Holidays & Events

Black History Month

Famous People

Black History Jigsaw

Collection

Health Matters

The Heart

Sports & Athletics

Heart Month

Groundhog Day

Discussion Starters

Climate Change

Sweater Day

Easy Readers

Rosa Parks

Rosa Parks Day  

Cancer

Smoking

World Cancer Day

American Presidents

Ronald Reagan

Ronald Reagan's Birthday (1911)

Waitangi Day

James Dean

Famous Things

Blue Jeans

James Dean's Birthday (1931)

Discovery

Pizza

Everyday Dialogues

Ordering Pizza

National Pizza Day

Thomas Edison

Innovation & Technology

Thomas Edison's Birthday (1847)

Abraham Lincoln

Abraham Lincoln's Birthday (1809)

Charles Darwin

Darwin Day

Valentine's Day 

Soul Mates

Online Dating

Visual Learning

Love Idioms Poster

Blog Post

Valentine's Day Capitalization & Punctuation Rules

14+ Activities & Resources for Celebrating Valentine’s Day

Valentine's Day Flashcard Ideas 

Love & Relationships

Flashcards

Valentine’s Day

Valentine's Day

Celebrating National Flag of Canada Day

Canada

Flag Day (Canada)

Louis Riel

Louis Riel Day (Manitoba)

Living in English

Family

Family Day (Canada)

Presidents’ Day

George Washington

Presidents’ Day, Presidents Day, or President’s Day?

Presidents' Day

Mardi Gras 

Famous Places

New Orleans

Lunar New Year 

Ramadan

Word Bank

Ramadan & Eid

Ramadan Begins

Phonics Stories

A Whale with a Veil

That's News to Me

Close Call with a Whale

Fish & Sea Life

World Whale Day

George Washington's Birthday (1732)

Steve Irwin

Australian Animals

Steve Irwin's Birthday (1962)

Steve Jobs

Steve Jobs's Birthday (1955)

Bullying

Hazing

Pink Shirt Day (Anti-Bullying)

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

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

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

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

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

February 2026

Black History Month

Heart Month

Groundhog Day

Sweater Day

Rosa Parks Day

World Cancer Day

Ronald Reagan's Birthday (1911)

Waitangi Day

James Dean's Birthday (1931)

National Pizza Day

Thomas Edison's Birthday (1847)

Abraham Lincoln's Birthday (1809)

Darwin Day

Valentine's Day

Flag Day (Canada)

Louis Riel Day (Manitoba)

Family Day (Canada)

Presidents' Day

Mardi Gras

Lunar New Year

Ramadan Begins

World Whale Day

George Washington's Birthday (1732)

Steve Irwin's Birthday (1962)

Steve Jobs's Birthday (1955)

Pink Shirt Day (Anti-Bullying)