Douglas Magrath

Douglas Magrath teaches ESL at the University of Central Florida. He has also taught at Seminole State College. Douglas has published in TESOL's New Ways and MultiBriefs series and Perspectives on Community College ESL series.

Articles by Douglas Magrath

• Tips for teaching practical grammar

  Grammar learning is different from other academic subjects since grammar builds on prior knowledge. One…

  Monday, May 18, 2020

• Teaching hints: Listening and speaking

  Listening and speaking go together as parts of overall proficiency. Students need constant practice in…

  Monday, April 20, 2020

• 4 vocabulary hints for English learners

  Students often struggle with academic vocabulary, especially if their L1 is a non-European language.…

  Monday, March 16, 2020

• Teaching business English in the ESL classroom

  Proper business English is more important than ever with increased globalization. Perhaps the most difficult…

  Monday, February 24, 2020

• Understanding the structure of Arabic for ESL teachers

  An understanding of the basic structure of Arabic is useful to ESL teachers who have Arabic students…

  Monday, February 03, 2020

• Why cultural understanding is essential: Part 4

  It is important for instructors and staff to understand the various cultures represented in their student…

  Monday, January 06, 2020

• Why cultural understanding is essential: Part 3

  Understanding different cultures is essential for those working with international students. Studies…

  Tuesday, November 12, 2019

• Why cultural understanding is essential: Part 2

  Cultural competence is an important key for success in today’s world. Language learning improves international…

  Monday, September 30, 2019

• Maintaining student progress: Part 2

  The United States is a nation of immigrants from many different countries and groups. They face many…

  Monday, August 19, 2019

• Reading and L2 acquisition

  Language skills can develop naturally. Language acquisition comes under the field of psycholinguistics:…

  Friday, July 19, 2019

• Useful hints for ESL teachers: Part 2

  Students need extra help understanding facets of language that go beyond grammar and syntax. Teachers…

  Thursday, May 23, 2019

• How to encourage your ELLs

  The success of students in acquiring a new language is related to the learning environment. As I wrote…

  Monday, April 15, 2019

• Useful hints for ESL teachers

  Content and grammar go together as learners strive towards the goal of L2 proficiency and communication…

  Tuesday, February 26, 2019

• What to know about practical interactive grammar

  L2 learning goes beyond acquisition of linguistic features. The process includes communication, cultural…

  Monday, January 21, 2019

• Culture and L2 learning

  A positive view of the target culture makes learning the language easier. It helps if the learners identify…

  Tuesday, November 27, 2018

• Maintaining student progress

  As I wrote in October 2017, "The concern among those serving international students is shifting from…

  Monday, October 29, 2018

• Why cultural understanding is essential

  ESL professionals need a basic understanding of the effects of cultural contrast on ESL learners. The…

  Tuesday, September 25, 2018

• L1 and L2 acquisition: Hints for teachers

  The process of first language acquisition (called L1 acquisition) has been studied extensively, and the…

  Friday, August 31, 2018

• Overcoming obstacles as an ESL teacher

  Teachers, including those in ESL, may decide to leave the profession for a variety of reasons. In this…

  Monday, July 23, 2018

• Maintaining student progress in the ESL classroom

  ESL programs should be more than just classes. Students need classes that are stimulating and relevant.…

  Monday, June 25, 2018

• Linguistic change: Implications for teaching

  Why study linguistics? Teachers and learners need an understanding of applied linguistics to better understand…

  Wednesday, June 06, 2018

• The importance of gestures in ESL teaching

  ESL teachers need to see the importance of gestures in the overall communication process, as gestures…

  Wednesday, May 02, 2018

• Strategies for student success and retention

  As I've written previously, the concern among those serving international students is shifting from recruiting…

  Tuesday, March 27, 2018

• Understanding dialects helps ESL instructors

  ​​As I've written previously, knowledge of basic linguistic principles should include dialects —…

  Wednesday, February 28, 2018

• Teaching practical interactive grammar

  ​Grammar instruction is vital, but the methodology is continuing to shift to a more student-centered…

  Wednesday, January 31, 2018

• The importance of dialects for ESL

  Instructors as well as learners need to understand linguistics and dialects. Learners will be exposed…

