grammar homework ideas

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13 ESL Homework Ideas

Homework may not be many students’ favorite thing, but research says it’s truly an effective learning tool that teachers should use .

The trick is assigning great homework.

To help you do this with ease, we’ve compiled an awesome list of 13 homework assignments that will have your ESL students begging for more.

1. Read a Short Story

2. share a passion, 3. start a chat group, 4. listen to a podcast, 5. write a letter, 6. write an amazon review, 7. do a wikipedia edit, 8. write a short story or poem, 9. share their culture, 10. catch a movie, 11. meet new people, 12. analyze a song, 13. go on a photo scavenger hunt, what makes homework effective.

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Have students read a short story for homework and then ask them to tell the class about the story in the next session.

I would recommend giving students some suggestions on what short stories to read, depending on the level of your students.

Here are some suggestions of short story collections for each level of ESL learner:

• “The Very First Americans” by Cara Ashrose: This collection of short stories features Native American culture and history, written in simple language.
• “Oxford Bookworms Library: Starter Level” This series offers simplified versions of classic stories, such as fairy tales, adventure stories and more.
• “Classic Tales for ESL Students” by L.A. Hill: This collection of classic stories from literature is retold with easier vocabulary and sentence structure.

Intermediate

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• “The Best American Short Stories” This series features contemporary short stories from a wide range of American writers, so there’s something for everyone here.
• “Short Stories in English for Intermediate Learners” by Olly Richards: This collection of engaging stories is designed specifically for intermediate ESL students.
• “Roald Dahl: The Collected Short Stories” This delightful collection of quirky and imaginative tales has become a favorite of many of my students.
• “Interpreter of Maladies” by Jhumpa Lahiri: This Pulitzer Prize-winning collection of short stories explores the immigrant experience, something which many ESL students can relate to.
• “Dubliners” by James Joyce: This classic collection of interconnected stories captures the essence of Dublin in 1914. But it still feels modern to many students.
• “Nine Stories” by J.D. Salinger: This classic collection of short stories is a class favorite when I’ve used it.

What do your students really care about? Give them a chance to talk about it in front of the class. 

Have each person choose something they’re passionate about, something they might consider themselves an expert on.

Challenge students to think of a creative way to present five must-know facts about that subject. They might make a movie, create a poster or brochure, write a song or even put on a skit.

Have each person present their creative project to the class, and then give the class five minutes to ask questions of the presenter.

Set certain parameters like students must speak in complete sentences or require that every student ask at least two questions at some point during the presentations.

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Students will love sharing about their passions, and they’ll get some great speaking, listening and discourse information in the process, as well as teach the rest of the class some interesting vocabulary.

Ask for class for a volunteer to start a class WhatsApp chat group. They can also decide to use another messaging app like Telegram, Viber, Voxer or any other app that has a group chat function. 

Encourage them to send at least one message and to respond to a couple others for their homework. 

This text group has the added advantage of students being able to make friends with one another, and a place to ask about missed homework assignments on days when they can’t make it to class.

Note that if a student doesn’t want to be included in the chat group, you should have a back up assignment prepared for them.

Listening is one of the ESL student’s most difficult skills to acquire, so listening to a short podcast episode is ideal homework.

You can ask students to write a little about the podcast to turn in to you, or you can ask them to briefly summarize what they heard for the class in the next session.

• Learn words in the context of sentences
• Swipe left or right to see more examples from other videos
• Go beyond just a superficial understanding

Here are some suggestions for well done podcasts:

The English We Speak : Produced by the BBC, this podcast focuses on teaching commonly used phrases and idioms in conversational English.

The Moth : A storytelling podcast where real people share their personal experiences and anecdotes in English.

Stuff You Should Know : Though not specifically designed for ESL students, this podcast covers a vast array of interesting topics, providing exposure to diverse vocabulary and subject matters.

Ask your students to write a letter . The letter can be written to a friend or family member (which they could then actually mail or email), or it could be a fan letter to a favorite musician or actor. They could even write a letter to Santa Claus or a historical figure. 

For example, a student might choose to write a letter to Marie Antoinette, asking her what it was like to be the queen of France at such a young age. 

You can also choose to have students write letters to one another. Then the next homework can be writing that letter writer back.

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Ask you students to review a product on Amazon (or any other shopping website that has reviews). Ask them to select a product they have really used, so they have a genuine opinion on the quality of the product and whether it lived up to their expectations.

Then, in the next session, show the reviews on the overhead projector to the class and ask a student to read the review.

You can then go over any errors in vocabulary, grammar or sentence structure and revise the review together as a class.

Since anyone can edit a Wikipedia article, it’s a great place for ESL students to hone their writing and editing skills, and they’ll have a built-in readership, too!

Ask students to select a person that they know a lot about—a well-known figure from history, pop culture, music or film would all work. Then ask them to read the Wikipedia entry to see if they can add anything else to the article.

Perhaps the article on Ryan Gosling is missing a key detail about his recent Ken performance. If so, the student will revise and edit the article. They should take notes on what they changed, so they can explain it to you or the class the next day.

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Ask your students to get creative. Have them write a short story or a poem . This can get them to use descriptive language that they don’t always have a chance to use.

One good activity to do before you assign this homework is an adjective bubble chart. For this, you start with one adjective. For example, write “moist” on the board, circle it and then draw 4-5 lines coming off of the”moist” bubble.

Ask your students to come up with other adjectives that are related to “moist” and so on. They may come up with “wet,” “watery,” “soaked” or “damp.” Then draw lines from each of those. This can lead to words that you never expected to come up.

Have your students select 3-4 adjectives from this introduction activity that they’ll use in their story or poem.

Ask your students to prepare a short presentation on an aspect of their home culture to tell the class about in the next session. 

For example, a student from China may explain the Lunar New Year, a student from Vietnam may explain Tet or a student from El Salvador may tell the class about their quinceañera .

They can use photos, art, a PowerPoint presentation or they can just explain in their own words.

Then open the class up for questions.

Can you legitimately send students to the movies for homework? You can when you’re teaching ESL.

Your students don’t have to commit to a full-length movie. Instead, you can use the videos on FluentU to screen mini-lessons using clips from TV shows and movies, movie trailers, news segments, vlogs or music videos.

Use these videos in the classroom or assign homework to watch a few and complete the subsequent quizzes. You can also ask students to complete flashcard quizzes based on vocabulary words you want them to pay special attention to. These quizzes are adaptable so every student will have a unique experience catered to his learning level.

There are plenty of ways to use a movie for language development. And whether students watch a new release or catch an old Elvis flick on TV, they can do any of the following activities as homework:

• Summarize the plot.
• Describe a main character.
• Note new or interesting vocabulary (particularly slang) they hear while watching.
• Write an interview with one of the characters in the movie.

I’m sure you also have your favorite movie-related language activities and many work as homework assignments. So get creative with how you have students share about what they watched.

For the most part, people are willing to help someone in need, and that is doubly true for someone who needs to complete an assignment for school.

That’s why sending students out to interview native speakers on campus is such a fun homework assignment.

Start by helping your students write a list of questions they’ll use for their interviews. Students can choose a topic or you can assign one, like leisure activities or celebrity news.

Tell students to list five to ten questions they might ask on that topic that will elicit specific answers. 

As a class, discuss how students might introduce themselves to a potential interviewee. 

Then send students out to their interviews after class. They can share the answers they got in the next session.

Music is great for English learners since it stresses many aspects of language that can otherwise be hard to isolate, like the emotion of language, intonation and stress.

Have students choose their favorite English language song to listen to for homework and then ask them to do the following:

• Practice the lyrics to learn intonation and rhythm.
• Note slang and cultural references in the songs.
• Summarize the theme of the song, or just what it’s about.
• Have students share their favorite lyrics and what a particular song means to them.

Give individual students or groups of up to three students a list of items to find on their homework scavenger hunt. But instead of being specific in your list (for example, including items such as cat), be descriptive in your list.

You might include items such as something frightening, something beautiful, something quiet, something cool.

Students find items they think fit the description. For example, someone who is claustrophobic might choose an elevator for something frightening. They then take a picture of it.

The next day, have each person get with a partner and show them the pictures they took for each item on the list.

If the connection is not obvious, students should ask their partner to explain why they chose a particular item, such as the elevator.

Assigning homework that works isn’t as hard as you might think, especially if you focus on the following points.

• Put your homework in writing. It can be tempting to just announce homework assignments to students at the end of class, but language learners benefit when you reinforce what you say with what they can see. So take a minute to write any homework assignment on the board so students can read it as well as listen to it.
• Let students know what goals you have for a particular assignment. Is it practicing a certain grammar point ? Improving their listening skills ? Pronunciation practice ? When students know why they’re doing something, they’ll be able to tell on their own when they’ve successfully completed their homework assignment.
• Keep your homework practical . Your students may not find themselves planning out a menu for Thanksgiving when they leave your ESL classroom, but odds are they’ll have to order food at a restaurant at some point. Think about realistic ways students will have to use English in the real world and try to make your homework practical.
• Let your students be creative . Give your students choices on how they express themselves or present information. It’s okay for students to make a home movie, put on a one-man play or paint a picture to present to the class. Just because you prefer a particular type of creative expression doesn’t mean your students do, so give them choices and let them express themselves.
• Make homework fun! Every class has its own personality, so what’s fun for one might not be fun for another. Tailor your assignments to the personality of your class. Think about what they would think is fun, and go with that.

No matter what you believed in your student days, homework doesn’t have to be boring. With a little creativity when assigning homework, you might find that the activities you assign for outside of class become the highlights of your students’ days.

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24 ESL Grammar Lessons for Adults with Topics and Exercises

Learning English as a second language can be challenging, especially for adults navigating the complexities of grammar. This article will explore the significance of ESL grammar lessons for adults and provide a comprehensive guide on topics and exercises tailored to enhance their language proficiency.

Why ESL Grammar Lessons for Adults Matters

Mastering grammar is essential for effective communication. For ESL Grammar Lessons for Adults, grappling with grammar rules might seem daunting, but it’s a crucial step toward fluency. Clear communication, whether in business or personal interactions, hinges on a solid understanding of grammar.

Tailoring ESL Grammar Lessons for Adults

Adults approach learning differently than children. ESL Grammar Lessons for Adults need to be crafted with adult learners in mind, acknowledging their life experiences and catering to their unique needs. Real-life scenarios can be integrated into lessons, making grammar more relatable and applicable. Let’s take a look at the lessons:

• Parts of Speech
• Pronouns and Its Types
• Kinds of Nouns
• Noun: Gender
• Nouns: Number
• Comparison Adjectives
• Verbs and Its Types
• Prepositions
• Active Passive Voice
• Direct and Indirect Speech
• Clause and Its Types
• Joining of Sentences
• Transformation of Sentences
• Interchange of Parts of Speech

Do as Directed

• Phrasal Verbs/ Basic Idioms
• Subject Verb Agreement
• Common Errors and Corrections

People also ask

Engaging Topics for ESL Grammar Lessons for Adults

Explore the following ESL Grammar Lessons for Adults that will make the learning experience more enjoyable and practical. This will integrate real-world topics that resonate with adult learners’ interests and daily lives and can promote active participation and foster a more effective grasp of grammar concepts.

1. Parts of Speech

Parts of speech are the English words that are used in sentences with different functions and uses.

These parts of Speech are the different kinds of words that are used in a sentence according to their function. Words used in sentences are divided into Eight Categories .

1. Noun (Naming word): Tiger is a fierce animal. 

2. Pronoun (words used in place of Nouns): I am your best friend

3. Adjective (words describing noun or Pronoun): Many men are poor.

4. Verb (Action word or doing word): We won the match.

5. Adverb (Words modifying Verb, Adjective, Adverb): He is quite strong.

6. Preposition (Relating words): He came of a rich family.

7. Conjunction (Connecting word): He is poor but honest

8. Interjection (Words expressing emotions): Alas! He is no more.

A word used for naming anything is called Nouns. such as “ship”, “fox”, house”, or “man”. Hence a noun is a naming word . – J.C Nesfield.

A noun is a word used as the name of a person, place, or thing; as

Kolkata is on the Hoogly.

The rose smells sweet.

Akbar was a great king.

The sun shines bright.

– Wren & Martin

A noun is a word used to name or identify any of a class of things, people, places, or ideas, or a particular one of these. – OALD, A.S. Hornby

A Noun is a word that indicates the name of a person, animal, place, thing, or quality. The use of Nouns in English is very important as almost every sentence contains nouns used either as the subject or the object of a sentence.

Person: Shakespeare, Vidyasagar, Swami Vibwkakanada, R. N. Tagore, Einestine. etc

Animals: Lion, deer, tiger, Fox, Elephant, etc.

Places: Newyork, London, India, Kolkata, Mumbai, etc

Things: Book, table, tree, Glass, Pen, etc

Quality: Kindness, honesty, Knowledge, Childhood, Beauty, etc.

3. Pronouns and Its Types

Pronouns in English Grammar are perhaps the second part of speech in the English Language. Pronouns in English Grammar:

A pronoun is a word used instead of a noun or noun equivalent.

• Ranit likes to play.
• He likes to play football.

Here the pronoun he is used instead of the noun Ranit and saves it from being mentioned twice. Hence a pronoun is a substitute word and its chief use is to save the repetition of a noun.

4. Kinds of Nouns

Nouns are mainly categorized into the following –

  A proper noun is the name of one particular person, place, thing, event, or group of persons or places as distinct from every other.

