Learn how to make the most of your Ellii subscription with tips from our publishing team.

Teaching with Ellii

Stay up-to-date with ELT trends and ideas with articles from experts and teachers in the field.

Articles

<p><em>This article is part of a series of posts highlighting our community of teachers around the world. We hope you find their stories interesting and inspiring!</em></p>

<p>Danny never planned on becoming an English language teacher. He was actually working in radio broadcasting when he started teaching English classes to adults through a community outreach program.</p>

<p>&ldquo;This was the turning point for me. I finally found my true calling.&rdquo;</p>

<p>Danny has been a teacher for 10 years now. Currently, he teaches in Cuenca, Ecuador. His students are anywhere from pre-kindergarten age to the ninth grade with levels varying from pre-beginner to high-intermediate.</p>

<p>For Danny, a typical day starts with a hot cup of coffee and ESL&nbsp;Library. With his coffee in hand, he checks his students&rsquo; progress and looks for patterns. Based on his findings, he creates appropriate exercises.</p>

<p><img alt="On the left, a screenshot of some study notes with some terms highlighted. On the right, a screenshot of a video call with Danny and his students" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/1583/content_WhatsApp_Image_2021-05-20_at_2.47.17_PM.jpg" /></p>

<p class="caption">Here is a screenshot of Danny teaching his students online.</p>

<p>The COVID-19 pandemic forced Danny to adapt. Due to a lack of funding, he was laid off. Luckily, ESL&nbsp;Library was there to help. Watch the video below to see why he loves ESL Library and how he uses it with his students.</p>

<div class="videoWrapper"><iframe src="https://www.videoask.com/ax2hc5nilg6jqy1fmgcyptjn977szamh8035tmu1" encrypted-media *; fullscreen *;" width="100%" height="600px" style="border: none; border-radius: 24px"></iframe></div>

<p>For Danny, the most challenging part about being a teacher right now is finding students to teach.</p>

<p>&ldquo;In Ecuador, COVID-19 has impacted the national economy severely. Hundreds of parents have lost their jobs and can&#39;t afford education, and private English classes for them are out of the question.&rdquo;</p>

<p>The most rewarding part though is hearing students use the language.</p>

<p>&ldquo;Seeing them grow in the language and want to use the language. It is rewarding to hear them improve their pronunciation.&rdquo;</p>

<p>Want to share why you love ESL&nbsp;Library and how you use it in your classroom? <a href="http://www.videoask.com/fw0f8td5x" target="_blank">Tell us here</a>.</p>


Teacher Feature: Danny

https://esllibrary-staging.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/post/title_image/1967/Melissa_Teacher-Feature_Danny_Banner.png

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<blockquote>
<p>&ldquo;If you want your children to be intelligent, read them fairy tales. If you want them to be more intelligent, read them more fairy tales.&rdquo;</p>

<p class="attribution">&mdash;Albert Einstein</p>
</blockquote>

<p>For English language learners, fairy tales&nbsp;can be&nbsp;a fun and engaging way to increase vocabulary and improve listening, reading, and comprehension skills. Here&rsquo;s a list of reasons to use them in the ESL classroom.</p>

<h2>Fairy tales expand the imagination</h2>

<p>A fairy tale can be defined as a story that involves fantastic forces and beings, such as dragons, elves, wizards, and mermaids. A folk tale, while similar, is characteristically anonymous and timeless, passed down orally from generation to generation.</p>

<p>Conjuring up scenes of mythical beings in faraway lands allows language learners to expand their imaginations and delve deeper into their own creativity while learning English.</p>

<h2>Fairy tales are short and simple</h2>

<p>In modern times, most fairy tales have been adapted for children and contain simpler language than, say, a news article. This makes them accessible to students who have limited language abilities.</p>

<p>Fairy tales take the form of a short story, so they can be retold, rewritten, or summarized by teachers and students without erasing the core message of the tale.&nbsp;</p>

<p>They also make for excellent comprehension texts&mdash;simple in structure and rich in refrains and new vocabulary.</p>

<h2>Fairy tales are universal</h2>

<p>The ancient Chinese fairy tale <em>Yeh-Shen</em> tells the story of a girl who overcomes her wicked stepmother to marry a prince. Sound familiar? That&rsquo;s because the story is almost identical to that of <em>Cinderella</em>, which is itself a translation of the French story <em>Cendrillon</em> by Charles Perrault.</p>

<p>Like fairy tales, folk tales often transcend national borders. In Scotland, for example, the legend of the lake monster affectionately known as <a href="https://ellii.com/courses/83/lessons/1493">Nessie</a> has been circulating since 1933. Halfway across the world in Japan, a mysterious sea creature is believed to haunt the waters of Lake Ikeda on Kyushu Island. Locals call it Issie (イッシー).</p>

<p>No matter where your students are from in the world, chances are that they&rsquo;ve heard or read a fairy tale. Many are similar in message and theme, and this familiarity offers students a safe context when learning English.</p>

<h2>Fairy tales increase cultural awareness</h2>

<p>Fairy tales can provide insight into the customs, values, and traditions of the target culture. Fairy tales highlight these aspects because they address issues that are significant for all ages.</p>

<p><em>Little Red Riding Hood</em>, for example, centers around themes of vulnerability, naivety, and instinct. <em>Jack and the Beanstalk</em> is a tale about good vs. evil and overcoming adversity. And in <em>The</em>&nbsp;<em>Frog Prince</em>, we learn about transformation and integrity.</p>

<h2>Fairy tales spark debate and discussion</h2>

<p>Is it right to steal from someone who is evil? Is compassion practical? When is trickery okay? Fairy tales present many moral and ethical questions that make excellent topics for debate.</p>

<p>Fairy tales also include a great deal of metaphor and symbolism, making them open to interpretation and discussion.</p>

<div class="whiteBox"><span class="label hangingLabel">Related Resource</span>

<p class="circleThumb"><a href="https://ellii.com/resource_categories/107/resources/3680"><img src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/emails/monthly-newsletter/thumbs/107_Fairytale.png" alt="" /></a></p>

<h2><a href="https://ellii.com/resource_categories/107/resources/3680">Fairy Tale</a></h2>

<p>Inspire your students to write and/or tell a fairy tale! This digital, intermediate <a href="https://ellii.com/resource_categories/107/resources">Visual Learning</a> resource includes an illustrated forest scene and a number of planning tasks. It&#39;s also available as <a href="https://ellii.com/resource_categories/107/resources/3678">Beg</a> and <a href="https://ellii.com/resource_categories/107/resources/3679">Low Int</a>.</p>
</div>


5 Reasons to Teach Fairy Tales

https://esllibrary-staging.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/post/title_image/1968/Simone_5-Reasons-to-Teach-Fairytales_Banner.png

