Links
Teaching Tips and Ideas
Beginning ESL Learners’ Advice To Their Teachers - An article based on interviews with beginning ESL students; great advice for all ESL tutors.
Tips for Teaching ESL Beginners and Pre-Literate Adults - An article written by our Program Manager, Holly Andrews.
Teaching Low-Level Adult ESL Learners - An article from The Center for Adult English Language Acquisition.
What Works for Adult ESL Students - An article from the National Center for the Study of Adult Learning and Literacy.
Taking a Closer Look at Struggling ESOL Learners - Another article from the National Center for the Study of Adult Learning and Literacy. If you have a student who does not seem to be progressing very quickly, read this article.
Working With Literacy-Level Adult English Language Learners - An article for those working with students who have had less than six years of school in their native language, who are not literate in their native language, or who are not familiar with the Roman alphabet.
BYU English Language Center Teacher Corner - Most helpful for tutors working with small groups. Includes prepared lesson plans and activities for pre-literate, beginning and intermediate students, as well as videos and tips for working with foreign students. Look under “Adult Education ESL Teachers Guide” for lesson plans and teaching tips for your student’s level.
Making It Real: Teaching Pre-Literate Adult Refugee Students - Lesson ideas, games and activities for your pre-literate students.
Important Language to Teach to Pre-Literate Students - A list of key phrases and vocabulary for your pre-literate students.
Course Planning for Preliterate and Low-Literacy Learners - An article based on research done by the Adult Migrant English Program in Australia.
Dave’s ESL Cafe - A website with lesson ideas, quizzes, activities, and links to other helpful ESL websites. Most helpful for more advanced students.
English the Easy Way - Grammar lessons for more advanced students.
Learn English With Pictures and Audio - An online beginning picture dictionary with audio.
Practitioner Toolkit: Working With Adult English Language Learners - A packet of helpful information about working with ESL learners. Includes a section on parent-related activities and on lesson planning (starting on p. 61). Also has a list at the end of other ESL-related websites.
ESL Flow - Lesson plans, worksheets, surveys, quizzes, and vocabulary on a variety of subjects for beginning and intermediate ESL learners.
Colorful Clothesline - A series of online activities to help ESL students learn vocabulary related to colors and clothing.
The Internet TESL (Teaching English as a Second Language) Journal - Articles, research papers, lesson plans, classroom handouts, teaching ideas and links for ESL teachers.
Reading Signs in English - Photographs of common signs that students see in the community - great for lessons about shopping or getting a driver’s license.
Adult ESOL Lesson Plans - Lesson plans on a variety of subjects for all levels of ESL students.
Teaching Ideas from Current ESLC Tutors - If you would like to share your ideas with other tutors, please e-mail them to r.blackmer@eslcenter.org. Thanks!
Empowering Parents
Parents as Educational Partners - Curriculum for a program offered to language minority parents in Illinois. Includes lesson plans, pertinent lesson subjects, and teaching techniques and tips for working with parents.
Supporting Early Literacy in Natural Environments - Activities for parents to do with their young children to develop their children’s literacy, and their own. Handouts are available in English and Spanish, and could become a part of ESL lesson plans.
Colorado Department of Education’s Family Literacy Page - Resources for ESL teachers working with parents. Includes downloadable lesson plans and activities for parents on subjects such as school staff, parent rights and responsibilities, grades, a child’s daily schedule at school, and more.
Talking About Wordless Picture Books - A series of over ten lessons devoted to helping parents read and discuss books with their children. Most helpful for higher beginning and intermediate students in a one-on-one or very small group situation.
About Your Students
Utah’s Refugee Network Mentor Training - An online training for volunteer refugee mentors, but open to anyone who is interested in learning more about refugees. Includes articles and videos about different refugee populations now living in Utah, as well as information about the situation in their home country and why they are refugees.
The Spring Institute For Intercultural Learning - The Spring Institute works with individuals, communities, organizations, and corporations to bridge cultures, increase intercultural understanding, and enhance mutual success. They offer publications on helping immigrants and refugees integrate into American society, how to work with students during times of trauma, teaching pre-literate students, enhanced TPR lessons, drawing from students’ experiences for English lessons, and more.
The Cultural Orientation Resource Center - Free downloadable “Culture Profiles” and “Refugee Backgrounders” with comprehensive information about populations of refugees currently being resettled in the US.
The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) - Information on refugees worldwide and their resettlement.
The Migration Policy Institute - Information on immigrants in the United States, including who they are, where they come from and where they are settling.
The Pew Hispanic Center’s Report - An article about immigration statistics in the U.S. and what the U.S. population is projected to look like in 2050 due to immigration.
Building on Common Ground: A Framework for Immigrant Integration - A report created by United Way that demonstrates the necessity of integrating and assisting local immigrants. It is the result of extensive surveys and research performed here in Utah, and also outlines United Way’s plans to work as a community to assist this population.
Citizenship
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services - Everything that you need to know about the process of becoming a U.S. citizen. Resources available for tutors of students preparing for citizenship here.
Local Resources
Refugee Services from the Department of Workforce Services - Local resources to help refugees find food, clothing, jobs, housing, financial counseling or assistance, and much more.
211 Information and Referral - A list of many organizations in Utah that provide services for those in need, such as food and health resources, legal assistance, domestic violence help, low-income dental services, emergency shelters, job training, housing, and much more.
Resources Available in our Office
Computer Lab - Open Monday and Wednesday, 2:00-6:00pm, Tuesday and Thursday, 9:00am-1:00pm. We offer keyboarding programs as well as several English programs, including Rosetta Stone, Side By Side, Focus on Grammar, and an Interactive Picture Dictionary. A Computer Lab Instructor is also available to work with students. Invite your students to supplement their English lessons with additional English instruction at our office!
Copy Machine - stop by during office hours to make free copies for your classes. We’d love to see you!
ESL Manuals and Picture Dictionaries- Available for check-out or to buy for $15. Ask one of our staff what books would be best for your student(s).
Lesson Plans, Worksheets, Visual Aides, Children’s Books, Videos, CDs and Cassettes - Stop by the office to look through our extensive ESL library.
Washington Mutual Finance Curriculum - Teacher’s manuals, worksheets, and activities to develop financial literacy. Courses include: budgeting, making and counting change, goal-setting, the basics of banking, and credit card basics.