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Encourage students to talk about their experiences and share their opinions about interesting and practical situations.
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In the News
Engage and challenge your intermediate and advanced level students with learning based and interesting current events.
Teaching Online?
Share ‘Student Copies’ of Handouts with students in your Online lessons. These Handouts exclude Teaching Notes and answers.
Handout Library
Your students want to learn about different cultures, travel, business, and discuss real issues affecting them now.
Encourage your students to practice English with communicative activities such as role plays, discussions, and conversations about topics that are essential for them.
Every handout and worksheet includes detailed Teaching Notes.
The Teaching Notes include tips, techniques, and methods for teaching the range of activities used in our handouts as well as the answers for questions and activities. Read them before you teach your class and be confident teaching the material covered. A Student Copy without Teaching Notes is also provided so you can use our handouts to teach in your Online Classes.
Our Handout and Lesson Plan Library is growing and improving everyday!
Feedback from our teachers and subscribers help us to improve our handouts and lesson teaching notes. Older handouts get updated and the teaching notes improved to reflect suggestions from our teachers, therefore you should check the ‘update date’ of Handouts and Worksheets you use regularly to make sure you are teaching the latest version.
Students are introduced to and review English grammar.
Grammar is taught using fun matching and gap fill activities as well as scripted conversations and role plays. Verb tenses, prepositions, conditionals, countable and uncountable nouns, comparatives and superlatives, articles, modals for advice, permission and obligation, and much more!
BusinessWork
Grammar, Vocabulary
Students identify the basic difference between the simple past and present perfect tenses. Students will practice and be able to use the present perfect tense to talk about their experiences as well as practice asking and answering present perfect questions. A past participle review is included.
I Made a Mistake (Intermediate)
B1, B2
2 Pages
Any
Class Essentials
Game, Grammar
This handout has 30 different sentence cards that may have a grammatical mistake. Mistakes are related to verb tense, prepositions, phrasal verbs, articles, punctuation, conditionals, comparatives, infinitives and gerunds etc… Use as many cards as you like; for an entire lesson or to fill in extra time at the end…
Go jogging, Play tennis, Do yoga
A2
2 Pages
60 mins
Daily Life
Conversation, Vocabulary
There are three verbs that English speakers commonly use when talking about sports and other activities: go, play, and do. Students practice talking about sports and activities using go, play, and do in the past and present tense. Collocations about sport introduced in this Handout go jogging, go swimming, go…
Bruce Smith’s Week
A1, A2
2 Pages
60 mins
Daily Life
Asking questions, Reading
Help your students gain confidence and fluency when asking questions in the simple present tense by reading and asking about daily routines. This handout focuses on the third person and constructing object questions using the auxiliary verb ‘do’.
Daily Routines and Adverbs of Frequency
A1, A2
3 Pages
90 mins
Daily Life
Asking questions, Grammar, Reading, Vocabulary
Students are introduced to different common phrases to discuss their daily routines as well as adverbs of frequency to talk about how often and when they do different things. Emphasis is given to forming object questions using auxiliary verb ‘do’. Adverbs of Frequency introduced in this Handout Never, hardly ever,…
Daily LifeWork
Asking questions, Discussion, Grammar, Vocabulary
Students review causative verbs: have, get, let, and make. DIY vocabulary and idiomatic phrases that focus on how to talk about different things students can and can’t do, things they get others to do, have done by professionals, let others do, and how things make them feel. DIY collocations introduced…
BusinessWork
Asking questions, Vocabulary
Help your students read large numbers correctly. In this activity, students will practice the language needed to read large numbers with an interesting question and answer activity. Students practice reading and listening to large numbers by asking and answering how high, how far, and how long questions.
Changing an Appointment
B1
2 Pages
60 mins
BusinessDaily Life
Conversation, Vocabulary
Making an appointment might be an easy task but postponing or changing it is more challenging. This handout teaches useful expressions that can be used when changing an appointment by telephone. The language used is common in business English although it can easily be changed for use in more casual…
In the News
Our Current Events series covers news from around the world and features audio.
These topics are trending now and your adult and young adult ESL students want to learn how to talk about them.
‘In the News’ English lesson handouts focus on world politics, science, business, historical events, extreme weather, lifestyle, technology, famous people and places, and more.