<p>It&rsquo;s no secret that the coronavirus pandemic has left people feeling lonely and disconnected. Lockdowns and quarantine measures around the world have made interaction more difficult than it used to be, and students and teachers alike are feeling the lack of personal human contact. What&rsquo;s more, it&#39;s easy to become burnt out after an entire day of relying on video calls for school or work. With so many people longing for connection, snail mail has seen a major resurgence!</p>

<h1>What Is Snail Mail?</h1>

<p>&ldquo;Snail mail&rdquo; is the modern nickname for the practice of writing letters by hand, something that people have been doing since writing itself was invented. This nickname for letter writing comes from the idea that traditional mail is slow, like a snail! And it&#39;s true.&nbsp;If you want to get into letter writing, one thing you&#39;ll need is patience, especially if you&#39;re writing to people in other countries. But when you recieve a really great letter, it&#39;s worth the wait!</p>

<h1>Snail Mail for Students (Or Teachers!)</h1>

<p>Language teachers have&nbsp;been setting up pen pal relationships for their classes for years. It&rsquo;s the ultimate learning tool because it allows students to practice their reading and writing skills while also letting them explore topics that interest them and make friends at the same time.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Ironically, if you search for the hashtags #snailmailrevolution or #penpalswanted on social media, you&rsquo;ll be able to connect with plenty of other people who wish to step back into the age of written letters. Facebook also has a variety of groups dedicated to this purpose. Writing letters to a pen pal can be a great way for students (and teachers!) to fill the void of social interaction, especially if they are shy, lack confidence in their oral communication skills, or have social anxiety. Creative students can also enjoy the optional tasks of decorating their letters and envelopes.</p>

<h1>Resources</h1>

<p>If you&rsquo;re thinking of finding pen pals for your students, ESL&nbsp;Library has a number of resources in our <a href="https://ellii.com/courses/74/lessons">Writing in English</a> section, including <a href="https://ellii.com/courses/74/lessons/2365">How to Write a Note</a>&nbsp;and <a href="https://ellii.com/courses/74/lessons/1829">How to Write an Email</a>, which could easily be translated to the handwritten equivalent. We also have a resource on <a href="https://ellii.com/resource_categories/107/resources/2356">How to Format an Envelope</a>. Also, if you like the idea of having your students write letters but don&rsquo;t want them to have to commit to a lengthy relationship, there are organizations like <a href="https://www.frommetoyouletters.co.uk/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">From Me to You</a>, which distributes donated letters to patients in cancer wards in the UK&nbsp;with the purpose of bringing the patients cheerful distractions.&nbsp;</p>


Learning with Letter Writing

https://esllibrary-staging.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/post/title_image/1966/Lara_Snail-Mail-Pen-Pals_Banner.png

<p><em>This article is part of a series of posts highlighting our community of teachers around the world. We hope you find their stories interesting and inspiring!</em></p>

<p>After teaching math, science, and academic English for over 20 years in high schools, Emmalyn received her TESL certification in 2019. Then, she began working at the <a href="http://www.folk-arts.ca/" target="_blank">Niagara Folk Arts Multicultural Centre</a> (NFAMC) in Ontario, Canada as a LINC/ESL teaching assistant.</p>

<p>&ldquo;I&rsquo;ve always enjoyed teaching. It doesn&rsquo;t matter if it&rsquo;s piano, math, science, or English. I&rsquo;ve always considered one of my strengths to be understanding a concept&nbsp;and then breaking it down in such a way as to make it understandable to the student.&rdquo;</p>

<p><img alt="A woman (Emmalyn) smiling and standing next to a presentation board" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/1595/content_Melissa_Teacher-Feature_Emmalyn_TESL-Certification-Presentation.jpg" /></p>

<p class="caption">Here, Emmalyn is pictured with a presentation she did for her TESL certification.</p>

<p>The NFAMC provides settlement services, including ESL classes ranging from literacy to CLB 6, for newcomers to Canada. The students are anywhere from 18 years old to seniors, and Emmalyn teaches a different class every day.</p>

<p>&ldquo;It is amazing being in a class with such cultural diversity. Hearing about students&rsquo; experiences is not only a learning experience for me, but also a wake-up call, in terms of how much we take living in Canada for granted.&rdquo;</p>

<p><img alt="A woman (Emmalyn) standing in front of a sign reading LINC English Classes for Immigrants" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/1555/content_The_first_photo_is_me_at_the_centre.jpg" /></p>

<p class="caption">Here, Emmalyn is pictured at the Niagara Folk Arts Multicultural Centre.</p>

<p>Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, classes took place in person Monday through Friday from 9:00 am to 3:30 pm. Currently, they are teaching online. As a result, a typical day for Emmalyn includes finding resources, converting them into online assignments, posting the assignments, marking, and providing the class teachers with feedback.</p>

<p>A typical day also involves planning a lesson that corresponds with the centre&rsquo;s monthly theme. For example, in May, the monthly theme was employment. In June, the monthly theme is Canadian culture. Each lesson is adjusted to the level of the class and the students, and includes listening, speaking, reading and writing.</p>

<p>&ldquo;This is where ESL Library comes in handy. There are countless topics, all differentiated according to various levels. Flashcards, videos, listening, vocabulary, crosswords. It&rsquo;s all there. The Taskplayer feature is especially useful for the lower-level classes. They love the Picture Dictionary. This resource has saved me so much time.&rdquo;</p>

<p>Check out Emmalyn&rsquo;s text response below to learn more about why she loves ESL Library and how she uses it with her students.</p>

<blockquote>
<p>💬 Hello ESL Library Staff,</p>

<p>First of all, can I just say thank you for these awesome resources! So many topics, so many levels, and so many opportunities to address different skills in class. Thank you, thank you, thank you!</p>

<p>Let me tell you a bit about myself. My name is Emmalyn and I am an assistant teacher at a multicultural centre offering the LINC program to adult newcomers. I alternate between different levels of ESL classes ranging from Literacy to Level 5/6. Your resource allows me to pick and choose both topics and level-appropriate material.</p>

<p>How do I use the resources? Before the virus, I would print out the PDFs for the topics I wanted and use them in class. When we were first online, our centre upgraded our membership and teachers sent interactive lessons to students via Google Classroom. At the start of the school year, I saw the interactive view available. This worked especially well with the Literacy students. I would project the vocab and flashcards and they would name them. I would also project their handouts and use the annotation features to correct our work. This minimized touching paper, chalk, etc. and maximized space as students were able to remain at their desks. I also print out the flashcards and put them on the board. The clear visuals allow me and the students to participate in many different sorts of activities like identification, spelling, sentence construction, etc. Your website has been a valuable resource. I can&#39;t stress enough how thankful I am!</p>

<p class="attribution">Emmalyn Sumodobila</p>
</blockquote>

<p>Want to share why you love ESL Library and how you use it in your classroom? <a href="http://www.videoask.com/fw0f8td5x" target="_blank">Tell us here</a>.</p>


Teacher Feature: Emmalyn

https://esllibrary-staging.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/post/title_image/1962/Melissa_Teacher-Feature_Emmalyn_Banner.png

Posts describing lessons or activities for the ESL classroom.