  Wednesday, December 13, 2017

• Exercises to teach the nuances of business writing to ELLs

  ​Besides grammar and speaking, business communication must include writing. ​As I've written previously,…

  Wednesday, November 01, 2017

• Retaining ESL students

  ​The concern among those serving international students is shifting from recruiting to retention. Student…

  Wednesday, October 04, 2017

• Alternative careers related to TESOL

  Whether based on economic and political concerns or simply wanting to try a new career path, ESL teachers…

  Wednesday, August 23, 2017

• Diversity leads to language challenges at community colleges

  ​Community colleges serve a vital function in higher education. ​As discussed in a previous article,…

  Wednesday, July 26, 2017

• Teaching English to deaf students

  As I discussed in a previous article, the prelingually deaf often need ESL instruction since American…

  Wednesday, June 28, 2017

• The importance of semantics in ESL instruction

  In a recent article, I discussed the importance of phonetics for ESL instructors. But instructors can…

  Wednesday, May 10, 2017

• When L1 interferes with English learning

  In this article, we will use see how students' home languages may cause interference when they start…

  Wednesday, April 19, 2017

• The challenges of teaching ESL in community college

  ​Many second-language students end up in community colleges either in IEP programs or college preparatory…

  Wednesday, March 29, 2017

• The theory of language: ESL and phonetics

  Language is what makes us human, and it's something no other creature has. ​As I wrote in my previous…

  Wednesday, March 01, 2017

• The theory of language for ESL teachers

  ​ESL instructors need to understand how languages work to be better able to serve the student population.…

  Wednesday, January 25, 2017

• The challenge of ESL literacy

  Prebeginning or preliterate learners present a unique challenge to the ESL teacher accustomed to students…

  Tuesday, December 13, 2016

• Understanding your students’ world view

  When it comes to teaching a English as a second language, it is important to take culture into consideration.…

  Thursday, November 10, 2016

• Why L2 teaching should mirror L1 acquisition

  Language acquisition comes under the field of psycholinguistics: Children learn L1 without any active…

  Wednesday, October 12, 2016

• Understanding international students: Classroom applications

  ​There are many benefits for instructors who have an understanding of their learners' cultures as well…

  Wednesday, September 14, 2016

• The challenges of adult education ESOL

  Adult education English language courses (ESOL) offer a unique set of challenges that are different from…

  Wednesday, August 31, 2016

• Interference patterns: Applying linguistic theory to lesson production

  The English learner often attempts to communicate by drawing upon translations from the native language.…

  Wednesday, August 10, 2016

• Contrastive grammar for ESL teachers: Part 2

  ESL and FL instructors need to be aware of some of the fundamental differences between the home language…

  Wednesday, July 13, 2016

• Contrastive grammar for ESL teachers: Part 1

  ​ESL and FL instructors need to be aware of some of the fundamental differences between the home language…

  Thursday, July 07, 2016

• The application of linguistics to ESL: Part 2

  In the first part of this article, we looked at how the grammatical description of a language is conveniently…

  Wednesday, June 15, 2016

• The application of linguistics to ESL: Part 1

  The grammatical description of a language is conveniently divided into two complementary sections: morphology…

  Wednesday, June 08, 2016

• The differences among ESL program models — Part II

  What drives the program choices for language students? In theory, it should be the needs and abilities…

  Wednesday, May 18, 2016

• The differences among ESL program models — Part I

  What drives the program choices for language students? In theory, it should be the needs and abilities…

  Wednesday, April 27, 2016

• Hiding grammar lessons in content material

  A variety of activities will enhance language acquisition. Suggestions include articles, student presentations,…

  Wednesday, March 23, 2016

• Using content materials for ESL instruction

  ​Students need to transfer their ESL skills to their academic subjects or careers. Unfortunately, this…

  Wednesday, February 24, 2016

• The need for ESL instruction for deaf students

  Many deaf people face the same issues as ESL students when they go through the educational process along…

  Wednesday, February 03, 2016

• Integrative tests: More considerations for teachers

  In a recent article, I described why integrative testing is a better way of testing language competence…

