ESL/EAP Teaching Materials

These classroom materials have been developed using real dialogue from MICASE to give your students authentic role-plays and listening activities. Please feel free to use them in your own classroom, but don’t forget to acknowledge the authors and let them know that you are using their materials (e-mail addresses are usually provided on the materials themselves).

• Complaining

  A few students are complaining about a homework assignment. Read their dialogue and answer questions.

• Giving Instructions for an Assignment

  This lesson gives you guidelines on how to give, understand, and follow verbal instructions.

• Giving and Asking for Advice

  Learn the most common phrases used to give advice or suggestions. Then practice
  ‘softening’ suggestions or advice you give, so that you do not sound rude or overly critical.

• Learn How to Hedge Your Claims

  Learn how to politely present your opinions in English so they aren’t too strong.

• Say, Talk, or Tell

  Learn how to use the verbs say, talk and tell correctly, and look at common idioms where they appear.

• Idioms Exercises (Part I and II)

  Idioms are a hard part of English to learn because they are phrases that don’t have literal meanings. These worksheets help you figure out what the idioms mean, and give examples of how to use them.

• Talking About Other Texts and Discourses

  Learn how to professionally discuss outside sources (news articles, TV programs, etc) in a conversation.

• Standing (a little) Aside From What You're Saying

  In English, we use certain phrases to tell our audience or listener that what we are saying should not to be taken too seriously or literally. We also use these phrases to distance ourselves from controversial ideas or words.

• Listening for Conversational Patterns

  After hearing a sound clip, identify different parts of a conversation (small talk, informal speech) and answer questions about what you’ve heard. This lesson will help you learn the patterns of conversation that English speakers expect, and how to polite.

• A Metaphor in MICASE

  English speakers like to talk about traveling, but sometimes we don’t mean we are actually traveling. See if you can figure out if the examples are really about travel, or if they mean something else.

• Introducing a Speaker

  Learn how to politely introduce a speaker by listening to real recordings of people introducing speakers on a university campus.

• Politeness Strategies

  Learn how to ask polite questions, and what tone is appropriate in different situations.