Health Matters

Vegetarianism

Vitamins

Young Learner Activities

Vegetables

Organic Food

Word Bank

Fruit

Flashcards

World Vegetarian Day

Career Pathways

Working as a Pharmacy Technician

Everyday Dialogues

Going to the Pharmacy

American Pharmacist Month

That's News to Me

Protection Tips for Online Harassment

Scammers & Their Methods

Cybersecurity Month

Discovery

Pizza

Ordering Pizza

National Pizza Month

Autism

Blog Post

Inclusive Language 2021

Autism Awareness Month (Canada)

Famous Things

Coffee

Going for a Coffee

Mini-Debates

Black Gold: The Movie

Discussion Starters

Fair Trade

Warm-Ups & Fillers

Cup of Joe

International Coffee Day

Farm Animals

World Farm Animals Day

Famous People

Mahatma Gandhi

Mahatma Gandhi's Birthday (1869)

Do Lobsters Cry?

Simple Sentences

Animals

World Animal Day

Sports & Leisure

Golf

National Golf Lover's Day

The New Moon Race

Collection

Air & Space Travel 

Sputnik Launched (1957)

Teacher Salaries

Classrooms of the Future

Holidays & Events

Teachers' Day

Firefighters

Wildfires

Fire Truck

Fire Prevention Week

Second-Hand Vs. New

National Consignment Day

Braille

Eye Health

Eye Idioms

World Sight Day

John Lennon

The Beatles

Music & Musicians

John Lennon's Birthday (1940)

Going to the Post Office

Visual Learning

How to Format an Envelope

At the Post Office

World Post Day

Listening in English

Mindfulness Meditation Study 

Biles Protects Her Mental Health

Practicing Mindfulness in the Classroom

Health & Safety

Feelings & Conditions

World Mental Health Day

Malala Yousafzai

Gender Equality & Inclusivity

International Day of the Girl Child

Children's Day

Children's Day (Brazil)

Christopher Columbus

Indigenous Peoples' Day (Columbus Day)

Indigenous Peoples' Day/Columbus Day

Thanksgiving (Canada)

Thanksgiving

Grateful Girl – A Thanksgiving Listening Activity

Canadian Thanksgiving 

Reading in English 

Using a Dictionary

Dictionary Day

Food Waste

Vanishing Honeybees

Overfishing

15+ Yummy Activities and Resources for Teaching About Food

Food & Dining

World Food Day

Nellie McClung

Persons Day (Canada)

The United Nations

United Nations Day

Pablo Picasso

Pablo Picasso's Birthday (1881)

American Presidents

Theodore Roosevelt

Theodore Roosevelt's Birthday (1858)

The Scaredy-Cat: A Halloween Story

Superstitions

The Scaredy Cat 

National Black Cat Day (UK)

Chocolate

Cocoa

Cocoa Fields (Child Slavery)

7 Activities for Chocolate Day

National Chocolate Day

Famous Places

New York City

The Statue of Liberty

Easy Readers

Ladies of Liberty

Statue of Liberty Dedicated (1886)

Bill Gates

Bill Gates's Birthday (1955)

Ellen Johnson Sirleaf

Ellen Johnson Sirleaf's Birthday (1938)

Frankenstein

A Writing Contest for Frankenstein Day

Frankenstein Friday

Word Bank Readers

Hannah's Halloween

Halloween 

Hilarious Halloween

10 Halloween Idioms & Expressions

The Scaredy-Cat: A Halloween Listening Activity (YL)

October is such a fun month to teach English. No matter what age you teach, you and your students can dress up in costumes and tell ghost stories while you learn Halloween vocabulary. Be sure to check out our blog for all kinds of Halloween teaching ideas that teachers have shared over the years. This year, you can also celebrate Korea's autumn harvest festival, Chuseok, in October. World Teachers' Day and Columbus Day also fall in October. Does Christopher Columbus deserve his special day? Let your students decide!