The Indian Ocean, Australia, The River Nile, Egypt, India, Jupiter, Hyderabad, The Himalayas, Aladdin, Tom and Jerry, Holi, Wednesday, May, The Victoria Memorial, The Nilgiri Hills, Mount Everest, The Arabian Sea, The river Bhagirathi, etc.

A common noun denotes no one person or thing in particular but is common to any and every person or thing of the same kind or class. Here Common means are shared by all.

Boy, Girl, Man, Woman, Friend

A collective noun is the name of a group or collection of persons or things taken together and spoken of as one complete whole.

Crowd, army, fleet, jury, Atlas, dynasty

A Material Noun denotes the matter or substance of which things are made. It is also called Mass Noun.

Thus, “river” is a common noun but “water” of which it is made is a Material Noun. “Sheep” common noun but “mutton” (the flesh of a sheep) is a Material Noun.

An Abstract noun is usually the name of a quality, action, or state considered apart from the object to which it belongs.

Goodness, kindness, darkness, hardness, brightness

5. Noun: Gender

Gender in English Grammar roughly corresponds to the two sexes and sexlessness. Gender comes from the Latin genus, kind or sort.

There are 4( four) types of Gender in English Grammar for Nouns and Pronouns. They are

(a) Masculine 

(b) Feminine 

(c) Common 

(d) Neuter. 

6. Nouns: Number

Singular and Plural Number Rules refer to the numbers of Nouns, Pronouns, and Adjectives in English Grammar. “One” denotes a Singular Number and “more than one” refers to Plural numbers. When we change Nouns and Pronouns from Singular Numbers to Plural Number, their form changes.

One boy is playing football.

Many boys are playing football.

One horse is running.

Many horses are running.

“One” denotes a Singular Number. So, ‘One boy‘ and ‘One horse‘ refer to Singular Numbers.

“Many” refers to “more than one” i.e. Plural Number. Both “Boy” and “Horse” are Common Nouns in Example 1 and Example 2. So, ‘Many boys ‘ and ‘Many horses‘ refer to Plural Numbers.

7. Pronoun: Case(Possessive Pronoun)

The pronouns that show possession or that something belongs to someone are called Possessive Pronouns. As, mine, thine, hers, ours, theirs, and yours.

(1) This book is mine.

(2) That house is theirs.

(3) My horse and yours are both tired.

(4) This pen is hers.

8. Adjective

Adjectives are the spice of language, enriching our communication with vivid descriptions. 

Adjectives are words that add something to the meaning of a noun or pronoun.

1. He is a good boy.

2. This is a dark room.

3. Give a little milk.

4. Many men were present.

An Adjective also modifies a pronoun. – A B C of English Usage (Oxford)

1. He seems angry. 

2. Ah, miserable!

9. Comparison Adjectives

Learn about positive, comparative, and superlative forms, as well as the proper use of comparative and superlative adjectives and adverbs in sentences.

Get a thorough understanding of when to use “more,” “most,” “er,” and “est” to form comparisons. and how to construct meaningful and accurate comparative and superlative sentences.

Degrees of Comparison are the comparisons between two or more persons or things according to their Quantity, and Number or Quality. Those are also called the Degrees of Comparison of Adjectives.

There are three degrees in English.

For example

Positive: Two persons or things are said to be equal in respect of some quality.

Comparative: When two persons or things are said to be unequal in respect of some quality.

Superlative: The superlative degree is used when the comparison is intended between more than two things or persons.

10. Transitive and Intransitive Verbs

Transitive and Intransitive Verbs can be identified whether the verbs have Objects or not. If the verb has an Object, it is generally considered a Transitive Verb. If the Verb does not have an Object, it is generally considered an Intransitive Verb.

“A verb is Transitive if the action does not stop with the agent but passes from the agent to something else.” –  J.C Nesfield.

Transitive Verbs are those verbs that require an object to make the sense clear.

(1) He eats rice.

(2) They play football.

(a) In the above two sentences, eats, and play, are called verbs as they are doing words.

(b) In sentence (1) ‘eats’ and in sentence (2) ‘play’ require an object to make sense clear. So, they are called Transitive Verbs.

11. English Conjugation of Verbs

English Conjugation of verbs refers to the systematic arrangement of the forms of a verb to indicate the various grammatical features of tense, mood, aspect, person, number, and voice in English. 

12. Adverbs

Adverbs are words that tell us more about verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs.

She walks fast.

Shelly sat quietly. (qualifying the verbs walk and sat)

Sania is very hungry.

Aslam is rather naughty. (qualifying the adjectives hungry and naughty)

This week has passed incredibly slowly.

Esha cleans her desk quite often. (qualifying the adverbs slowly and often)

• Adverb of Manner
• Adverb of place
• Adverb of time
• Adverb of frequency
• Adverb of degree

13. Prepositions

These words tell us where someone or something is in relation to something else.

A preposition is a word that shows the position of things and people in relation to someone, something or some place.

There are different kinds of prepositions. 

• Prepositions of place.
• Prepositions of time.
• Prepositions of movement

Tense is the change of form in a Verb to express the time of an action. Verb and Tense are interrelated because it is the Verb of which Tense is determined. For Example,

• They are playing football.
• They were playing football.
• They will be playing football.

In each of the above sentences, the main verb is, “Play”. But the action of the Verb is being completed at a different time. So, when and in which time the action of a Verb was completed or is completed or will be completed, depends on Time. From here, we get the concept of Tense in English Grammar. Let’s consider the examples in the following.

15. Active Passive Voice

 Voice is the form of the verb that shows whether the subject (person or thing) of the sentence is active (does something) or passive (something is done to him or her or it) at the action.

(1) The teacher rebuked me.

(2) I was rebuked by the teacher.

The form of the verb of the first sentence shows that the subject (the teacher) is active i.e. he/ she does something (rebuked).

When the subject is the doer of an action, it is the active subject. And the form of the verb is in Active Voice.

The form of the verb in the second sentence shows that the subject (I) is passive i.e. something is done to him/her (was rebuked).

When the subject inactively receives an action (was rebuked), it is in the passive voice. And the verb form is in Passive voice.

16. Direct and Indirect Speech

Narration in English grammar refers to the style or way of expressing a story or speech. It includes direct speech and indirect speech conveying spoken words or thoughts within a narrative context.

When someone quotes the Narrator’s actual words, it is called Direct Narration or Direct Speech. When the Narrator’s actual words are spoken indirectly by someone keeping the meaning the same without quotation, it is called Indirect Narration or Indirect Speech.

• Direct Speech: Rehana says, “I shall dance.”
• Indirect Speech: Rehana says that she will dance.

The learning of Narration Class 10 will be completed to grasp the change of narration from direct to indirect speech or vice versa.

Narration change involves altering direct speech to indirect or vice versa.

Changing “She said, ‘I love this place‘” to indirect: “She said that she loved that place.“

Altering direct speech to indirect or vice versa, it is extremely important to know the Narration Change Rules.

So, explore the Narration Change Rules that have been discussed below with Examples and Exercises.

• Direct Speech: Ram says, “I am ill.”
• Indirect Speech: Ram says that he is ill.

Connective ‘that’ is added before the reported speech in Indirect Narration.

• Direct Speech: He said, “I write a letter.”
• Indirect Speech: He said that he wrote a letter.

If reporting Verb is in the past Tense, the reported speech verb is also changed into the past tense. If reporting Verb is in the Present Tense or Future tense, the tense of the reported speech verb will remain as it is.

17. Clause and Its Types

“A clause is a group of words that includes a subject and a verb forming a sentence or part of a sentence.

Example: He often visits Spain because he likes the climate.

”He often visits Spain” is a Main Clause and “because he likes the climate” is a subordinate clause.” – A.L.D.

 (i) I know the boy who did it.

(ii) Tell me the place where he lives.

(iii) Tell me the time when he will come.

(iv) I know the reason why he said so.

(v) I know the way how he did it.

18. Joining of Sentences

Join the following sentences can be done with –

• (a) Participle, Infinitive, Adverbials, absolute phrase, a noun or a phrase in apposition, and preposition with a noun or a gerund, to make a Simple sentence. – for Simple Sentence.
• (b) Corelatives, such as, ‘Too … to’, ‘So … that, ‘No sooner… than’, ‘As soon as’, ‘Either… or’, ‘Neither nor, ‘Not only ….. but also’, ‘Both … and’, ‘else’, ‘self forms’, ‘nominal compound’, ‘As well as’, to make a compound sentence. – for Compound Sentences
• (c) a noun clause,  An adjective clause, or an adverbial clause to make complex sentences. – for Complex Sentence.
• Single Sentence = Simple / Complex / Compound sentence.

19. Transformation of Sentences

Transformation of a Sentence involves altering the form, structure, or type of a sentence while maintaining its original meaning, a fundamental aspect of grammar. For instance, an interrogative sentence may be transformed into an assertive one without changing its meaning Follow the example: 

Interrogative: Who does not know Rabindranath?

Assertive: Everybody knows Rabindranath,

In this case, it is a correct transformation of sentences examples from one form into another.

20. Interchange of Parts of Speech

Parts of Speech Interchange in English Grammar implies changing one part of speech to another in a sentence with the same meaning. Example of Interchange of Parts of Speech under the ‘do as directed‘ section covering the techniques of changing Nouns into Adjectives, Adjectives into Adverbs, Verbs into Nouns, and vice versa.

The Following examples are about the Interchange of Parts of Speech from Noun to Adjective.

Rewrite the sentences with the Adjective form of the underlined words.

(1) He showed generosity even to his enemies. (Noun) Ans: He was generous even to his enemies. (Adj)

(2) There is a slight difference between the two pictures. (Noun) Ans: The two pictures are slightly different. (Adj)

(3) He has sufficient intelligence to do the job. (Noun) Ans: He is sufficiently intelligent to do the job. (Adj)

(4) I am fully sure of its necessity. (Noun) Ans: I am fully sure that it is necessary. (Adj)

21. Interchange of Degrees of Comparison

The following rules and exceptions of the Interchange of Degrees of Comparison will enhance communication skills and make the writing style a perfect one

Degree change positive to comparative

Positive Degree

(i) No suffix ( such as -er, -est ) will be added to the adjective in the positive degree.

(ii) Basically, if there is “ as ….. as”, “ so ……. as”, or “ as …..” in the sentence, we use the positive degree which is the simplest form of the adjective.[ there is nothing like “than” or “ the ….. of ”]

Comparative Degree

(i) In Comparative Degree generally [ -er ] is added to the adjectives. As taller = tall + er; sweeter = sweet + er; cleverer = clever + er, if the adjective is of one syllable [ mono-syllabic word].

(ii) If the adjective is of more than one syllable, [ more ] is added before the adjective in the Comparative Degree. As Iron is more useful than any other metal. [ Here ‘use – ful’ is a di-syllabic word]

Superlative Degree

(i) In Superlative Degree generally [ -est ] is added to the adjectives. As tallest = tall + est; sweetest = sweet + est; laziest= lazy + est, if the adjective is of one syllable [ mono-syllabic word].

(ii) If the adjective is of more than one syllable, [ most ] is added before the adjective in the Superlative Degree. As Ram is the most intelligent boy in the class. [ Here in-te-lli-gent is a quadri-syllabic (4) word]

(iii) Basically, if there are “ the …….. of ”, “ the …….”, and “…….. of ” in a sentence, we use Superlative Degree.

Positive: He is as cunning as a fox.

Comparative: A fox is not more cunning than he.

22. Do as Directed: Grammar

Below are the topics with examples and answers for each of the types of English grammar given in the Do as Directed heading of the English Question paper of all classes.

1. Do or die. [Turn it into a simple sentence]

Ans: In case of not doing it, you will die.

2. My friend has given me oranges. [Change the voice]

Ans: I have been given oranges by my friend.

3. You helped me. I should have been in trouble otherwise. [Join into a single sentence]

Ans: You helped me lest I should have been in trouble.

4. How he behaved shocked me. [Turn into a simple sentence]

Ans: His behaviour shocked me.

5. Sucheta said to me, ‘Let us go for a picnic’ [Change mode of narration]

Ans: Sucheta proposed that they should go for a picnic.

6. I was numb with shock. I got into the car. [ Join into a simple sentence]

Ans: Being numb with shock, I got into the car.

23. Subject Verb Agreement

Subject-verb agreement exercises are practice activities or exercises designed to help reinforce and test a person’s understanding of the rules governing the agreement between subjects and verbs in sentences.

Subject verb agreement refers to the grammatical rule that dictates the necessity for a subject and verb to be in agreement concerning their number and person.

When the subject is singular, the verb must also be singular, and when the subject is plural, the verb should be plural as well.

Hints 1: When two subjects of a sentence are joined by ‘Either … or’, ‘Neither … nor’, and ‘or’ ‘not only …. but also’, the verb agrees with the subject closest to it.

Hints 2: When ‘Each’, ‘Every’ or ‘No’ is placed before the subject (noun) joined by ‘and’, the pronoun and the verb should be Singular.

(a) Neither the cat nor the dogs (like) __________ water.

(b) Not only the flowers but also the vase (require) __________ careful handling.

(c) Each of the solutions (seem) __________ viable for different reasons.

(d) Not only the birds but also the squirrel (be) __________ in the tree.

(e) Either the dog or the cats (be) __________ in the garden.

Exercise 6:

(a) The news (be) __________ often sensationalized by the media.

(b) Both the mother and her children (enjoy) __________ the family vacation.

(c) The library (offer) __________ a wide range of books and magazines.

(d) The collection of rare coins (be) __________ displayed in the museum.

(e) Many of the staff members at the company (be) __________ going on vacation.

