Functional English

Giving & Receiving Compliments

Blog Post

Giving and Accepting Compliments in English

Compliment Vs. Complement

World Compliments Day

Discussion Starters

Your Name

Super Simple Questions

What's Your Name?

Let's Learn Each Other's Names

Celebrate Your Name Week 

Famous People

Dr. Seuss

Dr. Seuss Day

Alexander Graham Bell

Collection

Innovation & Technology

Alexander Graham Bell's Birthday (1847)

Grammar Teaching Tips

National Grammar Day

Holidays & Events

Holi

Word Bank

Colors

Young Learner Activities

Holi Festival

Everyday Dialogues

Going to the Dentist

Health Matters

Dental Care

Dentist Day

Social-Emotional Learning Collection

SEL Day

International Women's Day

Gender Equality & Inclusivity

Daylight Saving Time

Daylight Saving Time Begins

Easy Readers

Barbie

Barbie Day

Famous Things

The Commonwealth of Nations

Commonwealth Day

Historic Events

The Fukushima Disaster

Earthquakes 

Great East Japan Earthquake (2011)

Albert Einstein

9 Activities to Get Your Learners Thinking Like Inventors

Albert Einstein's Birthday (1879)

Censorship

Mini-Debates

Freedom of the Press

American Presidents

James Madison

Freedom of Information Day

St. Patrick's Day  

Luck

Break a Leg – 7 Exam Tips for English Learners

Saint Patrick's or St. Patrick's? Paddy or Patty?

Luck 

Flashcards

St. Patrick’s Day

St. Patrick's Day

Fall

Discovery

Fall Foliage

Fall into Autumn

First Day of Autumn (Southern Hemisphere)

Nauruz Festival

Nauruz (Nowruz) Festival

English Skit for ELLs: Spring Fever

Spring & Easter

First Day of Spring (Northern Hemisphere)

Ramadan

Eid al-Fitr

Happiness

Jigme Singye Wangchuck

International Day of Happiness

Nelson Mandela

Desmond Tutu

Group Projects

Human Rights Project

Human Rights Day (South Africa)

Writing in English

How to Write a Poem

4 Delicious Reasons to Learn English with Poetry

World Poetry Day

Famous Places

The Amazon Rainforest

Deforestation

Tree Rings

Visual Learning

Parts of a Tree

International Day of Forests

Ocean Garbage

Water Privatization

The Environment

World Water Day

Earth Hour

Talking about the Weather

Weather & Seasons

English Basics

Weather (Adjectives)

Weather (Nouns)

Weather

World Meteorological Day

Gloria Steinem

Gloria Steinem's Birthday (1934)

Sports & Leisure

Baseball

Baseball Language

Stadiums

Jackie Robinson

MLB Opening Day

Sam Walton

Mom-and-Pop Shops

Shopping & Money

Sam Walton's Birthday (1918) / Mom & Pop Shop Day

Going to the Doctor

Making an Appointment

Role-Plays

Health & Body

Doctors Without Borders

Norman Bethune

Dr. Kevorkian

Illness & Injury

Doctors' Day

Cesar Chavez

Cesar Chavez Day

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

'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 2025

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

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

Calendar

Months

March 2026

World Compliments Day

Celebrate Your Name Week

Dr. Seuss Day

Alexander Graham Bell's Birthday (1847)

National Grammar Day

Holi Festival

Dentist Day

SEL Day

International Women's Day

Daylight Saving Time Begins

Barbie Day

Commonwealth Day

Great East Japan Earthquake (2011)

Albert Einstein's Birthday (1879)

Freedom of Information Day

St. Patrick's Day

First Day of Autumn (Southern Hemisphere)

Nauruz (Nowruz) Festival

First Day of Spring (Northern Hemisphere)

Eid al-Fitr

International Day of Happiness

Human Rights Day (South Africa)

World Poetry Day

International Day of Forests

World Water Day

Earth Hour

World Meteorological Day

Gloria Steinem's Birthday (1934)

MLB Opening Day

Sam Walton's Birthday (1918) / Mom & Pop Shop Day

Doctors' Day

Cesar Chavez Day