If you want to teach ESL/EFL like a boss, then you'll need to check out these 7 tips for teaching English conversation. They include: 

1. Student-centred teaching
2. Thinking time
3. Feedback
4. Graded language
5. ESL Lesson planning
6. Q & A
7. Follow-up questions

Level up your English conversation classes for all ages and levels! Have a listen and be sure to give this podcast a review if you enjoyed it. 

Links:
Teaching ESL For Dummies (on Amazon)
Jackie on YouTube
ESL Speaking on Pinterest
Podcast Information

Affirmations are a great way for anyone to combat negative self talk and our English learners are no exception. The teenagers I work with often struggle with thoughts that their English is not good enough and are hesitant to participate in conversations because of their low confidence. This is why the topic of today’s episode is affirmations to use with our English learners. 

Young people feel pressure to do well in school and fall into the trap of comparing themselves to others. I like to remind my students that it takes time to learn a language and it is okay not to have it all figured out yet, that it takes time to adjust to a new culture, and that what others are doing is none of your business. There is a formula of thinking that I teach them to use - be, do, have. This can be used to formulate questions: What do I need to be and what do I need to do to have what I want?

I also share 10 of my favorite affirmations to use with my students and how to get the most out of them. I have found that not all affirmations work in all situations and the way they are used can really make a big difference.

What you will hear about using affirmations with your English Learners

• Ways to support your students with combating negative self talk
• A formula of thinking you can use to change your thinking
• 10 of my favorite affirmations to share with my English Learners
• Tips for using affirmations effectively

Resources

As mentioned in the episode, I am linking some useful resources!

• The ESL Teaching Roadmap – membership community for middle and high school ESL/ELL teachers. As a thank you for listening, use code ESLPODCAST for 10% off when you join. 
• 25 Authentic Speaking Activities for Your ESL Classroom
• Simply Ieva ESL Teachers Pay Teachers Store
• Teachable Platform - Courses and Workshops
• Follow me on Instagram 
• Join the Simply Ieva Facebook Group 

You may also be interested in: 

• Episode 11 - Radical Self-Care for Teachers in Times of Crisis 
• Affirmations for students
• Affirmations for children

I love books, especially historical fiction, but in this episode I focus on a different type of book, professional development books for EL teachers. There are plenty of great books out there for EL teachers. I have read many of them and have several more on my list to read next. I am excited to share some of them with you in this episode. During the school year, it can be hard to find the time or headspace to read a good professional development book, which is why summer break is a great time to read a book or two to inspire you for the upcoming school year.

Professional development books you will hear about (some of the links below are affiliate links, which only means that I might get a few pennies if you purchase the book using that link. No additional cost to you at all:)

• A short handbook for new EL teachers and for those who have EL students in their classrooms
• A book that includes practical tips on how to differentiate instruction for multi level classrooms and great activities that can be implemented right away 
• A book that helps teachers move beyond their current practices with EL students. It provides simplified “can do” descriptors that list what students can do at different proficiencies and suggested scaffolds
• A book about celebrating student strengths using the  translanguaging approach when teaching English Learners.
• A book to help you improve your ability to develop your colleagues in the best practices you learn and practice.

Resources

As mentioned in the episode, I am linking some useful resources!

• The ESL Teaching Roadmap – membership community for middle and high school ESL/ELL teachers. As a thank you for listening, use code ESLPODCAST for 10% off when you join. 
• 25 Authentic Speaking Activities for Your ESL Classroom
• Simply Ieva ESL Teachers Pay Teachers Store
• Teachable Platform - Courses and Workshops
• Follow me on Instagram 
• Join the Simply Ieva Facebook Group 

The books mentioned in today’s episode:

• Teaching Absolute Beginners: An ESL Teacher’s Handbook
• 7 Steps to a Language rich interactive classroom 
• Moving Beyond for Multilingual Learners
• Rooted in Strength: Using Translanguaging to Grow Multilingual Readers and Writers

• The PD Book: 7 Habits that Transform Professional Development

In today’s episode, I am chatting with Molly Badrawy all about lesson planning for ELs and the realities of working in a low incidence district. Molly Badrawy is a full-time ESOL teacher in  New Hampshire, and a freelance consultant at FaCES, Fair Culture and English Services, providing customized cultural guidance and language instruction for and individual adult language learners and organizations, alike.  A national and international career that spans public, private, higher education as well as the business sector, Molly has presented her work at many conferences, serves on the NH English Language Advisory Committee, and facilitates the NH Low-incidence Community of Practice cohort, which is where we met!  She lives in Peterborough, NH with her husband, two daughters, two cats, and a dog and believes she has the best job in the world. It was wonderful to speak with Molly and to get to know her. 

