Recommended Resources
Over the years, I have discovered numerous textbooks, websites and films that have enriched the lives of my English language students, teachers in training or veterans in the field like me who may be looking for something special to bring a lesson to life, upgrade their skills or update their knowledge in the ever-changing field of education.
Textbook resources for teaching the English language:
Applied Phonetics: The Sounds of American English (book & workbook) by Harold T. Edwards
Fast Track Phonics for Young Adults by Kaye Wiley
Cloze Encounters: ESL Exercises in a Cultural Context by Thomas Buckingham & Richard Yorkey
Cloze the Gap: Exercises in Integrating and Developing Language Skills by Valerie Whiteson
The ELT Grammar Book: A Teacher-Friendly Reference Guide by Richard Firsten & Patricia Killian
English Grammar (series) by Betty Azar
Grammar in Context (series) by Sandra N. Elbaum
Language Files: Materials for an Introduction to Language & Linguistics (Ohio State University)
Prepositions: The Key to Idiomatic English by Carmenza Lesher
Easy Reading Selections in English (series) by Robert J. Dixson
True Stories in the News (series) by Sandra Heyer
What A Life! Stories of Amazing People (series) by Milada Broukal
Literacy Plus by Joan Saslow
Great Sentences, Great Paragraphs, Great Essays (series) by Keith S. Folse
Strategies for Success in Writing by June Coultas & James Swalm
The Modal Book by Joseph Krupp & Lisa Tenuta
Teaching ESL Composition: Purpose, Process and Practice by Dana R. Ferris and John S. Hedgcock
What a Writer Needs by Ralph Fletcher
Textbook Resources for Teachers of Immigrant, International, Minority, Indigenous and Adolescent Students:
Being Normal is the Only Way to Be: Adolescent Perspectives on Gender and School by Wayne Martino and Maria Pallotta-Chiarolli
English with an Accent by Rosina Lippi-Green
Lost in Translation by Eva Hoffman
Made in America: Immigrant Students in our Public Schools by Laurie Olsen
Changing Bodies, Changing Lives: A Book for Teens on Sex and Relationships by Ruth Bell
Myths and Realities: Best Practices for English Language Learners by Katherine Davies Samway & Denise McKeon
Other People's Children: Cultural Conflict in the Classroom by Lisa Delpit
The Multicultural Classroom: Readings for Content-Area Teachers by Patricia A. Richard- Amato & Marguerite Ann Snow
To Remain an Indian: Lessons in Democracy from a Century of Native American Education by K. Tsianina Lomawaima & Teresa L. McCarty
Resources for Teaching American Culture:
101 American Customs by Harry Collis
American Ways: A Guide for Foreigners in the United States by Gary Althen
Idioms in American Life by Julie Howard
Resources for Novice/In-service Teachers and Teacher Trainers:
Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts and Other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms by Gary G. Bitter & Jane M. Legacy
Communicative Activities for EAP by Jenni Guse
Drama Techniques in Language Learning by Alan Maley & Alan Duff
ESL Literacy Instruction: A Guidebook to Theory and Practice by Lee Gunderson
Making Content Comprehensible for English Learners: The SIOP Model by Jana Echevarria, MaryEllen Vogt & Deborah J. Short
Reflective Teaching in Second Language Classrooms by Jack C. Richards & Charles Lockhart
Second Language Acquisition: An Introductory Course by Susan M. Gass & Larry Selinker
Teaching English as a Second or Foreign Language by Marianne Celce-Murcia
The Language Instinct: How the Mind Creates Language by Steven Pinker
This Teaching Life: How I Taught Myself to Teach by Selma Wassermann
Using Technology in the Classroom by Gary G. Bitter & Jane M. Legacy
Resources for School Administrators:
Joey's Story: A Portrait of a School Leader by Joseph P. Batory
Leadership in English Language Teaching and Learning by Christine Coombe, Mary Lou McCloskey, Lauren Stephenson & Neil J. Anderson
Websites:
InformED is a great educational resource describing itself as "your learning and ideas hub. It’s a resource for curious minds and a platform for passionate voices. It’s an island of educational insight—diligently researched and carefully curated—in a sea of endless, often repetitive information."
Activities for ESL Students
Betty Azar Grammar Series Classroom Materials
Daily Pronunciation Practice
ESL Handouts, Grammar Worksheets and Printables
Grammar Bytes
Interlink Language Centers
Randall's ESL Cyber Listening Lab
TOEFL-prep practice exercises
Films and Videos:
A Question of Color: Color Consciousness within the Black Community
Black in America (PBS)
Crossroads Café – 26 video series (with photo story books) by Heinle and Heinle
Hocus Pocus (Halloween theme)
I Love Lucy (series)
Legally Blond (select clips)
Mr. Bean (shorts)
My Big Fat Greek Wedding (select clips)
My Name is Khan (select clips)
Spanglish
Where Do We Go Now? (By Nadine Labaki) Arabic with English subtitles
Women: A True Story -- The Gender Tango (select clips)
The Wizard of Oz (select clips)
Who is Black in America? (CNN)
Over the years, I have discovered numerous textbooks, websites and films that have enriched the lives of my English language students, teachers in training or veterans in the field like me who may be looking for something special to bring a lesson to life, upgrade their skills or update their knowledge in the ever-changing field of education.
