Easy First-Day Activities for Adult ESL Classes
The first day of an adult ESL class can be exciting—but it can also be stressful. You need to get to know your students, learn about their English abilities, build classroom community, and get everyone speaking.
And if you teach a multilevel class, planning that first lesson can feel even more challenging.
That’s why I created my Adult ESL First Day of School Activities Bundle, a collection of ready-to-use activities designed specifically for adult English learners.
The resource includes ice breakers, speaking activities, diagnostic assessments, questionnaires, classroom vocabulary, classroom phrases, and “Find Someone Who” activities for beginner through advanced learners.
Get Students Talking
The first day is the perfect time to help students feel comfortable speaking English. The resource includes hundreds of discussion questions and ice breaker cards that students can use with partners and small groups.
There are also several Find Someone Who activities that get students moving around the classroom while practicing questions and answers.
Learn About Your Students
The first day is also a great opportunity to discover your students’ goals, interests, and English abilities.
Diagnostic assessments and student questionnaires can help you understand what your students already know and what they want to improve. This information can make planning future lessons much easier.
Teach Useful Classroom English
Beginning students need practical language they can use right away. Classroom phrases and vocabulary activities help students learn expressions such as:
- “Can you repeat that?”
- “I don’t understand.”
- “How do you spell that?”
- “What does this mean?”
These activities help students become more confident and independent in the classroom.
Save Time on First-Day Planning
The first day doesn’t need to involve complicated preparation. This resource gives you a collection of ready-to-use, adult-appropriate activities that can help you start the semester with confidence.
Instead of spending hours searching for ice breakers and creating worksheets, you can focus on what matters most: getting to know your students and helping them feel comfortable speaking English.
Check out the Adult ESL First Day of School Activities on Teachers Pay Teachers
Start your semester with less stress, more conversation, and activities your adult ESL students will actually enjoy!
