The term "realia" is used in the ESOL world to describe objects from everyday life that teachers can use to bring their lessons to life. For example, if your class is learning how to leave messages on voice mail or make an appointment, using old phones in the classroom to help them practice what to say in those situations makes the situation more real. Teachers can also use magazine pictures, money, recordings of music, posters, photographs from their own lives or any other object that will provide a hands-on and visual counterpart to the lesson.
The community at large is a resource for ESOL teachers and their students. When students go out into the community and practice their English with native English speakers they do not know, they are getting outside the comfort zone of the classroom and building confidence to use their English outside of class. Going to the library to get a library card, asking where an item is at the grocery store, or perhaps working in partners to ask some general questions from a list to people in the park are some ways students can practice English. They will be with their classmates, and you will be there to support them if they need help. At the same time, students will be learning how to navigate the community on their own and use English in everyday circumstances.
One of the best ways teachers can use the Internet in an ESOL classroom is to do activities related to current events. The Voice of America Special English and the BBC's Learning English websites are two sources of information about world events presented in a way English language learners can understand. Breaking News English also provides helpful resources in English related to current news stories. All of these sites provide supplemental material other than simplified news stories in text and audio form to help students learn new vocabulary, practice grammar forms and to help them learn to think critically in English. (See Resources.) These resources are free.
One of the best ways teachers can use the Internet in an ESOL classroom is to do activities related to current events. Voice of America Special English and the BBC's Learning English websites are two sources of information about world events presented in a way English language learners can understand. Breaking News English also provides helpful resources in English related to current news stories. All of these sites (see Resources) provide supplemental material other than simplified news stories in text and audio form to help students learn new vocabulary, practice grammar forms and learn to think critically in English. These resources are free.