Consulting Reference Resources to Help in Lesson Preparation

One of the most important roles of reference resources is to help teachers confirm the accuracy of the language they are about to teach. Even experienced teachers sometimes doubt the finer points of grammar, vocabulary, or pronunciation.

• Grammar: A teacher might wonder whether for or since is correct in a sentence like I have lived here ___ five years. A good grammar book for teachers explains the rule, provides examples, and highlights common learner errors.
• Vocabulary: Teachers also need to confirm the difference between near-synonyms such as big and large, or between sensible and sensitive. A learner’s dictionary or a collocations dictionary shows typical usage and helps teachers prepare reliable explanations.
• Pronunciation: When teaching words like photography and photographer, a pronouncing dictionary or phonemic chart ensures the teacher highlights correct stress and avoids passing on mistakes.

ESL Classroom Example: Before teaching the present perfect continuous, a teacher checks a grammar book to confirm the structure (have/has + been + -ing form) and its use for actions continuing until now. This preparation avoids confusion in class and gives the teacher confidence.

Teachers often know the rule themselves but need to find the clearest way of presenting it to their learners. Reference resources designed for learners are written in accessible language and provide examples closer to what students need.

• Simplification: A learner’s grammar book explains complex grammar in plain English, often with diagrams or timelines. This helps the teacher adapt explanations for different proficiency levels.
• Contextualised examples: Dictionaries for learners usually provide full example sentences, not just definitions. These show how words are used in real life, making explanations more meaningful.
• Age and level adjustments: A teacher working with children may use a picture dictionary to introduce new words visually, while with adults they may use a monolingual dictionary for richer context.

ESL Classroom Example: A student asks what sustainable means. The teacher looks it up in a learner’s dictionary and finds a clear definition with examples: “Sustainable energy comes from natural sources that will not run out.” This phrasing is easier for B1-level learners to understand than a technical dictionary definition.

Many learner errors come from L1 interference, where structures or words from the mother tongue are transferred into English. Reference materials that focus on common learner difficulties allow teachers to predict and prepare for such errors before they appear in class.

• False friends: Learners might confuse actual in English with actual in Spanish (which means current). Anticipating this saves time in the lesson.
• Grammar transfer: In some languages, articles (a, an, the) do not exist. Teachers aware of this can plan more practice activities in advance.
• Pronunciation issues: Reference resources on phonology highlight difficulties, such as the /θ/ sound in think, which is absent in many languages.

ESL Classroom Example: Before teaching a group of Spanish speakers, a teacher checks a guide to learner errors. It reminds them that Spanish speakers often say I have 20 years instead of I am 20 years old. The teacher then prepares a short activity contrasting have and be for age to address this early.

Sometimes a coursebook feels predictable, or learners need a change of pace. Reference resources such as teacher’s resource books, magazines, or teaching websites provide creative activities and alternative methods to refresh lessons.

• Variety: Games, role plays, surveys, and problem-solving activities add energy and give learners more authentic practice.
• Flexibility: Teachers can adapt ideas for different levels, ages, and skills.
• Professional growth: Exploring new activities also develops the teacher’s methodology and keeps lessons engaging.

ESL Classroom Example: The coursebook has a controlled grammar drill on the past simple, but the teacher wants something more communicative. From a teacher’s resource book, they borrow an idea where learners create a “class timeline” of important world events, each student contributing a sentence such as In 2008, I moved to this town. This makes practice more meaningful.

Coursebooks are central to most ESL classrooms, but using them effectively requires consulting the teacher’s book. These often contain additional ideas, explanations, and options for differentiation.

• Alternative procedures: The teacher’s book may suggest a different order of activities or ways of scaffolding for weaker students.
• Extra resources: Many modern teacher’s books include photocopiable worksheets, homework tasks, or online links.
• Assessment support: They sometimes provide progress tests, quizzes, or extension tasks for fast finishers.

