Below is a list of the posts in the order that they have been posted starting at the top with the most recent.  You can click on the title to link to the post.   I’ll be updating this list each time I enter another post.

• The Writing Workshop: Countless Benefits for ESL Students and Teachers (REVISITED)

• A Surprisingly Simple Quality that Students Want in Their Teachers

• Helping Our Students Who Feel Invisible (REVISITED)

• Another Conversation Activity: Listen to Partner and Ask Questions to Complete Information-Gap Chart (REVISITED)

Entering a Lesson with Predictions (Part 1: Pre-Listening Activities)

• Short, High-Interest Readings: # 4: “Starting a Conversation With an Attractive Stranger”

• Teacher-Friendly Technique to Keep Conversation Items Current, Relevant and Personalized for Students

Short, High-Interest Readings:# 3 “Why Some Products Are Less Likely To Make It To The Recycling Bin”

Most Confusing ESL Pronunciation Mistake (Includes Interactive Exercises)

• Short, High-Interest Readings: # 2 “Animals Understand Fairness”

• Introducing “Short, High-Interest Readings” (#1 “For More Happiness, Keep Your Good News Secret for a While.”)

• Making a Connection With Each Student: Research-Based Technique

• Three Ways to Use Authentic Materials In The ESL Classroom Depending On Purpose And Level.

• Fun Writing-Class Activity: Writing Hints and Solving Mysteries about Classmates

Interviewing Candidates for a Writing-Teacher Position: Learning Their Approach to Dealing with Grammar in the Writing Context

• High Early Grades in a Course: Motivating or Dangerous

• ESL Teachers’ Gift to Students: Silence

• Introducing any ESL Lesson: FIVE Effective Ways

• Going Beyond Learning Language Skills in ESL Courses.

• Getting Backed Up with ESL Paperwork: Effective Solution

• Final ESL Conversation Speaking Tasks: Rating Three Methods

• Common Challenges and Goals for Final ESL Conversation Speaking Tasks

• Effective Two-Way Tasks at Higher as Well as Lower and Intermediate Levels

• LINCS Topic 5: What are your recommendations for teaching writing to higher-level learners who have academic goals?

• LINCS Topic 4: What are some ways that we can include interactive activities in ESOL Writing class?  

• LINCS Topic 3: What can you recommend for offering effective feedback on writing? How can teachers manage the amount of time it takes to give feedback?

• LINCS Topic 2 What instructional strategies have you found to be motivating for English learners? 

• LINCS Topic 1: What are your thoughts about implementing a process approach to teaching writing? 

• Why We Teach the Modes in ESL Writing Courses and a Mix-Mode Essay

• In-Class Essays: More Important Than Ever

• The Writing Workshop: Countless Benefits for ESL Students and Teachers

• Developing Paraphrasing Skills: Oral Paraphrasing Before Written.

• A Simple Technique for Writing Focused, Short Answers and Paragraphs on Tests

• Memorizing: Not the Optimal Approach to Learning ESL

• Recommended Treasure Chest for Writing Your Own ESL Materials

• Effective, Stress-Free Approach to Dealing with Plagiarism.

• Meeting A Conversation Course Challenge: Three Levels of Students, One Classroom, One Teacher

• How We Can Develop Intrinsic Motivation in Our ESL Students. Specific Examples. (Part 2)

• How We Can Develop Intrinsic Motivation in Our ESL Students. Specific Examples.  (Part 1)

• The Power of Listening Input for Language Learners

• Standardized (In-House) ESL Proficiency Tests Can Be Effective and Liberating

• ESL Student-Presentations (Part 2): An Effective, Modified Presentation Activity

ESL Student-Presentations (Part 1): Questioning the Reasons for Doing Them

• Myth #2 about Teaching ESL Grammar: Teaching Grammar Doesn’t Improve Students’ Writing.

• ESL Students Can Increase Positive Emotions in Readers/Teachers with This Writing Technique

• 9th Free Reading Unit.  Surprising Research About How Friendships Are Made.

• DON’T Teach This as an ESL Speaking Skill

• Getting The Most Out of Information-Gap Chart Activities PART 2 (Vocabulary Reinforcement)

• Getting The Most Out of Information-Gap Chart Activities PART 1

• Don’t Give Points. Give Green Instead. Save Time from Counting and Recording Points.