Activities

<p>You&rsquo;re probably already familiar with Australia&rsquo;s national animal, but have you ever heard of &ldquo;kangaroo words&rdquo;? The word game&nbsp;by writer Ben O&rsquo;Dell&nbsp;gained popularity in the 1950s when it was first published in <em>The American Magazine</em>, then later reprinted in <em>Reader&rsquo;s Digest</em>.</p>

<p>In this post, we&#39;ll explore different types of kangaroo words and how they can be useful in the ESL Classroom. Scroll to the end for a fun activity idea!</p>

<div class="whiteBox"><span class="label hangingLabel">Related Lesson</span>

<p class="circleThumb"><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/117/lessons/2601"><img src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/emails/monthly-newsletter/thumbs/117_Kangaroos.png" /></a></p>

<h2><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/117/lessons/2601">Kangaroos</a></h2>

<p>Students learn all about kangaroos through reading, speaking, listening, and vocabulary tasks in this <a href="https://ellii.com/courses/117/lessons">Discovery</a> lesson for young learners.</p>
</div>

<h2>Kangaroo Words</h2>

<p>In logology, or recreational linguistics, a kangaroo word is an English word that contains the letters of a synonymous word that appear&nbsp;in the correct order within it.</p>

<p>The synonymous word is known as a &ldquo;joey word,&rdquo; in reference to how kangaroos carry their offspring in their pouches.</p>

<p>Take the word &ldquo;chicken,&rdquo; for example. Can you spot the synonym hiding in this kangaroo word?</p>

<blockquote>
<p>C<strong>H</strong>ICK<strong>EN</strong></p>
</blockquote>

<p>That&rsquo;s right! The joey word is &quot;hen.&quot;</p>

<p>Here are some more examples of kangaroo words:</p>

<ul>
	<li>astound (stun)</li>
	<li>capsule (case)</li>
	<li>catacomb (tomb)</li>
	<li>charisma (charm)</li>
	<li>destruction (ruin)</li>
	<li>fragile (frail)</li>
	<li>encourage (urge)</li>
	<li>instructor (tutor)</li>
	<li>observe (see)</li>
	<li>precipitation (rain)</li>
</ul>

<h2>Twin Kangaroo Words</h2>

<p>Some kangaroo words contain more than one joey word. These are known as &quot;twin kangaroo&quot; words.</p>

<p>For example, the word &quot;community&quot; contains both the synonyms &quot;county&quot; and &quot;city.&quot;</p>

<blockquote>
<p><strong>CO</strong>MM<strong>UN</strong>I<strong>TY</strong></p>

<p><strong>C</strong>OMMUN<strong>ITY</strong></p>
</blockquote>

<p>Here are some more examples of twin kangaroo words:</p>

<ul>
	<li>complaisant (compliant; pliant)</li>
	<li>container (tin; can)</li>
	<li>chariot (car; cart)</li>
	<li>deteriorate (die; rot)</li>
	<li>diminutive (minute; mini)</li>
	<li>feasted (fed; ate)</li>
	<li>frangible (fragile; frail)</li>
	<li>loneliness (loss; oneness)</li>
	<li>perambulate (ramble; amble)</li>
</ul>

<h2>Grand Kangaroo Words</h2>

<p>When a kangaroo word contains a joey word that has another joey word inside it, it is known as a &quot;grand kangaroo&quot; word.</p>

<p>For example, in the kangaroo word &quot;alone,&quot;&nbsp;the joey word is &quot;lone.&quot;&nbsp;Within &quot;alone,&quot; there is the&nbsp;synonymous word &quot;one&quot;.</p>

<blockquote>
<p>A<strong>LONE</strong>&rarr; L<strong>ONE</strong></p>
</blockquote>

<p>Here are some more examples of grand kangaroo words:</p>

<ul>
	<li>amicability (amiability&rarr;amity)</li>
	<li>complaisant (compliant&rarr;pliant)</li>
	<li>expurgate (purge&rarr;pure)</li>
	<li>frangible (fragile&rarr;frail)</li>
</ul>

<h2>Anti-Kangaroo Words</h2>

<p>Some kangaroo words contain an antonym instead of a synonym. These are known as &quot;anti-kangaroo&quot; words.</p>

<p>The word&nbsp;&quot;friend,&quot; for example, contains its opposite, &quot;fiend.&quot;</p>

<blockquote>
<p><strong>F</strong>R<strong>IEND</strong></p>
</blockquote>

<p>Here are some more examples of anti-kangaroo words:</p>

<ul>
	<li>courteous (curt)</li>
	<li>covert (overt)</li>
	<li>fabrication (fact)</li>
	<li>feast (fast)</li>
	<li>she (he)</li>
	<li>threaten (treat)</li>
	<li>there (here)</li>
	<li>veto (vet)</li>
	<li>wonderful (woeful)</li>
</ul>

<h2>Activity Idea</h2>

<p>Using kangaroo words in the ESL classroom is a great way to introduce new vocabulary to students and/or revise synonyms and antonyms.</p>

<p>It can also make for a&nbsp;fun, supplemental activity to a lesson&nbsp;on Australia or&nbsp;<a href="https://ellii.com/courses/113/lessons/2430" target="_blank">Australian Animals</a>.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Here is a fun activity to try that&#39;s&nbsp;based on a popular Japanese card game.</p>

<h3>Kangaroo Karuta</h3>

<p>Prepare some cards with kangaroo words written on them and divide students into pairs or groups. Each pair or group should be given their own set of cards.</p>

<p>For each round, read out a joey word and set a timer. The goal is for students to correctly identify which kangaroo word the joey belongs to and grab that card.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The first student to grab the correct&nbsp;card within the given time frame&nbsp;wins the round and gets to keep the card. At the end of the game, the student with the most cards wins.</p>

<p>This game can be easily adapted to include twin, grand, and anti-kangaroo words too. Try it out and let us know how it goes!</p>

<div class="whiteBox"><span class="label hangingLabel">Related Lesson</span>

<p class="circleThumb"><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/90/lessons/1646"><img src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/emails/monthly-newsletter/thumbs/90_Synonym-and-Antonym-Stories.png" /></a></p>

<h2><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/90/lessons/1646">Synonym &amp; Antonym Stories</a></h2>

<p>In this intermediate <a href="https://ellii.com/courses/90/lessons">Grammar Stories</a> lesson, students read three stories that use synonyms and antonyms in context and match the words that they&#39;ve learned.</p>
</div>


Fun with Kangaroo Words

https://esllibrary-staging.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/post/title_image/1963/Simone_Kangaroo-Words_Banner.png

<p><em>This article is part of a series of posts highlighting our community of teachers around the world. We hope you find their stories interesting and inspiring!</em></p>

<p>Out of necessity and due to the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, Liat began teaching English classes online in Santiago&mdash;both the capital and largest city in Chile.</p>