October 2026

It's a new year! If you haven't used the ESL Lesson Plan Calendar to plan your lessons, now is the perfect time to start. Each month you'll find holidays, special events, and related resources to keep your students interested in learning English. Click on any event to see a drop-down index of resources.  Be sure to try our Australia Day lesson this month. Your students will have fun learning some Aussie slang!

January 2026

Hey, teachers!  You're going to love all of the resources we have for teaching English in February. You probably know that Valentine's Day falls in February, but did you know that it is also Heart Month? Black History Month, Mardi Gras, and Lunar New Year also fall in February. Happy teaching!

February 2026

You're in luck, teachers! We have some excellent resources for you to use with your English learners this month. On Grammar Day, choose from over 40 lessons in our Grammar Practice Worksheets section, and check out our blog for teaching tips. We also hope you and your students will celebrate International Women's Day this month. After that, be sure to try some of our St. Patrick's Day materials, including our poster of Lucky Idioms. And finally, don't forget to unplug for Earth Hour. March forth on March fourth!

March 2026

April is both National Poetry Month and English Language Month. We hope you’ll use the time to discover new poetry with your students and discuss different poets and writers from our lesson collection on <a href="https://ellii.com/collections/71/lessons">Writers & Writing</a>. You may also be interested in teaching students about different holidays and events in April, such as April Fools’ Day, Ramadan, Earth Day, and the start of Golden Week. If your students enjoy learning about historical events, we have great lessons on the Titanic and the Chernobyl Disaster. Have a great month!

April 2026

The first day of May is celebrated around the world as either May Day, International Workers' Day, Labour Day, or Lei Day. May is Mental Health Awareness Month in the US, and the host of National Teacher Appreciation Week. In Japan, the month begins with five holidays that make up part of Golden Week. Mexico and America celebrate Cinco de Mayo, and Canadians get ready to kick off camping season on Victoria Day weekend. Mother’s Day, Star Wars Day and Memorial Day also fall in May.

May 2026

Pride Month is celebrated every June in honor of the 1969 Stonewall Riots and in recognition of the influence of LGBTQ+ people around the world. In the US, June is also National Zoo and Aquarium Month and African-American Music Appreciation Month. Juneteenth is the oldest nationally celebrated observance of the ending of slavery in the US. In Canada, First Nations are recognized and celebrated on National Indigenous Peoples Day. Other June holidays and events include Father’s Day, World Oceans Day, and Dragon Boat Festival. 

June 2026

Both Canada and the US celebrate their national days in July.  The birthdays of Princess Diana, Frida Kahlo, Malala Yousafzai, Amelia Earhart and Nelson Mandela also fall in July.  In Spain, people celebrate the Running of the Bulls at the San Fermin Festival. Other July holidays and events include Bastille Day and World UFO Day.

July 2026

Why are there so many birthdays in August? That might be a fun question to discuss with your students. We've included some celebrity birthdays on our August calendar, including Barack Obama's and Louis Armstrong's, which fall on the same day. Why not show your ESL students our August calendar and ask them to choose a few topics that they are interested in? Be sure to celebrate your southpaws on Left-Handers' Day! 

August 2026

September is a month for new beginnings. It's also the start of National Hispanic Heritage Month. Australia and New Zealand celebrate Father's Day on the first Sunday, while Canada and the US enjoy Labor/Labour Day weekend. The events of 9/11 are commemorated, elders are celebrated around the world, and victims of Canada's former residential school system are remembered.

September 2026

November is a month for many important observances, including Remembrance Day and Anti-Bullying Week. For Americans, it's also the month to express gratitude for food, health, and family. Or is it all about shopping? Get your students talking about issues that matter today with this month's recommended lessons and materials. 

November 2026

'Tis the season for holiday lessons! We have you covered for ESL resources this December. In this month's calendar, you'll find links to flashcards, lesson plans, discussion topics, and other activities for many different holidays that are celebrated around the world. Happy Holidays! 

December 2026

Calendar

Months