But ESL students, on the other hand, may disagree. Adult learners will argue that they have busy schedules and a life outside the classroom, which translates into “ ”. Young learners and teens may come to terms with the fact that they have to do homework, but do we want them to do it because they are compelled to do it... or do we want them to do it because they are excited to do it? Which would you prefer?
The only way to get young students excited about doing homework, and get adults to set aside some time for it, is through . And here are 5 examples:
A Word Book or Vocabulary Journal is a classic among teachers of very young learners who are not adept at using dictionaries; here they have a chance to make their own. Help them design their very own Word Book from scratch, out of construction paper, cardboard, or any materials you have on hand. At the end of a reading task or activity, make a list of the words they have learned for the day. Their homework assignment is to enter each of the new words in their Word Book. The littlest ones simply copy the word and draw a picture of it; older students can use the word in a sentence that illustrates its meaning. There is no need to copy “dictionary” definitions. They may also cut out pictures from magazines or newspapers and get as creative as they like. But one thing is certain… these will be words they won’t easily forget!
This is an extremely engaging way to provide extended practice of any grammar point. Say you want your students to practice . Tell them you need information on this year's Oscar nominations. Tell them to go to and give them a list of questions they must answer:
You may assign any number of research tasks: ideal places for a family vacation ( ), best restaurants in the city ( ), or anything based on local information. Just make sure you give them a website to go to, a set of questions to answer or a task to complete, and above all don't forget to plan the assignment with a grammar point or learning objective in mind.
This is an ideal assignment for adult students. Most read the newspaper anyway, right? Or watch the evening news. Ask them to choose a news story that has piqued their interest, and have them:
”, thus prompting them to use , for example ( )
This is clearly one of the homework assignments that works best with adult learners or those who specifically study . Give them an email to read and ask them to write an appropriate reply. Or give them a situation that would require them to compose a message, like a complaint over a bad service experience or an inquiry into vacation rentals.
Choose a TV series that is shown in English, either with or without subtitles (you may ask students to cover the subtitles). Choose a show that is suitable to your students’ ages. Tell your students that their homework for that night will be to watch an episode of , whether they usually watch the show or not. Give them a task to complete after viewing the episode: a synopsis of the episode, a character description, or a questionnaire (Do you usually watch this show? If not, would you start watching it? Why/why not?)
Another great way to get students actively engaged in their homework assignments is to ask them to come up with some ideas for creative assignments on their own and share them with the class. They may surprise you!
And if you’re still stumped as to which worksheets to assign to , , or , BusyTeacher.org is always available to help, 24/7, with wonderful ideas for activities and great ready-to-print worksheets.
If you enjoyed this article, please help spread it by clicking one of those sharing buttons below. And if you are interested in more, you should follow our Facebook page where we share more about creative, non-boring ways to teach English.
April 9th, 2018 / Materials
Homework is an important part of study, but it can be overwhelming for a TEFL teacher with a mountain of exercise books to mark.
To avoid this, smart ESL teachers should set some (if not, the bulk) of their ESL homework assignments as independent study which the teacher does not have to correct.
First of all, you are not short-changing your students by asking them to go out and learn some English themselves.
Languages are an enormous subject ; there is no way that you could teach your students everything they need to know in the few hours a week they have with you.
In reality, if your students want to get good at English, they must listen, read, watch and practice the language in their own time.
No-marking assignments have benefits for class time also. Students can recap on the last class or prepare for the next one by watching grammar videos.
Teachers can use material from a podcast or video as the basis of a speaking activity.
This is why, I believe, that TEFL teachers set a no-marking study assignment at least once a week. It’s better for your students, your classes and your own sanity.
The following assignments have been divided into: Listening, Reading, Writing Grammar, Vocabulary and Pronunciation . First up, listening
Podcasts are a great way to practice comprehension. In additional, the material can be used for speaking practice the following lesson as students share with each other what they have learnt from the episode.
Do not choose a podcast that is too long. Four to 10 minutes is the sweet spot – anything longer your students will get confused and the task will become a chore.
Do not choose a podcast which speaks unnaturally slowly or with a childish topic. Students need to get used to the normal pace of speaking and how native speakers actually use the language. OK, so granted, ESL podcasts do have to be simpler but anything that is overly contrived is a waste of your students’ time.
Do not use a website that requires flash player to play an MP3. Access to any homework material should be really, really easy or you’ll find that half your students won’t complete the assignment.