<p>&ldquo;I am very new to teaching. Now I have realized that I actually enjoy teaching and I want to get better at it every day.&rdquo;</p>

<p>Liat teaches teenagers and adults at the basic to upper-intermediate levels. Since her students&#39; goals, interests, and needs vary, each day is different and each class is dynamic.</p>

<blockquote>
<p>&ldquo;Not every day is the same, which makes it even more exciting! I try to make my classes as engaging as possible.&rdquo;</p>
</blockquote>

<p>For Liat, the most challenging part about being a teacher is when students aren&rsquo;t motivated to learn.</p>

<p>&ldquo;That can make you feel a bit frustrated, but you try your best to connect with your students and help them as much as possible.&rdquo;</p>

<p>Despite this challenge, and even though she has only been teaching English for around a year, Liat is always looking for ways to improve her teaching and has enjoyed the experience so far.</p>

<p>&ldquo;Definitely one of the most rewarding parts of being a teacher are those moments when you see a smile on your student&#39;s face and when they let you know that they are starting to feel a lot better and confident thanks to your help and guidance.&rdquo;</p>

<p>Liat is fairly new to ESL Library but she&rsquo;s a big fan. Watch the video below to see why she loves ESL Library and how she uses it with her students.</p>

<div class="videoWrapper"><iframe allow="camera *; microphone *; encrypted-media *; fullscreen *; display-capture *;" height="600px" src="https://www.videoask.com/ak3cgxrxf1ocip3tnqki6t45y4aqfxmkyxiktobq" style="border: none; border-radius: 24px" width="100%"></iframe></div>

<p>Want to share why you love ESL Library and how you use it in your classroom? <a href="https://www.videoask.com/fw0f8td5x" target="_blank">Tell us here</a>.</p>


Teacher Feature: Liat

https://esllibrary-staging.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/post/title_image/1957/Melissa_Teacher-Feature_Liat_Banner.png

<p>Every good teacher knows that students are most engaged when having fun. Fun takes the pressure out of lessons, allowing students to learn without fear of making mistakes. And you know what&rsquo;s fun? Improv!</p>

<h1>What is improv?</h1>

<p>Improvisational theater, or improv, is a type of theater in which the actors make up the play or scene on the spot. This means there is no script, no director, and no costumes. Actors develop their characters while they are already on the stage&nbsp;and react to each other in real time, working together to build a story.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Aside from being fun, improvisational theater has many benefits. It can help people gain confidence, improve public speaking skills, and become more adaptable in unpredictable situations. It sharpens transferrable skills that are useful for acing job interviews, building relationships with peers and colleagues, and connecting with one&rsquo;s inner child. Applied to ESL students specifically, improv provides opportunity to practice vocabulary and build confidence in both speaking and&nbsp;listening.</p>

<h1>The main principles of improvisational theater also apply to&nbsp;life</h1>

<h2>Yes, and!</h2>

<p>&quot;Yes, and!&rdquo; is the most famous principle of improv. The meaning behind these two words is simple: &ldquo;Yes&rdquo; means you must accept whatever information your scene partner gives you, and &ldquo;and&rdquo; means you must build upon that information.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Here&rsquo;s an example:</p>

<blockquote>
<p><strong>Student 1:</strong> Hello, John. Good to see you again. It says on your chart that you&rsquo;re here because of a knee injury.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>(From this information alone, Student&nbsp;2 can infer that Student 1 is playing the part of a doctor.&nbsp;Student&nbsp;1&#39;s tone&nbsp;implies that they have met before.)</p>

<blockquote>
<p><strong>Student 2:</strong> Yes, Dr. Rodriguez. I tripped over my dog this morning and hurt my knee. I&rsquo;m afraid it might be serious.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>(Here, Student 2 has accepted Student 1&rsquo;s proposition of being a doctor. Student 2 has named Student 1&rsquo;s character&nbsp;and added the information that the knee injury was caused by tripping over a&nbsp;dog.)</p>

<p>In a less literal sense, &ldquo;Yes, and!&rdquo; also highlights the spirit of positivity in improv, which is of course also relevant to the classroom since positivity is conducive to a healthy learning environment. Let&rsquo;s return to the example above. What would happen if the scene played out like&nbsp;this?</p>

<p>An example of what <em>not</em> to&nbsp;do:</p>

<blockquote>
<p><strong>Student 1:</strong> Hello, John. Good to see you again. It says on your chart that you&rsquo;re here because of a knee&nbsp;injury.</p>

<p><strong>Student 2:</strong> My name isn&rsquo;t John, and you&rsquo;re not a&nbsp;doctor!</p>
</blockquote>

<p>Here, Student 2&nbsp;has denied Student 1&rsquo;s idea, and now the scene cannot go&nbsp;anywhere.</p>

<h2>Mistakes are gifts</h2>

<p>What could be more empowering than the idea that you can never be wrong? While of course it<b> </b><em>is</em> possible to be wrong when it comes to grammar, students find it liberating to not have to worry too much about what comes out of their mouth. After all, whatever they say must be supported by their scene partner, so the idea that they might be shamed for saying the wrong thing is completely&nbsp;nonexistent.</p>

<h2>Listen to your partner</h2>

<p>Listening skills are important both to learning the English language and to performing a strong improv scene. Listening not only to one&#39;s partner&rsquo;s words but also to their tone allows the listener to pick up on all sorts of information that then can be used in the&nbsp;scene.</p>

<h1>So, how can we use improv in the&nbsp;classroom?</h1>

<p>The easiest way to incorporate improv in the classroom is simply by performing two-person scenes. The teacher can give each group of two a suggestion, such as a relationship: &ldquo;brother and sister,&rdquo;&nbsp;&ldquo;therapist and patient,&rdquo;&nbsp;&ldquo;king and servant&rdquo;;&nbsp;a single location: &ldquo;You&rsquo;re in an airplane!,&rdquo; &ldquo;You&rsquo;re at a gas station!,&rdquo; &ldquo;You&rsquo;re at a child&rsquo;s birthday party!&rdquo;; or even just a single word of inspiration: &ldquo;Pineapple!,&rdquo; &ldquo;NASA!,&rdquo;&nbsp;&ldquo;Anniversary!&rdquo;</p>

<p>However, teachers might want a bit more guidance than this, and ESL&nbsp;Library has a number of resources that can be adapted for improv activities. For example, words from the <a href="https://ellii.com/flashcard_genres"><b>Flashcards</b></a> section can be selected at random for scene&nbsp;inspiration.</p>

<p>For a more structured approach, there are a number of scene ideas in our <a href="https://ellii.com/courses/96/lessons"><b>Role-Play</b></a> section, which provides not only situations but also teachers&#39; notes, including suggestions for dealing with shy students. Take information from the &ldquo;scenario&rdquo; section and choose two students to perform the scene while the rest of the class watches. For an additional task, have the students in the audience copy down sentences they hear. I always encourage the entire class to shout &ldquo;Best Scene Ever!&rdquo; after every scene to add to the spirit of positivity and&nbsp;fun.</p>