23. Phrasal Verbs/ Basic Idioms

Phrasal Verbs are the combinations of Verbs and adverbs or prepositions or both with completely new meanings and they consist of more than one word.

ost phrasal verbs consist of two words; the first word is a simple monosyllabic Verb, and the second word is a particle i.e., a preposition or an adverb. For example,

• Put (simple monosyllabic Verb) + on (preposition) = Put on

It is nowadays called Phrasal because it represents the appearance of a two-word phrase rather than a single item. There are also some three-word phrasal verbs i.e., 

• to put up with, 
• to look down upon, and
• to leave up to.

24. Common Error and Correction

1. Incorrect: The cost the bananas were very high.

1. Correct: The cost of bananas was very high.

2. Incorrect: Honour and glory are his rewards.

2. Correct: Honour and glory is his reward.

3. Incorrect: Justice as well as mercy allow it.

3. Correct: Justice as well as mercy allows it.

In wrapping up our exploration of ESL grammar lessons for adults, it’s crucial to understand that the journey is unique for each learner. By embracing engaging topics, practical exercises, and a positive mindset, adults can navigate the intricacies of ESL Grammar Lessons for Adults with confidence and proficiency.

FAQs ESL Grammar Lessons for Adults

How long does it take for an adult to become fluent in english through esl grammar lessons.

Fluency varies, but consistent practice and dedication can lead to significant improvement within a year.

Are there specific grammar topics that adults find more challenging?

Common challenges include complex tenses, prepositions, and idiomatic expressions.

Can self-study with online resources replace formal ESL grammar lessons?

While self-study is valuable, a combination of formal lessons and independent practice yields the best results.

Are there age-specific strategies for teaching grammar to adults compared to children?

Yes, adults benefit from real-life applications and discussions that relate to their experiences.

How can adult ESL learners stay motivated during the learning journey?

Setting achievable goals, celebrating milestones, and finding joy in the learning process can help maintain motivation.

Related Posts:

Homework for ESL Students – 10 Ideas for Teachers

Meet  David De’ Ath , founder, editor, and writer at Wonderful World English. With his extensive background as an English teacher, David provides valuable insights and practical tips on ESL for students and teachers alike.

Learning English as a Second Language (ESL) is an enriching venture and offers students the ability to access global opportunities.

Homework in ESL is crucial, serving as a bridge between classroom theory and practical language use.

It’s essential for reinforcing learned concepts and enhancing general language proficiency.

To make this learning journey both effective and enjoyable, it’s important to craft homework tasks that are engaging and tailored to diverse learning styles.

This approach helps to maintain students’ interest and motivation, which are key to successful language acquisition.

These ESL homework ideas are designed to enhance language learning and engage students both in and out of the classroom: Daily journaling, vocabulary flashcards, reading comprehension, listening to podcasts/songs, video diaries, role-play scenarios, grammar worksheets, online games, book club discussions, and a pen pal program.

I am an experienced ESL teacher, and I can attest first-hand to the importance of self-study, homework, and review.

Our carefully selected ten homework ideas aim to transform routine learning into an exciting adventure.

These activities are more than just assignments; they’re interactive experiences designed to deepen students’ understanding of English.

From creative writing to practical exercises, these tasks are intended to make learning English a dynamic and enjoyable process, paving the way for a richer, more confident use of the language.

Homework Ideas for ESL Students

ESL students need more than just traditional classroom lessons.

Homework is a vital part of their language development and serves as a bridge between acquired knowledge and practical application.

The following homework ideas are designed to captivate students’ interest, deepen their understanding, and enhance their fluency in English in the classroom and real-life situations.

Let’s dive into these creative and effective homework strategies that promise a richer, more interactive language learning experience:

1. Daily Journaling

This is a great idea to engage students by embracing the habit of maintaining a daily journal.

Writing about their daily experiences, emotions, thoughts, or selected topics can sharpen their writing skills while learning to articulate their feelings and ideas in English.

This journaling process serves a dual purpose: it strengthens their grasp of the language and provides a personal space for self-expression.

As they regularly engage with this practice, English becomes an integral part of their daily routine and will facilitate a more natural and fluent use of the language in their everyday lives.

This activity bolsters their linguistic abilities and fosters a deeper connection with English as a medium of personal reflection and expression.

Writing is a huge aspect of mastering a language.

For a guide on how to improve writing skills for yourself or your students, click the link below!

Related Article: How to Sharpen Writing Skills – Full Guide

2. Making Flashcards

Students can develop their vocabulary skills through the classic and effective method of creating flashcards.

This exercise involves students writing down new words and their meanings on individual cards.

They can add illustrations or use words in sentences to make the learning process more engaging and impactful.

This visual and contextual approach helps better retain and understand new vocabulary.

By regularly reviewing these flashcards, students can gradually build a robust vocabulary base, which is essential for fluency in English.

This method will reinforce their word knowledge and encourage active engagement with the language, making vocabulary learning a more interactive and enjoyable experience.

Flashcards are suitable for students of all ages and can be fun.

For some great insights on effectively teaching ESL students vocabulary, the guide below is for you!

Related Article: How to Teach Vocabulary to ESL Students – The Guide

3. Reading Comprehension Exercises

Immerse more advanced students in the world of English reading by assigning short stories or articles complemented by comprehension questions.

This exercise is pivotal in enhancing their reading skills and deepening their understanding of various contexts in English.

Students encounter different writing styles, vocabularies, and themes by engaging with diverse texts, enriching their language experience.

The follow-up questions serve to test their understanding and encourage critical thinking about the content.

This approach bolsters their ability to comprehend English texts and stimulates their analytical skills, making them more adept at interpreting and engaging with the language in its written form.

Such reading exercises are fundamental in helping students gain confidence and proficiency in navigating English literature and media.

4. Podcasts and Songs

Teachers can offer listening exercises in their curriculums by using English podcasts and songs.

This method exposes students to a variety of accents, speaking speeds, and vocabulary in a natural context.

After listening, students can engage in activities like writing summaries or answering questions about what they heard.

These post-listening tasks are crucial for enhancing their comprehension and retention.

This approach is great at improving listening skills while making the learning process more enjoyable and relatable.

By regularly interacting with authentic English content, students develop a better ear for the language and learn to appreciate its rhythm and nuances in different forms of media.

This not only aids in language acquisition but also connects them culturally to the English-speaking world.

Check out the guide below for a list of the BEST English podcasts!

Related Article: Best Podcasts to Learn the English Language in 2024 (Top 10)

5. Video Diaries

This one encourages students to create short video diaries as a regular assignment.

This task provides them with a platform to practice speaking about a variety of topics in English.

Whether they choose to talk about their daily life, share opinions on current events, or discuss their hobbies, these video diaries offer a unique opportunity for students to engage actively with the language.

This activity not only improves their spoken English skills but also significantly boosts their confidence in using the language.

It helps them to overcome any hesitation or fear of speaking by providing a safe, personal space to express themselves.

The process of recording and watching their own videos can also be a powerful tool for self-evaluation and progress tracking.

This innovative approach to language learning empowers students to become more fluent and self-assured English speakers.

6. Role-play in Real-world Scenarios

Ask your students to prepare role-plays that mimic real-world scenarios, such as shopping, ordering food, or making appointments.

This practical approach to learning takes them beyond the confines of traditional classroom exercises and immerses them in everyday situations. T

Through role-playing, students get to practice conversational English in a structured yet dynamic context.

It allows them to apply their language skills in practical situations, enhancing their ability to communicate effectively in real-life settings.

This method is particularly effective in familiarizing them with common phrases and vocabulary used in daily interactions.

Additionally, role-playing can be a fun and interactive way to learn, helping to reduce the anxiety often associated with speaking a new language.

By engaging in these simulated experiences, students gain confidence and fluency, which are crucial for their overall language development.

7. Grammar Worksheets

This is a classic form of homework for ESL students, to offer them worksheets that concentrate on specific grammar points, such as verb tenses, sentence structure, or prepositions.

Regular practice with these worksheets is instrumental in solidifying their understanding of English grammar.

This methodical approach allows students to focus on one aspect of grammar at a time, ensuring a thorough grasp of each concept.

Such targeted exercises help correct common mistakes and deepen their comprehension of the language’s structure.

By consistently working through these grammar worksheets, students build a strong grammatical foundation, which is vital for effective English communication.

This foundational knowledge enhances their writing and speaking skills and boosts their confidence in correctly using the language in various contexts.

For some tips on how to teach grammar to ESL students, we’ve put together a guide to help teachers everywhere!

Related Article: How to Teach Grammar to ESL Students – Teacher’s Guide

8. Online Games

Motivate your students to engage with educational language games available online.

These games offer a fun, interactive way to learn and practice English.

Students can improve various language skills through game-based learning, including vocabulary, grammar, reading, and even listening comprehension.

The interactive nature of these games makes the learning process more enjoyable and less intimidating, especially for younger learners or beginners.

As students play, they receive immediate feedback on their performance, which helps reinforce correct usage and understanding.

This approach enhances their language skills and keeps them motivated and engaged in their learning.

Online language games provide a dynamic and enjoyable way to supplement traditional learning methods, making language practice an activity that students can look forward to.

For some ideas of classroom games, both traditional and digital, check out the guide below!

Related Article: Fun Classroom Games to Play – Teacher’s Guide

9. Book Club

Another great idea is to start a book club in your class, where students can read and discuss a common book.

This collaborative activity enhances their reading skills and promotes critical thinking and group discussion skills in English.

Choosing books that are appropriate for their language level, the book club encourages students to dive into stories and themes, expanding their vocabulary and comprehension.

Discussing the book with their peers allows them to share perspectives, articulate their thoughts, and engage in meaningful conversations in English.

This interactive and social approach to learning also builds a sense of community among the students, making English learning a shared and enjoyable experience.

The book club thus becomes a platform for growth, not just in language proficiency but also in cognitive and social skills.

10. Pen Pal Program

The tenth great homework idea for ESL students is to start a pen pal program with English-speaking individuals from different parts of the world.

This initiative provides a unique opportunity for students to engage in regular written communication with native English speakers.

Through exchanging letters or emails, students practice their writing skills in a real-world context, learning to express their thoughts and ideas clearly in English.

This regular interaction not only improves their language proficiency but also offers valuable insights into different cultures and lifestyles, enhancing their cultural understanding and global awareness.

The pen pal program is more than just a language exercise; it’s a bridge that connects students across cultures, promoting international friendships and broadening their perspectives.

This kind of cultural exchange can be a highly rewarding and motivating experience, encouraging students to apply their language skills in meaningful and authentic interactions.

You can reach out to other teachers on platforms like LinkedIn and see if they would be willing to start a pen pal initiative for both them and your students.

The homework ideas presented for ESL students transcend the traditional concept of assignments.

They are designed as interactive learning experiences that not only build language skills but do so in a way that is practical, enjoyable, and highly effective.

Integrating these varied activities into the ESL curriculum allows teachers to cultivate a dynamic and nurturing learning environment.

Such an approach encourages students to actively engage with the English language, not just within the confines of the classroom but in their everyday lives as well.

Promoting this kind of immersive learning experience makes students more likely to develop a lasting proficiency and a genuine appreciation for the language.

These activities, therefore, play a crucial role in shaping confident, competent English speakers who are prepared to navigate the global landscape.

We hope you find value in this article; let us know if you require any assistance.

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StoryLearning

Learn A Language Through Stories

11 ESL Homework Ideas To Engage Your Learners & Simplify Lesson Planning 

Are you looking for ESL homework ideas for your classes? If you’re thinking about setting homework you’re onto a good thing. Learning a language requires a lot of exposure and practice. And much of that happens outside of class. 

The more students make contact with English outside the classroom, the faster they’ll progress. And if you can connect their homework assignments to what you’re teaching in class, you’ll make lesson planning a lot easier for yourself. 

So, without further ado, here are 11 ESL homework ideas for adults that you can use with groups, individuals, in-person or online.

If you want to become a qualified online language teacher and earn a living from home, I recommend checking out CeOLT (Certificate of Online Language Teaching).

Click here to find out more .

How To Make Homework Work For You &Your Students 

Many ESL teachers are wary of setting homework because students often don’t do it! You may remember being set useless homework in language classes that you weren't motivated to do, such as learning lists of words for a test. 

The problem is, if ESL learners rely too much on you or on coming to lessons, they will make slow progress because so much language learning takes place outside of the classroom. 

The trick then is to integrate homework assignments into what happens in class so that it becomes non-negotiable. In the list of ESL homework ideas below, you’ll find tasks that are fun and motivating to do as well as ways to fit them into your class time. 

1.Read A Short Story Or Short Book Chapter 

Reading is the foundation of the StoryLearning method and makes for the perfect ESL homework idea.

Instead of spending time reading in class, get the students to do it between classes. 

They can find a quiet time to read the story or chapter as many times as they like.

In my short story books , they’ll find tools to help them understand the material such as glossaries and comprehension questions. 

In class, students can then discuss the chapter or story together. If you’re teaching 1:1, you can ask them to present a summary and show you new words they learned from the chapter. You can then discuss it together.  

For more ideas on how to use my short story books for teaching check out my Short Stories teacher’s Guide .

2. Listen To A Short Podcast Episode 

Many ESL students struggle with English listening skills so they need as much practice as possible. 

If you teach conversation classes then this activity will also mean fewer lesson planning headaches. And you won’t waste any class time on listening. 

Tell your student to listen to a short ESL podcast such as the BBC’s 6-Minute English podcast. Ask them to prepare a summary of it to present to you in class. If the episode includes show notes, they can compare their summary with those notes. 