Textbook resources for teaching the English language:
Applied Phonetics: The Sounds of American English (book & workbook) by Harold T. Edwards
Fast Track Phonics for Young Adults by Kaye Wiley
Cloze Encounters: ESL Exercises in a Cultural Context by Thomas Buckingham & Richard Yorkey
Cloze the Gap: Exercises in Integrating and Developing Language Skills by Valerie Whiteson
The ELT Grammar Book: A Teacher-Friendly Reference Guide by Richard Firsten & Patricia Killian
English Grammar (series) by Betty Azar
Grammar in Context (series) by Sandra N. Elbaum
Language Files: Materials for an Introduction to Language & Linguistics (Ohio State University)
Prepositions: The Key to Idiomatic English by Carmenza Lesher
Easy Reading Selections in English (series) by Robert J. Dixson
True Stories in the News (series) by Sandra Heyer
What A Life! Stories of Amazing People (series) by Milada Broukal
Literacy Plus by Joan Saslow
Great Sentences, Great Paragraphs, Great Essays (series) by Keith S. Folse
Strategies for Success in Writing by June Coultas & James Swalm
The Modal Book by Joseph Krupp & Lisa Tenuta
Teaching ESL Composition: Purpose, Process and Practice by Dana R. Ferris and John S. Hedgcock
What a Writer Needs by Ralph Fletcher
Textbook Resources for Teachers of Immigrant, International, Minority, Indigenous and Adolescent Students:
Being Normal is the Only Way to Be: Adolescent Perspectives on Gender and School by Wayne Martino and Maria Pallotta-Chiarolli
English with an Accent by Rosina Lippi-Green
Lost in Translation by Eva Hoffman
Made in America: Immigrant Students in our Public Schools by Laurie Olsen
Changing Bodies, Changing Lives: A Book for Teens on Sex and Relationships by Ruth Bell
Myths and Realities: Best Practices for English Language Learners by Katherine Davies Samway & Denise McKeon
Other People's Children: Cultural Conflict in the Classroom by Lisa Delpit
The Multicultural Classroom: Readings for Content-Area Teachers by Patricia A. Richard- Amato & Marguerite Ann Snow
To Remain an Indian: Lessons in Democracy from a Century of Native American Education by K. Tsianina Lomawaima & Teresa L. McCarty
Resources for Teaching American Culture:
101 American Customs by Harry Collis
American Ways: A Guide for Foreigners in the United States by Gary Althen
Idioms in American Life by Julie Howard
Resources for Novice/In-service Teachers and Teacher Trainers:
Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts and Other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms by Gary G. Bitter & Jane M. Legacy
Communicative Activities for EAP by Jenni Guse
Drama Techniques in Language Learning by Alan Maley & Alan Duff
ESL Literacy Instruction: A Guidebook to Theory and Practice by Lee Gunderson
Making Content Comprehensible for English Learners: The SIOP Model by Jana Echevarria, MaryEllen Vogt & Deborah J. Short
Reflective Teaching in Second Language Classrooms by Jack C. Richards & Charles Lockhart
Second Language Acquisition: An Introductory Course by Susan M. Gass & Larry Selinker
Teaching English as a Second or Foreign Language by Marianne Celce-Murcia
The Language Instinct: How the Mind Creates Language by Steven Pinker
This Teaching Life: How I Taught Myself to Teach by Selma Wassermann
Using Technology in the Classroom by Gary G. Bitter & Jane M. Legacy
Resources for School Administrators:
Joey's Story: A Portrait of a School Leader by Joseph P. Batory
Leadership in English Language Teaching and Learning by Christine Coombe, Mary Lou McCloskey, Lauren Stephenson & Neil J. Anderson
Websites:
InformED is a great educational resource describing itself as "your learning and ideas hub. It’s a resource for curious minds and a platform for passionate voices. It’s an island of educational insight—diligently researched and carefully curated—in a sea of endless, often repetitive information."
Activities for ESL Students
Betty Azar Grammar Series Classroom Materials
Daily Pronunciation Practice
ESL Handouts, Grammar Worksheets and Printables
Grammar Bytes
Interlink Language Centers
Randall's ESL Cyber Listening Lab
TOEFL-prep practice exercises
Films and Videos:
A Question of Color: Color Consciousness within the Black Community
Black in America (PBS)
Crossroads Café – 26 video series (with photo story books) by Heinle and Heinle
Hocus Pocus (Halloween theme)
I Love Lucy (series)
Legally Blond (select clips)
Mr. Bean (shorts)
My Big Fat Greek Wedding (select clips)
My Name is Khan (select clips)
Spanglish
Where Do We Go Now? (By Nadine Labaki) Arabic with English subtitles
Women: A True Story -- The Gender Tango (select clips)
The Wizard of Oz (select clips)
Who is Black in America? (CNN)