• Creating Positive Tension during Group Work

• Small Steps for Students Who Are Feeling Discouraged

• IMPROVING Six Popular ESL Activities: Making Them More Than Just Talking PART 2

• How to IMPROVE Six Popular ESL Activities: Making Them More Than Just Talking PART 1

• Helping Students Overcome Hesitancy to Volunteer an Answer in Group Discussions

• The Best Technique to Teach ESL Listening Skills (in Classes and for Tutors!)

• 8th  Free Reading Unit.  Scarcity: Not Having Enough of Something (can effect mental capacity)

• LINCS Discussion about Student-Centered Conversation Lessons.

• An Effective Technique for Analyzing Students’ Grammar Skills in a Writing Context

• Writing Your Own ESL Exercises: Two Basic Recommendations

• The Importance of a Classes’ Final Minutes—The Last Impressions.

• “Read-Aloud” Method for Collaborating with Colleagues to Assess ESL Students’ Writing Level

• Starting and Ending a Conversation (Includes a Group Mixer Activity)

Easy Editing-Awareness Technique for ESL Students

Stimulating Small-Group Discussion Activity 9: Comparing Life in Cultures with Strict Rules and Ones with Easy-Going Rules

• Terrible Advice to Novice Teachers From a Teacher-Trainer

• Quick and User-Friendly Technique to Teach Summarize Skills of a Reading Passage

An Invitation to join Facebook Common Sense Teaching ESL Discussion Group

 • A More Sophisticated Technique Than Just Saying, “What did you say?” and “I don’t understand.”

• ESL Students Won’t Progress In Conversation Skills Without This Technique.

• If You Want To Really Motivate Your ESL Students, This Will Do It.

• Shaping a Student’s Behavior: A Solution-Focused Approach

Four Part Series: Why, How And When to Teach ESL Integrated- and Discrete-Skills Courses. 

• Missing WHO and WHICH/THAT: Common ESL Problem and Solution

• Don’t Give Grades For These In Conversation Class. Do This Instead.

• Engaging Student-Centered Classification Writing Unit Using Inductive Approach

• An Early Course Correction: Making Sure You Are Evaluating Your Students’ Writing Accurately Before It’s Too Late

• Taking On Phrasal Verbs

• 7th Free ESL Reading Unit. Experiencing Discrimination

Pain-Free ESL Speaking Placement-Testing Process: Reliable, Time-Efficient and User-Friendly

Stimulating Small-Group Discussion Activity 8: Impulse Control: Don’t Look at Social Media while Studying

Helping Our Students Who Feel Invisible

Expanding Students’ Conversation Opportunities with Small-Talk Techniques (Includes a Group Mixer Activity)

User-Friendly Writing Panel Process: Time and Energy Efficient And Effective (bonus November posting)

This Process Contains Huge Benefits For Writing Teachers, Students and Programs.

Smiling and Eye-Contact Behind Your Mask Has Benefits For You, Your Students And Even Strangers

6th Free ESL Reading Unit.  Click: The Power of Similarities (Names)

Making It Easier For Your Colleagues And Students To Agree With You.

The Grammar Aspect with Most Mistakes by Language Learners: Prepositions

Teach Reduced Forms for Comprehension Not for Speaking.

Avoiding Writing-Teacher Burnout: Save Your Time And Energy With This Effective Method For Giving Specific Feedback.

Stimulating Small-Group Discussion Activity 5: Very, Very, Very Smart Children vs. Creative Ones

Enjoyable and Effective Awareness Activity for Changing ESL Students Classroom Behavior

Powerful Tool for ESL Writers: Giving Examples in Essays.

5th Free Reading Unit.  Why It’s Hard to Ask People to Help You

Give your colleagues some brain pleasure. Ask them for help.

Myth 1 about Teaching Grammar: Focusing on grammar will stifle students’ ability to write.  

Great Whole-Class Game for ESL Listening Skills

4th Free ESL Reading Unit:  Handwashing and Motivation (Surprising pre-coronavirus research)

ESL Writing Workshop: Tremendous Benefits for Students and Teachers

When Marking Only Half of a Student’s Essay Makes the Most Sense.