Improv in the Classroom

https://esllibrary-staging.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/post/title_image/1950/Lara_Improv-in-the-Classroom_Banner.png

<p><em>This article is part of a series of posts highlighting our community of teachers around the world. We hope you find their stories interesting and inspiring!</em></p>

<p>A few years ago, Khaled was invited to speak to a group of students about reading books. As he spoke to the students, he felt an instant connection. That was the moment he knew that he had a knack for teaching.</p>

<p>Khaled teaches English to college students in Abha, Saudi Arabia. According to Khaled, Abha is known for having natural beauty, rainy weather, and a cool climate.</p>

<p><img alt="a picture of Khaled wearing traditional Saudi Arabia clothes" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/1505/content_K.jpg" style="width: 200px; height: 258px;" /></p>

<p class="caption">In this picture, Khaled is wearing a thobe (garment worn by men), a kaffiyeh (headdress), and a black iqal (used to keep kaffiyeh in place).</p>

<p>For Khaled, the most challenging part of teaching is keeping students engaged and holding their interest throughout the lesson, and the most rewarding part is inspiring students.</p>

<p>&ldquo;A good teacher inspires students to do their best. They inspire their colleagues to work hard. They inspire everybody around them to be happy and creative.&rdquo;</p>

<p>Prior to COVID-19, Khaled had never taught online. As schools closed and classes moved online, he worried about how he would continue to teach throughout the pandemic. He confided in a friend who introduced him to ESL Library. Watch this video to see why Khaled loves ESL Library and how he uses it!</p>

<p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="918" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/rLgTVypfef8" title="Teacher Feature  Khaled" width="516"></iframe></p>

<p>&ldquo;There are many people out there who are eager to learn this language, but because they never had the chance to learn it or a good teacher, they stopped pursuing their dreams of speaking this language. I have taught several students for free and I am happy to say they now can speak English.&rdquo;</p>

<p>Want to share how you use ESL Library in your classroom? <a href="http://www.videoask.com/fw0f8td5x" target="_blank">Tell us here</a>.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


Teacher Feature: Khaled

https://esllibrary-staging.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/post/title_image/1951/Melissa_Teacher-Feature_Khaled_Banner.png

<p>This May, Bob Dylan will celebrate his 80th birthday! The iconic American singer-songwriter is considered one of the greatest artists of all time, selling tens of millions of albums and writing more than 500 songs since his debut in the 1960s.</p>

<p>&ldquo;Blowin&rsquo; in the Wind&rdquo; is one of Dylan&#39;s most well-known songs and has been recorded by hundreds of artists worldwide. In this post, we will explore why&nbsp;this song is an excellent choice for the classroom, and we&#39;ll look at an activity idea that uses related lessons and resources from ESL Library.</p>

<h2>The Song</h2>

<p>&ldquo;Blowin&rsquo; in the Wind&rdquo; was written by Bob Dylan in 1962. The song is considered a protest song, posing rhetorical questions about war and freedom.</p>

<p>It&#39;s&nbsp;a great song to study with English students as it contains many common language features to discuss and explore.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bobdylan.com/songs/blowin-wind/" target="_blank">View the full lyrics.</a></p>

<div class="whiteBox"><span class="label hangingLabel">Related Lesson</span>

<p class="circleThumb"><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/80/lessons/1348"><img src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/emails/monthly-newsletter/thumbs/198_Bob-Dylan.png" /></a></p>

<h2><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/80/lessons/1348">Bob Dylan</a></h2>

<p>In this <a href="https://ellii.com/courses/80/lessons">Famous People</a> lesson, students read a short biography on Bob Dylan, learn new vocab, and discuss the lyrics from his song&nbsp;&quot;Blowin&#39; in the Wind.&quot;</p>
</div>

<h2>Language Features</h2>

<h3>1. Idioms</h3>

<p>The name of the song, as well as its main refrain, contains an uncommon idiom.&nbsp;</p>

<blockquote>
<p>&quot;The answer, my friend, is <strong>blowin&#39; in the wind</strong>, the answer is <strong>blowin&#39; in the wind</strong>.&quot;</p>
</blockquote>

<p>What does it mean to&nbsp;&quot;blow in the wind&quot;?&nbsp;The Collins <a href="https://www.collinsdictionary.com/us/dictionary/english/blow-in-the-wind">definition</a> is &quot;to be thought about and discussed, but not decided upon or resolved.&quot;</p>

<p>In Dylan&#39;s <a href="https://www.npr.org/2000/10/21/1112840/blowin-in-the-wind">own words</a> to <em>Sing Out! </em>magazine, &quot;There ain&#39;t too much I can say about this song except that the answer is blowing in the wind...just like a restless piece of paper it&#39;s got to come down some...but the only trouble is that no one picks up the answer when it comes down so not too many people get to see and know...and then it flies away.&quot;</p>

<p><b>Other idioms in the song:</b></p>

<ul>
	<li><em>turn one&#39;s head:&nbsp;</em>to avoid paying attention to something uncomfortable or inconvenient</li>
	<li><em>have one&#39;s ear:&nbsp;</em>to have someone&#39;s interest or attention</li>
</ul>

<hr />
<h3>2. Singular &amp; Plural Nouns</h3>

<p>With more than a dozen nouns, the song also works well to teach new vocabulary and review singular and plural nouns.</p>

<blockquote>
<p>&quot;Yes, &rsquo;n&rsquo; how many <b>seas</b> must a white <b>dove</b> sail<br />
Before she sleeps in the <b>sand</b>?&rdquo;</p>
</blockquote>

<p><b>Full list of nouns:</b><br />
road, man, sea, dove, sand, time, cannonball, answer, friend, wind, year, mountain, sea, person, head, sky, ear, death</p>

<div class="whiteBox"><span class="label hangingLabel">Related Lesson</span>

<p class="circleThumb"><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/88/lessons/1621"><img src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/emails/monthly-newsletter/thumbs/88_Nouns-and-Pronouns.png" /></a></p>

<h2><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/88/lessons/1621">Singular &amp; Plural Nouns</a></h2>

<p>In this <a href="https://ellii.com/courses/88/lessons">Grammar Practice Worksheets</a> lesson, beginners learn how to form regular and irregular plural nouns. Students will also review common spelling&nbsp;and pronunciation rules for plural nouns.</p>
</div>

<hr />
<h3>3. Verb Conjugations</h3>

<p>The song also features many different verb conjugations. Students can also see examples of the simple present (call), present progressive (is blowing), present perfect (have died), passive (are banned), modals (must, can), negative forms (doesn&#39;t see), etc.</p>

<blockquote>
<p>&quot;Yes, &rsquo;n&rsquo; how many ears must one man <strong>have</strong><br />
Before he can <strong>hear </strong>people <strong>cry</strong>?&rdquo;</p>
</blockquote>