BBC 6 Minute English
Lower-intermediate to upper-intermediate British
This is without doubt the best EFL podcast on the list and the one that I use time and time again. Updated weekly, Six minute English provides fun and interesting ESL podcasts on topics such as culture, technology, travel, business and more. They’ll always include at least three new phrases to learn and after listening, students can check their understanding with the transcript.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/6-minute-english
Elementary to Intermediate British
The first homework is www.podcastsinenglish .com. This site provides free three to five minute podcasts for English learners for beginner, intermediate and upper-intermediate level. To practice comprehension and expand vocabulary, tell your students to listen to two podcasts a week and write a summary of what they hear. To do this effectively, they’ll have to listen a few times.
Negative: The podcasts are free but to read the transcript students must pay for the premium version.
https://www.podcastsinenglish.com
Upper-intermediate-advanced American
CNN 10 is not an TEFL podcast, it is a real news show which condenses world news for that day down to 10 minutes. Despite this, it provides a great way for higher-level students to practice their listening skills while keeping abreast or world news. The video can be accessed in the CNN app and students can read the full transcript afterwards to check their understanding.
Negative: Not made for ESL and so speech can be fast.
https://edition.cnn.com/cnn10
Elementary to Intermediate Variable
Elllo provides thousands of free English video lessons and ESL podcasts on everyday English conversation. The podcasts consist of a dialogue between two people about an everyday topic. They are short and sweet but there are thousands of them and so you could ask your students to do one a day without much time commitment from them.
The best thing about ELLLO podcasts is that students can check their understanding with the transcript AND a quiz.
Negative: Podcasts are under three minutes.
http://www.elllo.org
Upper intermediate-advanced Variable
TED provides thousands of videos about technology, education, politics, science and culture.
In my experience setting a TED talk for homework can be hit and miss. Sometimes I’d set a TED video and everyone would love it and other times they’d complain that it was too long, too fast or too confusing to understand.
TED is still a great resource but when choosing a talk for homework this is my advice:
Choose a video which is no more than 10 minutes long. You can separate talks by duration, topic and language in the talk tab.
Check that the speaker isn’t speaking too fast and the accent isn’t too thick (native speakers are best).
Another way to do this is to choose a theme such as ‘business’ ‘finance’ ‘or ‘crime’ and ask your students to select and watch a TED video on the subject. Centre your following class around this theme and give your students 10 to 15 minutes to recount their video to their partners. This is a great way to reinforce the lesson vocabulary and engage your students with the topic.
https://www.ted.com
A much better choice of listening is TED ED. TED Ed is full of short educational videos about science, culture and history. You’re students will be able to follow the listening much better because along with the speaker’s voice there are animations to help tell the story.
Best of all the videos are only five minutes long and so it’s a homework activity that everyone has time to do.
https://ed.ted.com/
ESL Lounge provides short readings and gap fill exercises divided into elementary, pre-intermediate, intermediate, upper-intermediate and advanced. Students can check their understanding with a quiz at the end.
http://www.esl-lounge.com/student/reading.php
Five minute English also provides short reading exercises. All activities come with a glossary of new words and a quiz at the end so your students can check their understanding. The only drawback is that the readings are not defined by level.
http://www.5minuteenglish.com/reading.htm
Viewing video lessons to either recap on the last grammar class or prepare for the next one is another highly productive no-marking homework activity.
Here are the best grammar video resources.
ENGVID Provides bite-sized video lessons on most aspects of English grammar and lots of vocabulary points. Students can also read a transcript of the lesson and check their understanding with a quiz on their website.
https://www.engvid.com
You need it, you’ll find it here. This Youtube channel has hundreds of videos on every aspect of the English language.
If you’ve just finished a grammar topic, setting your students a few grammar quizzes is a good way to review the lesson. There are dozens of grammar quiz sites out there, but proceed with caution: many of these sites are spammy with annoying adverts and pop ups all over the page. They are difficult to navigate for a native speaker never mind a student.
The BBC also offers a comprehensive library of grammar resources and quizzes for English learners. However, I haven’t included them in the list because you need a flash player to use them.
The websites I have selected also have adverts but they are not invasive. They have also established sites within the TEFL community.
This site provides a meeting point for TEFL teachers to ask and answer questions and share resources. A little known fact is that Dave’s ESL Café also boasts hundreds of quizzes on various grammar and vocabulary points, written by teachers.
http://www.eslcafe.com/quiz
ESL-lounge is another well-known site for TEFL resources, it also has a library of grammar quizzes for students.
http://www.esl-lounge.com/student/
The best vocabulary quiz I have found comes from The British Council Teens site. Here users must match pictures and words together to learn vocabulary. All words come with an audio so students can check their pronunciation.
http://learnenglishteens.britishcouncil.org/grammar-vocabulary/vocabulary-exercises
Writing is an essential skill and, as a TEFL teacher, you must set and mark writing assignments.