The Teacher’s Role During Student-Centered Conversation Activities (on YouTube)

Announcing My New YouTube Channel “Student-Centered Teaching ESL by David Kehe”

Conversation Technique for Lighting Up the Pleasure Centers in Your Students’ Brains

Recommendation: Ask these important questions when you are interviewing for an ESL teaching position.  (Spoiler alert: these are not about logistics and pay.)

“What would you say if you were interviewing for an ESL teaching position?” (A question from a reader)

Stimulating Small-Group Discussion Activity 5: Who Affects Us More: Parents or Peers?

Common Grammar Mistake: “She hopes him to get a haircut.” 

Whole Class Conversation Mixer Activity: Good for Students’ Skills, Brains and More

Surprising Insight: Avoiding Eye-Contact can Improve Comprehension

Getting Students to Write More Interesting and Unique Ideas in Essays

Stimulating Small-Group Discussion Activity 3: People Will Like You More If You Ask Follow-up Questions

Mistake: He SURPRISED to see it snowing. (Adjectives that look like verbs.)

Teachers: How To Sleep Well After a Class With a Couple of Troublesome Students

Conversation Technique: Don’t Kill the Conversation. What to Say When You Don’t Know What to Say.

Simple Technique ESL Students can use to Impress Their Academic Instructors

Stimulating Small-Group Discussion Activity 3: “Does Social Media Make People Sadder?”

The Eyes Have It: Keeping Students Focused During Group Work

A Question From a Reader: “Mario is supposed to study.” What is the Verb? Is “to study” an Infinitive?

One of Best Uses of an ESL Program’s Funds—And a Giant Help to Teachers.

Stimulating Small-Group Discussion Activity 2: Loneliness Might Not Be What You Think

Conversation Activity: Getting Students to Say More Than the Minimum

Stimulating Small-Group Discussion Activity 1: Which Is More Effective– I’m Calm or I’m Excited?

Tools for Describing Someone with Details: Inductive Writing Exercises (Low-Intermediate to Intermediate Level)

One of the Worst Mistakes Conversation Teachers Make

Common Teacher Myth: Students Don’t Like to See Red Marks on Their Papers.

Another Conversation Activity: Listen to Partner and Ask Questions to Complete Information-Gap Chart 

Advice: Don’t Say These 4 Things to Your Students

Most Important Motivator of Students: How You Can Use It

Conversation Activity: Stimulating Students to Listen and Respond to Each Other

“Finally I now Understand What Nouns, Subjects and Verbs are.” (And it took only 30 minutes to learn inductively.)

Teaching Gerunds (a discussion from LINCS)

The Huge Advantage International Student Writers Have Over Their American Classmates

“Finally I now Understand What Nouns, Subjects and Verbs are.” (And it took only 30 minutes to learn inductively.)

Teaching Gerunds (a discussion from LINCS)

Taking TPR to Another Level of Engagement: Two Fun Lower-Level Activities (Part 2: Movie Directors)

Taking TPR to Another Level of Involvement: Two Fun Lower-Level Activities (Part 1)

7th  Reading Unit.  Animal Empathy

Most Stimulating and Engaging but Often Over-Looked Essay Mode

EASY Needs Analysis for What ESL Teachers Should Teach (Needs Analysis) Part 2

Free Reading Unit.  Science of Shopping

Most Important Process that You can do for Yourself, Your Students, Your Program  (Part 1)

Non-Credible Rationale for What Teachers Teach

Students’ Positive Responses to this Teacher Technique

Challenge Your Teaching Assumptions: Become an L2 Student for a Few Hours

Personalized Vocabulary Exercise

Innovative Approach to Writing: Introduce Mode with Listening

3nd Reading Unit.  Parents or Peers: Who Affects Us More?

Grammar point: “Before going to sleep, I always check under my bed for monsters.”  What is “going”?

Customized Speaking/Listening “Game” (Actually, more than just a game.)

2nd Reading Unit.  Reading for Insight: The Candy Test: Controlling Impulses

Most Important Tool for Classroom Management (Case two and Caveat)

Most Important Tool for Classroom Management (First Case)

1st Reading Unit. Reading for Insights: “Does Social Media Make People Sadder?”

