ESL Video: How to Sleep Better

Here is another ESL video for upper int/advanced level classes:

http://roadtogrammar.com/videoesl/video_5_bettersleep/

It's a list of tips for getting a good night's sleep.

This would be great to project on the board as a class activity (I do this all the time with my classes). There is an intro, a video, vocab, a quiz, a discussion and some learning points.

The page works on mobile devices.

ESL Video: Meet the Freegans

Number four in our series of ESL videos for upper int/advanced level classes:

http://www.roadtogrammar.com/videoesl/video_4_thefreegans/

This video talks about 'freegans', who live off the food discarded by supermarkets

This would be great to project on the board as a class activity (I do this all the time with my classes). There is an intro, a video, vocab, a quiz, a discussion and some learning points.

The page works on mobile devices.

ESL Video: Too Much Stuff!

Here is another ESL video for upper int/advanced level classes:

http://roadtogrammar.com/videoesl/video_3_lessstuff/

It's Graham Hill's fascinating TED Talk on living without many possessions

This would be great to project on the board as a class activity (I do this all the time with my classes). There is an intro, a video, vocab, a quiz, a discussion and some learning points.

The page works on mobile devices.

ESL Video: Is Coffee Harmful

The second in the series of ESL video practice pages:

Is coffee harmful?

http://roadtogrammar.com/videoesl/video_2_iscoffeehealthy/

ESL Video Lesson: Try Something New

Here is the first in a series of ESL videos for upper int/advanced level classes:

http://roadtogrammar.com/videoesl/video_1_trysomethingnew/

It's Matt Cutts' inspirational TED Talk on taking up 30-day challenges.

This would be great to project on the board as a class activity (I do this all the time with my classes). There is an intro, a video, vocab, a quiz, a discussion and some learning points.

The page works on mobile devices.

Site Improvements

I've made some improvements to the Road To Grammar main site:

1 Notes and PDFs can be accessed directly from the main page

2 Quizzes are slightly bigger when viewed on a desktop or laptop (good for smartboards, too).

3 Quizzes have an infobar so you can see the title of the quiz

4 A few simple cosmetic changes

* The site works on mobile devices
* Ads are kept to a minimum

Screenshots:

Three Confusing Negative Words

Priceless

From looking at the word itself, you might think that priceless means FREE.

In fact it means exactly the opposite. If something is priceless, it is so valuable that you cannot attach a price to it.

The museum has a collection of priceless Ming Dynasty vases.


Infamous

Does infamous mean not famous?

No, infamous means famous for something terrible! The word notorious has the same meaning.

The infamous bandit Lucky Luke has struck again!


Invaluable

Not valuable?

No,  if something is invaluable, it is extremely useful.

Maria gave me some invaluable advice before I opened my new cafe.

French Connections in English

French has had a massive impact on English vocabulary.

I have put together a slideshow showing how French words have influenced English words that would be great for advanced level ESL learners.

View it on Road to grammar: www.roadtogrammar.com/frenchconnections

Slideshare (you can download the powerpoint file): http://www.slideshare.net/roadtogrammar/french-connections

Or YouTube (with music): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mr2AqgULhpU

Word Game

Advanced ESL students might enjoy this word game:

http://flashbynight.com/mesh

The Present Perfect Tense

Road to Grammar's unit on the Present Perfect Tense has been reworked in HTML5 so that it will work on any size screen, including smartphones.

The unit can be accessed at: http://roadtogrammar.com/presperfect/

The unit features:

• over ten pages of notes
• ten exercises with plenty of questions and immediate feedback
• a mobile-friendly layout
• simple navigation system
• a smartboard-friendly layout - teachers can use it in a class with a smartboard or projector

Screenshots:

Critical Thinking Activity

whaddayaknowabout.com has an activity which would be useful in a critical thinking skills class. You identify premises and the conclusion by dragging and dropping them into place. Works on mobile.

URL: http://whaddayaknowabout.com/criticalthinking/premiseandconclusion/

Updates

The notes on the usage of CAN/COULD and WOULD have been updated:

roadtogrammar.com/notes/?REF=25
roadtogrammar.com/notes/?REF=255

Free ESL Class Unit: Health

I have just completed the second in a series of ESL units; this one is on the topic of Health.

The unit has eight activities, including discussion, vocabulary, reading, listening, grammar and writing. It would cover over three hours of class time.

The materials can easily be projected onto a classroom board or downloaded as a pdf. Teachers are free to copy and distribute the materials as they wish. It can also be viewed on a phone or tablet.

The audio clip for the listening can be played directly from the web page. Exercises have an 
'answer' button which will reveal the correct responses.

The unit can be found at the link below:

www.roadtogrammar.com/units/health

ESL Trivia Game for classroom use

I have taken the question bank from the game Fluent (roadtogrammar.com/fluent) and put them in a format where they can be projected easily in a classroom.

It's simple to use: just go to roadtogrammar.com/trivia and click or tap away. There's a section at the bottom of the page where you can enter team names and track the scores.

It works on mobile, too, so you could have students test each other using their phones.

Screenshot:

Discussion Topics and Worksheets

The site whaddayaknowabout.com has some interesting worksheets entitled 'Topics for Big Thinkers'. They are aimed at high school/college classes, but could be good for advanced ESL classes as well.

The current topics are: subcultures, conspiracy theories and left/right wing politics

The URL is: whaddayaknowabout.com/bigthinkers