But what if there were a way for students to practice writing independently as well?
Well, there is.
Do you remember when you were learning French or Spanish at school and your teachers encouraged you to start a correspondence with a foreign pen pal to improve your language skills?
Well, the concept still exists. If a few of the class take it up, it can also become an interesting weekly speaking practice as you catch up on the news from their pen friends, and as a group, correct the grammar and spelling on their next correspondence.
http://www.penpalworld.com
https://www.globalpenfriends.com
https://www.penpalsnow.com/index.html
Pronunciation is often the blight of an ESL class. Bad pronunciation should be corrected , but if you have a large class it is often difficult to give that one-on-one attention to a student who is really struggling to improve.
This is why asking your students to watch pronunciation videos and practice in their own time is a worthwhile homework exercise. Here are some of the best sites to learn.
Rachel’s English undoubtedly provides one of the most comprehensive pronunciation resources on the web. Rachel will walk your students through all of the sounds in the English language. In addition, she has videos on the rhythm of English, elision (when speakers drop vowel sounds as they link words together in a sentence) and common idioms.
http://rachelsenglish.com
Youglish uses YouTube to teach the pronunciation of any English word. Simply write the word into the search bar and Youglish will bring up a snippet of a video with someone using it. It is truly brilliant.
https://youglish.com
BBC Learning English Pronunciation Guide: Accent British
Teacher Jamie teaches students all the common sounds in the English language.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/pronunciation
For more on pronunciation, check out our pronunciation http://bilinguanation.com/english-pronunciation-activities-for-your-esl-class/ guide.
If your students want to sit the Cambridge English exam then they can find everything they need to prepare with Flo-Joe.com. Here students will find a rich archive of free listening, reading, speaking and writing papers from each exam level. Listening and reading exams come with their own answer keys for self-correction. The writing paper, however, will have to be corrected by the teacher and speaking practice done in class.
https://www.flo-joe.co.uk
If your students are taking the IELTS exam, here are three resource sites where students can practice with past papers, complete with an answer key. Again any writing practice will have to be corrected by the teacher and speaking practice done in class.
https://takeielts.britishcouncil.org/prepare-test/british-council-online-resources
https://www.ieltsbuddy.com
https://ieltsforfree.com/
So these are my go-to sites for no-marking TEFL assignments. Have a I missed one? Do you know of an amazing podcast or ESL resource site that could benefit your fellow ESL teachers? Write it in the comments below and if it’s good I’ll include it in the list.
For more resource sites check out Free TEFL resource sites for your ESL students. Good luck and happy teaching!
Topics: esl homework esl homework ideas for adults esl homework worksheets esl resource sites homework ideas for teachers teaching english teaching esl TEFL speaking activities
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Other learning activities, teaching tools, full list of words from this list:.
Whether you’re a teacher or a learner, Vocabulary.com can put you or your class on the path to systematic vocabulary improvement.
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With the 7 Options for Vocabulary Homework bundle, students can choose from a variety of fun and engaging activities for learning or reviewing vocabulary words. In addition to the homework selection sheet, the bundle includes worksheets for vocabulary homework ideas number five and six. The other vocabulary homework options can be completed on ...
2) On the Vocabulary Lists section of the website, select "Create New List.". This brings you to the List Builder. 3) Once you're in the List Builder, you'll see you have three choices for how to enter words into your list: "One at a time," "All at once," or "From text." Choose "From text" and paste the text into the box — anything up to ...
Southern Fried Teachin'. 4. Sketch up word maps. Creating word maps from vocabulary words encourages students to find the relationships between the vocabulary word and other words. Have them include words, pictures, examples, real-world connections, definitions, descriptive words, etc. Learn more: Word Map.
Vocabulary is a fundamental learning concept but covers many different areas. We've developed hundreds of practice activities to help your student improve their vocabulary skills. You'll find worksheet activities around the alphabet, dictionary skills, Fry sight words, Dolch sight words, phonetics, homographs, homophones, prefixes, proverbs and ...
Vocabulary Homework. Homework: Partitive Expressions with Uncountable Nouns piece of advice, drop of blood, grain of truth... Homework: Common Collocations take a photo, do your nails, pay attention... Homework: Company Structure Vocabulary A.G.M., president, Sales Dept, shareholder...
Go over your child's homework and write the new vocabulary words on flashcards. There are websites you can use to create printable flashcards, as well. Use the flashcards to teach your child the words before he or she sits down to do homework. Another way that you can help your child is by teaching him or her to use context clues.
