Teachers' Library

Do you have that one friend that always seems calm and relaxed? No matter what’s going on in their life, they have a soothing presence about them and it seems like they’re never stressed. Well, they more than likely face the same amount of stress as you, they just know how to deal with it better. The reality is most people don’t know how to deal with stress. Well, at least not in a healthy way. If you want to be more like calm and relaxed people in your life, here are 16 tips on how to deal with stress: 1. Running When you perform high-intensity exercises like running, your body is going to release dopamine. In return, the dopamine is going to greatly improve your mood and relieve stress. If you’re serious about getting rid of your stress without harming your body or mind, you should think about going for a run. Once you’ve hit the finish line, you’re going to feel refreshed and relaxed. 2. Walking Not much of a runner? No worries. If you’re trying to find out how to deal with stress, ...

Teaching English to adults has its own challenges. Of course, lesson plans for ESL adults often take on demanding topics, as mature students are more interested in learning Business English or communication skills for a job interview. However, surprisingly, the challenge for adult ESL often comes not from delving into complex subjects, but from teaching simple concepts. For both beginner and intermediate students, building vocabulary remains an essential part of learning English. With younger students, throwing in a few animal pictures is often enough to keep them engaged in the learning process. With adults, however, a vocabulary lesson is much more likely to become dull. Why not spice up the classroom with ESL vocabulary games to enhance the adult learning experience? Give your students a break with fun ESL games! 1. Sinking Ship The Situation: The players in this ESL game are on a boat crossing the Atlantic on the way to the Caribbean when suddenly the boat is hit. The ship begins t...

How I Met Your Mother — A father recounts to his children, through a series of flashbacks, the journey he and his four best friends took leading up to him meeting their mother. This TV series is funny, easy to understand (if it's a bit problematic, do not hesitate and use the subtitles!) and very similar to real life. Lots of informal vocabulary and slang language. You will enjoy it and laugh a lot, and the most important thing; you will improve your English! The Office  —  famous for its “mockumentary” style,  The Office  has a cult following due to its ability to find absurd humour in the mundanity of a boring office environment. The script emphasises naturalistic spoken English and the punch lines are often muttered under the actors’ breath so if you can follow  The Office,  there’s nothing you can’t watch. — The British version of the show stars the popular comedian Ricky Gervais. He’s the boss of a paper company in a little town in England. — The Ameri...

Start your own English language blog. Even for people who don't have to write in English, writing can be a great way of properly learning the kind of vocabulary you need to describe your own life and interests, and of thinking about how to stop making grammar mistakes. The problem most people have is that they don't know what to write about. One traditional way to make sure you write every day in English is to write an English diary (journal), and a more up to date way of doing this is to write a blog. Popular topics include your language learning experience, your experience studying abroad, your local area, your language, or translations of your local news into English. Write a news diary. Another daily writing task that can work for people who would be bored by writing about their own routines in a diary is to write about the news that you read and listen to everyday. If you include your predictions for how you think the story will develop (e.g. "I think Hillary will bec...

Summer Holidays are just round the corner. After an eventful year the summer holidays are a ray of hope for the ones who would want to achieve more and for those who would want to make the ensuing year better than the year before. While most of the students are excited and enthusiastic about the summer vacations many seem to be confused and seem to have no idea regarding the ways to spend their vacations.  I have been a student and I know how it feels to be staring at the long summer breaks. The feeling of spending the holidays is just inexplicably delightful. You suddenly want to free yourself from the chains and break free. You are not certain what has overtaken you but you feel lighter all of a sudden. Apart from missing your school friends, there is nothing that can hinder you from welcoming the days of relaxation and laziness.  The old formula  There was a time when students and young children used to visit their grandparents during their vacations. They looked forwa...