Not sure what ESL lesson you should cover? That isn’t a problem if you know where to look. Read on. I will explain where to find plenty you can do.
Think Quizlet.com. You’ll find Quizlet vocabulary words and much more that can be used in an ESL class.
What is Quizlet.com?
Quizlet is a great one-stop-shop where there is an endless amount of subject matter that can be customized to any subject, including ESL.
I’m an ESL teacher who teaches beginning level English to students who want to learn English.
For the purpose of this lesson, I will use family members, something everyone can relate to.
My first stop is the vocabulary flashcards, although that doesn’t have to be your first stop. As a teacher, you can literally plan a full lesson or class session with the website.
Students can search for what they need to study as well.
It is free to create an account The free version is plentiful and rich, but there are reasonably priced paid versions as well.
In addition to the flashcards, which is where I always begin, there is a learn section that applies the flashcards to questions about the vocabulary the flashcards covered.
There is a test section that tests what has been learned.
There is a match section which serves as a cross between the flashcards, learn and test section, where students must match questions to answers. It is usually in the form of a game or at least something that resembles it
All of these are called study sets. As stated, everything can be customized to one’s individual needs. That means a study set can be just about anything. It can be short and to the point or it can be exhaustingly long and detailed.
There are countless study sets that have been created by other users that you can choose from. They can be used as is or edited according to your needs.
If you cannot find something pre-made, you can create it yourself.
There is also Quizlet Live.
That is usually used as a game that students can play together or individually, depending how the teacher sets it up.
With this feature, students don’t need to sign in or download anything. They only need to sign in with a game PIN and a nickname. The nickname can be made up or real. It doesn’t matter.
The teacher/host of the game must be signed in so as to be able to provide the game PIN and to monitor the game.
I usually save this for the end of a class period where everyone plays. Most students like it because it’s competitive. Teachers like it because it demonstrates how well the class has retained the subject matter.
Sometimes we need to review the material more than once. That’s okay.
This Is Why I Like The Flashcards
For most any subject, vocabulary is important, particularly an English class or any language class.
Flashcards are simple and common tool.
This version has a couple of features that I find valuable
- It has audio
- The cards are reversible
ESL students and any student who is learning a language, how to read, and to understand words, need to know how the words are pronounced.
The audio feature allows for that. It can be played over and over for words that are difficult to pronounce
The reversable feature is about how the words are presented.
- The word can be presented first or
- The definition can be presented first
This is important because in order to fully understand words and their definitions, the learner needs to be able to recognize it either way.
Furthermore, the audio feature plays for both the word and the definition, This allows students to hear the definition as well as see it.
When I work with my class, I present it both ways.
The order of the terms can be shuffled so the words and defininitions can be shown in different orders.
It also has AI that further explains in writing and audio what the word and definition mean.
To top it off, it has a hint function.
It is very thorough and user friendly.
What About The Other Functions?
I usually go from the flashcards to the learn function which a reframing of the terms that asks questions about the terms just learned. It also utilizes fill-in-the-blanks where the student must enter the correct term in a sentence from multiple choices.
After that, I like to use the match section.
It is presented in game form, such as like the old TV show, “Concentration”, where they match the terms with the definitions/answers. The game is timed.
It’s great to have fun while learning, but in school, we need to formally assess students. That means we need to give them the dreaded test.
I find the tests can be used as practice for a different test or I can actually make it the real test. If I use it as the real test, all I need to do is scramble the order of the quesions and how they are presented.
The beauty of this function is that the teacher/host can set up the test any way they want:
- True/False
- Multiple Choice
- Matching
- Written
- Any combination of the above
Furthermore, the test can be set up so that the answers are the terms/words, their definitions, or a combination of the two.
The test can be created to be as easy or difficult as desired.
Why I Like Quizlet.live
The game is played by players, usually on their cell phones.
The game is similar to Kahoot.it
Players do not have to have an account on Quizlet.com They log into the game on Quizlet.live.either by scanning a QR code or manually entering the game PIN.
The game can be set up for players to play as individuals or on teams.
Whichever way it’s played, the game is a race to see who can answer 12 questions first.
The twist is, if anyone gets an answer wrong, it wipes out all their points and they must start over. It’s not uncommon for someone who’s gotten 11 correct answers, to answer the 12th question incorrectly and has to start over. Meanwhile, someone who thought they had no chance of winning can come from way behind to win.
Whenever possible, I like the students to play in teams. However, the only way that works is if all the students are in the same room. If students are on Zoom, they won’t be able to be on a team, although they can play as individuals. Unfortunately though, the game has to be either team or individual. If it’s team, individuals must sit it out.
The reason I like the team version is because the members of the teams must collaborate on what the correct answers are.
Everyone on every team sees the same questions but, each member of the team has different answers to the questions. They have to discuss who has the only correct answer. As with the individual version, if they get an answer wrong, they have to start over.
Either way, it’s very competitive and the students have a lot of fun with it.
The bottom line is, they learn whether they want to or not.
That’s really what it’s all about.
Closing Remarks
I hope this lesson has provided you with enough information that you can understand why I think this is a valuable resource.
I love it and I think you will too, whether you’re a student, a teacher, a manager of a company, or someone who simply enjoys having fun while learning.
There litterally is enough for everyone to enjoy.
Leave questions and comments in the space below and I will promptly reply.
I would say Quizlet is an app that is awesome. I heard that 90% of students who use it earn better grades. I personally use it when I was in school and it has helped a lot. The test functions on Quizlet offer a great way to test student’s knowledge on the material. Most importantly, this feature offers great feedback on the questions a student missed.
Hi Anshu, it’s great to hear from you. Thanks for your comments. I’m glad to hear Quizlet helped you when you were in school. You are correct about the feedback that the test function provides. I failed to mention that in my lesson.
Leave questions and comments here any time. I will promptly respond.
KBob