Reading up-to-date periodicals, such as newspapers, educational magazines and scholarly journals, will not only familiarize ESOL students with the appropriate structure of written English, but will also acquaint them with broader aspects of English-speaking culture. Use these articles to inspire class discussion and have students express their opinions about what they have just read.
One of the best ways for students to learn English as a second language is by role playing. Rather than simply listening to a lecture about the language, students should become active learners. One activity is to have students pair up with a partner and pretend they are having a telephone conversation. The conversation could be anything from ordering a pizza with specific toppings to giving a friend directions to a party.
Getting students involved with the language outside the classroom, in real-life settings, will help them feel more comfortable conversing with native speakers. Form a study group that meets weekly or monthly at a local coffee shop. Have students practice ordering from a menu and carry on a conversation in a larger group setting. This will challenge students to put into practice what they have learned.
Apart from animation films, watching English-language movies allows students to study the mouth movements and body language of native speakers. One exercise to try is to show short scenes from films with the volume turned down. Have students study the body language of the actors participating in the scene. After a scene is finished, ask students what they think is happening in the scene. Play the scene again with the volume on.
Set aside some class time to play word games such as Boggle, Scrabble, crossword puzzles or word-finds. This will force students to identify English words and to focus on their proper spelling.