ESL Classroom Example: While preparing a listening lesson, a teacher notices the activity might be too challenging for weaker learners. They read the teacher’s book and find a suggestion to play the recording once for gist before giving out comprehension questions. This small adjustment makes the task more accessible.

Grammar books are among the most frequently consulted resources. They exist in two broad categories:

• For teachers
  • Written with in-depth explanations and technical accuracy.
  • Often include information based on corpora (large collections of real spoken and written texts).
  • Cover subtle points of usage, exceptions, and frequency in authentic English.
  • Helpful for teachers who want to polish their own knowledge or check uncommon structures.
  Example: A teacher consults a teacher-focused grammar book to clarify the difference between be going to (plans or intentions) and will (spontaneous decisions) before teaching future forms.
• For learners
  • Written in simple, accessible English.
  • Include diagrams, timelines, and clear rules.
  • Provide short practice exercises, self-study activities, and guided discovery tasks.
  • Help teachers understand how to pitch explanations to different proficiency levels.
  Example: A B1-level learner’s grammar book introduces the past simple with a timeline and gap-fill exercises using regular and irregular verbs.

ESL Classroom Example:
You are planning a lesson on conditional forms. First, you check a teacher’s grammar book for accuracy in structure (If + present simple, will + base verb) and use. Then, you adapt the information for your learners by shortening the explanations and preparing contextual examples. To support them further, you borrow a short activity from a learner’s grammar book where students complete half-finished conditional sentences like “If I win the lottery, ….”

Dictionaries are not just for looking up meanings; they are powerful resources that support vocabulary teaching, learner independence, and accuracy. Different types meet different needs:

• Monolingual dictionaries
  • Provide meaning, usage, collocations, and pronunciation of words in English.
  • Show stress patterns and sometimes give information on frequency of use.
  • Good for intermediate to advanced learners.
  Example: Looking up challenge, you find model sentences such as Climbing the mountain was a real challenge, along with collocations like rise to a challenge and face a challenge.
• Bilingual dictionaries
  • Give translations between English and the learner’s first language (L1).
  • Useful for beginners or when a student cannot understand a new word at all.
  • Often lack detailed usage or examples.
  Example: A French learner checks the English word clock against the French horloge.
• Special dictionaries
  • Cover specific aspects such as collocations, phrasal verbs, idioms, pronunciation, or even common errors.
  • Essential when learners need to refine how words are combined or used in context.
  Example: To clarify why make homework is incorrect, you check a collocations dictionary and show learners that the correct phrase is do homework.
• Picture dictionaries
  • Contain illustrations instead of, or alongside, definitions.
  • Effective for children, beginners, and visual learners.
  • Useful for vocabulary sets such as food, clothing, or animals.
  Example: In a lesson for primary learners, a teacher uses a picture dictionary to introduce classroom objects like scissors, ruler, and eraser.

ESL Classroom Example:
When preparing a vocabulary lesson on food, you consult a collocations dictionary and note down phrases such as fresh fruit, frozen vegetables, and order takeaway. In class, students practise learner independence by using monolingual dictionaries to look up further collocations, such as cutlery or street food.

Teacher’s resource books are designed to help teachers go beyond the coursebook. They contain:

• Ready-made activities: Games, role plays, problem-solving tasks.
• Skill-focused exercises: Speaking tasks, listening activities, reading jigsaws, or writing frames.
• Methodological variety: Guidance on alternative ways of presenting grammar or practising vocabulary.
• Adaptability: Activities can be adjusted for different ages or proficiency levels.

Example: Instead of repeating the same gap-fill drills on past simple, a teacher finds a communicative pair activity where learners ask each other questions like When did you last go to the cinema? and record answers.

ESL Classroom Example:
Your coursebook lesson on past simple feels too mechanical. You adapt by taking an activity from a teacher’s resource book: learners create a “timeline interview” where they ask partners about significant personal events (e.g., When did you first learn to ride a bike?). This makes grammar practice more meaningful and engaging.

