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In the News
Engage and challenge your students with interesting current events lessons.
Teaching Online?
Share ‘Student Copies’ of Handouts with students in your Online lessons.
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!
British and American English Crossword
B1
1 page
30 mins
Travel
Game, Reading, Vocabulary
Students practice using well-known words that are different in British English (BrE) and American English (AmE) by doing a crossword. This would make a great homework or quick classroom activity. For example: Gas, gasoline (AmE) vs petrol (BrE), Pavement (BrE) vs sidewalk (AmE).
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…
Daily Life
Conversation, Vocabulary
Students will be able to talk about their health and symptoms in the present simple tense. Students also practice giving advice using sentences with should and shouldn’t. Health symptoms introduced in this Handout I have a headache. I have a sore head. I have a stomachache. I have a sore…
Phrasal Verbs using Put
A2 A2+
1 page
30 mins
Daily Life
Vocabulary
Phrasal verbs are verbs paired with one or two prepositions and have special meaning. Your students need to read and hear phrasal verbs in context to become familiar with them and understand their correct usage. Phrasal verbs introduced in this handout are: put (something) off, put (something) out, put up…
BusinessWork
Asking questions, Reading
Help your students read large numbers correctly. Students will practice the language needed to read large numbers as well as listening to large numbers by asking and answering how high, how far, and how long questions. Large number words used in this Handout hundred, million, billion, trillion.
What are you wearing?
A2 A2+
2 pages
60 mins
Asking questions, Grammar, Listening, Vocabulary
Students compare the Simple Present and Present Continuous tenses focusing on the verb to wear as well as clothes and clothing. Expressions of time are introduced and students practice associating them to a particular verb tense. Audio is also included in this handout. Expressions of time introduced in this Handout…
Education and Training
A2+ B1
2 pages
60 mins
BusinessPeople and PlacesWork
Discussion, Reading, Vocabulary
This is a vocabulary and discussion based Handout. Students will learn and practice using common phrases and collocations to talk about jobs, career, and education. Collocations reviewed in this Handout do a course, get a degree, choose a career, apply for a job, have an interview, train to be a…
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.
CultureHealthTechnology
Listening, Reading, Vocabulary
In April of 2020, the editors of the Oxford English Dictionary released updates in order to document the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the English language. These include ‘maskne’, an acne outbreak caused by wearing masks; ‘zoombombing’, which is when strangers intrude on public video calls; and ‘quarantini’, an…
Stray polar bear airlifted home
B2 C1
3 pages
90 mins
Environment
Listening, Reading, Vocabulary
A wild polar bear was found roaming around a rural village in eastern Russia, hundreds of kilometers from its typical habitat. The exhausted and starved bear had traveled on an ice floe from the remote town of Chukotka to a village on the Kamchatka Peninsula, about 700 kilometers south. Russian…
Teleworking – Working from Home
B2 C1
3 pages
90 mins
TechnologyLifestyle
Listening, Reading, Vocabulary
Teleworking is the activity of working from home while maintaining contact with your office by email, telephone, or video calls. Around the world, about 20 per cent of workers telework frequently and about 1 in 10 do so every day. For companies, the benefits are reduced costs, while for workers…
Coronavirus Causes Panic Buying
B2 C1
3 pages
90 mins
HealthLifestyle
Listening, Reading, Vocabulary
Many countries around the world are currently experiencing ‘panic buying’ because of the spread of the coronavirus COVID-19. Some badly-affected countries have recommended or demanded that people stay-at-home leading to people stockpiling supplies of necessities, in anticipation of an extended period of ‘social distancing’. The stockpiling has resulted in shops…
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.
Hayabusa2 capsule lands with asteroid samples
B2 C1
3 pages
90 mins
Technology
Listening, Reading, Vocabulary
A capsule containing soil samples from an asteroid named Ryugu was dropped from 220,000 kilometers from space by Japan’s Hayabusa2 spacecraft. It landed as planned in the Australian Outback on December 6, 2020. It will be flown to Japan for research. People in Japan took pride in the successful landing…
World’s Oldest Brewery Found in Egypt
B2 C1
3 pages
90 mins
Culture
Listening, Reading, Vocabulary
Archaeologists have discovered the world’s oldest known industrial-scale brewery. The brewery was an ancient complex with the capacity to produce enough beer to serve thousands of people in a single batch. The team of American and Egyptian archaeologists, who discovered the facility while excavating at the site of Abydos in…
Covid-19 Causing Young People to Return Home
B2 C1
3 pages
90 mins
CultureLifestyle
Listening, Reading, Vocabulary
The latest research suggests that the number of young adults who are currently living with their parents is increasing in the USA. The probable cause of this trend is the coronavirus pandemic. The latest figures for July 2020 show that just over half of young adults (52%) live with one…
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!
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 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 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?
Let’s Go Outside
A2 A2+
2 pages
90 mins
Daily LifeSeasonal
Asking questions, Conversation, Vocabulary
Talking about seasons, activities, and weather. Example Questions in this Handout What seasons can you see in the pictures? Which months are these seasons in your country? What is the couple doing in spring?
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?
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 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 the Zoo
A2 A2+
2 pages
90 mins
People and PlacesTravel
Asking questions, Conversation, Vocabulary
Talking about animals and zoos. Example Questions in this Handout What animals are symbols of your country? What animals or insects are you afraid of? What are the most popular pets in your country? Do you know any endangered species?
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See what others say…
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
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
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
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 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
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 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