My pool of doctor students has recently increased and motivated me to think about lessons that can be useful and interesting for this group. One of the scenarios that I, an ESL teacher, am also familiar with is taking a patient history. The students told me they occasionally have foreign patients and would like to… Continue reading B1/B2 – Taking patient history
Author: joannaesl
A CELTA certified ESL teacher based in Altea, Spain. I share my experience regarding teaching in Spain, getting into ESL from scratch, but I also like to prepare lesson plans and classroom content.
B1 – Unusual daily routine
(Almost) all ESL coursebooks start with a lesson on the Present Simple, usually centred around the daily routines of an imaginary person. I was on the prowl to find an interesting video on gym routines when I stumbled upon a short interview with Mark Wahlberg discussing his unusual daily routine instead. The video is authentic,… Continue reading B1 – Unusual daily routine
B2 – Corporate jargon
I was always a little bit afraid of teaching Business English, as my main focus had usually been on exam preparation and General English. However, as it normally is with me and my blog posts, more BE students = focus shift to the business side of English. The idea for this class came up as… Continue reading B2 – Corporate jargon
First class – the needs analysis
The classes have either already started or are about to anytime soon! This year, I have been blessed with many new private students and also a collaboration with a language academy. As I'm constantly on the search for different ways of improving myself as a tutor, I decided to have a look at one of… Continue reading First class – the needs analysis
B1 – Getting a promotion (used to, be used to, get used to)
One of the best ways of understanding the difference between used to and Present Simple is by talking about our past and present jobs. In this way, you can engage your B1-level Business English students to discuss their responsibilities while revising those basic grammar points. A few weeks ago, I was approached by a student who asked if we… Continue reading B1 – Getting a promotion (used to, be used to, get used to)
B1 – The True Cost of Being a Wedding Guest (causative)
Summer is almost over, so it may be an excellent time to start wrapping up all the summer-related topics, including the one we will talk about today - the actual costs of being invited to a wedding. Think about the things that need to be done before the ceremony and the toll it takes on… Continue reading B1 – The True Cost of Being a Wedding Guest (causative)
C1 – Parental favouritism (guided reading)
Talking about families and family dynamics is one of the most commonly explored topics when learning about personal relationships. It offers an opportunity to describe appearances, personalities, and individual characteristics. However, what if we could take this matter to the next level and delve into the dynamics of family roles and how they are affected… Continue reading C1 – Parental favouritism (guided reading)
B2 – NASA takes UAPs seriously (modal verbs of deduction)
Another breaking news appeared all over the internet - do aliens exist, and if so, has the government been hiding this from us for years? Truth be told, there is still no clear answer to that question, and we are all left with speculations about many unexplained sightings and phenomena that puzzle people worldwide. As… Continue reading B2 – NASA takes UAPs seriously (modal verbs of deduction)
C1 – Describing films and TV shows
he other week almost everyone talked about the biggest cinema event of 2023 – the release of Barbie and Oppenheimer on the very same day. This definitely seeped into your lessons, and even if it didn't, you can bring up the topic and talk about students' favourite films and TV shows, while using this C1… Continue reading C1 – Describing films and TV shows
Use of ChatGPT in lesson preparation
At this point, ChatGPT has been around for some time and people have been using it for everything and anything. I wasn't any different and used it a few times to get inspiration or to facilitate my working process. Here are some ways ChatGPT came in handy, with all its benefits and shortcomings. I first… Continue reading Use of ChatGPT in lesson preparation