Category Archives: English Lessons

American Music: Lesson One: Pick A Bale Of Cotton. What is Rhythm? Template for Writing a Five Paragraph Essay

… … Lesson One: Pick A Bale Of Cotton … To the teacher: Lesson One uses five handouts. If they are going to be printed and handed out in class, print them back to back to save on paper. If … Continue reading →

Walking and Thinking about the Present in English

7 Sep ’17

… Walking through Tompkins Square in New York City, I see red roses in the brisk air. I’ve been thinking about the present tense in English because that is what I will talk about with my students this morning, and … Continue reading →

Learning English: Simple Sentence Syntax

4 Aug ’16

… If you were going to teach English to someone who was just beginning to learn it, what would you teach? There is a game I sometimes play with beginners, a kind of bingo with a die and some beans … Continue reading →

Learning English: Main Verbs

9 Apr ’16

… To the English Learner: If you want to learn English, begin with the verbs. That is where the action is. This is true with any language, and very true with English because what makes English English are its helping … Continue reading →

On Nouns Becoming Verbs in English

21 Aug ’15

… In English we can take a noun and change it into a verb and the sentence still makes sense. I saw an example recently. There was a sushi restaurant on First Avenue near St. Mark’s that had a great … Continue reading →

Robert Frost reads Acquainted with the Night (a closer look at the present perfect tense in English)

10 May ’12

… Acquainted with the Night I have been one acquainted with the night. I have walked out in rain—and back in rain. I have outwalked the furthest city light. I have looked down the saddest city lane. I have passed … Continue reading →

5 American Poets: for the English teacher

21 Mar ’12

… The five poems and poets that follow are for anyone who enjoys poetry, of course, but they are also for English or ESL teachers who are looking to do a class with some poetry. I made Vimeos to go … Continue reading →

Poetry Lesson: Fog by Carl Sandburg

5 Feb ’12

… What follows is an ESL lesson I use with Fog by Carl Sandburg. I present it from the point of view of a teacher talking. The objective is to get the student writing, and that process is divided into … Continue reading →

Hope is the thing with feathers by Emily Dickinson: A closer look at and a lesson for an ESL teacher

11 Aug ’11

… I love and yet have mixed feelings about a poem by Emily Dickinson, but it doesn’t stop me from using it in a poetry lesson for students who are learning the English language. I let the class memorize the … Continue reading →

ESL Lesson: The Rabbit and the Turtle: Activity Six: Adjectives and Adverbs

19 Dec ’10

Objective: Students will be able to recognize an adjective, and know its three forms: positive, comparative and superlative. They will also be able to recognize adverbs. Method: Groups of three Materials: Handout: “The Rabbit and the Turtle” Handout: Adjective … Continue reading →

ESL Lesson: The Rabbit and the Turtle: Activity Five: Reading a Story

18 Dec ’10

.. The Objective: Spelling. In preparation for reading “The Rabbit and the Turtle,” students will spell the words the teacher says to them. These words are from the story. Defining. Each student will select one of the spelling words, define … Continue reading →

The Rabbit and the Turtle: ESL Lesson Four: Writing a Story and Using Correction Marks

2 Nov ’10

… Introduction: If we want students to write well, it’s good to emphasize correction marks. When students use them, it helps them to focus on the writing and to think about punctuation and syntax. All correction marks are pretty similar. … Continue reading →