Each ‘In the News’ handout has 3 pages of lesson material aimed at Upper-Intermediate: B2 to Advanced: C1 and C2 level English learners. The 1st and 2nd pages of the handout can be completed in a 60-minute class and the 3rd page can be completed in a longer class or given to students to complete in their own time; have students present their opinions and ideas at the beginning of their next class.
Each ‘In the News’ current events handout features an audio track so your students can practice listening to native English speakers.
The MP3 audio file is available for you to play on our site or download to use in your classroom.
Guy Fawkes face masks worn by protesters in Hong Kong
B2, C1
3 Pages
90 mins
CulturePolitics
Listening, Reading, Vocabulary
The Hong Kong government has banned face masks in an attempt to combat the protest movement that has affected the city since June 2019. The Hong Kong governor stated that the ban was necessary to restore order. The wearing of masks has been common because people are concerned that they…
Sleep deprivation in Japan
B2, C1
3 Pages
90 mins
Lifestyle
Listening, Reading, Vocabulary
In many surveys of the average sleeping time of different nationalities, the Japanese are the most sleep-deprived. A common sight in Japan is to see people sleeping on trains; however, trains are not the only means of transport that people use for catching up on lost sleep.
COVID-19 Human Challenge Study Goes Ahead
B2, C1
3 Pages
90 mins
Technology
Listening, Reading, Vocabulary
The UK will be the first in the world to run a COVID-19 human challenge study, after receiving approval from the UK’s clinical trials ethics body. Backed by a £33.6 million government investment, the first-of-its-kind study for this virus is hoped to give researchers greater understanding of how the virus…
Biden Plans to End Gun Violence Epidemic
A2+, B1, B2, C1
2-3 Pages
90 mins
CulturePolitics
Listening, Reading, Vocabulary
The 46th president of the United States, Joe Biden, said at a press conference on April 6th 2021 that gun violence in his country was an “epidemic” and “a shame at the international level.” He also announced a series of executive actions aimed at reducing gun violence and the proliferation…
Louvre to make reservations compulsory
B2, C1
3 Pages
90 mins
EnvironmentTravel
Listening, Reading, Vocabulary
The world-famous Louvre museum in Paris urged art lovers to book their visit in advance online after seeing a heavy influx of visitors this summer, adding that reservations would be obligatory by the end of 2019.
K-Pop’s BTS Conquers the US Billboard Charts
B2, C1
3 Pages
90 mins
Culture
Listening, Reading, Vocabulary
BTS has achieved its first No. 1 “Dynamite” on the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart, writing a new chapter in K-pop history as the first Korean band to do so. After having topped the Billboard 200 album chart four times, they have now reached No. 1 on both charts. BTS…
CultureHealth
Listening, Reading, Vocabulary
The 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo has been postponed for one year. It is the first Olympic Games to be postponed since the modern games started 124 years ago. The Games have been postponed due to the disruption caused by the coronavirus COVID-19. The International Olympic Committee was under an…
HealthLifestyle
Listening, Reading, Vocabulary
Your ESL students learn about Coronavirus (COVID-19) and World Health Organization recommendations to prevent infection such as washing hands and maintaining social distance. A novel coronavirus (COVID-19) is a new strain that had not previously been identified in humans. Coronaviruses are zoonotic, meaning they are transmitted between animals and people.
Let’s Go Places
Your students explore new vocabulary and build English fluency through a series of challenging and engaging activities.
Your students talk about the supermarket, the train station, the airport, a coffee shop, weather, sports, and more! Have one of these on hand and we’ve got you covered.
Your students talk about the supermarket, the train station, the airport, a coffee shop, weather, sports, and more!
Help your students explore new vocabulary and build English fluency by guiding them through a series of activities that challenge and engage them. Have one of these on hand and we’ve got you covered.
‘Let’s Go Places’ introduces interesting topics through pictures and encourages your students to ask and answer questions to start a conversation.
Sit back and watch your students using English with enthusiasm. This English series uses original high-quality color pictures that look great and your students will appreciate that, but don’t worry, they look great in black and white as well!