A vocabulary list featuring homework. ... Practice Answer a few questions about each word. Use this to prep for your next quiz! Vocabulary Jam Compete with other teams in real time to see who answers the most questions correctly! Spelling Bee Test your spelling acumen. Read the definition, listen to the word and try spelling it!
Printable Vocabulary Quizzes. A selection of 130 vocabulary quizzes based on idioms, sayings, phrasal verbs and slang. This page for teachers lists all the answers and gives you links to the quizzes, which can be done online or printed out as worksheets. If you print a page to use later, you can usually "print to paper" or " print to PDF ".
To use Vocabulary.com to study a list of words for homework, or to prepare for an upcoming quiz, start by making or finding a list. Then click on the "Practice" tab. When you practice a list, you'll only see questions on the words in your list. We'll show you a few questions on each word in your list and focus your attention on words that you ...
Assign activities Assign learning activities including Practice, Vocabulary Jams and Spelling Bees to your students, and monitor their progress in real-time. Full list of words from this list: words only definitions & notes
Common preparatory homework examples include learning vocabulary or reading a textbook chapter before the content is to be discussed the next day. A few tips for children doing preparatory homework: Take notes of the main ideas of passages and bring them out when the topic is covered in class. Write down questions that arise while completing ...
Don't let your students get stuck in a vocabulary review rut! With the 7 Options for Vocabulary Homework Kit, students can choose from a variety of fun and engaging activities for learning or reviewing vocabulary words. This bundle includes: 7 Options for Vocabulary Homework Handout. Draw Your Words Homework Sheet. Sing Your Words Homework Sheet.
The role of homework is hardly mentioned in the majority of general ELT texts or training courses, suggesting that there is little question as to its value even if the resulting workload is time-consuming. However, there is clearly room for discussion of homework policies and practices particularly now that technology has made so many more resources available to learners outside the classroom.
Get personalized homework help. Quizlet's Expert Solutions combine millions of verified explanations with AI-powered tutoring so you can tackle homework assignments. Find your textbook. Be ready for test day. Turn your flashcards into practice tests. Enhanced by AI, Learn and Test mode help you memorize everything you need to know.
Best Paid Homework Help Site: Chegg. Price: $14.95 to $19.95 per month. Best for: 24/7 homework assistance. This service has three main parts. The first is Chegg Study, which includes textbook solutions, Q&A with subject experts, flashcards, video explanations, a math solver, and writing help.
Create your homework on Vocabulary Stars and assign it to your class via Google Classroom. Your students will see a description and a link to come to Vocabulary Stars to start working on their homework assignment. Students can work on their assignment and save progress, too! Once complete, their homework will be graded.
One of the most popular activity generators in Vocabulary Worksheet Factory is the cloze generator. Take any passage of text and instantly turn it into a cloze worksheet. Select the increment and miniumum word length, and optionally add a word bank, hints, and distractor words. I use the vocabulary worksheet software.
This Math and English Language Arts End Of Grade Test-Prep resource will include 6 Weeks of homework based on End of Grade vocabulary terms including a blank week for you to choose your own words. 6 Weekly Quizzes are also included along with a blank quiz sheet as well as an answer key. Students will begin reviewing terms they will see most often when testing.
Homework Assignments That Work. 1. A Word Book. A Word Book or Vocabulary Journal is a classic among teachers of very young learners who are not adept at using dictionaries; here they have a chance to make their own. Help them design their very own Word Book from scratch, out of construction paper, cardboard, or any materials you have on hand.
A vocabulary list featuring homework. history. Practice Answer a few questions about each word. Use this to prep for your next quiz! Vocabulary Jam Compete with other teams in real time to see who answers the most questions correctly! Spelling Bee Test your spelling acumen. Read the definition, listen to the word and try spelling it!
homework: 1 n preparatory school work done outside school (especially at home) Synonyms: prep , preparation Type of: school assignment , schoolwork a school task performed by a student to satisfy the teacher
The first homework is www.podcastsinenglish .com. This site provides free three to five minute podcasts for English learners for beginner, intermediate and upper-intermediate level. To practice comprehension and expand vocabulary, tell your students to listen to two podcasts a week and write a summary of what they hear.
A vocabulary list featuring homework. ... He had wrapped his broken heart in a seething ball of hatred and denial to keep the lies and betrayal from working in, but he had not thought to protect himself against love, even a brother's love, and he found that it worked like a splinted into his heart: painful and nearly impossible to dig out.