My 7 Lifesaving Websites for Teaching EFL

Being a teacher means always looking for some new resources, materials and ideas. The only problem is that there are so many websites that it’s quite difficult to choose the ones that are most useful. Naturally, I can’t tell which materials will be the best for you and your needs, but I want to share my favourite websites that have become essential tools in my EFL teaching arsenal.

Do you want to take a look at them and see what they can offer?

1 British Council: Teaching English

TeachingEnglish is a treasure trove of free resources for EFL teachers provided by the British Council. It offers lesson plans, classroom activities, articles, and teaching tips. You can listen to various podcasts, take part in webinars and not only bring in new teaching materials, but also work on your professional development.

Useful for:

• finding ready-made lesson plans
• exploring teaching strategies
• accessing materials for various English proficiency levels

2 Online Newspapers

This website provides a comprehensive list of newspapers from around the world, allowing you to access authentic reading materials – for example in English, but not only, as it includes media in various languages. That’s something I use with my adult students who enjoy learning a language through some materials that help them broaden their knowledge of the current events.

Useful for:

• incorporating current events and authentic language into your lessons
• improving reading comprehension
• developing critical thinking skills

3 Breaking News English

I’ve been using Breaking News English for years – it offers free lesson plans based on current news articles. Each plan includes worksheets, listening activities, and discussion topics – and it comes at different levels, so you’ll have no problems with adjusting it to your students’ level. What’s more, the topics are really interesting (who wouldn’t like to work on an article titled “A trend on TikTok has caused a shortage of laxative drugs in the USA”?)

Useful for:

• teaching real-world English
• improving listening skills
• encouraging class discussions on relevant global topics

4 Grammarism

Do your students need more grammar drills? Grammarism is an excellent resource for grammar enthusiasts. It offers automatically generated exercises and quizzes on various English grammar topics, available both online and as downloadables. If you don’t feel like opening your copy of Raymond Murphy’s Essential Grammar in Use or L.G. Alexander’s English Grammar Practice – here’s your help!

Useful for:

• reinforcing grammar rules
• providing additional practice for students
• improving writing and communication skills

5 BBC Learning English

BBC Learning English provides engaging multimedia content, including videos, audio lessons, quizzes, and articles, to help learners of all levels. You can also take a look at the long-running features such as 6 Minute English (I love it!), The English We Speak and Lingohack. It’s a great repository of various multimedia materials that you can use on the go.

Useful for

• enhancing listening and speaking skills
• earning British English
• accessing a wide range of multimedia resources.

6 Twinkl

I love Twinkl – it offers a vast collection of educational materials, including worksheets, flashcards, and lesson plans, suitable for various subjects and age groups. It’s a paid website, but if you teach children and teenagers, you will absolutely love it, as there are so many quality materials! What’s more, Twinkl gives you an opportunity to create your own materials, adjusted to your students’ needs.

Useful for:

• adapting resources for EFL lessons
• finding visually appealing materials
• tailoring lessons to different proficiency levels.

7 TED-Ed

Do you want to not only learn English but also discover the world? TED-Ed’s mission is to spark and celebrate the ideas of teachers and students around the world. It provides a platform for educators to create interactive lessons around TED Talks. You can find and customize lessons on a wide range of topics – and all of them are not also relevant, but also really interesting!

Useful for

• incorporating TED Talks into your lessons
• sparking meaningful discussions
• encouraging critical thinking and presentation skills.

These seven websites cover various aspects of EFL teaching, from grammar and listening skills to engaging classroom activities and authentic materials. If you include these resources in your teaching toolkit, they will help you create dynamic, effective, and engaging English lessons. Take a look at the links, experiment with the content, and watch your students’ language proficiency and enthusiasm grow.

Enjoy!