Talkin' Town English

Talkin' Town English

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Online English for Busy People Talkin' Town is a growing community of English teachers and learners. It's a meeting point for experience and innovation.

We offer a variety of resources that have been teacher tested, student approved. Welcome to Talkin' Town!

06/05/2026

Getting dressed is something students do every day. The clothes we choose send a message about who we are, and a classroom fashion show gives students a fun, meaningful way to practice real-world vocabulary, adjective order, and descriptive language in action.

What’s more, it lets them express more about who they are through style.

An ESL classroom fashion show is one of my favorite ways to teach clothing vocabulary and adjective order because it turns grammar practice into something active, memorable, and fun!

My ESL Fashion Show resource is a huge hit with teachers and students because it was designed to help students practice describing outfits naturally while building confidence with speaking, vocabulary, and sentence structure.

This fashion-forward ESL resource is perfect for bringing clothing vocabulary to life on the runway, right in your own classroom.

Practice fashion, clothing, and accessories vocabulary with a touch of flair as students strut their stuff down the runway. Creative teachers will love this task-based activity for all ages and levels!

You can read about how I bring fashion to life in my own classroom in this post. Just ask me for the link. :)

05/22/2026

Just listed my 275th ESL resource on TPT! 🤩 This journey has been incredible.

I want to take a moment to thank my amazing school, lovely coworkers and of course, my brilliant ESL students for inspiring me to create resources and strive to be a better teacher, every day.

I also have to thank my family for being supportive as I disappear into my office for hours on end. You're the reason I am successful. I love you. ❤️

Thank you all!

Talkin' Town English Connect English, San Diego

05/15/2026
Teach Comparatives With A Paper Airplane Competition In ESL 05/14/2026

May 26 is National Paper Airplane Day, and what better way to celebrate than with a paper airplane classroom competition!

It’s a great way to teach comparatives and superlatives in ESL because it gets students to actually use the language… instead of just filling in blanks on a worksheet.



Teach Comparatives With A Paper Airplane Competition In ESL This fun paper airplane classroom competition teaches comparative and superlative grammar with a hands-on activity that students will love!

05/14/2026

They really do grow up fast, don’t they?
One minute they’re walking awkwardly into class on the first day of school, and the next, the year’s over and they’re a completely different kid.

The last days of school are a chance to slow down, reflect, and share a few meaningful moments together—and this is where a baby photos game fits perfectly.

It’s simple, light, and surprisingly memorable.

By the end of the year, your class already knows each other—but not like this! It’s time to check egos at the door as students share a time when they had no concept of self-consciousness.

Seeing classmates as babies shifts the mood instantly. Students laugh, guess wildly, and start noticing little details—smiles, expressions, features—that make each person unique. It brings a sense of closeness without forcing anything.

It also gives you:

a calm, low-pressure activity during a busy time
something everyone can participate in
a shared experience to end the year on a positive note
Instead of another worksheet or movie day, it becomes a moment they actually remember.

The setup is pretty straightforward:

Students submit their baby photos
Add each photo to the slideshow
Show one slide at a time
Students guess who it is
Reveal the answer to see who it is!
The fun really comes from the guessing—and the reactions when the answer is revealed.

Your students will adore seeing themselves and their classmates up on the screen in all their infancy.

Some teachers have students write their guesses on paper. Others let them call out answers or vote as a class. You can keep it structured or relaxed depending on your group.

Variations

There’s a lot of flexibility in how you run it.

Whole-Class Activity
Project the slideshow and go through each photo together. Pause between slides to let students debate and guess.

Small Group Competition
Divide students into teams and give points for correct answers. This adds a bit of energy without changing the structure too much.

Quiet Reflection Version
Have students write their guesses individually. At the end, go through the answers and let them see how many they got right.

Include Yourself!
Adding your own baby photo makes the activity more personal and often gets the biggest reaction.

Add Simple Prompts
After each reveal, ask a quick question like:

“What gave it away?”
“Who guessed correctly?”
Add A Storytelling Aspect
After each reveal, students can explain the photo:

How old they were
Where they were
What they were doing
This keeps students engaged and conversational without turning it into a formal lesson.

The last week of school doesn’t need to be sad.

The baby photos game is perfect because it’s sentimental and personal, but also tons of fun!

It gives students a chance to laugh, connect, and see each other differently before they move on.

And when the year is over, these are the moments that tend to stick.

Wishing you all a fantastic end of the year, and as always,

Happy Teaching!

-Elsa

05/13/2026

Teaching verb tenses doesn’t have to feel like a chore. 🙌

If your students keep mixing up present simple, present continuous, or anything beyond that… this post breaks it all down in a clear, visual, and actually teachable way.

Inside the blog:
✔️ Simple explanations of key verb tenses
✔️ Easy timelines + structure your students will understand
✔️ Practical examples for real classroom use
✔️ Teacher-friendly charts you can start using right away

Whether you’re teaching ESL, EFL, or ELL learners, this is the kind of resource that saves prep time and helps things finally click 💡

🔗 Read the full blog + grab the verb tense charts



How To Teach 12 English Verb Tenses In The Rain - Talkin' Town English 05/12/2026

Teaching verb tenses doesn't have to be hard. Get the charts and watch what happens when students finally understand. 🌦️

english

How To Teach 12 English Verb Tenses In The Rain - Talkin' Town English Teach all 12 English verb tenses using a simple visual anchor chart system with timelines, structure, clear examples and common keywords.

05/09/2026

Verb tense posters are a great way to explain the 12 tenses in English and how to use them.

I created these poster handouts to make my job easier, and they definitely do.

My students love learning the keywords that trigger each tense, and the clear visuals help them internalize the tenses.

This set is available in my shop. Drop an 🍎 in the comments for the link.

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Location

Address


4764 Wendell Street
San Diego, CA
92105