What Really Works for ESL Beginners
Help! My ESL Students Need More Vocabulary!
We got the following question from a teacher:
“I'm an ESL Teacher with 8 years of experience teaching beginners. The most difficult part is that they lack vocabulary. They have some knowledge of how to compose sentences, but if they don't know a specific word, how are they going to write and talk?”
The Magic of Reading (Your Secret Weapon)
The answer? Before writing and speaking, start with reading.
Just like babies crawl before walking, and walk before running, students build a strong foundation for writing and speaking by reading.
Think of it as their backstage pass to English – they get to watch how words work together!
It allows them to observe how words are used, learn new vocabulary, and start communicating in English (at least with the book and with you, the teacher, while reading aloud together).
Why Typical Textbooks Are an Uphill Battle
The problem is that most reading texts, textbooks and storybooks are just too hard for beginners. They include too many new words all at once, and they even use advanced grammar structures, like the simple past and past perfect.
No beginner should start with that!
They should start with the simple present tense — and that’s it!
Repetition
One important thing your reading text for beginners must have is LOTS of repetition. Seriously, lots and lots of it.
But Repetition Is Boring... Except When You Do It Right!
Here’s the thing: while repetition is super effective for learning, it can also be, well... boring. And who needs more boring stuff in their life? Definitely not your students. (And I’m guessing you don’t either!)
The solution? Fun stories and fun illustrations.
The stories should be as interesting or funny as the vocabulary level allows.
At the most basic levels, you don’t have many words to work with, so the plot will naturally be simple.
In these cases, silliness works wonders.
It keeps things fresh and avoids the “here we go again” vibe.
For example, look at this fat, smug cat, looking way too pleased with itself for sitting in a box.
Humor and silliness added to text and illustrations help everyone enjoy learning more. When learning is fun, students learn better and want to keep going (and keep learning with you!). If you are teaching teens, pre-teens or children, happy students mean happy parents, too.
What About Adults?
Everyone loves feeling successful, and adults are no different.
Whether you're 8 or 80, there's nothing better than that "I did it!" moment.
When adult students successfully read their first English text, their faces light up and it's pure magic!
And trust me, they'll feel much more confident mastering a simple story than struggling through the Wall Street Journal on day one!
When an adult takes their first steps in English, reading simple, beginner-friendly texts gives them a real sense of joy and confidence.
This approach works for any age. The key is to match the material to the student’s actual level — no more, no less!
English Short Stories for Beginners