FREE Reading Units: Reading for Insights (Introduction)

Don’t Wastes Students’ Energy Teaching Certain Types of Vocabulary Words in Reading Class

Writing Class Person Description Activity: Fun, Lively and Productive

Effective Approach to a Student Cheating (from Outside Research)

Guaranteed Active Whole-Class Discussions (3rd Technique: Redirecting a question to a classmate when you don’t know what to say)

The Most Effective Classroom Organization for Reading Skills Development

Saving Mental Energy: Give Two Grades on Essays

Discussion Technique to Get Quiet Students Involved (Part 2)

Teaching the Most Interesting Type of Essay Introduction (an Inductive Approach)

Guaranteed Active Whole-Class Discussions (2nd  Technique: Volunteering)

Guaranteed Active Whole-Class Discussions (First Technique: Responding to Others)

Online discussion: You don’t have to be a grammar expert to help your students with the grammar in their writing.

Want Your Students to Seem More Likeable? Research Says: Teach Them Follow-up Questions

Most Effective Technique for Marking Grammar on Essays to Develop Self-Editing Skills

Pleasure of teaching ESL (Part 1)

A True Story to Motivate Students to Read More

For Large-Class Conversation Instructors, You Can “See” if Students are Using Techniques

Give the Writer not the Editor Control during Peer Editing in Writing Class

Discussion Technique to Get Quiet Students Involved (Part 1)

Pleasures of “Marking” a Stack of Essays (Flow)

Discouraging Smartphones from Disrupting Students’ Focus in Class

“Wow” is not Necessarily the Goal in Students’ Essays

Amazing Technique to Customize Listening to Movies, Podcasts etc. for any Level of Ability

Making the Perfect Mixture of Structure and Autonomy in Conversation Activities (Customizing Exercises)

Is the Hokey Pokey Really What It’s All About?  No, Subordination Is.  (Part 1)

Playing Computer Games until 2 a.m. or Lack of Awareness (Subordination Part 2)

Yes! Fun Learning Subordintion Inductively (Subordination Part 3)

Writing Outstanding First Sentences on Essays (Applying Critical Think Techniques)

Advice to a Student Who Needs to Repeat a Course (Using Peer Examples)

Fun & Student-Centered  Speaking/Listening Activity: Truth or Lie

Approaching Grammar with Generation 1.5 Students and Other Ear-Learners

Argumentation Essay: Tapping into Creativity

Best Subject for an ESL Integrated-Skills Class (Parts 3 & 4: Discussion and Writing aspects)

Best Subject for an ESL Integrated-Skills Class (Part 2 of 4: Reading aspect)

Best Subject for an ESL Integrated-Skills Class (Part 1 Overview)

Great Self-Study Conversation Technique: Not an Oxymoron

Integrated vs Discrete-Skills ESL Courses: Advantages of Discrete Skills

Conversation magic: Two most important conversation techniques (Part 1)

Conversation magic: Two most important techniques. (Part 2)

How to lead ESL Students to Discover their Grammar Mistakes on Writing Assignments

Conversation class: Necessary ingredients for successful pair work (from research)

Introduction to Teaching Academic ESL Writing: A Proven Approach for Success (Part 1: Logical organization)

Introduction to Teaching Academic ESL Writing: A Proven Approach for Success (Part 2 Connecting ideas & Grammar)

Introduction to Teaching ESL Conversation: Effective Pair/Group Activities

Grammar class: Confusion about when to use “where” vs “which” (exercise handout)

Introduction to Teaching ESL: Student-Centered Approach

Inductive Grammar: Why are there commas in these sentences? Here are some clues. What’s the rule?

Fluency writing: reading, speaking in triads, and listening culminating in a writing task (including handout activity.)

Pronunciation practice: Easy and Effective One-on-One Technique

Purposeful Reading: Read faster and create a tolerance for ambiguity (sample unit included)

Engaging grammar group activities (even for hesitant students)

Conversation class: What if they make mistakes in pairs? Myths about pair work.

Writing class: Dealing with plagiarism (Don’t take it personally)

Purposeful reading: Students read faster if they know what they are looking for.

ESL Culture: You worked hard for your students, but on their course evaluations, they said that you didn’t. How come?

Writing class: Easy, focused, POSITVE feedback on essays.

ESL Teaching: Giving your course credibility in the eyes of your students

Writing class: How many drafts should ESL students write? Three!

No need to show anger/frustration at ESL students