Teaching ESL cannot be compared to regular teaching. It requires extra attention for the students. As an ESL teacher, you need to understand your classroom and know what is just right for your students. There are a million resources available for you as an ESL teacher. Sometimes, it’s overwhelming to find a suitable one. If you teach K-12 ESL learners, we found the 8 best resources that ESL teachers use to teach K-12 ESL learners.

TEFL Tunes (tefltunes.com)

How long does it take you to learn your favorite song? Nothing sticks to our head like the lyrics of your favorite music. This resource takes advantage of the power of songs by using it to teach grammatical concepts. Kids can be so impressed with songs; who can forget the ABC song? This site classifies songs according to a child’s learning level, theme, and tasks. Some of the lesson plans are free but to gain complete access to the resources; you need to subscribe.

Busy Teacher (busyteacher.org)

Busy Teacher is proof that you can get awesome things for free! They have resources on every topic you can think of. The best part is teachers write everything on the site for teachers. These teachers already have an understanding of the ESL classroom, so you can trust they will create what is just right!

ELSA SPEAK App (elsaspeak.com)

ELSA Speak app is an amazing tool for young ESL learners. ELSA Speak app even has a customized service and product for ESL teachers and schools to utilize. ELSA Speak enterprise version lets teachers monitor individual student’s performance remotely on a dashboard as well as personalize their lesson plans. Check out how ELSA partners with schools and teachers to provide effective English language education in classrooms and beyond.

Story Place (www.storyplace.org)

This one is perfect for young learners because of the colorful videos and stories. It is beneficial for students to learn how to speak English for the first time. Story place will encourage your students to read even outside the classroom.

ESL Games World (www.eslgamesworld.com)

No matter how interesting you are as a teacher, you will meet students who are bored in the classroom. This is one way you can gain the attention of students. The ESL Games World has lots of interactive games available to test your student’s grammar and vocabulary. They also have printable games available so that you can use games even without the internet.

ESL Videos (www.eslvideo.com/index.php)

This is the perfect YouTube alternative. Made with the ESL teacher in mind, here you can access numerous ESL videos that you can use to assess students’ vocabulary, grammar, and listening skills. There are also quizzes and lesson plans available in each video for you made by teachers just like you. If you’re not satisfied with the quizzes, you can also create and add yours to the site.

Class Dojo (www.classdojo.com)

Need help managing your classroom? Classdojo is the best app for that. It’s free for all teachers and available on all devices. You can give digital high-fives and rewards to high performing students so the class can be motivated. Lastly, the app enables you to connect with your student’s parents to share news about their children’s progress.

ESL Galaxy (www.esl-galaxy.com)

It’s a galaxy, indeed. Packed with free resources for the ESL teacher, get access to videos, games, printable worksheets, lesson plan packs, and board games. You can visit the site for any random ESL teaching needs, and you won’t be disappointed.

TEFL.net (www.tefl.net)

This site is perfect for customization of lesson plans and creating your very own quizzes quickly and easily. They also have already made lesson plans and quizzes just in case you don’t have the time to develop yours. Their materials are mainly focused on improving your students’ communicative skills.

These resources can take your ESL lessons from zero to hero, give them a try in your next class!

Make sure to check out a related article, Family Resource List: Supporting Your ELL Students