<p><b>Full list of verbs:</b><br />
to walk,&nbsp;to call,&nbsp;to sail,&nbsp;to sleep,&nbsp;to fly,&nbsp;to ban, to blow, to exist,&nbsp;to wash,&nbsp;to allow,&nbsp;to turn,&nbsp;to pretend, to see, to look,&nbsp;to have,&nbsp;to hear,&nbsp;to cry, to take,&nbsp;to know,&nbsp;to die</p>

<div class="whiteBox"><span class="label hangingLabel">Related Resource</span>

<p class="circleThumb"><a href="https://ellii.com/resource_categories/103/resources/2809"><img src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/emails/monthly-newsletter/thumbs/103_Grammar-and-Usage.png" /></a></p>

<h2><a href="https://ellii.com/resource_categories/103/resources/2809">Verb Conjugations</a></h2>

<p>Students will learn or review verb conjugations for 12 verb tenses&nbsp;in this handy <a href="https://ellii.com/resource_categories/103/resources">Grammar &amp; Usage</a> resource for all levels.</p>
</div>

<hr />
<h3>4. Contractions</h3>

<p>&quot;Blowin&#39; in the wind,&quot; contains many examples of words that have been shortened by dropping one or more letters. Ask your students if they know why the contraction <strong>&#39;n&#39; </strong>has two apostrophes. (Answer: The first represents&nbsp;the missing &quot;a&quot; and the second represents the missing &quot;d&quot; from&nbsp;the word &quot;and.&quot;)</p>

<blockquote>
<p>&quot;Yes, <strong>&#39;n&#39; </strong>how many years can some people exist<br />
Before <strong>they&#39;re</strong> allowed to be free?&quot;</p>
</blockquote>

<p><b>Full list of contractions:</b><br />
&#39;n&#39;, blowin&#39;,&nbsp;they&#39;re,&nbsp;it&#39;s, doesn&#39;t</p>

<div class="whiteBox"><span class="label hangingLabel">Related Lesson</span>

<p class="circleThumb"><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/74/lessons/1832"><img src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/emails/monthly-newsletter/thumbs/74_Apostrophe.png" /></a></p>

<h2><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/74/lessons/1832">How to Use an Apostrophe</a></h2>

<p>This <a href="https://ellii.com/courses/74/lessons">Writing in English</a> lesson includes a section on how to use apostrophes to form contractions. Students will also review common errors that people make with apostrophes.</p>
</div>

<hr />
<h3>5. Rhetorical Questions</h3>

<p>Almost every line of the song takes the form of a rhetorical question.</p>

<blockquote>
<p>&quot;How many years can a mountain exist<br />
Before it&rsquo;s washed to the sea?&quot;</p>
</blockquote>

<div class="whiteBox"><span class="label hangingLabel">Related Lesson</span>

<p class="circleThumb"><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/74/lessons/1832"><img src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/emails/monthly-newsletter/thumbs/127_Identifying-Rhetorical-Devices.png" /></a></p>

<h2><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/127/lessons/3239">Identifying Rhetorical Devices</a></h2>

<p>This <a href="https://ellii.com/courses/127/lessons">Reading in English</a> lesson includes a section on rhetorical questions. Students also learn about the art of persuasion and how to identify rhetorical devices.</p>
</div>

<h2>Activity Idea</h2>

<p>Give students a copy of the song lyrics with certain words&nbsp;blanked out. Play the song and have them fill in the blanks with the words they hear. Depending on the level of the class, you could give them the words beforehand, or let them try on their own first and reveal the answers to them later.&nbsp;</p>

<p>If you choose to blank out the nouns,&nbsp;you can have students sort them into singular and plural after filling in the blanks.&nbsp;You could also ask them to convert the singular nouns that appear in the song to their plural form, and vice versa.</p>


Learning with Bob Dylan

https://esllibrary-staging.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/post/title_image/1956/Simone_Learning-with-Bob-Dylan_Banner.png

<p>National Limerick Day is observed annually in the US on May 12 to celebrate the birthday of English writer&nbsp;Edward Lear.</p>

<p>Lear was an author, poet, illustrator, and artist, but he is best known for popularizing the limerick. This type of poem is characterized by its unique rhyming scheme and witty or nonsensical humor.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Here&#39;s a fun activity on limericks to try in class! In pairs or groups, students will write their own limerick while reviewing common nouns, adjectives, and verbs and their different forms.</p>

<h2>Step 1</h2>

<p>Introduce students to the structure of a limerick poem. It contains five lines, with the first two and last being slightly longer than the third and fourth.</p>

<p>The rhyming scheme is AABBA:</p>

<ul>
	<li>The last word of the first line should rhyme with the last word of the second line</li>
	<li>The last word of the third line should rhyme with the last word of the fourth line</li>
	<li>The last word of the fifth line should rhyme with the last word in the first and the second lines</li>
</ul>

<p>Here&rsquo;s an example:</p>

<blockquote>
<p>There was an Old Man with a <u>beard</u>,</p>

<p>Who said, &quot;It is just as I <u>feared</u>!&mdash;</p>

<p>Two owls and a <u>hen</u>,</p>

<p>Four larks and a <u>wren</u>,</p>

<p>Have all built their nests in my <u>beard</u>!&quot;</p>

<p class="attribution">&mdash;Edward Lear, 1920</p>
</blockquote>

<div class="whiteBox"><span class="label hangingLabel">Related Lesson</span>

<p class="circleThumb"><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/74/lessons/2026"><img src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/emails/monthly-newsletter/thumbs/74_Poem.png" /></a></p>

<h2><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/74/lessons/2026">How to Write a Poem</a></h2>

<p>This <a href="https://ellii.com/courses/74/lessons">Writing in English</a> lesson for intermediate includes a section on how to write a limerick poem with a practice exercise.</p>
</div>

<h2>Step 2</h2>

<p>Divide students into pairs or groups and ask them to name their team. Give them a category for naming if you like; it&#39;s a good opportunity to practice previously learned vocabulary, like days of the week, <a href="https://ellii.com/courses/113/lessons/2411" target="_blank">animal families</a>, or <a href="https://ellii.com/courses/113/lessons/2798" target="_blank">colors</a>.</p>

<p>Draw a grid on the board and fill in the team names.</p>

<table>
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<th>Lions</th>
			<th>Tigers</th>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>&nbsp;</td>
			<td>&nbsp;</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<th>Whales</th>
			<th>Bears</th>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>&nbsp;</td>
			<td>&nbsp;</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

<h2>Step 3</h2>

<p>To fill in the grid on the board under each team name, ask students who are <em>not</em> in that team to provide the following words:</p>

<ul>
	<li>3 nouns</li>
	<li>2 verbs</li>
	<li>1 adjective</li>
</ul>

<p>Write the nouns, verbs, and adjectives suggested for each team on the grid.</p>