You can also adapt this homework activity for groups and ask them to discuss the podcast in pairs in class. This is also a great opportunity to use class time to clarify and new words, or structures that came up in the episode. 

If you’re feeling ambitious or your students have a high level, you could plan a whole series of lessons or a semester around a particular podcast such as a true crime or other investigative journalism show. 

3. Presentation About A Passion 

Not everyone is passionate about learning English and many ESL students come to class because they have to. But even if they’re not interested in English, they must be interested in something, right? 

You can harness their hobbies and passions and generate some excitement for the English language by asking them to present a special object to the rest of the class. 

This can also work well in a 1:1 online lesson. You can ask your student to prepare a short talk about an object that they hold up to the webcam to show you. 

You can use time in class to work on presentation and storytelling skills. You can model this type of presentation by telling them about your own significant object so they know what to aim for.

4. Write A Review 

Who doesn’t love sharing their opinion whether it’s about the latest movie they’ve seen or the hot new restaurant they had dinner at? 

You can harness this desire and get your student to practice useful language by getting them to write reviews as homework. These could be movie reviews, product reviews, restaurant reviews etc. 

In class, you can take a look at the structure of reviews in English plus the language used such as colourful adjectives or phrases for giving opinions. 

That way, your students will have a model they can use to write their own reviews at home. Back in class, students can share their reviews with each other and discuss them – would they see this movie, buy this product etc or not based on the review. 

You can also give feedback both about the content of the reviews as well as any language points to improve. 

5. Get Creative 

Creativity requires constraints and there’s no greater one than writing a story in your second, third or fourth language. 

You can challenge students to write a short story based on words they’ve learned recently in class or on a particular topic you’ve been discussing. Give them a word count to respect as well. 

Again, you can use class time to read stories together and analyse their structure so that they know what to aim for. 

After they’ve written a short story at home, they can come back to class to read and discuss each others’ stories. 

6. Share Amazing Anecdotes 

Telling an interesting anecdote is a real skill in any language, especially in a new one that you're learning. But it's a great way to work on your speaking skills. 

You can use your class time to read or listen to anecdotes in English. You could even tell your learners a funny or sad story about yourself. Once they’ve understood what makes a great anecdote, it’s time to create their own one for homework. 

At home, learners can write their anecdotes, or even better, can prepare and rehearse them orally, so they’re ready to tell them in class. 

During the lesson, you and the other students can react to the anecdotes and ask follow-up questions. 

7. Blogs And Blogging 

Did you know that blogs are an incredibly rich resource for language learning and teaching? You can use blogs in many ways both inside and outside of the classroom. 

As a homework activity you could ask students to read a blog post of their choice and leave a comment for the writer. 

If your students prefer watching YouTube videos, they can watch videos and leave comments underneath them. 

In both cases, in class time, students can report back on the blog they read, why they chose it and what comment they left and why. 

If you and your students are feeling really ambitious, you could start a class blog or they could start writing their own individual blogs about their English learning journeys. 

For even more inspiration for your teaching, check out these best ESL bloggers .

8. Start A Podcast 

This one is a bit more ambitious, but as well as listening to podcasts, learners can also consider starting their own! 

In fact, English learner Daniel Goodson from Switzerland started his podcast, My Fluent Podcast , to develop his speaking skills and gain confidence. He interviews other learners who have similar projects. 

Of course, your students don’t have to make the podcast public. It can simply be a project between you and the members of the class. They could interview each other or otherwise upload short episodes on a topic of their choice. 

Again, if they do this outside of class as homework you can use time in class to give them feedback on their work. Their episodes can also be a springboard for further discussion as well as a listening comprehension activity for the other students. 

9. Class WhatsApp Group 

Another way for students to use English outside the classroom thanks to digital tools is to create a class WhatsApp group.

Other chat apps like Telegram or Voxer would work just as well. 

In this group, you can ask your students questions or share material for them to discuss.

Their homework in this case could be as simple as sending at least one message per week in the group. For more ideas about using apps check out this post about English teaching apps.

10. Write A Letter 

Do you remember writing letters to a pen friend when you were learning languages at school? 

Instead of writing letters to someone else, your students can try some creative writing activities that involve writing letters to themselves. 

That’s right, you can ask them to write a letter to their younger self with advice or to their future self about goals and dreams. There’s even a website where you can write and schedule a letter to your future self called FutureMe . 

This activity is quite a personal one so you’d need to be willing to get vulnerable yourself and share your letter before encouraging your students to talk to each other about the content of their letters. 

11. The Student Becomes The Teacher 

Here’s an interesting reversal of classroom roles that works well with groups. For homework, you can ask your students to teach the rest of the class some new vocabulary or a spelling or grammar rule. 

You won’t expect them to give a whole class on the topic. But they could do a short presentation of the topic in the format they prefer – through song or story or in a more traditional way.

As long as you keep expectations clear, they’ll benefit from peer teaching this way. After all, you can only teach what you’ve understood well yourself. 

11 ESL Homework Ideas 

So there you have it – 11 engaging ESL homework ideas that your students will actually want to do outside of class! 

As you can see, these ESL homework ideas are a million miles away from the types of boring worksheets that you had to fill in for language classes at school. 

Thanks to these engaging ideas, you’ll make your lesson planning easier and your students will be excited to do their homework. And they’ll start to become more independent learners who make faster progress. 

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30 Grammar Games That Make Learning Fun

Furious Frogs, Simon Says, Pasta Commas, and more!

Teaching grammar can be loads of fun! There are so many active, hands-on ways to engage your learners while at the same time reinforcing important concepts. Here’s a list of our favorite grammar games to play with your elementary students.

Hands-On Grammar Games

Online grammar games.

1. Pick a Sentence/End a Sentence

In this activity, students will receive a plastic bag with color-coded cards. They will then choose a subject, object, verb, and punctuation mark to make a sentence. After they have recorded their sentence, the next player gets a turn. The objective is to make as many sentences as possible.

Learn more: Pick a Sentence/End a Sentence

2. Punctuation Scavenger Hunt

Choose two of your class’s favorite read-alouds. Read through the first few pages and say aloud the punctuation mark that ends each sentence. For example: “The dog chased the cat period.” Next, ask students to listen carefully and read a few more pages. Pause at the end of sentences to see if kids can call out how the sentence should end—with a period, question mark, or exclamation point.

Learn more: Punctuation Scavenger Hunt

3. LEGO Sentences

Use masking tape and a black marker to write different words to affix to LEGO bricks. Color-code your words—e.g., yellow for nouns, blue for verbs, green for articles, red for adjectives. Once you have an ample supply of words, it’s time for students to build sentences.

Learn more: LEGO Sentence-Building Activity

4. “Cap”-ital Letters

For this activity, you will need a storybook and some paper caps. (Perhaps teach your students how to make newspaper hats ahead of time). Then read the story aloud slowly. Every time kids hear a word that needs a capital letter, they should pop their caps on their heads. For example, if the sentence reads “Mary and Susan went to Arizona,” students should place their hat on their heads three times.

Learn more: Cap-ital Letters at Reading Eggs

5. Punctuation Stickers

Pass out a sheet of colored dot stickers to each student. On the yellow stickers, have them mark a period. On the green, a question mark, and on the pink, an exclamation mark. Next, dictate a sentence for the students to write on their paper. After they’ve written it, ask them to place the correct sticker at the end. Repeat this seven or eight times, then collect the papers to check for understanding.

Learn more: Punctuation Stickers

6. Parts of Speech Hopscotch

Outside on the playground or sidewalk, draw a typical hopscotch frame. Instead of numbering the squares, label them noun, pronoun, verb, adjective, adverb, conjunction, preposition, prepositional phrase, and interjection. To play, students will throw their marker onto a square and hop to that square. Then, they will say an example of that part of speech. For example, if the marker lands on verb , they may say run or dance .

Learn more: Parts of Speech Hopscotch

7. Contraction Surgery

This super-fun activity involves delicate surgery skills. Tell your students you need their help repairing contractions that have fallen apart. Their job is to cut out parts that don’t belong, then use a bandage (with an apostrophe drawn on it) to put the contraction back together. For example, for the words I am , students will cut out the a and place a Band-Aid with the apostrophe between I and m , making I’m .

Learn more: Contraction Surgery

8. Round Robin Sentence Building

Prepare three piles of cards labeled “clause,” “prepositional phrase,” and “period.” Each student will draw a card and contribute to a sentence. For example, if the first four students draw “prepositional phrase,” “prepositional phrase,” “clause,” and “period,” they might come up with the sentence “In a tree near the baseball field, a bird chirped.” Then the next group of students will draw cards. In the end, all of the sentences can be combined into a fun class story.

Learn more: Round Robin Sentence Building at BrightHub Education

9. Homograph Game

This is a fun drawing activity that drives home understanding of homophones. Call out a word, such as “trunk,” then ask students to draw two different pictures that fit that word. Other words to try: spring, date, band.

Learn more: Homograph Games

10. Pasta Commas

First, read Eats, Shoots & Leaves: Why, Commas Really Do Make a Difference! by Lynne Truss. Prepare paper strips with sentences ahead of time. Include lists, adjectives, dates, places, and quotes. Then, break out the elbow pasta and practice placing commas where they belong.

Learn more: Pasta Commas

11. Adverb Ball Toss

To play this game, one student will toss the conjunctive adverb ball to another student in the group. The person who catches the ball will create a compound sentence using the conjunctive adverb closest to their thumb. The person who tossed the ball will write down the sentence using the appropriate punctuation. The game continues until one group has created and written 20 sentences on their worksheet. The first group to have 20 correctly written sentences wins.

Learn more: Conjunctive Adverb Ball Toss Game at Teachwriting.org

12. Roll a Sentence

If you’re looking for grammar games to give students practice with punctuation, try Roll a Sentence. Students roll the dice to get words that they must then use to complete a sentence with correct grammar and punctuation. The words are divided into five categories: person/thing, adjective, preposition, verb, place. Each category has 11 possible words, numbered from 2 to 12. Students roll once for each column and write down the word they scored. After they have rolled five times, they must put all the words together to form a logical sentence.

Learn more: Roll a Sentence at Busy Teacher

13. “Taboo” Grammar Game

Looking for grammar games to help kids learn to differentiate between the different parts of speech? Try this activity where, without looking, one student will place a word card on their forehead so that their partner can see the word on the card. That student’s job is to describe the word on the card without saying the actual word.

Learn more: Grammar Taboo

14. Roll-a-Word

Dice games help spice up vocabulary practice, something many kids find dull. Set a list of words, then give each kid a die to roll. Based on the number, they do one of the activities shown on a worksheet.

Learn more: Roll a Word

15. Contraction Bingo

This version of bingo puts a fun twist on learning contractions. Each child receives a bingo board with contractions on it. The caller calls out the expanded version of the word and the students have to figure out if the contraction is on their board.

Learn more: Contraction Bingo

16. Grandmother’s Cat

This fun ABC game helps kids practice identifying adjectives. The first player completes the sentence “My grandmother’s cat is _____,” using a word that begins with A. The next player repeats the sentence with a word that begins with B, and so on. A variation on this game would be to use the sentence “My grandmother’s cat likes to _____” with students filling in the blank with verbs.

17. Funny Flips

If you’re looking for wordplay grammar games, this silly game is for you. The object is to mix and match words to make simple—and ridiculous—sentences, all the while learning grammar skills, especially the tricky concept of adverbs.

Learn more: Funny Flips

18. Parts of Speech Bingo

Grammar games are a great way to teach parts of speech. This free downloadable gives you everything you need for another fun version of bingo. Each card is populated with words that are different parts of speech. The caller calls out a part of speech, for instance “verb,” and the student must find a verb on their card and place a marker there. The game continues in regular bingo fashion.

Learn more: Grammar Bingo

19. Simple Sentence Smack Down

If you’re looking for interactive grammar games, try this one. You will need two plastic flyswatters. On a piece of chart paper or a large whiteboard, write 15 examples of complete sentences and 15 examples of sentence fragments. Divide your class into two lines, and for each twosome, call out “simple sentence” or “fragment sentence.” The first player to smack a correct example earns a point for their team. Play continues until everyone has a chance to play.

Learn more: Simple Sentence Smack Down

20. Synonym Scramble

This is a fun small-group card game. Prepare a list of synonym word pairs that are appropriate for your grade level. Next, prepare a deck of index cards. Write one word in blue on one side and the word’s synonym in red on the other. Pass out one card to each student, blue side up. Then, read a word from the red column while the students figure out who has that card. Repeat until all of the cards are claimed.

Learn more: Synonym Scramble at Education World

21. Write and Draw

This game is a lot like the board game Telestrations . Start with a stack of index cards. The first player will write a grammar concept on the top card then pass the stack to the next player. That player reads the card, puts it on the bottom of the stack, then draws a picture of the concept on their card. They pass it to the next player, who must try to identify the concept, write that word, and pass to the next player, etc. At the end, start with the first card and read through the sequence of cards to see how clearly the concept was communicated or how convoluted it became.

Learn more: Telephone Grammar

22. Noun Scavenger Hunt

This fun game gives young learners a hands-on way to learn about nouns. Once your students understand the concept of nouns = person-place-thing, set a timer. Then challenge your students to go on a classroom scavenger hunt for nouns that start with each letter of the alphabet. Provide them with a lined worksheet with each letter of the alphabet in the left column and room to write their words on the right.

Learn more: Noun Scavenger Hunt

23. Grammar Simon Says

Incorporating actions and movement into grammar games helps kids conceptualize. Before you play this version of Simon Says, establish certain motions for different parts of speech. For example, if you hear a noun, touch your shoes. If you hear a verb, run in place, etc. Let the kids practice a few times, then start calling out actual nouns, verbs, adjectives, etc. If the student makes the right motion, they stay in the game. If not, they take a seat.

