Holidays & Events

April Fools' Day 

Writing in English

How to Write a Poem

Blog Post

4 Delicious Reasons to Learn English with Poetry

Collection

Writers & Writing

National Poetry Month

Sports & Leisure

Baseball

Discovery

Baseball Language

Stadiums

Easy Readers

Jackie Robinson

Flashcards

MLB Opening Day

Health Matters

Stress

Discussion Starters

Burnout

7 Stress Busters for Teachers

National Stress Awareness Month

Autism

Autism Acceptance Month

Walk to Work Day

National Walk to Work Day

Famous People

Martin Luther King Jr.

Martin Luther King Assassinated (1968)

Maya Angelou

In Memory of Maya Angelou

Maya Angelou's Birthday (1928)

Famous Things

The World Health Organization

Word Bank

Healthcare Workers

Role-Plays

Health & Body

Group Projects

Public Health Project 

Living in English

Health

Health & Safety

Illness & Injury

World Health Day

Billie Holiday

Music & Musicians

Billie Holiday's Birthday (1915)

Zoos

Zoo Animals

Young Learner Activities

Steve Irwin

National Zoo Lovers Day

Winston Churchill

Winston Churchill Day

Golf

National Golfer's Day

Terry Fox 

First Marathon of Hope (1980)

Yuri Gagarin

Famous Places

The International Space Station

Space Tourism

Air & Space Travel 

International Day of Human Space Flight

Holocaust Remembrance Day

Yom Ha'Shoah / Holocaust Remembrance Day

American Presidents

Thomas Jefferson

Thomas Jefferson's Birthday (1743)

Historic Events

The Titanic

That's News to Me

Scanning the Titanic

Titanic Remembrance Day

Charlie Chaplin

Charlie Chaplin's Birthday (1889)

Mini-Debates

Legalizing Marijuana

Hemp

4/20 (Cannabis Day)

Queen Elizabeth

Royalty Jigsaw

Monarchies

The United Kingdom

Learning English with the Queen

Queen Elizabeth's Birthday (1926)

British National Tea Day

Visual Learning

Earth Day Idioms Poster

Earth Day

Earth Summit Project

The Environment

William Shakespeare

William Shakespeare's Birthday (1616)

The English Language

English Globalization

7 Interesting Things About English

English Language Day

St. George's Day

Anzac Day

Anzac Day (Australia)

Chernobyl

Dogs of Chernobyl

Chernobyl Disaster (1986)

Coretta Scott King

Coretta Scott King's Birthday (1927)

Story Prompts

Superhero Story

Stan Lee

Superheroes Group Project

National Superhero Day

Dance Away Your Stress

Michael Jackson

Ballet

International Dance Day

Golden Week

Tokyo

Start of Golden Week (Japan)

LA Riots

Anniversary of the LA Riots

Jazz

International Jazz Day

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. 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 2027

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 three 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 the 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

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 2027

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 2027

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 60 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 lesson on Luck. And finally, don't forget to unplug for Earth Hour. March forth on March fourth!

March 2027

Calendar

Months