EAL Resources 4 Adults

As another year comes to an end, I wanted to take the opportunity to wish all teachers across all sectors, a very restful holiday period.

I'd like to say a big thank you 🙏 to

everyone who purchased a copy of The Initial EAL Workbook (2ed) 📘

the lovely teachers who took the time to reach out and share how they are using the resources with their students 👩‍🏫 👨‍🏫

the colleagues I've had the opportunity of connecting 🔗 with as a result of having created this resource

the teachers who attended my webinars and shared their experiences 🖥

and finally all the cheerleaders 📣 in a world where people are fast to point out oversights.

Happy holidays to you all 🏖 🌴

May good things come your way in 2026! ☺️

https://www.123-abc.org/

One of the best no-prep ways to get students' attention and encourage active engagement is the Think-Pair-Share method.
When I first heard about this method, I thought it was just for primary school kids, so I dismissed it. I thought, "How can I use this with adult students who don't have the language to discuss things?" But it's not about discussing—it's about giving students time to think and process, then practise saying something to a partner in a safe space before sharing confidently with the class.
In a pre-beginner class, it could look something like this:

“No talking. Think, think, think.
- Can you spell your first name, please?
Ready?
Now tell your partner."

Or if you’ve been practising SH words. Ask students to recall the words.

“No talking. Think, think, think.
- How many -sh words can you remember?
Ready?
Now tell your partner. "

This method gives everyone time to process. Everyone gets a turn practising words and retrieving vocabulary without the louder, more confident students taking over.

Do you use Think-Pair-Share in your class?
How do you use it?
Have you noticed an increase in student engagement and confidence when using this method?
If you’re still not sure about trying this out, read this great blog by Tom Sherrington (Teacherhead: 17 July 2017)

The ‘Washing Hands’ of Learning: Think Pair Share A blog about something really obvious but worth spelling out. After 25 years of teaching, I’ve been through a fair amount of dodgy INSET/CPD. As a result I am something of a ‘visiting s…

I'm looking forward to presenting a session for QATESOL on July 31
@ 4:30 pm - 5:30 pm entitled " Learning English slowly, slowly: Hands-on strategies for the beginner adult classroom."

Join me for a practical, one-hour session filled with no-prep to low-prep strategies you can start using immediately in your next class.

In this webinar, I’ll share with you
- the importance of sequencing materials
- why repetition, repetition, repetition isn’t enough
- the importance of routines
- strategies to increase your student’s confidence and develop their English language skills
- the 4 features of The Initial EAL Workbook (2nd ed)

Whether you're new to EAL or a seasoned educator looking for fresh ideas, this session is designed to save you time and support your learners more effectively.

Register through QATESOL: https://www.qatesol.org.au/our-event/31-july-webinar-learning-english-slowly-slowly-hands-on-strategies-for-the-beginner-adult-classroom/

Dear EAL teachers of pre-beginner and beginner learners,

What's on your holiday wish list this term break?

Catching up with friends?
A massage?
A mini-break?
A good book?
Binge-watching Netflix?
Or just a proper sleep-in?

But let's be honest – there's probably a little voice whispering about Term 3 planning, isn't there? You know the dilemma: plan early and sacrifice your first few days, or leave it late and stress through the final days of freedom.

What if you could protect your holiday time and still feel prepared for the new term?

The Initial EAL Workbook (2nd ed.) is your solution. This 257-page resource aligns with all 66 performance criteria in the Course in Initial EAL Framework and contains ready-to-use, no-prep worksheets covering greetings, personal details, spoken exchanges, form-filling, alphabet, sounds (consonants, short vowels and consonant digraphs), social sight signs, weather, learning strategies, classroom items, days and months, numbers and money.

The Initial EAL Workbook (2nd ed.) is a downloadable PDF, so you can access it instantly and print what you need, when you need it. Give yourself permission to truly switch off these holidays. Your workbook is waiting at www.123-abc.org.

Here's to a genuinely restful term break – you've earned it!

Happy holidays!

A couple of years ago, when I taught Course in Initial EAL, " Slowly, slowly" was our class mantra. It made sense. Studying a new language, learning new sounds, holding a pen, forming new letters and just sitting in a classroom were all new experiences for so many of my students.

Each day was spent revisiting past lessons, then moving forward. Some days it was 3 steps forward and one back, other days it was one forward and 2 back.

In the end it doesn't matter how quickly the students learn but the progress they make at the end of each term. Guiding them, encouraging them and seeing them bloom has always been rewarding and enriching for me as a teacher.

My friend and colleague Shveta Bhalla's comment reminded me of the power of these simple words in the classroom, so
I asked my students, "How do you say slowly, slowly in your language?"
and away we went.
And how about you dear colleagues. How do you say "Slowly, slowly" in your language?

Send a message to learn more

Each year I think, "This year I'm going to take it slowly," yet the minute I enter the class, it's game on. My students, their individual needs and curriculum demands placed on both students and teachers then the unavoidable assessments.

While we can’t control much of what happens in the classroom, we can control the quality of the resources we use. To reduce cognitive load in the beginner EAL classroom, our resources need to have

- Clear and meaningful images
- Larger and consistent font sizes
- Simple instructions
- White space on a page.

Resources should also be carefully sequenced to allow students to build on prior knowledge and revisit, review and reuse vocabulary. And that’s what you’ll find within the pages of The Initial EAL Workbook (2ed).

Reach out to me if you'd like to know whether this resource is appropriate for your students. DM me or visit www.123-abc.org to find out how The Initial EAL Workbook 2nd ed. can reduce your workload and guide your students on their English learning journey.

P.S. If you teach Course in Initial EAL, you'll be pleased to know this resource also aligns with the Victorian EAL Framework, now the official curriculum of the AMEP.

As a former French teacher, I love Thierry's accent and feel his frustration. As an EAL teacher, it reminds me of the importance of teaching pronunciation explicitly in our lessons to increase intelligibility.

The iRabbit : "It's not sheep." Thierry encounters some difficulties with his new iRabbit.Director: Krishna Bagadiya

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