<table>
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<th>Lions</th>
			<th>Tigers</th>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>
			<p>n: <strong>boy</strong>, <strong>soup</strong>, <strong>New York</strong></p>

			<p>v: <strong>fall</strong>, <strong>flow</strong></p>

			<p>a: <strong>silver</strong></p>
			</td>
			<td>&nbsp;</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<th>Whales</th>
			<th>Bears</th>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>&nbsp;</td>
			<td>&nbsp;</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

<h2>Step 4</h2>

<p>Have each team come up with their own limerick using the nouns, verbs, and adjectives assigned to them.</p>

<blockquote>
<p>There once was a <b>boy</b> from <b>New York</b></p>

<p>Who ate all his <b>soup</b> with a fork</p>

<p><b>Falling</b> rivers of brine</p>

<p><b>Flowed</b> through <strong>silver</strong> tines</p>

<p>Splattering everything with pork!</p>
</blockquote>

<h2>Step 5</h2>

<p>When students have completed their limericks, have them practice reading it aloud with the other members of their team and then present their poem to the rest of the class.</p>


Fun with Limericks

https://esllibrary-staging.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/post/title_image/1915/Simone_Fun-with-Limericks.png

<p>In the US, May is Mental Health Awareness Month. Introduced&nbsp;in 1949 by the community-based non-profit, Mental Health America, the observance is dedicated to addressing the needs of people living with mental illness and promoting mental health overall.</p>

<p>Today, worldwide, it&rsquo;s <a href="https://www.who.int/activities/Improving-the-mental-and-brain-health-of-children-and-adolescents#:~:text=Worldwide%2C%2010%2D20%25%20of,by%2014%20years%20of%20age." rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_bank">estimated</a> that 10&ndash;20% of children and teens experience mental health conditions, including depression and anxiety. Half of these start by age 14, with suicide being the leading cause of death in 15&ndash;19 year olds.</p>

<p>With the added weight of a global pandemic, increased time spent online, and a looming climate crisis, it&rsquo;s important now, more than ever, to destigmatize mental illness.</p>

<p>An important space for that to happen is the classroom. Many teachers and schools around the world are turning to the practice of mindfulness as their approach.</p>

<p>This post&nbsp;explores the benefits of mindfulness in schools and classrooms and looks at five activities teachers can try with their students.</p>

<h2>What is mindfulness?</h2>

<p>Practicing mindfulness is learning how to maintain awareness of your thoughts, emotions, and experiences in a given moment without interpretation or judgement. A mindful activity is one that helps calm and center the body and mind.</p>

<h2>Mindfulness in schools</h2>

<p>When I was teaching in Japan, every morning at our high school began the same: students and teachers would close our eyes, correct our posture, and listen to a short guided meditation that played with music over the PA system.</p>

<p>This practice is known as &ldquo;sei-shi.&rdquo;&nbsp;&ldquo;Sei&rdquo; (正) means &ldquo;correct&rdquo; or &ldquo;positive,&rdquo;&nbsp;and &ldquo;shi&rdquo; (姿) means &ldquo;form&rdquo; or &ldquo;posture.&rdquo; It worked to help calm and quieten the minds of even the most troubled students.</p>

<p>On the other side of the world in the US, a <a href="https://www.oprah.com/inspiration/baltimore-city-elementary-meditation-with-kids#ixzz4Kuv2yKd0" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_bank">similar practice</a> is employed at an elementary school in Baltimore: every day begins with a breathing exercise broadcast over the PA system. Punishments for acting out&mdash;like detention or being sent to the principal&rsquo;s office&mdash;have been abandoned. Students are instead sent to the &ldquo;Mindful Moment&rdquo; room, where they are able to breathe and calm down.</p>

<p>In the UK, the government recently committed to investing public funds into mindfulness and mental health education for the first time.</p>

<p>In Canada, mindfulness is taught to both teachers and students, with some high schools even offering yoga as a physical education credit.</p>

<h2>Benefits of mindfulness in the classroom</h2>

<p>Schools that implement mindfulness practices have seen a drop in suspension rates and an increase in attendance. <a href="https://mashable.com/article/what-are-the-benefits-of-mindfulness-meditation/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_bank">Studies show</a> that practicing mindfulness has many other social, physical, and psychological benefits, including:</p>

<ul>
	<li>Reduced feelings of anxiety, stress, and depression</li>
	<li>Improved mood</li>
	<li>Decreased physical pain</li>
	<li>Increased sense of compassion</li>
	<li>Reduced bias</li>
</ul>

<h2>Mindfulness in the classroom</h2>

<p>There are many different ways teachers can bring the practice of mindfulness into the classroom. Here are some ideas with related lessons and resources from ESL Library.</p>

<h3>1. The 5-4-3-2-1 technique</h3>

<p>Teach your students a popular coping technique for anxiety. When they are feeling anxious or overwhelmed, have them take a deep breath, take in their surroundings, and answer the following questions:</p>

<ul>
	<li>What are 5 things you can see?</li>
	<li>What are 4 things you can feel?</li>
	<li>What are 3 things you can hear?</li>
	<li>What are 2 things you can smell?</li>
	<li>What is 1 thing you can taste?</li>
</ul>

<div class="whiteBox"><strong><span class="label hangingLabel">Related lesson:</span></strong>

<p class="circleThumb"><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/117/lessons/3575"><img src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/emails/monthly-newsletter/thumbs/117_Five-Senses.png" /></a></p>

<h2><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/117/lessons/3575" target="_bank">The 5 Senses</a></h2>

<p>In this <a href="https://ellii.com/courses/117/lessons" target="_bank">Discovery</a> lesson for beginners, students review the five senses through reading, speaking, listening, and vocabulary tasks.</p>
</div>

<hr />
<h3>2. Mindful movement</h3>

<p>Exercises performed with awareness, such as walking, running, yoga, or dance, are excellent ways to practice mindfulness. In the classroom, yoga is especially beneficial as it doesn&#39;t require too much space and is easy enough for beginners.</p>

<p>Teach students some basic moves like Dandasana (Staff Pose) and Balasana (Child&rsquo;s Pose) and create your own daily or weekly routine together for class.</p>

<div class="whiteBox"><strong><span class="label hangingLabel">Related lesson:</span></strong>

<p class="circleThumb"><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/97/lessons/1990"><img src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/emails/monthly-newsletter/thumbs/97_Yoga.png" /></a></p>

<h2><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/97/lessons/1990" target="_bank">Yoga</a></h2>

<p>This <a href="https://ellii.com/courses/97/lessons" target="_bank">Sports &amp; Leisure</a> lesson for intermediate includes an explanation of the Yoga Sutra and fun activities like Guess the Yoga Pose.</p>
</div>

<hr />
<h3>3. Drawing and&nbsp;coloring</h3>

<p>Drawing and coloring activities are great for improving fine motor development, but they also reduce stress and anxiety, stimulate creativity, and allow students to express themselves.</p>

