The 3 Best EFL Lesson Plan Websites.
And how to use them as part of a wider, more holistic approach to your 121 EFL/ESOL classes.
If there is one thing I have learned since starting on this TEFL/TESOL journey, it’s that I can’t teach 121 EFL/ESOL students full-time AND come up with brand-new lesson plans every single time. There are not enough hours in the day. While I do provide bespoke lessons for those learners who need them, sometimes a generic, tried-and-tested, pre-made lesson plan from a reputable website is precisely what is required.
So I’m going to tell you about the three websites that I use most often, and that my students like the best.
It is worth noting that many other websites provide effective lesson plans for groups, but if you teach 121 online, as I do, then adapting those plans to your lessons can be challenging. In this article, I will focus on resources that work for me and my own 121 online learners. Let me know in the comments about the sites you find work for you!
My Top Three Ready-Made Lesson Plan Resources:
1. ESL Brains
I can’t express in words how much I LOVE ESL Brains. These are the plans I use most often, and all of my students start their time with me using ESL Brains. The approach is friendly and accessible, building learners' confidence from the outset.
The subscription plans are certainly not the cheapest, but there are some free lessons available to try. In my opinion, the paid membership is more than worth it. Unlike some websites, you can download the lesson plans you use and continue to keep using them forever (even if you do not continue your subscription).
The lesson plans come with both PDF files for students and teachers, as well as a set of Google Slides which integrate seamlessly with your own Google Drive, making saving the resources from these plans a breeze. The plans are a great mix of in-class and out-of-class activities, including flipped lessons and preparatory reading exercises to complete at home ahead of lessons.
Some lessons themselves are arranged into “flows”, which is the ESL Brains suggested curriculum. Flows include all CEFR levels, as well as business, legal, and teen flows.
Many other lessons are available on the website, covering a wide range of topics, and all lessons are neatly categorised by CEFR level, skills, lesson type, and topic, making them easy to search and use.
These plans have been crafted with clear goals in mind for each lesson outcome, and the write-up for each lesson details exactly what the learner should achieve during the class.
Although there are no children’s lessons, ESL Brains is a brilliant resource for those who teach teens and adults, and one that all EFL/ESOL tutors and coaches should have in their arsenal.
2. Linguahouse
For those who prefer a more traditional textbook style of learning and teaching, Linguahouse is your new best friend.
PDF worksheets form the backbone of the website. The worksheets are linked to various audio and video files, which you open in separate tabs to accompany the worksheets.
While the worksheets are not as colourful or easy to use as ESL Brains slides, they can be written on in class by uploading to the online class whiteboard. They can also be collected together to form course books. In fact, the worksheets are available on the site both individually and as fully formed PDF coursebooks.
The website also includes a membership to its Expemo app. In all honesty, I have not yet explored that feature as I’m not allowed to take my Preply student’s personal details, and would need their email addresses to add them to my Expemo account. When I eventually take on private learners, I will explore that option and let you know if it is useful then.
3. TEFL Lessons
While there is no scaffolded curriculum here, TEFL Lessons offers a massive range of free and paid worksheets, all CEFR-graded and easily searchable by topic. These sheets make excellent homework to accompany your lessons, or can be used during a lesson to illustrate the point you wish to teach. TEFL Lessons also have some fantastic resources, such as information sheets that make grammar easy when pre-teaching new concepts. My particular favourite is the English Tenses Chart, which is among the many free-to-download goodies you will find on this very useful website.
4. BONUS Website - Fluentize.
I almost omitted Fluentize because there is no clear lesson progression or curriculum on-site, and the lessons can lack reading and writing exercises, instead focusing on conversations about the videos. The lesson slides often do not include an answer key, leaving students without visual confirmation of their correct and incorrect answers.
However, the lessons prove very popular with my students, especially older teens and younger adults. It just takes a little more time to search through the lessons than ESL Brains to find something relevant to the day’s learning. The lessons have a fun, fresh feel, which can appeal to students who prefer a less formal approach. The videos are engaging and raise some excellent discussion points.
Help Your Learners Succeed.
Of course, each student will still require extra help with certain parts of the lesson, and it is up to you, as the tutor, to identify these areas and provide targeted assistance and additional learning opportunities accordingly.
Not all students will understand all parts of your lesson with ease. Many lesson plans assume that a subject, particular vocabulary, or grammar points have already been taught to the student. For this reason, it is essential to read all pre-made materials before you whip them out in class. You need to know what to pre-teach your students before they start on ready-made plans.
You should provide additional support and advice in every lesson, and not rely entirely on a pre-made worksheet to do the work for you.
Many worksheets and slides include many practice activities. Still, it is ultimately down to you, as the teacher, to teach the concepts and points BEFORE the student practises those parts, and to check the student has understood the learning before you move on with the lesson.
Your Suggestions.
What lesson planning websites do you enjoy? What worksheets do you find useful? Where are the best classroom resources found? Please drop me a comment and let the world know!