  Wednesday, January 27, 2016

• Integrative tests: Implementing in the ESL classroom

  In a recent article, I described why integrative testing is a better way of testing language competence…

  Wednesday, January 06, 2016

• Teaching the ESL skills needed in the business world

  Rather than just learning about grammar or words, ESL students must actually use the language to learn…

  Wednesday, December 02, 2015

• Modifying traditional ESL materials for classroom use

  This article provides some helpful hints and suggestions to ESL instructors who wish to use modern techniques…

  Wednesday, November 11, 2015

• ELL writing skills: Getting started

  ​Writing for the L2 learner is a developmental process analogous to reading. It is also a direct communication…

  Wednesday, October 07, 2015

• Integrative tests: A better way to assess English learners

  Testing in ESL is the means of assessing the learners' progress in specific skill areas. Teachers need…

  Wednesday, September 30, 2015

• ELL writing skills: Cultural patterns stand out

  In my previous article about ELL writing skills, I showed how patterns of writing differ across cultures.…

  Wednesday, September 09, 2015

• ELL writing skills: The influence of L1 culture

  Culture and writing go together — and writing patterns reflect the L1 culture. The ACTFL Standards…

  Wednesday, August 26, 2015

• Introducing grammar exercises for English language learners

  ​By the process of using language to solve problems, the learners obtain comprehensible input from…

  Wednesday, July 29, 2015

• ELL writing skills: Why they matter

  Even the most basic English language learners need to be exposed to the written code of the target language.…

  Wednesday, July 15, 2015

• ELL writing skills: The exercises

  Writing is essential for communication. Note the following from the ACTFL Standards: "Communication is…

  Wednesday, June 17, 2015

• ELL writing skills: The challenges

  In light of the challenges presented by the latest methodological shifts, the question of how to teach…

  Wednesday, May 27, 2015

• Bridging the cultural gap for ELLs

  ​Language and culture are intertwined. Culture is a part of life, and students need to understand the…

  Wednesday, May 20, 2015

• Simple exercises to improve ELL reading skills: Science

  English for science courses will help students who have passed the admissions test and are not quite…

  Wednesday, May 06, 2015

• Simple exercises to improve ELL reading skills — Part 3

  According to the National Standards, "Communication is at the heart of second language study, whether…

  Wednesday, April 15, 2015

• Simple exercises to improve ELL reading skills — Part 2

  In the first part of this article, we discussed how reading is an essential means of communication and…

  Wednesday, March 25, 2015

• Simple exercises to improve ELL reading skills

  Reading is an essential means of communication. Reading involves the recognition of large units — words…

  Wednesday, February 25, 2015

• How cultural differences can affect learning

  Culture is a part of language. Even vocabulary can be culturally loaded. For example, the dictionary…

  Wednesday, February 18, 2015

• The importance of culture in ESL teaching

  From the first word, the study of a second language is the study of another culture. Language and culture…

  Wednesday, February 04, 2015

• Paralinguistic concerns for ESL instructors

  Language is the first concern in teaching communicative competence. Grammar, pronunciation, listening…

  Wednesday, January 14, 2015

• Steps to proficiency-oriented classrooms

  When making steps toward proficiency-oriented classrooms, authentic material is used as much as possible,…

  Wednesday, December 10, 2014

• Easy conversational activities for teaching pronunciation

  The perfection of pronunciation is an ongoing process in any language-learning situation. Both problems…

  Thursday, September 25, 2014

• Easy vocabulary for English learners

  Vocabulary is part of all aspects of language learning. As students create, read and write, they are…

  Wednesday, August 20, 2014

• Easy listening exercise for ESL students

  ​Students need to bridge the gap between short ESL exercises and real lectures. The trend is now toward…

  Wednesday, July 16, 2014

• Using topical grammar to enhance language learning

  The various subskills of grammar, listening, reading, writing and cultural awareness all work together…

  Wednesday, May 21, 2014

• Issues in assessing ESL students

  Testing styles in the students' home countries are different than those in the U.S. Often the curriculum…

  Wednesday, April 09, 2014

• Transferring ESL skills to the business world

  Students need to transfer their ESL skills to their academic subjects or careers. ​A study done at…

  Wednesday, March 19, 2014