The 5 Best ESL Books for Adult Learners in 2020

By
Kenneth Beare
English as a Second Language (ESL) Expert
  • TESOL Diploma, Trinity College London
  • M.A., Music Performance, Cologne University of Music
  • B.A., Vocal Performance, Eastman School of Music
Kenneth Beare is an English as a Second Language (ESL) teacher and course developer with over three decades of teaching experience.
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Kenneth Beare
Updated October 07, 2019

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As any ESL teacher knows, having a grab bag of enjoyable learning activities helps to liven up any ESL class. These activities are useful for teaching inductively, filling gaps and introducing topics. Here is a list of five books that are sure to help you in times of need.

Grammar Games

Teaching grammar through games has proven to be one of the most successful methods of helping students acquire grammar skills. "Grammar Games" by Mario Rinvolucri succeeds exceptionally well while encouraging students to enjoy themselves. This book is my top choice because it's a great way to expand on key concepts that can be rather dry at times.

Great Ideas : Listening and Speaking Activities for Students of American English

Great Ideas : Listening and Speaking Activities for Students of American English

Courtesy of Amazon

"Great Ideas" Leo Jones, Victoria F. Kimbrough provides realistic situations for ESL learners of American English. Situations and speakers are taken from daily life confronting learners with 'authentic' accents and providing help in learning English they can use on a daily basis.

Recipes for Tired Teachers

We all know the scenario: it's the end of class and we've got another 15 minutes to fill. Or maybe you need to expand on an especially difficult topic, "Recipes for Tired Teachers" by Christopher Sion will provide you with a number of original activities for your classroom. Activities are also easily adaptable for level and learner type.

101 Bright Ideas

"101 Bright Ideas" by Claire M. Ford provides a wide variety of helpful ideas and activities that can be easily be applied to any classroom or learning situation. This book is another must-have for teachers who spice up their lesson plans.

ESL Teacher's Activities Kit

"ESL Teacher's Activities Kit" by Elizabeth Claire is a well-organized resource book. Activities are listed by subject as well as level. The activities employ a wide-range of modern teaching techniques and should interest anyone who is looking to bring a more innovative style to their classroom teaching.