Supplementary materials are add-ons that enrich or support your main lesson. They include:

• Worksheets: Photocopiable activities for grammar, vocabulary, or skills.
• Phonemic charts: Visual aids showing the sounds of English.
• Lists of irregular verbs: Essential reference for learners studying past tense.
• Online activities: Interactive quizzes, games, or listening tasks.
• Extra practice books: Focus on specific skills or language points.

These resources are flexible and can be used to revise, extend, or differentiate instruction.

ESL Classroom Example:
You are teaching pronunciation of the sounds /θ/ and /ð/. You show learners the phonemic chart to highlight the symbols and mouth positions. Then, you give out a supplementary worksheet with tongue twisters such as Three thin thieves thought of thrilling things. Learners practise in pairs, improving both accuracy and confidence.

Sometimes the most valuable reference resource is not a book but another human being. Colleagues provide support, advice, and tested classroom ideas.

• Experience sharing: Teachers who have taught similar classes can warn of pitfalls or suggest strategies.
• Collaborative planning: Working with a colleague allows teachers to pool ideas for activities and assessments.
• Peer observation: Watching another teacher can inspire new approaches and resources.

ESL Classroom Example:
You are preparing to teach a group of lively teenagers for the first time. Unsure how to manage their energy, you ask a colleague who has worked with the same age group. They recommend starting each lesson with a five-minute warm-up game such as Two Truths and a Lie. This advice saves you planning time and gives you a tested classroom routine.

No single reference book or dictionary has a monopoly on truth. Explanations of grammar, vocabulary, or pronunciation often differ slightly depending on the author, the intended audience, and the publishing date. That is why teachers must compare resources before finalising lesson content.

• Why compare?
  • Some grammar books provide detailed rules with exceptions, while others focus on clarity and simplicity.
  • Dictionaries may show different example sentences or highlight different collocations.
  • Online resources sometimes contradict printed ones, especially with rapidly changing usage.
• How to compare effectively:
  • Look at at least two different sources when checking a tricky grammar point.
  • Compare how each defines or explains a concept.
  • Choose the explanation that is most accurate yet accessible for your learners’ level.

ESL Classroom Example:
You are preparing to teach the difference between present perfect simple and present perfect continuous. One grammar book explains it with long technical detail, focusing on aspect. Another learner-friendly book uses timelines and short sentences. By comparing, you realise the technical version deepens your understanding, but the simpler version will be clearer for your B1-level learners. You use the technical explanation for your preparation and adapt the learner-friendly one for classroom teaching.

Language is dynamic. Words, expressions, and even grammar conventions change over time. A teacher using outdated resources risks giving examples that no longer reflect current English usage. Learners may also notice when the teacher uses examples that feel old-fashioned or unnatural.

• Why updates matter:
  • New words appear frequently, often from technology and culture (e.g., selfie, ghosting, to binge-watch).
  • Usage of grammar can shift subtly over decades. For instance, the future with going to has become more common in spoken English than shall.
  • Modern dictionaries include collocation boxes, usage notes, and error warnings that older editions lack.
• Practical tip:
  • Replace key dictionaries and grammar books every few years.
  • Check online publishers’ websites for updated corpora-based examples.
  • Pay attention to learners’ exposure to global English, as students may bring in newer terms they hear in media or online platforms.

ESL Classroom Example:
You are planning a vocabulary lesson on technology. An older dictionary does not include to stream in the sense of watching online video. A newer edition provides the meaning, collocations like stream live music, and sample sentences. By using the updated resource, your examples stay relevant and meaningful for learners.

Reference resources are not just for teachers. Learners benefit greatly when they know how to use them independently. Developing dictionary skills or teaching students how to consult learner grammar books encourages autonomy, critical thinking, and self-correction.

• Why train learners?
  • It reduces dependency on the teacher.
  • It builds confidence in solving language problems.
  • It prepares learners for lifelong learning beyond the classroom.
• How to train learners:
  • Show learners how to use the index, contents page, and example sentences in dictionaries.
  • Teach them to check pronunciation symbols and stress marks.
  • Set short activities where learners must use grammar or dictionary resources to answer questions.

