Fun ESL Lesson Topic Ideas You Won't Find in the Textbook

Talking with all my ESL teacher-friends, I come across the same complaint quiet often: students are bored with the textbook (and so are the teachers!). To spice things up, stray away from the text book and teach your students something different, something unexpected, and something that will broaden their horizons!

These ESL lesson topic ideas are a fun challenge for your students when it comes to their English skills. They will also teach them something that they normally wouldn't have learned from the text book. The following ideas are easy, fun and applicable in any classroom.

The Environment

Learning about the environment and how to care for it is something that every child should learn about, no matter what country she is from. There are so many options with this ESL lesson topic that you could spend a week (or two) on it! Begin by having your students tell you what they know (in English) about the Environment's current condition. You can then move on to a worksheet. There are some great environmental-related worksheets at the BritishCouncil.org .

I love this worksheet because it teaches new vocabulary and gets students thinking about the different ways they can make a difference in the world when it comes to the environment. Close the lesson by having the students draw a picture that has to do with the environment. You can also have them talk about different things they will do in order to make a difference.

History of Chocolate

This is a fun lesson topic because students get to think about delicious chocolate and perhaps eat some, too (budget permitting!). Introduce a passage of text that explains about the history of chocolate. Next, have the students read this out loud and go over any difficult words and phrases that they may not understand. When I have students read a block of text, I usually read it out loud to everyone and then have the students take turns reading. Next, present a quiz that tests their comprehension of the subject matter. You can use True/False, multiple choice, short answers, etc.

When I gave this lesson I had the students talk about their favorite kinds of chocolates and then they prepared 2 questions each (about chocolate, of course). The students then read their questions out loud and those who wanted to answer could do so. To finish, give your students a piece of chocolate or two. They'll love you forever!

World Foods

This is one of those lessons that makes students squirm in their seats. It also whets their appetite! Before I began this lesson, I gave each student a world name. For example, I wanted to introduce various countries, including France and Mexico. One of my students was named Paco and another was named Jean. Students will remember these names for the rest of their life and associate the names with the appropriate country, too!

As for your lesson, prepare a Power Point or handout that has different kinds of foods from all over the world. I like to introduce bizarre foods that may seem gross to students (such as the Vietnemese dish made with bird spit or famous Korean meal that involves eating a live octopus). If you have pictures you also have your students' undivided attention. If your budget permits, bring in world candies/food samplings and let them try the food for themselves. *You can also do different renditions of this "World" topic. Try world sports, world travel, world buildings, world languages, world flags, etc.

Good luck and enjoy your students! If you enjoyed these ideas and would like to see more, click "Wendy Rose Gould" at the top of the page and browse around. Thanks!