Learn more: Reading Eggs

24. Peculiar Paragraph

Divide students into groups of 10, then have each student write a sentence on absolutely any subject. The object of the game is for the group to then arrange all of the sentences together into a “peculiar” paragraph. They’ll need to add conjunctions to help the sentences flow cohesively, but they may not add any other pieces of information. When each group is finished, let them read their paragraph aloud.

Learn more: Peculiar Paragraph at BrightHub Education

25. Mystery Word Game

This is a great whole-class game you can project on the screen to review vocabulary. Provide your students with clues and challenge them to answer with the correct vocabulary until they can guess the mystery word. Download the free PowerPoint template .

Learn more: Online Mystery Word Game

26. Irregular Plural Nouns Ski Race

This lively game will challenge your students’ understanding of irregular plural nouns such as mice, feet, and geese. Students must find the plural noun of each word in order to help their ski racer make it down the mountain first.

Learn more: Ski Race: Irregular Plural Nouns

27. Sentence Monkey

This game helps students practice putting simple words in the present tense together to form sentences. It’s especially helpful for English language learners.

Learn more: Online Sentence Monkey

28. Grammar Games

This free, fun, self-paced site offers a variety of grammar games, from parts of speech to punctuation and more.

Learn more: Online Grammar Activities

29. Apostrophe Game

This undersea game helps students practice the valuable skill of placing apostrophes in possessive nouns.

Learn more: Placing Apostrophes in Possessives

30. Furious Frogs

Colorful frogs compete for bugs while practicing antonyms, synonyms, and homonyms. Can you catch the most bugs and win the game?

Learn more: Furious Frogs

If you like these grammar games, check out Meaningful Vocabulary Activities for Every Grade .

Plus, find out how other teachers tackle grammar practice in the we are teachers helpline group on facebook .

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6 Ways to Make Teaching Grammar Fun (I’m Serious)

Your students can learn to love grammar. Really. Continue Reading

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ESL Grammar Activities to Make Your Lessons Interesting, Interactive, and Inclusive

Krzl light nuñes.

• September 4, 2022

When it comes to learning nouns, verbs, and tenses, it’s not uncommon for many English students to yawn at the thought of sitting through grammar drills and filling out worksheets. Sure, dealing with lots of rules may not seem that exciting, but you can always turn any class from mundane to fun! Let’s look at some ways to keep your ESL learners on their toes during grammar class, as well as some examples of ESL grammar activities that you can use to spice up your classroom.

Refresh your memory of core grammar concepts and learn strategies for teaching your students with Specialized Certification in Teaching English Grammar.

Table of Contents

Why do some students and teachers find grammar lessons boring?

While there’s no doubt that mastering grammar is key to English fluency, students may sometimes perceive grammar lessons as monotonous or unappealing. It could also be challenging for teachers to make learners enjoy practicing their past participles, prepositions, and conditionals. More often than not, these challenges occur because:

• Students may not see the need to learn English grammar. While in class, they see their grammar activities as tasks that they only have to complete, without realizing how useful grammar is for their communication skills.
• Through the years, teachers have become comfortable with explaining grammar rules and having students practice through drills and exercises taken from textbooks. Although these have been proven effective for learning a new language, learners tend to get bored with the same methods after some time.

Want to learn more? Read this next: How to Teach English Grammar – Even if You’re Terrible at It!

How can I make grammar fun?

Knowing why students don’t get enthusiastic about grammar lessons gives English teachers a chance to revamp their instruction, and they can do so by making their classes interesting, interactive, and inclusive. But what do these characteristics mean, exactly? Let’s dive into each component.

Earn Specialized Certification in Teaching English Grammar to master the strategies you need to effectively teach students this important language skill.

Make grammar interesting

Creating interesting grammar lessons boils down to making your learners see the social relevance of the concepts they’re studying. So, rather than simply making students construct sentences and choose the correct word forms, help them grasp grammar better by teaching them how to use it in the real world.

When learning past tenses, for instance, students can practice by talking about their memories or asking each other about their travel experiences. This way, they not only apply the grammar rules but also see how they can use past forms to describe events in their lives and exchange information with others.

Make grammar interactive

Keep your English students engaged with your grammar lessons by spicing them up with a variety of activities that get students actively involved. Don’t just stick to filling out worksheets – go for ESL grammar games, tasks, or challenges that make students talk more, listen carefully, and even get their creative juices flowing! Also, don’t forget to make use of digital tools like interactive whiteboards and quiz makers to make your activities even more interactive.

Additionally, make sure that the communicative activities you’re incorporating into your grammar lessons will help students use grammar in their daily lives. For instance, you can do role-play activities, improvisation exercises, mock interviews, and practice dialogues that incorporate what students usually do at work or school.

Check out more strategies for teaching grammar to English language learners.

Make grammar inclusive

Boost your learners’ participation through materials and activities wherein your students see themselves, their cultures, and their backgrounds represented. Instead of basing your grammar lesson examples on one type of person, you can draw inspiration from people with different social, cultural, and even economic backgrounds.

For instance, if you’re role-playing job interviews, don’t just stick to the most common professions. Instead, practice for other types of positions or jobs in other industries too. By using a variety of representations in your classes, you not only promote diversity but also make grammar learning more relatable and significant for your learners.

Below is a video recap of how to make English grammar lessons interesting, interactive, and inclusive:

Click here to watch the entire BridgeUniverse Expert Series webinar about grammar and access a growing library of webinars covering other diverse ESL/EFL topics.

What are some activities to teach ESL grammar?

Now that you know how you can make grammar lesson plans more exciting, here are some grammar activities for ESL students that you can incorporate into your classes based on the types of learners you have. Depending on the grammar topics you’re teaching, you can also tailor their content or change the mechanics of the ESL grammar games as you see fit.

ESL grammar activities for beginners

Picture description.

What you’ll need

• Various photographs of people doing different actions (e.g., eating, dancing) on separate slides. You can use MS Powerpoint , Google Slides , or Canva to create your slideshow.

How it works

In this activity, students will practice making sentences using the present continuous tense.

Show the photo to the students and ask, “What is the person doing?” You can ask follow-up questions like “Where is he going?” or “Why do you think he is laughing?”

Aside from having learners describe the photo, you can also ask them to create a story, make assumptions, or come up with predictions based on what they see in the pictures.

• Printed copies of the Battleship game worksheet on iSLCollective.com .
• For online classes, you can copy the template on a Google Jamboard and send a link to individual students.

In this battleship game, students will practice asking and answering questions using the modal “can.”

Divide the students into pairs and give each student a battleship game card. Then, have each of them draw a battleship on the card. The battleship should be linear and cover between 2 to 5 boxes. They can draw the battleship vertically, horizontally, or diagonally.

Student A asks their classmate (Student B) a question using “Can you…?” plus any subject and verb on the card. If Student B says “no,” Student A marks his own card with an X to indicate a miss. If Student B answers “yes,” Student A draws a check mark on his own card to indicate a hit.

Students take turns asking and responding to questions until one of them hits all the squares covered by their classmate’s battleship.

Aside from modals, students can also practice with other grammar tenses and vary the subjects and verbs on the cards.

ESL grammar activities for adults

Sentence makers.

• A board and a marker.
• For online classes, you can use the Timeline virtual board on Padlet or draw on a Google Jamboard .

In this activity, students will practice making sentences using the past perfect tense.

Write a sentence in the past tense (e.g., I went to the park). Then, have students add five more past tense sentences.

When everyone has added their sentence, instruct the students to create a sentence in the past perfect tense by making different combinations of the events on the timeline (e.g., They had eaten before I went to the park). Check that the order of events on the timeline is correct.

You can also use the timeline to practice present and future tenses. Alternatively, you can challenge the class to create a story based on the information on the timeline.

Speculation

• A whiteboard and a pen.
• For online classes, you can use a virtual whiteboard like Miro , Google Jamboard , or the interactive whiteboards on Zoom or Skype .

In this activity, students will practice using expressions with “since” and “for” with the present perfect tense.

Divide the students into pairs. On the board, write “I think you…” Next, tell students that they’ll guess information about their classmates by making present perfect tense sentences with “since” and “for.” You can model this activity by making a guess about one of the students (e.g., “I think you haven’t been to the cinema in a month.”) Then, the student confirms if the statement is correct or not.

Students take turns making sentences and confirming each other’s statements. Encourage them to ask follow-up questions to extend the conversation.

Students can also make guesses about their classmates’ past experiences, plans, and habits.

Though getting ESL students thrilled about grammar classes may seem tough to pull off at first, it is possible to change their perception about studying sentence rules, parts of speech, and many other elements. By spicing up your lessons and making them relevant to your learners, you can give them the best English grammar learning experience and help them level up their English in no time.

Brush up on your grammar knowledge and learn the best ways to teach ESL/EFL students with Specialized Certification in Teaching English Grammar!

Back in her hometown in the Philippines, Krzl worked as a writer at a TV station before moving to Chile. After she completed her TESOL certification, she worked for language institutes and then decided to become an independent English teacher to business professionals. When she’s not giving classes, she’s either surfing along Chile’s long stretch of coastline, traveling, or practicing photography by the beach.

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The best ESL / EFL homework ideas that require no marking 2021

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.

Why set no-marking ESL homework?

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

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Listening assignments

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.  

Mistakes to avoid when choosing a podcast

  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.

The best ESL Podcasts

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

Podcasts in 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

TED ED: A much better choice!

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

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

Grammar review

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

Let’s Talk: Youtube

You need it, you’ll find it here. This Youtube channel has hundreds of videos on every aspect of the English language.

Grammar and vocabulary quizzes

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.

Dave’s ESL Café (grammar)

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 (grammar)

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/

British Council Teens (vocabulary)

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.

Popular Pen Pal sites

http://www.penpalworld.com

https://www.globalpenfriends.com

https://www.penpalsnow.com/index.html

Pronunciation

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: Accent American

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: Accent International

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.

Cambridge PET, FCE, CAE Exam

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!

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Adjectives are words that describe nouns and other adjectives.

Adverbs are words that describe action verbs.

This page has links to printables for teaching students about the articles a , an , the .

Use a capital letter at the beginning of a sentence and for proper nouns.

Learn all about cause and effect relationships.

Here's a set of worksheets for teaching students to correctly use commas in their writing.

Learn the differences between pairs of commonly confused words, such as loss/lose, your/you're, lie/lay, and many others.

A compound word is created when two smaller words are combined to make a new word.

Conjunctions are used to join words, phrases, clauses, or sentences together.

A contraction is a pair of words joined by an apostrophe.

Use these printable grammar worksheets to practice diagramming sentences.

This page has advanced-level grammar worksheets for direct objects and transitive verbs.

Use these worksheets to help teach students about avoiding double negatives in writing.

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On these worksheets, students practice identifying the correct part of speech for specific words in sentences.

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Seven Homework Ideas to Interest and Engage

Homework from workbooks or grammar worksheets serve as good resources to review the contents of the day's lesson. Typically consisting of fill-in-the-blanks or matching exercises, these controlled, right-or-wrong exercises try to get students to remember the lesson and target language.

Unfortunately, this sort of homework has many drawbacks. A few negatives include:

• The homework fails to engage and interest the students.
• It doesn't push students to analyze, evaluate, or create new ideas.
• If the teacher checks the answers in a lesson, valuable time gets wasted.
• If the lesson begins with the workbook assigned, then this sort of homework doesn't engage students during warm up .
• Many students choose not to complete the assignment and worry less about mistakes when the teacher provides the answers and/or elicits answers from students.

The best homework expands on the lesson, and even prepares students for the next lesson. More specifically:

• Effective homework allows students to use real, relevant, and meaningful language.
• It requires students to use the lesson content in a more flexible manner.
• It lets everyone reuse previously studied language and skills, and thereby make new connections.
• It gives students the chance to incorporate pre-existing knowledge, ideas, and interests.
• This sort of homework challenges students creatively.
• It is engaging and interesting.

What follows are seven ideas I regularly use in my lessons with students of all levels. These same ideas are also ones I encourage my teaching staff to use too.

1: Assign reading materials with discussion questions. The article should connect with and extend the contents of the lesson.

This sort of assignment allows students to work on material which may be above their level; contains a lot of specialized vocabulary; is longer and more detailed than what would normally be usable in a lesson; etc. In an intermediate class, content from Wikipedia or an article written for native speakers serve as only two examples which, although are excellent resources, may be impractical in a lesson with limited time.

...effective homework allows students to use real, relevant, and meaningful language

When students arrive to the next lesson, little to no time should be spent on the actual reading assignment. This means the teacher shouldn't clarify passages or words, check comprehension, and so on. The teacher instead begins with a warm up based on the article, and then segues into the theme or topic. In other words, the article expands on the previous lesson, perhaps showing real use of the target language; an alternative point of view on a topic, more detail on a topic, etc. It serves as the foundation on which to use the target language, discuss, or debate.

2: Assign reading materials for students to write a short summary, answer a critical thinking question, etc. Explicit guidelines should be provided, such as write one page or use three key vocabulary words from today's lesson. When students come to the next class, they exchange papers with a partner, correct any language previously studied, and/or provide one positive comment and one piece of advice.

Again, the teacher can easily incorporate material which extends the lesson topic. The content may be slightly too long and time consuming, contain too many new words to sufficiently teach and use in a regular lesson, and so on. This sort of activity with students providing peer feedback also creates a collaborative learning environment; students help students make progress. What's more, when students listen critically for mistakes, they are thinking, reviewing, and analyzing information, even if they don't catch some of the mistakes.