What you will learn about lesson planning for ELs:

• Different ways to collaborate with content teachers while planning lessons
• What co-teaching can look like in different classrooms
• Tips for making the most of your limited time with small groups
• Ideas for creating lessons that are responsive to student needs based on observations
• How journaling about students can support lesson planning for ELs
• Strategies for reviewing content for your ELs in fun and engaging ways

Resources

As mentioned in the episode, I am linking some useful resources!

• The ESL Teaching Roadmap – membership community for middle and high school ESL/ELL teachers. As a thank you for listening, use code ESLPODCAST for 10% off when you join. 
• 25 Authentic Speaking Activities for Your ESL Classroom
• Simply Ieva ESL Teachers Pay Teachers Store
• Teachable Platform - Courses and Workshops
• Follow me on Instagram 
• Join the Simply Ieva Facebook Group 

You may also be interested in:

• WIDA Resource Library
• Episode 17 - A Peek Into My Middle School EL Classroom
• Episode 18 - Collaboration with Teachers, Families, and Students with Beth Mailley

In today’s episode, I want to chat with you about a special group of students - those who have limited or interrupted formal education, otherwise known as SLIFE. 
Chances are many of us have encountered a student from this group at least once. And with everything that is going on in the world right now, we are likely to see more and more need to help these children that have found themselves in difficult situations due to no fault of their own. 
So today, I will share with you everything I know about SLIFE students - who they are, what they need, how they learn, how we can teach them as well as give you five does and don’ts to utilize - or NOT - in the classroom. 

Here is what you will hear in this episode:

• Who SLIFE students are
• What they need
• Three steps to help them
• 5 dos and don'ts of teachers with SLIFE in the classroom. 

As always, below you will find related resources that will help support your ELs and save you planning time!

• MALP Education website
• Blog post - Teaching Slife Students: What You Need to Know
• Teaching Absolute Beginners: An ESL Teacher's Handbook
• 25 Authentic Speaking Activities for Your ESL Classroom 
• The ESL Teaching Roadmap - membership community for middle and high school ESL/ELL teachers. As a thank you for listening, use code ESLPODCAST for 10% off when you join. 

Choice boards in the ESL classroom?

The idea is great, but how can I implement it? I have a mixed-level classroom, or I work with ESL newcomers, or - insert your own situation. 

In this episode, I  share some ideas on how you can actually implement choice boards in your ESL classroom, and feel like both you and your students are actually getting somewhere. 

Here is what we talk about:

• What choice boards are, why it is a good idea to use them with English learners and what challenges they might pose in the beginning
• I shared how using choice boards looks like in my classroom:
  • How to assign them
  • How to use them as weekly assignments, bell ringers or community building tools
• We also went over a few examples of specific choice boards: for example, those where your students practice all four language domains, or just writing, or just vocabulary.  
• And finally, you'll hear about how you can use choice boards with your EL newcomers. 

Make sure to subscribe to this podcast so you can find it easily and be informed when new episodes are released!

***
The celebrations of the launch of the ESL Teaching Podcast, are still going on till January 25th!

We are giving away three $25 TpT gift cards and a grand prize of one one year membership to The ESL Teaching Roadmap membership community. 

To enter, follow these steps:

1. Follow, rate and write a review of your favorite episode on Apple Podcasts.
2. Screenshot it before you submit (as it takes some time for it to appear in the feed) and email the screenshot to simplyieva@gmail.com or Direct Message me on Instagram @simplyievaesl. 
3. As a bonus entry, share the screenshot of my podcast or your favorite episode on instagram stories and tag me!
4. The giveaway ends on January 25th, 2022. 

***

Related resources that  were mentioned in the podcast and that will help support your ELs and save you planning time!

• How to Use Choice Boards in Your ESL Classroom - the video
• Resources from Teachers Pay Teachers:
  • Activity choice board with worksheets
  • Writing choice board with worksheets
• The ESL Teaching Roadmap - membership community for middle and high school ESL/ELL teachers

Follow me on:
Instagram - @simplyievaesl
Facebook page - @simplyieva
Facebook group - Helping ESL/ELL Teachers K-12
Twitter - @SimplyIeva

Do you struggle when it comes to teaching pronunciation and aren't sure how to go about it? Not sure which errors to correct? Want to help students with pron but aren't sure how? Skip right over those pronunciation exercses in the textbook (like Jackie)? We have the answers!

Join Jackie as she talks to Catherine Steele from English Pronunciation for Success as she gives her top tips for teaching pron to English learners.

Learn more:
Top 7 Reasons Why North American English Speakers Can't Understand You
Catherine Steele on LinkedIn
Jackie Bolen on Instagram
Let's Talk TEFL Details