People and PlacesTravel
Asking questions, Conversation, Vocabulary
Talking about Europe and European countries. Example Questions in this Handout Would you like to live in Europe? Why/why not? Where would you live? What country do you think has the most interesting customs? Do you have any European things in your home? What countries in Europe can you name?…
Let’s Go to a Restaurant
A2, A2+
2 Pages
90 mins
Food and RestaurantsTravel
Asking questions, Conversation, Vocabulary
Talking about food and restaurants. Example Questions in this Handout What kind of fast food restaurant is it? How do you know? How much is a burger combo? Is it cheap? Do you prefer to eat at your parents’ house or a restaurant? What is the worst restaurant you have…
Let’s Go to the Department Store
A2, A2+
2 Pages
90 mins
Daily LifePeople and Places
Asking questions, Conversation, Vocabulary
Talking about shopping at a department store. Example Questions in this Handout What is the woman with the child thinking about? What is on sale in the Ladies Wear department? How do you feel about sales people following you and helping you when you shop?
Let’s Go to the Movies
A2, A2+
2 Pages
90 mins
Daily LifePeople and Places
Asking questions, Conversation, Vocabulary
Talking about movies and movie theaters. Example Questions in this Handout How much does a ticket for a 64 year old person cost? What is the woman carrying on a tray? How much does a large popcorn and drink cost?
Let’s Go to a Hotel
A2, A2+
2 Pages
90 mins
People and PlacesTravel
Asking questions, Conversation, Vocabulary
Talking about hotels and hotel facilities. Example Questions in this Handout When was the last time you stayed in a hotel? Have you heard of or used Airbnb to find a place to stay? Have you ever ordered room service? What did you order?
Let’s Go to a Museum
A2, A2+
2 Pages
90 mins
People and PlacesTravel
Asking questions, Conversation, Vocabulary
Talking about museums, art, and exhibitions. Example Questions in this Handout Who are some famous artists in your country? What kind of art do they do? Most museums don’t allow recording devices. Do you agree or disagree with this? How do you think museums could be more interesting for young…
Let’s Go to Work
A2, A2+
2 Pages
90 mins
BusinessDaily LifeWork
Asking questions, Conversation, Vocabulary
Talking about working and your work week. Example Questions in this Handout What do you do on public transportation? Do you have to attend a lot of meetings for your job? How old were you when you got your first job? At what age do people usually begin to work…
Let’s Go to the Bank
A2, A2+
2 Pages
90 mins
Daily LifePeople and Places
Asking questions, Conversation, Vocabulary
Talking about banks, banking, and money. Example Questions in this Handout What are the bank’s opening hours? What is customer 015 doing at the teller? How much is 1 US dollar worth in Canadian dollars?
Don’t take our word for it!
See what others say…
I’m in Japan for one year and teach private English classes to a group of lovely students while I travel around Japan – I love Kyoto. We study in cafes or at students’ homes so I can print lessons before I need them that day. My students and I don’t need textbooks.
Rose Keogh
Living and working in Japan for a year
I teach English at a few Japanese companies around Nagoya in Japan and use ESL Lesson Handouts to give my classes a break from our business text book. Also, I use worksheets to build on grammar we study in the textbook.
Kazuki Sakamoto
Business English teacher
I have been using esllessonhandouts.com for a few months now and check every weekend for new current events lessons.
Thanks guys!
Marco Sole
English teacher in Japan
The worksheets are great to use and easy for students to follow. I teach weekly private lessons at cafes and I check for new handouts each week. I don’t need to carry or photocopy textbooks for my classes.
Matt Palmer
English teacher in Japan
I am an English teaching in Hong Kong. My students are mostly young company workers who need English in their jobs. We use a popular business English textbook but it’s nice to have worksheets that use English grammar in other ways. My students enjoy the opportunity to speak English.
Kim Fei
Private English Teacher
I started using your site [ESL Lesson Handouts] after switching to Online classes because of Coronavirus. Accessible on my phone, I can easily print lessons before private classes or email them to students.
Mark Taylor
Private English Teacher
I teach English to medium-sized classes at community centers and businesses in my city. My students are a mix of men and women of all ages. We use your current event handouts in the last week of every month and your grammar handouts to compliment our classroom textbook.
Douglas Kayes
Freelance English Instructor
It’s been a difficult year with the switch to online teaching. Thank you very much for your support so far!
Akihiro Iwamoto
Online and Classroom Teacher