3: Students look up a person, place, or thing and prepare a short presentation. It doesn't matter much if students research in their L1 or L2 because they will need to write, practice, and present in English.

At the start of the next lesson, students exchange their notes with a partner for correction and feedback, and the teacher can restrict the feedback to information from the last lesson(s). As a next step, students practice reading aloud in front of the partner, who again provides feedback and encouragement. Finally, students give the presentation to the class, answering one or two additional questions from students.

This third idea allows students to use vocabulary and grammar which was studied in the previous lesson, as well as connect the target language to new ideas, words, phrases, etc. Students also practice fluency skills, structure, discourse markers, and so on.

4: Students prepare for a role play. Materials or tasks may be assigned to read and understand at home, which might be necessary with a less familiar topic. When students next meet for a lesson, each person provides a mini-presentation on their topic. Students then conduct the role play with language previously learned. For example:

In a travel-related unit, partner A wants to travel to Thailand and partner B wants to visit Spain. Partner A independently does some research at home about Spain (and partner B, vice versa). In class, students alternate between a travel agent recommending Spain and Thailand, and use the phrases from the board, book, or previously practiced.

5: Assign additional listening homework. This proves especially helpful for students or classes that need to focus on listening skills. The students should listen to an audio file from the textbook or website, answer questions, and come to the next class prepared to discuss, summarize, etc.

...providing peer feedback creates a collaborative learning environment

This activity works very well to prepare students on a topic. If students don't know much about the topic, as might be the case with a famous person, preparation allows everyone to more actively and deeply engage with the content in the next lesson.

Students might also shadow the contents, provided the audio is about one minute in length. Shadowing refers to reading the script while the audio plays to mimic intonation, focus on speaking fluency, etc.

6: Vocabulary exchange has students keep a vocabulary notebook each week, and then share two or three words at the start of a lesson. In short, student A teaches his/her words to student B, and vice versa. The vocabulary should include the word form (i.e, noun, verb, adjective, adverb, etc.), a definition, and a sample sentence.

7: Assign material from TED Talks, or have students find a topic of interest. With thousands of videos, students can find a topic to watch, take notes, write a summary, and discuss. Again, like some of the above suggestions, students can peer edit any writing, provide feedback to a mini-presentation, prepare discussion questions for debate and role plays in the following lesson, and so on. And similarly, new grammar, vocabulary, and communication skills and strategies can also be practiced.

The above ideas require students to prepare in advance of the lesson. Because the activities are interactive, engagement and interest tend to be higher. In addition, if students don't do the homework, they are unable to participate in activities, which thus also serves as a final motivator.

You might also be interested in:

• A (Mostly) Complete Glossary for ESL EFL Teaching
• Dictionaries: Harmful or Helpful?
• How to Keep a Vocabulary Notebook

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Esl writing worksheet: opinion essay about video games (intermediate), esl lesson plan: nature & environment (intermediate), esl listening comprehension worksheet: in the kitchen (intermediate), esl listening comprehension worksheet: travel and transportation (intermediate), esl lesson plan: summer activities (intermediate), esl reading comprehension worksheet: studies (intermediate), esl reading comprehension worksheet: global warming (intermediate), esl reading comprehension worksheet: at the workplace (intermediate), esl reading comprehension worksheet: job interview (intermediate), esl reading comprehension worksheet: holiday (intermediate), esl listening comprehension worksheet: school lunch (intermediate), intermediate-advanced level (b2-c1), dialogue/debate worksheet: fast fashion – the true cost of clothes (intermediate-advanced), esl listening comprehension worksheet: technology and relationships (intermediate-advanced), esl vocabulary & conversation worksheet: job interview (intermediate-advanced), esl grammar worksheet, future tenses: traveling (intermediate-advanced), esl writing practice worksheet: newspaper articles (intermediate-advanced), esl writing practice worksheet: creating concise sentences (intermediate-advanced), esl writing exercise: creating complex sentences: las vegas (intermediate-advanced), esl everyday idioms vocabulary exercises (intermediate-advanced), esl vocabulary worksheet: food idioms (intermediate-advanced), esl vocabulary worksheet: idioms & slang (intermediate-advanced), esl reading comprehension worksheet: raising children (intermediate-advanced), esl reading comprehension worksheet: dreams (intermediate-advanced), esl reading comprehension worksheet: giving advice (intermediate-advanced), esl grammar worksheet: phrasal verbs: office & business (intermediate-advanced), esl grammar worksheet: phrasal verbs: dating (intermediate-advanced), esl grammar worksheet: phrasal verbs: sports (intermediate-advanced), illustrated esl lesson packages for kids.

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Esl reading comprehension worksheet: in the restaurant (beginner-elementary), esl reading comprehension worksheet: france (beginner-elementary), esl reading comprehension worksheet: zoo animals (beginner-elementary), esl reading comprehension worksheet: playing football (beginner-elementary), listening comprehension worksheet: the pet competition (elementary), esl vocabulary worksheet: sports activities, action words (elementary), esl reading comprehension worksheet: the world of dinosaurs (elementary), list: prepositions of place: at, in & on (elementary), elementary-intermediate level (a2-b1), esl vocabulary worksheet: weather report & forecast (elementary-intermediate), esl vocabulary worksheet: let’s go shopping (elementary-intermediate), esl grammar worksheet: using articles (elementary-intermediate), esl grammar worksheet: -ed & -ing adjectives: describing feelings & situations (elementary-intermediate), esl vocabulary worksheet: describing people (elementary-intermediate), ideas to create your own esl lesson plans.

Check these ideas for engaging and fun ESL lesson activities, which you can use to create customized worksheets easily. Or browse our full list of activity ideas to find tons of inspiration and materials.

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At JIMMYESL, we understand the importance of targeted learning, which is why we’ve organized our worksheets into comprehensive categories. Whether you’re focusing on grammar, vocabulary, reading, writing, listening, or speaking, you’ll find a wealth of resources tailored to your specific needs. Our categories also include worksheets for different age groups, such as kids, teens, and adults, ensuring that you can find materials appropriate for your students’ developmental stages.

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Our worksheets are designed to be engaging and interactive, promoting active learning and fostering a love for the English language. From colorful illustrations and fun activities to thought-provoking exercises and real-life scenarios, our worksheets aim to capture your students’ attention and keep them motivated throughout their learning journey. We believe that learning should be enjoyable, and our worksheets reflect that philosophy.

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We offer our worksheets in both PDF and Word formats, allowing you the flexibility to use them in a way that best suits your teaching style and your students’ needs. The PDF format allows you to print the worksheets as they are, ready to be distributed in your classroom. The Word format, on the other hand, enables you to customize the content, adapt it to your specific teaching context, and create personalized learning materials for your students.

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Explore our ESL Worksheets section today and discover a world of possibilities for your English language teaching. With JIMMYESL, you’ll have all the resources you need to create engaging, effective, and enjoyable lessons that help your students achieve their language learning goals.

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10 entertaining homework ideas for online English Language Learners

Did hearing the words, “do your homework,” when you were a child excite you? 

For most of us, the word homework doesn’t conjure up exciting or fun memories. 

Homework was likely one of the last things you wanted to do as a student!

However, what if you could make homework fun for students? What if homework was entertaining? 

In this article, we share some entertaining homework ideas for English language learners to help them improve their English while having fun!

You might be familiar with lots of ESL games and activities for your students , but assigning the right homework can feel overwhelming. 

This is particularly true if you don’t want to burden your students with a tremendous amount of information. 

Have you ever thought about combining games with homework? 

There are many alternative ways to create memorable lessons, such as incorporating karaoke songs to learn English. 

Here are 10 fun and entertaining homework ideas for your ESL students:

• Cafe hopper
• Tiktok star
• Let’s go to the movies
• Hello Mr. Teacher
• Interview a stranger
• Shine like a Karaoke star
• Expert on the loose
• 24 hour challenge
• It’s a wrap!
• Masterchef in the making

1. Cafe hopper

Most people love checking out cafes and this is an easy homework task to assign to your students.  

Have your students visit a variety of cafes as part of their homework. 

Then, consider what they could do for homework in a cafe of their choice.

Here are some fun ideas for turning cafe-hopping into homework:

• Practice ordering in English off of the menu.
• Take a photo of the cafe’s and share the differences and similarities with you in class.
• Speak to a stranger in each cafe in English and ask them some interesting questions about their life.
• Interview the barista about their favorite kind of coffee or beverage.

This is a stress-free homework idea that your students will love, especially if they are coffee or tea lovers!

2. TikTok star

Tiktok is a fun social media application where you can watch videos and songs from creators. You can also watch creators lip-synching to catchy tunes.

Show some fun examples in your class of some famous TikTok songs being lip-synched to by others and practice doing one together.

• For homework, have them choose their favorite song on TikTok.
• They can lip-synch to the song and download the song to their camera album without having to actually post it to TikTok.
• Have them share their creation with you in the next class!

Depending on the age and location of your student, TikTok might not be an option for them. If you are teaching older students or adults , then it might be easier for them to use social media for this homework assignment rather than young children.

If they are too young to use the app, have them find an online video of their favorite song and ask a parent to record them singing!

3. Let’s go to the movies

Going to the movies doesn’t sound like homework, does it? Well, as you might already be discovering, homework doesn’t have to be conventional!

Find some interesting movies that are playing in your students’ area or ask them to watch a movie of their choice in English. 

Tell them that their homework is going to be based on the movie they watch.

Here are some ideas for making going to the movies part of their homework:

• Have them write a summary of the movie or their favorite part.
• Tell them that they have to give you a movie review in your next class.
• Have them act out their favorite part of the movie with a sibling or family member and record it (in English of course!).
• Ask them to make a poster advertising the movie with captions, titles and text to accompany any drawings.

If you are struggling to find movies they can go and watch in the cinema, you can always use these ESL movies and TV shows as a resource. 

Students can also watch movies from the comforts of their homes. 

4. Hello Mr. Teacher!

Students love playing the role of the teacher! 

This can work for in-person or online ESL classes.  

Tell them that as part of the next classroom activity, the first 5 – 10 minutes will be their time to shine as the teacher!

For homework, ask them to:

• Think of one topic that they know a lot about (This could be a sport, musical instrument, game, topic, etc…).
• Have them prepare 5 important things that someone needs to know about their topic.
• Tell them that in their next class they will be the teacher and share their knowledge! (They can even give you homework!).

Have fun with this homework idea and role-play the student where you ask them questions after they finish. 

Your students will love this one!

5. Interview a stranger

This one might need some parent support and guidance if you are teaching children, but having them interview someone is an entertaining homework idea for English language learners.

• It encourages their own voice as they come up with ideas.
• It helps with writing skills as they write out their questions.
• Interviewing encourages conversation and role playing which is a fun way to learn English.

You could have your younger students interview a family member and ask questions related to that family member’s childhood. 

Here are some sample questions you could help your students form:

• What kind of things did you like to do when you were my age?
• What was your favorite thing about school?
• What types of sports did you play when you were young?
• Tell me about what life was like when you were a child.

Have them choose and write out 5-10 questions and come back to class to report on their findings!

6. Shine like a Karaoke star

Who doesn’t like a bit of karaoke? Imagine….singing your heart out to “I love rock n roll” in the privacy of your own home!

You don’t need to go to a karaoke place to actually sing karaoke songs. There are lots of great karaoke songs available online to learn English with your students.

YouTube is a great place to start, just by searching for your favorite song + “karaoke lyrics” in the search bar.

In class, help your student(s) choose a song and task them with finding the online karaoke lyrics to sing along.

Have them sing this for homework! You could even ask a parent to help them record it if they are comfortable with that.

Here are some fun and popular karaoke songs online to learn English:

• “I Will Survive” with Gloria Gaynor
• “Livin’ on a Prayer” with Bon Jovi
• “Summer Nights” with John Travolta and Olivia Newton John
• “Don’t Stop Believin’” with Journey

7. Expert on the loose

There is an expert in all of us, including your students!

In this fun and entertaining homework idea, have your student share their expertise on something!

To add a different dimension to the homework idea, “Hello Mr. Teacher,” task your students to dress up as the expert and make a short speech on their topic of choice.

Here are some examples:

• Harry Potter
• Michael Jordan (to talk about basketball)
• Favorite sports athlete
• Insect scientist
• Astronaut (if your student knows a lot about space)
• Presidential candidate
• Pilot (for students who know a lot about countries)

Even if they are not an expert on the topic, part of the homework assignment could be to do some research and learn more about their chosen field.

You could even ask them to dress up and come to class in the role, ready to share their knowledge with you! 

8. 24 hour English challenge

This one is self-explanatory and incredibly fun!

Set a challenge for your student to only speak in English for 24 hours. 

This means that you might need to get parents involved with the homework assignment, so that they can help out.

The idea is that they have to speak only in English (as much as is possible given their situation) when interacting with family, friends and at school.

Your students might already be immersed in English environments, but, oftentimes, they are speaking their native language at home with family and friends.

Having your students force themselves to only speak in English is challenging and a great way to encourage English outside the classroom.

9. It’s a wrap!

Lots of students love to rap! Rap music is poetic and encourages a lot of ESL language skills that we want to build in our students.

This is an activity that you can model with your students in class and assign it for homework for them to create their own rap.

Again, they can come back to class and rap their new song to you! It might, however, work better with older students who have a good base level of English, to begin with.

Here are some fun homework assignments incorporating rap:

• Create their own rap if they are the creative type
• Find a well known rap online and practice it to present in class
• Assign your students to find a rap online that they sing and record with their friends

10. Masterchef extraordinaire

For the food lovers, creating a homework assignment that includes cooking can be really fun.