<p>In the ESL classroom, drawing and coloring activities can be used to test students&#39; understanding of new words or concepts. For younger learners or those with limited vocabularies, they can help students build confidence while they are learning to express themselves in words.&nbsp;</p>

<div class="whiteBox"><strong><span class="label hangingLabel">Related resource:</span></strong>

<p class="circleThumb"><a href="https://ellii.com/resource_categories/126/resources/2650"><img src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/emails/monthly-newsletter/thumbs/120_Drawing.png" /></a></p>

<h2><a href="https://ellii.com/resource_categories/126/resources/2650" target="_bank">Sailboat</a></h2>

<p>Students draw a picture of a sailboat and answer a few questions in this <a href="https://ellii.com/resource_categories/126/resources" target="_bank">Young Learner Activities</a> resource for beginners. Explore the Drawing section of this category for more topics.</p>
</div>

<hr />
<h3>4. Discussion</h3>

<p>A good way to destigmatize conversations about mental illness and mental health is to start one. Do your students feel anxious or stressed? How are they coping with those feelings?</p>

<p>Students are more likely to seek help for mental health conditions if they feel safe and equipped to talk about what they&#39;re experiencing.</p>

<div class="whiteBox"><strong><span class="label hangingLabel">Related lesson:</span></strong>

<p class="circleThumb"><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/95/lessons/1851"><img src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/emails/monthly-newsletter/thumbs/95_Depression1.png" /></a></p>

<h2><a href="https://ellii.com/courses/95/lessons/1851" target="_bank">Depression</a></h2>

<p>In this <a href="https://ellii.com/courses/95/lessons" target="_bank">Health Matters</a> lesson, students learn ten ways to support a friend struggling with depression. The lesson includes vocab practice and a discussion on health-related issues.</p>
</div>

<hr />
<h3>5. Journaling</h3>

<p>Writing daily (or weekly) paragraphs about their feelings and thoughts can help students better identify and process their emotions. Writing is also a therapeutic activity that helps calm the body and mind.</p>

<p>Here are some writing prompts for students:</p>

<ul>
	<li>What do if I feel anxious/stressed/worried about today?</li>
	<li>What good thing happened today?</li>
	<li>What am I grateful for today?</li>
	<li>What about myself makes me most proud?</li>
	<li>What about myself do I need to work on?</li>
</ul>

<div class="whiteBox"><strong><span class="label hangingLabel">Related resource:</span></strong>

<p class="circleThumb"><a href="https://ellii.com/flashcard_genres/4/flashcard_categories/39"><img src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/emails/monthly-newsletter/thumbs/04_Feelings-and-Conditions.png" /></a></p>

<h2><a href="https://ellii.com/flashcard_genres/4/flashcard_categories/39" target="_bank">Feelings &amp; Conditions</a></h2>

<p>Teach or review vocabulary for expressing feelings and conditions with <a href="https://ellii.com/media/flashcards/grammar-punctuation/feelings-conditions" target="_blank">this handy flashcard set</a>.</p>
</div>

<hr />
<p>I hope this inspires you to create or continue your own mindful practices for the classroom. How do you help your students cope with feelings of anxiety, depression,&nbsp;and stress? Let us know your thoughts!</p>


Practicing Mindfulness in the Classroom

https://esllibrary-staging.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/post/title_image/1913/Simone_Mental-Health_Banner.png

Find fun games and activities for teaching English to young learners and middle schoolers. 

Young Learners

<p>On April 28, 1995, employees at Marvel created National Superhero Day to celebrate everyone&rsquo;s favorite superhero. This now-annual holiday honors both the real and fictional people that inspire us in our daily lives.</p>

<p>In this fun group project, students design their own superheroes and then work together to create a comic book story based on their characters.</p>

<p>This is a highly adaptable activity that can be used to teach or review many different language&nbsp;topics, including conditionals, describing people, parts of the body, exclamations, and onomatopeia.</p>

<hr />
<h2>Step 1&nbsp;</h2>

<p>Begin the project with some background information about comic books and superheroes in pop culture. Our Famous People lesson on Marvel comic creator, <a href="https://ellii.com/courses/80/lessons/2833">Stan Lee</a>, is a great place to start!</p>

<h2>Step 2&nbsp;</h2>

<p>Once students are comfortable with the topic and new vocabulary, divide them into groups of four or five. Ask each group member to design their own superhero. Students can draw their character, use&nbsp;magazine or photo cutouts, design it on the computer, or create a model&nbsp;or puppet.</p>

<p>Ask students to write a description of their character. Depending on their level, this can include names, superpowers, personality traits, or the character&rsquo;s background story.</p>

<p>Here are two examples from our talented illustrators at ESL Library:</p>

<h3>Dino-Boy</h3>

<p><img alt="dinoboy" height="650" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/1440/content_dinoboy.png" width="650" /></p>

<blockquote>
<p>&quot;This is Dino-Boy. His &#39;suit&#39; is made of super unbreakable material and he can roll around like Taz from the Looney Tunes. He&#39;s got high energy and can bite things with his dinosaur teeth. Lol.&quot;</p>

<p class="attribution">&mdash;Steve</p>
</blockquote>

<h3>My Mom</h3>

<p><img alt="Superhero Mom" height="650" src="https://esllibrary.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/ckeditor/pictures/1441/content_superhero-mom.jpg" width="650" /></p>

<blockquote>
<p>&quot;My father worked in Japan for years when my brother and I were young, so we basically grew up without him. In Brazil, my mom had to take care of everything herself&mdash;the house, the finances, and us. Years later, when our family reunited, my mom read for her degree in Gastronomy at 62 years old, along with my brother. While in college, she was diagnosed with bowel cancer, but even the chemo didn&rsquo;t stop her from going to class every night. It&rsquo;s been almost five years now of medical follow-up. Here&rsquo;s hoping that soon she will be officially cancer-free. She may not have superpowers, but my mom is determined and a true fighter. My mom is my superhero.&quot;</p>

<p class="attribution">&mdash;Saori</p>
</blockquote>

<h2>Step 3&nbsp;</h2>

<p>Next, students take turns introducing and describing their superheroes to the other members of the group and brainstorm story ideas that would include each character.</p>

<p>Once each group has drafted their story, show them how to write it in the style of a&nbsp;comic&nbsp;book. Teachers can photocopy pages from an old comic book and white-out the text, or search for free templates online.</p>

<h2>Step 4</h2>

<p>When each group has completed their story, have them present (or act out!) their comic books to the rest of the class. Teachers can&nbsp;display each group&#39;s&nbsp;comics around the classroom, or photocopy and distribute a copy for each member of the class.&nbsp;</p>

<hr />
<p>Depending on class size, student level, time, and resources, this project could&nbsp;be completed over the course of several classes or an entire academic term. We hope your students will have fun either way&mdash;try it out and let us know what you think!</p>
