocabulary yes/no questions games (20 questions, make me say yes and you must say yes)

Modal verbs Xmas photocopiables

Can and can’t Xmas photocopiables

Describing Xmas things with can and can’t games – NEW

Modals of deduction Xmas photocopiables

Xmas vocabulary speculating games

Xmas guess the country modals of deduction

Modals of obligation Xmas photocopiables

Festivals and celebrations rules (discussing how a company should deal with seasonal events, starting with Xmas, with modal verbs)

Countable and uncountable nouns Xmas photocopiables

Countable and uncountable nouns negotiation (with Xmas and New Year vocab)

More coming soon. For other language points like functional language, numbers and business English, see here:

Xmas and New Year games, worksheets, flashcards, videos and songs for EFL classes

Updated 25 December 2023

Teaching tenses Xmas lessons

Teaching past, present and future verb forms in end of the year lessons tips and photocopiables:

Teaching tenses in Christmas lessons article -NEW

Present tenses Xmas photocopiables

Present Simple Xmas photocopiables

It is and they are Xmas photocopiables

It is and They are with adjectives Xmas pick and draw game

Xmas pictures for It is/ They are

It is/ They are Xmas flashcards

Xmas vocabulary categories activities (it is and they are)

Other Present Simple Xmas photocopiables

Xmas mix and match (third person S, Present Simple and Xmas vocabulary)

Christmas Adverbs of Frequency– Present Simple and lots of lovely (not stereotyped) cultural information

Present Continuous Xmas photocopiables

Present Continuous and like with ing Xmas questions games

Present Simple and Continuous Xmas photocopiables

Christmas Present Simple and Continuous mimes– contrasting routines and things happening now, with lots of nice Chrimbo vocab

Future tenses Xmas photocopiables

Going to Xmas photocopiables

Xmas going to games

Going to Xmas mimes – for predictions with present evidence

New Year resolutions adverbs of frequency – going to for plans and learner training

Will Xmas photocopiables

Will for future predictions Xmas

Future Continuous Xmas photocopiables

New Year action and state verbs

Future Perfect Xmas photocopiables

Future Perfect New Year predictions

Future desires Xmas photocopiables

Festivals and celebrations like and would like practice (starting with Xmas and New Year)

Future tenses review Xmas photocopiables

Xmas and New Year future tenses review

Past tenses Xmas photocopiables

Past Simple Xmas photocopiables

Make a Xmas story Past Simple practice

Past Continuous Xmas photocopiables

Christmas Past Tense mimes – Past continuous when they finish miming and then tense review as they talk about their own experiences of those things

Past tenses review Xmas photocopiables

Christmas Past Tense mimes – Past continuous when they finish miming and then tense review as they talk about their own experiences of those things

Conditionals Xmas photocopiables

First conditional Xmas photocopiables

Xmas first conditional superstitions bluff game – a classic, hopefully not ruined in my version

Imperative Xmas photocopiables

Business English Christmas cards Do’s and Don’ts – imperatives and important cultural information

Passive voice Xmas photocopiables

Xmas vocabulary passive voice guessing game

Christmas traditions passives bluff game

More coming soon. For other language points like functional language, numbers and business English, see here:

Xmas and New Year games, worksheets, flashcards, videos and songs for EFL classes

Updated 13 December 2023

Englishlessonhandouts articles for teachers boxset

It’s been nearly a year, so I guess we will never see the long-awaited Season 2 of my series of englishlessonhandouts.com articles. However, I think Season 1 works as a standalone series, as it covers everything I had left to say about teaching one-to-one, small talk in class, and free con. So here is the complete collection, with added bonus material at the bottom:

11 instant controlled practice activities

Teaching (not just making) small talk

Small talk in one-to-one classes

Competition in one-to-one classes

Competing against one-to-one students

Needs analysis in class

Student questions in one-to-one classes

Adapting free conversation classes

Good free conversation classes

Bad free conversation classes

How to start one-to-one lessons

Using the board in one-to-one classes

And the DVD extra is one which was supposed to start the Series 2 of working with three students but recently went elsewhere:

Groups of three in EFL classes

The great Usingenglish.com PDFs renovation is well underway!

After a bit of a break, I’ve accelerated my efforts to polish up all 1355(!) of my UE photocopiables, with clearer instructions, more answers, few pages, easier and/ or less cutting up, fixed typos, etc.

If you have any old Usingenglish PDFs and think you might use them again, it might be worth googling to see whether a new version is available. (New versions have “2023” along with the original date in the footer). And please let me know if you’ve found any mistakes, outdated content, things in wrong or useless categories, etc that I can fix as I’m working on the rest of them.

Thanks!

New pronunciation pages

New and newish pages on connected speech, schwa, magic E, doubled letters, and IELTS pronunciation, available with many other pronunciation pages here:

Pronunciation games/ worksheets

New IELTS Listening e-book out now!

Over 200 pages to teach students what IELTS Listening really involves, giving them knowledge of the key vocabulary, typical phrases, trick questions, difficult things to listen for, hard spellings, etc in the test.  All without any boring recordings or awkward silence in class! Available here now:

Teaching IELTS Listening: Interactive Classroom Activities – NEW

If you haven’t bought any of my books (recently), you could also think of buying a copy as your (tiny) Patreon-style donation to support me in producing more materials and teaching ideas. If you’re not interested in IELTS Listening and/ or can spare another pound, my other exams and business skills e-books are here:

TEFLtastic e-books

Business communication reviews (TEFLtastic Classics Part 51)

Often after my last TEFLtastic Classic (needs and instant personalised practice), I often start business courses with a big review of the basic language for electronic and face-to-face communication, with materials like these:

First contact and further contact picking roleplays (email, online, phone and face to face) – NEW

Telephone, email and face to face error correction pairwork – NEW

Starting and ending business communications simplest responses – NEW

Business communication brainstorming and error correction – NEW

Different kinds of business communication dice game Market Leader Int version

Communicating before, during and after meetings practice (emailing, telephoning, etc – in this bargain e-book)

First contact line by line brainstorming and jigsaw

First contact functions card game (face to face, email and telephone)

Prepositions of time pairwork guessing game (including business skills review)

Business communication prepositions and determiners pairwork

Business communication pairwork correction game

Starting and ending business communications jigsaw texts (email, telephone and face to face, a polished up version of my worksheet in English Teaching Professional magazine)

First contact and further contact dice games (emailing, telephoning, teleconferencing, video conferencing and face to face)

Travel English telephone, email and face to face dice game 

Different kinds of business communication meeting criteria board game

Telephone, email or face to face functional language dice game

Communication challenges dice game 

Related pages

Business English functional language reviews

Needs analysis

Not sure how it’s taken me 15 years to make a list of materials that I use so much… For 50 more activities that I suddenly realised that I use all the time, see here.

Updated 26 January 2023