Most kids love the idea of cooking, especially if it centers around cooking their favorite food!

When considering this as a homework idea, consider these possible assignments:

• Create and write out a recipe for a unique culinary dish.
• Make a video about the cooking experience.
• Record a tutorial of how to cook something.
• Turn it into a competition if you have multiple students.

Plus, this works with physical and online classrooms. 

Of course, if you have a physical classroom with multiple students, this could be a really fun in-class experience with some homework assignments to accompany it.

Who doesn’t love a food-related assignment? 

If you choose Masterchef extraordinaire, allow your students to share the food they make with the class and encourage lots of conversations in English.

Homework doesn’t have to be boring!

As you can see, homework doesn’t have to be boring! 

Most of your ESL students have a lot to do even outside class, and that’s why assigning homework that doesn’t feel like homework is ideal!

This is an opportunity to get creative, creating excitement for your students to learn English.

If you use some of the homework ideas mentioned here, make sure you document the experience and continue to discover new activities that bring laughter and joy to the classroom. 

And when you are applying to online teaching jobs , be sure to share how you plan to creatively incorporate class assignments and homework for your students!

Enjoy the process and make learning an enjoyable experience for everyone. 

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13 Exciting Homework Ideas for EFL/ESL: No worksheets!

Who likes homework? Nobody, right? Especially not if it’s the same dreary worksheets and textbook exercises every time.

Well, some students actually do like homework! That’s because their teachers give them engaging, interesting and unique activities to do.

I used to find setting homework a challenge in EFL/ESL classes. What can you do to give them good practice and develop confidence without boring them to tears?

Simple – do one of the activities on this list!

• Narrative Telephone
• What Do You See?
• Write a blog
• Record a vlog
• Scavenger photos
• Watch films & series
• Write a journal
• Listen to podcasts
• Write to a pen pal
• Prepare a mini-presentation
• Read the news
• Enjoy some English music

The first six entries are creative and unique, suitable for classes where you really want to get students active and involved. The following seven are just as engaging, but a little more focused and “normal”.

1. Word Hunts

A Word Hunt is a vocab acquisition activity (a technique I describe in my article How to Elicit Vocabulary ).

You can do it in class, with students searching for things they don’t know the word for in English. They take a photo and add it to a list of vocabulary to learn.

The home version is similar. Students go around their house and photograph things they’d like to learn the name for in English. They bring the pictures to class and start learning the words.

It doesn’t have to be restricted to things in their home, either. If they go shopping, to the park, on holiday, etc. they can take photos of things they see and share them with their classmates.

Any student who has their own phone can do this activity. For younger kids, you’ll need the support of the parents.

For more on vocab learning techniques, check out my article Ultimate ESL Vocab Teaching Guide: Revolutionary system .

2. Narrative Telephone

This game features in my 9 EFL/ESL Games and Activities for Advanced Learners article, so it’s an advanced activity. You can adapt it for intermediate students, but it won’t work well with beginners. It requires everyone to have email or a messenger app on their phone. So not ideal for young kids.

You can play it in the classroom, but the homework version is just as fun, if not more so. It’s like the Telephone/Whispers game, but with stories instead of words.

The way it works is the teacher records themself reading a short story and sends it to one of their students. That student listens ONCE. Then they record themself re-telling the story and send it on to the next student who does the same.

This continues until the last student, who records themself re-telling it. They can send the final audio to everyone, or keep it until the next class to share the hilarity.

Here’s a video I made on my YouTube channel that explains how it works:

With a large class, you can set off multiple telephone chains. If you have 30 students, instead of having the chain go all the way around the 30, have three chains which go through 10. Then see which chain transmitted the story the best.

When choosing a story, keep it relatively short (a couple of paragraphs at most) and use it to introduce or consolidate new vocab and grammar.

3. What Do You See?

What Do You See? is another great activity for expanding students’ breadth of language.

They should go somewhere: to the street, the park, into the countryside, etc. You can tell them where to go if you want to direct their learning, for example if you’re learning about transport, they should go near a busy road.

With a pencil and paper, they find a comfortable place and write what they see.

For beginners, this can just be individual words. For intermediates it could be sentences like “I see a woman jogging with her dog.” And for advanced students, challenge them to create a full description of the place, taking into account all the senses.

While they are doing it, they are allowed to look up individual words. In this way they learn language that is immediately relevant. However, they shouldn’t translate sentences. By writing what they see, they develop sentence formation skills.

If you want to avoid making them writing, or want to repeat the activity in a different way, get students to record themselves talking about what they see.

4. Write a Blog

Blogs are a fun way of getting students to explore their interests while using English.

This one isn’t great for young kids who aren’t used to using tech yet, although if their parents are on board, they can help get things set up.

It’s super easy to set up a blog nowadays, and students can post articles from home or from their phone while travelling.

The way you set up the homework really depends on your class. With an individual student, you could get them to write one short article a week, then you can take a look at it in the next class.

With a small group, you might want to alternate who posts an article each week. And with a large class, you may want to choose a few students each week to post their article, or get everyone to write something short every week.

The content of the articles is up to you, or up to your students!

You could make it an account of what they did that week, an explanation of something they know a lot about, or a review of a film or series they recently watched.

5. Record a vlog

Recording a vlog is just like writing a blog, but challenges students speaking skills while on camera.

Yes, it requires students to have access to video recording technology, but let’s be honest, even 10-year-olds nowadays have powerful cameras on their phones.

If you really want to push your students, challenge them to record a short post every day for a full week. Maybe when they’re on the way to school/work or in their free time afterwards.

Again, the content can be whatever you or your students decide.

A word on privacy and safety. If you’re going to do this with students under 18, DEFINITELY get their parents’ permission. Most will be perfectly fine with this.

And if you’re worried about privacy concerns, you can keep the videos private – only for those in the class to watch. Most video content platforms like YouTube and TikTok have this option now.

6. Scavenger photos

A fun challenge for kids and adults alike, scavenger hunts with photos are great fun. Give students a list of things and over the week they have to take a photo of one.

With beginners, this can be household items, food, common things in the city, etc. It’s a great way to introduce new vocabulary.

Challenge students with more abstract things, like “something that is squishy” or “something that you can’t break”.

And go a step further: “something you couldn’t live without” or “something which terrifies you”, or “something worth over a million dollars”.

In the next class, students can share the things they photographed and, with the more abstract ones, talk about why they chose that thing.

7. Watch films & series

Everyone loves watching films and series. Since most of the famous ones are in English, they’re a great resource for fun homework.

You can make things as structured as you like – focus on specific words and grammar that appear in dialogue, or just have a chat about what happened in the film/episode in the next class.

I like to let students recount the events. Older students can even make predictions about what will happen in the next episode.

A word on subtitles: Advanced students should try to watch the English version without subtitles. For most, though, this is too difficult. Just make sure subtitles are in English, not their native language, otherwise you lose all benefits of the activity.

8. Write a journal

Either at the start of the day or before they go to bed, writing a short English entry into a journal is a powerful way of embedding English in students’ day-to-day lives. This activity is for most ages, except the youngest kids.

As a journal is a private endeavour, I would never expect to see it. Just encourage them to write a few sentences, not worrying too much about accuracy.

When they’re writing, they’ll come across words they don’t know. They’ll be motivated to learn this vocabulary, as it’s immediately relevant to their lives. It’s valuable .

This is an example of organic acquisition, something you can learn about in my article What Vocab Should You Teach in EFL/ESL .

9. Listen to podcasts

Podcasts get more and more popular with every year. You can find them on pretty much any topic, and they provide excellent listening practice.

Advanced students can attempt to listen to natural English podcasts in their original form.

For beginners/intermediates, there are some podcasts designed for EFL/ESL learners, podcastsinenglish.com being one example, with British English, and Effortless English for those wanting to learn the American way of speaking.

10. Write to a pen pal

Writing homework is always a tough sell. Pen pals can provide the kind of motivation which is impossible to get from the usual writing assignments.

The challenge is finding pen pals who will write back consistently. PenPal World is a good option to connect with people online, although there are plenty of other sites which do the same.

Alternatively, write the responses yourself. Have an ongoing back and forth of letters between you and your students, where you can get to know each other (and give some helpful corrections!)

11. Prepare a mini-presentation

Mini-presentations are a great peer-teaching activity. Give students a topic (can be anything: grammar, a famous person, a favourite hobby, etc.) and have them do a 1-minute presentation on it in the next class.

Scripts are optional. Personally, I prefer my students to speak without a script, but for those who aren’t as confident, encourage them to make brief notes.

12. Read the news

Reading the news is a more advanced activity. Most newspapers and websites require a fairly high level of English to understand, and the content isn’t interesting for most children.

However, there are websites designed for EFL/ESL students, such as News in Levels and Simple English News . Also, try CBBC Newsround . It’s not specifically for EFL/ESL students, but it is perfect for kids.

For more advanced learners, any news network is great. I prefer BBC News for the quality and clarity of writing.

News-based homework can be formal, with a conversation and questions about specific articles in the next class, or you can allow your students to pick what they read and share their findings.

13. Enjoy some English Music

This one applies to learners of all ages and levels. Many students will already listen to music in English, as it’s popular around the world.

You can make this a structured homework, assigning specific songs, with the aim of recognising certain words or grammar structures. Supplement this by studying the lyrics in class.

Or keep it relaxed. Introduce your students to some new artists, and encourage them to share songs they’ve enjoyed over the week. Ask them why they like the music, how it makes them feel, etc.

With younger kids, just having them listen to English songs is enough. Give parents a playlist to put on in the car or when they wake up in the morning.

Homework can be fun. In fact, I’d argue it should be fun to get the best results.

The important thing is to know your students and keep things varied – that way you won’t have to chase your students up every week.

Thanks for reading, and I hope you use these ideas for wonderful teaching. If you’re looking for ideas of what to do in the classroom, check out my article on Why All EFL/ESL Teachers Should Use Role Play Activities

If you’re looking for more games and activities, check out my other lists: 9 EFL/ESL Speaking Games & Activities Perfect for Beginners 9 EFL/ESL Games & Activities for Intermediate Learners 9 EFL/ESL Games and Activities for Advanced Learners 9 High Energy EFL/ESL Games for Boosting Vocabulary 9 Engaging Homework Ideas for EFL/ESL: No worksheets! 9 Exciting EFL/ESL Activities for Writing & Spelling 9 Fun EFL/ESL Games & Ideas With Standard Playing Cards 9 EFL/ESL Games With No Materials or Preparation Needed 9 EFL/ESL 5 Minute Games Every Teacher Needs to Know 9 Superb EFL/ESL Games & Activities Using Just Pen & Paper 9 Classy EFL/ESL Games & Activities for Adults (+ tips) 9 Confidence-Boosting EFL/ESL Speaking Games for All Levels 9 Exciting Flashcard Games for EFL/ESL Classes

I’m Will, a teacher, blogger, and fantasy author. I grew up in England, but now I live in Spain where I teach private English classes to dozens of wonderful students.

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Top 7 English Homework Tips for Teachers, Students and Parents

7 ways to create meaningful English homework. Tips for teachers, parents and students

Homework. The bane of student life everywhere. And teachers too! Won’t someone please think of the teachers?

It has been one of the hottest debates among progressives and traditionalists in education circles for many years now; is homework help or a hindrance?

Millions of student hours per year are wasted on busy work, which adds little to student learning. But that doesn’t mean that the judicious use of homework can’t add greatly to student learning, particularly in an area as complex as literacy.

Regarding reading and writing homework, there are good points to be made on both sides. But, as with many hot-button issues, the truth likely lies somewhere in the middle.

In this article, we will look at what we need to consider when we set homework to ensure it provides value to our students’ learning. We will look at what to do, what not to do, and just how much of it to do.

ENGLISH HOMEWORK TIP 1: Bin the Busy Work!

Ask your average student what their pet peeve is regarding their current station in life, and more often than not, homework will be mentioned in the reply. It is just as much a fixture in the life of a student as an oven is in the life of a baker. Unfortunately, as many students robotically complete their homework as teachers that robotically set the tasks. And here lies our first problem – busy work!

Homework should ALWAYS be focused. It should be carefully designed and purposeful. Without clear objectives built-in, the homework serves little to no pedagogical purpose. It is more likely to be a waste of the student’s time and the time of the teacher who is doomed to mark it.

The first rule of Homework Club is Bin the Busy Work!

ENGLISH HOMEWORK TIP 2: Make The Homework Fit for Purpose

It may seem obvious, but homework must be suited to the ability of the student. How often have diligent students pulled their hair out struggling over a problem all night, press-ganging parents into the effort, only to be soundly trounced by a problem Einstein himself would need his morning coffee before attempting.

Avoid setting homework that will stretch the student to the elastic limits of their abilities. We don’t want anyone ‘snapping’ here. The material chosen for reading or writing homework should, however, challenge the student to some degree. Just as with strength training, some resistance is required to build ‘muscle’ here.

As in Rule #1 above, homework should be carefully designed to achieve a certain objective. But, one size most certainly doesn’t fit all. Be sure to differentiate homework appropriately for the different abilities of different students. Often, you won’t need to set different tasks, a slight tweak in the instructions given will be enough to make it suitable for the various ability levels.