ESL Classroom Example:
In a vocabulary lesson, instead of giving students the meaning of sustainable, you guide them to use a monolingual learner’s dictionary. They find the definition, notice collocations like sustainable development, and listen to the pronunciation online. Over time, they become more comfortable using dictionaries on their own, both in and outside class.

Scenario: A teacher is preparing a lesson on relative clauses for an upper-intermediate class.

• Preparation Stage: The teacher consults a teacher-focused grammar book to review the rules for defining and non-defining relative clauses. They also read examples based on real corpus data, such as:
  • The book that I borrowed from the library is excellent. (defining clause)
  • My uncle, who lives in Canada, is visiting next month. (non-defining clause)
• Why This Matters: Without careful checking, the teacher might confuse punctuation rules or overgeneralise. Reference materials give accuracy and ready-made examples.
• In Class: The teacher adapts these examples, replacing book with song or movie to suit the learners’ interests. They prepare a short controlled exercise followed by a communicative task where learners describe classmates using relative clauses (e.g., She is the student who plays the guitar).

Scenario: During a lesson, a learner asks for the meaning of the word “challenge”.

• Preparation Stage: Before class, the teacher consults a monolingual learner’s dictionary. They find:
  • Definition: Something that needs great mental or physical effort to be done successfully.
  • Collocations: rise to a challenge, face a challenge, a big challenge.
  • Example sentences for context.
• Why This Matters: The teacher could simply give a translation, but the dictionary provides usage patterns that help learners understand how the word functions in real communication.
• In Class: The teacher writes the word on the board with stress marked (‘challenge). They present two example sentences and ask learners to create their own. Then, in pairs, learners share challenges they have faced, practising fluency with the target word and collocations.

Scenario: A teacher is preparing a lesson for pre-intermediate learners where lend and borrow are likely to appear.

• Preparation Stage: The teacher checks Learner English: A Teacher’s Guide to Interference and Other Problems. This book highlights that many learners confuse these verbs because their L1 does not make the same distinction.
• Why This Matters: Anticipating this error means the teacher can prepare activities to address it directly, rather than correcting repeatedly during the lesson.
• In Class: The teacher writes on the board:
  • Can you lend me a pencil? (give temporarily)
  • Can I borrow a pencil from you? (receive temporarily)
    They then use role-play activities where learners practise lending and borrowing classroom objects, ensuring the target verbs are used correctly.

Scenario: A teacher wants to help learners distinguish between the sounds /θ/ (as in think) and /ð/ (as in this).

• Preparation Stage: The teacher consults a phonemic chart and a pronunciation dictionary to confirm the correct symbols, minimal pairs, and mouth positions. They also prepare a worksheet with tongue twisters.
• Why This Matters: Many learners’ first languages do not contain these sounds. Without visual and auditory reinforcement, they may continue pronouncing think as tink or this as dis.
• In Class: The teacher introduces the symbols on the phonemic chart and demonstrates mouth placement. Learners practise in pairs using tongue twisters such as Three thin thieves thought of thrilling things. The activity ends with a listening discrimination game where the teacher says a word and learners hold up a card with /θ/ or /ð/.

Scenario: A teacher feels the coursebook’s speaking activity is too controlled and lacks real communication practice.

• Preparation Stage: The teacher browses a teacher’s resource book for ideas and finds a role-play task called “Lost in the City.” Pairs of learners practise asking for and giving directions using functional language.
• Why This Matters: Resource books provide fresh activities that add variety and make lessons more engaging. They also expose learners to new contexts not always covered in coursebooks.
• In Class: The teacher sets up the activity by giving each learner a city map. One student pretends to be a tourist asking for directions, while the other acts as a local. After several rounds, learners switch roles. This activity allows repeated practice of target phrases such as Go straight on and Turn left at the traffic lights while developing fluency and confidence.