Relevant Vocabulary for ESL Students

Most of my new ESL students tell me that they want to learn new vocabulary. That's always a bit of a challenge for me because most of my students are advanced, so I don't know what vocabulary they already know. I usually try to embed new vocabulary into my other lesson plans. Another thing I do is try to find the areas my ESL students are interested in or what they do in their lives. I want the new vocabulary to be relevant to their lives and something they can begin using right away.

Today, I was at a ballgame. While I was there, I was thinking about a couple of my ESL students and some relevant vocabulary. One student I was thinking about is married to a professional poker player. So, the term "full house" might be useful for her to know.

Another of my students is heavily into baseball. So the term "full count" might be useful for him to know (although I'm sure he already knows it!).

These two similar terms just reminded me of how English can sometimes be so precise and one small change can make a big difference in the meaning and usefulness of words.

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