YEAR LONG DIGITAL READING LOG / DIARY

Leap into the CLASSROOM OF THE FUTURE and ditch your paper-based reading logs or journals FOREVER. This dynamic BUNDLE OF RESOURCES allows you to track and assess your students reading with far more efficiency and effectiveness than ever before. INCLUDING: ✔ A dynamic DIGITAL READING SURVEY which AUTOMATICALLY ADAPTS based upon the genre of book your students are reading and what point of the text they are up to ✔ A pre-written LETTER FOR PARENTS AND STUDENTS explaining how it all works and the clear benefits it offers teachers, students and parents. ✔ A set of POSTERS AND BOOKMARKS matched to your class reading log so you kids can access this ANYTIME, ANYWHERE on ANY DEVICE ✔ A VIDEO TUTORIAL explaining how to edit, customize and deliver this to parents and students with ease, as well as how to sort, filter and manage your student data

ENGLISH HOMEWORK TIP 3: Set Time Limits

We all have both good days and bad days, and all sorts of days in between. Regardless of what sort of day you had, one thing is for sure, there were 24 hours in it. One of the more difficult things as a teacher, especially in a school with a vague homework policy, is just how much homework to set. The answer is, of course, it depends , and while time is certainly an imperfect means of gauging this, it at least provides some guidelines.

Just how much time depends on quite a few things. The time of year, for example. If exams are ongoing, you may want to avoid heaping extra pressure on your students. Perhaps too, your school has a very prescriptive homework policy that restricts your flexibility in terms of how much time you can set for homework tasks.

All that aside, the general wisdom on setting homework is that it should start at around 10 minutes for grade 1 and gradually increase by around ten minutes per grade, up to a maximum of 2 hours per day for the oldest students.

Like most things in teaching, however, this is more of an art than a cold, hard science. Pay attention to your students and how they are bearing up under the workload. Your priority here should always be to maximize the learning done in the classroom, so don’t overdo it.

ENGLISH HOMEWORK TIP 4: Give Timely Feedback

For feedback to be useful, it must be timely. If a student has spent hours composing an essay; researching their material, drafting an outline, organising their structure, writing and rewriting to submit their finished piece only to be told 4 weeks later that the third paragraph lacks purpose, the third paragraph will not be the only thing that lacks purpose.

If feedback is to be of any value, you must strike while the mental forge is still hot. Our students’ lives are most likely busy and interesting. Often their focus will be transient, if not downright fickle. If you want your feedback to stick – it must be delivered while the smoke still hangs in the air.

ENGLISH HOMEWORK TIP 5: Get Creative with the Tasks

Many of our students hate homework. Perhaps ‘despise’ would be a better word. And is it any wonder? Especially when it comes to reading and writing. Learning to read and write well requires lots of practice, and a certain amount of repetition is inescapable. But, I would argue, there should be no reason for homework to be boring. There isn’t a more wondrous subject in the world than literacy, after all!

Reading and writing are very broad areas of learning. Ample opportunities are afforded to allow you to come up with engaging and creative ways for your students to reinforce their learning. You just need to begin with your learning objective and reverse engineer unique ways to get there.

Let’s take instruction writing as an example. Say you have already taught the key criteria of instruction writing: a title, a resource list, some diagrams with captions, bullet or numbered points, use of transition words and imperatives etc. You now want the students to consolidate their understanding of the genre by writing their own set of instructions at home, but how to do it in an interesting fashion?

Well, let’s brainstorm and see if we can’t make things a little more interesting for our students. Recipes are a type of instruction writing. You could set them the task of writing a recipe for their favorite sandwich, but that’s kind of, well, lame!

How about writing a recipe for the most disgusting sandwich in the world? Yes, now that’s much better. Maybe they could word process it too and include Creative Commons images to support the text, Or, they could even make a script and record a video instructional, sharpening up their video-editing skills along the way.

Regardless of which of these methods you choose, your students would still be fulfilling the original objective of reinforcing their understanding of the criteria of the genre.

Bear in mind, however, you should not set homework that requires students to use resources that they don’t have access to, so be sure to give this due consideration when getting creative with your homework tasks.

ENGLISH HOMEWORK TIP 6: Leverage Interest

“ You can bring a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink ”, as the old saying goes – and it certainly applies to homework.

This rule relies heavily on the relationship you build with your students over time. Allied to the point above, there are a million different ways to teach an objective, but try to engineer activities that leverage the specific interests of your students.

If you are setting a homework task to reinforce reading comprehension skills, for example, are there opportunities for you to select, or allow your students to select, material that they are interested in?

The same applies when selecting topics for writing. Where student interest is engaged, learning often becomes effortless.

ENGLISH HOMEWORK TIP 7: Give Homework At The Start of the Lesson

It is general practice to give homework at the end of the lesson. By then, you will have introduced a lesson objective, worked through some examples during class, and now you can set homework for the students to further consolidate their understanding at home.

It makes sense, right? Well, yes, but there is another option.

Sharing the homework task with your students at the start of class may, at times, be preferable. There are several benefits to this. Often, at the end of class, our students are worn out. They are like greyhounds at the starting gate, raring to go home, to the next class, or for lunch. The last place their attention is is on more of the topic they have just been working on. Setting homework at the start of the class avoids the feeling like you are trying to herd cats at the end of class.

Another strong benefit to setting the homework at the start of the class is that it focuses the students on specific learning goals for the lesson to come. Students will be motivated to engage more with their learning as it will make their homework much easier to do that evening. Give it a go with your class and see!

The Takeaways

Homework should be used as a means of consolidating learning done in the classroom. Tasks should be focused and offer opportunities for students to improve their understanding of important concepts or develop specific skills.

Homework should be designed in such a way that it is manageable by students. It should not be beyond the limits of their abilities and time limits should be set to prevent student frustration from boiling over if they struggle to complete it.

Feedback needs to be given in a timely fashion for it to serve any useful purpose. This means that consideration must be given to your workload when assigning homework. Will you have enough time to mark the students’ work and provide the necessary feedback in a timely manner?

If not, reconsider the tasks you are setting. Remember, you may also find value in peer assessment activities too.

Also, try setting homework at the start of class to motivate student participation in the lesson to come. And, you’ll avoid that tussle at lesson’s end as the students rush for the door!

Literacy is such a fascinating subject area that there will always be room to create interesting homework tasks. You just require a little space to allow your imagination to run freely. The personal interests of your students can provide a great starting point for the creation of engaging and fun homework tasks.

Remember too, there’s an upper limit to how much homework you should set, and it may not always be necessary to set homework. When you do set homework, set it judiciously, and you will undoubtedly add to the learning experience of your students.

OTHER GREAT RELEVANT ARTICLES

17 Fun First Day Of School Writing Activities

7 Evergreen Writing Activities for Elementary Students

A complete guide to Onomatopoeia

Punctuation rules for students and teachers: A complete guide

Hyperbole: A Complete Guide for Students and Teachers

Top 5 Essay Writing Tips

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11 vocabulary homework ideas and how to motivate students to do it, by: vocab gal.

Homework is such a valuable formative assessment for both teachers and students, and yet students are motivated* by many different factors when it comes to their desire to actually complete the work. In this article, I'm sharing how to motivate students to do their homework and 11 vocabulary homework ideas and worksheets that work in grades 1–12. Plus, preview and grab my 7 Options for Vocabulary Homework Kit .

Keep scrolling to find vocabulary homework ideas! 

How to motivate students to do their homework.

As a teacher, I try to concentrate students’ learning on activities done in class, because asking some students to complete work at home can be daunting. Many times in my career I have been discouraged when more than half the class does not return to class with their homework assignment complete.

Yet we only have so many minutes with our students, and we need them to practice the concepts and skills they are learning until the knowledge becomes ingrained. Most students have a homeroom, study hall, or other downtime during the day in which they could complete activities, they just have to be motivated to do it.

Many studies cite “student choice” as one of the most important factors in inspiring students to learn. When students have the opportunity to select what questions to answer, what activity to complete or what role to play, they tend to feel more comfortable and confident about performing.

Additionally, research shows that when students are dedicated to a task important to them, like improving their video game scores, or optimizing their success on a playing field, they will go to great lengths to improve. While probably not as meaningful as their video game level, students will be more excited to answer questions about themselves than a generic worksheet.

By providing students with both choice and a topic that is personally meaningful, homework can be a great learning exercise as well as an important formative assessment.

Steps to Ensure Students Complete Homework

There are a few other motivating factors that can help establish homework as a meaningful part of a student’s educational experience. Here are suggested steps a school, parish, department, or teacher might take to ensure successful homework completion.

Step One First, confirm that students have a strong rapport with their teacher(s). While it is difficult to cultivate a deep relationship with each student, teachers should strive to show students that they value their students and are committed to helping them learn and grow to their fullest potential. I would encourage teachers not to assign homework for the first few weeks of school until they develop a classroom community of respect and appreciation for learning.

Step Two Second, once the classroom community has been established, teachers should specifically explain the importance of homework as a way of deeply ingraining knowledge. Teachers should also make it clear that homework is a meaningful formative assessment where both they and their students can understand what students know and where there are knowledge gaps.

Step Three Third, some students may be quite unhappy when being mandated to do specific work. Therefore, teachers should stress the choices a student gets when completing their homework and that students get to complete the work that best reflects their own sense of self.

Step Four Finally, the teacher should praise students individually, as well as praise the class when homework is turned in on time. Many students thrive on positive reinforcement and also many may feel guilt if they let their classmates or teacher down. Additionally, as many teachers know, a word of encouragement or a small sticker can make the difference to many.

How to Respond When Homework is Not Completed

When at last it comes time for homework collection, there will be students who did not complete the assignment, no matter how well it was set up. Teachers can again encourage students who did not complete the homework in time to think about what may motivate them to complete it. If a student seems to dislike direct mandates, providing support such as, “I know that you value your learning and will find a way to demonstrate your abilities,” might be more effective than, “Turn in your paper by Thursday or it’s a zero!”

For others who seem driven by the need to please or help others, teachers might encourage students by stating, “I’m disappointed that you weren’t able to complete your work on time, and I know you will submit your work in order to show us both what you know and understand,” might work better than, “Don’t you want the credit for this assignment?”

Vocabulary Homework Ideas for Students

For this post, I have a few homework assignments that model these ideas. Both in my new It's All About Me vocabulary practice page, and my tried-and true,  7 Options for Vocabulary Homework bundle, students are motivated to continue their learning because they have both choice and a focus on themselves, a topic in which they are already invested.

My new It's All About Me Vocabulary Activity tasks students with answering a series of questions about themselves using vocabulary words in context. On the first page of this download students will list their vocabulary words and write their own brief definitions. On the second page student will answer eight prompts. Each response should include at least one of the vocabulary words from their list in context . In each of their answers students must underline the context clues that would help someone unfamiliar with the word understand what it means.

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 a plain piece of paper or in student workbooks.

Here are the vocabulary activities listed on the 7 Options for Vocabulary Homework handout:

#1 Say Your Words

Do you love the sound of your own voice? Do you tend to learn information by teaching others? Then try saying each of the vocabulary words, out loud and in context, to friends, family, strangers, etc. Use either your flashcards or your list of words, and make sure to get initials from someone who heard you say your vocabulary sentence. If you can’t get a signature, just explain when and how you said the sentences and we will invoke the HONOR SYSTEM! Create two sentences per word.

Do you love to write? Do you copy your notes to help you remember information? Then try writing two sentences for each vocabulary word. These can either be two individual sentences for each word or you can put all of your words together in a story. (If you write a story, you only have to use each word once). Have fun and get creative – amuse me and impress me, but make sure you use your vocabulary words in context!

#3 Write Your Words in Other Classes

As an alternative to the above “Write your Words,” use your vocabulary in your assignments for other classes – social studies essays, science notes, art descriptions, etc. Write down the vocabulary you used for this assignment (For example: On my science test I said “Newton was meritorious,” etc.). You can abbreviate your explanations slightly, as long as I understand you know the word’s meaning; remember to use each word twice.

#4 Become Your Words

Do you gesture when you talk? Is it hard for you to sit still? Then consider creating motions to go along with your words. Cry for lament , raise your arms in praise for approbation , etc. See me during class to “perform” your motions, or write them down, making sure that the connection between word, meaning, and gesture makes sense.

#5 Draw Your Words

Are you an artist? Do you constantly doodle? Then create cartoons or drawings that illustrate each word’s meaning. Create one drawing or cartoon per word and make them neat, using clean white paper (consider using recycled paper that has printing on the other side). Paperclip all your drawings together for the end of the week.

#6 Sing Your Words

Do you love to sing? Are you constantly creating your own raps? Try rewriting the lyrics to a song to incorporate each of your vocabulary words or write your own song, rap, etc. You can also write poetry; regardless of the form you choose, the words should be used in the correct context.

#7 Test Your Words

Do you want to play teacher and write the test as well as take it? Now you can! Create a vocabulary test using all the words in a variety of different types of questions. Make sure to create the answer key to the test as well.

Download the 7 Options for Vocabulary Homework bundle and have students keep the selection sheet in their binders. Now they have seven weeks of vocabulary homework assignments!

Additional Vocabulary Homework Ideas

Ultimately, establishing a culture of community and trust in the classroom, explaining the reasoning behind and the benefits of homework, and providing choice and meaningful topics can make a significant difference in completion rates. Even if homework is not completed on time, teachers can still work to connect with each student to provide motivation to complete the assignments.

As educators, we all strive to make learning exciting and applicable to our students. By setting up clear expectations and providing interesting options, we can make any homework, including vocabulary homework, meaningful and valuable to students.

 *I have recently completed Gretchen Rubin’s audiobook The Four Tendencies about what motivates different groups of people. Many of the ideas about motivating students come loosely from her book as well as my own observations. I highly recommend the book to anyone wanting to learn how to better motivate themselves and others.