Creating the ESL English SmartStart Workbook
In September of this year, I had the unique opportunity to begin developing my own specialized ESL workbook. This project was inspired by my experience teaching the English Smart Start program at The MoonBooks Publishing House. Throughout our summer lessons, I received valuable feedback from my students, which motivated me to create an ESL workbook tailored specifically to their needs. To acknowledge their dedication, I made sure to include their names on the first page. Their enthusiasm for learning encouraged me to provide more educational resources to support their progress.
To ensure the workbook was engaging, I asked my students to share examples of workbooks from their home countries, noting what they liked and disliked about them. Many of them preferred interactive and colorful materials that taught about the world around them, rather than exercises focused on repetitive drills. This feedback guided my design choices, and I researched diverse activities and games that could translate well into a physical workbook. For example, while my students and I enjoyed playing interactive games like Hangman in class, I realized these wouldn’t work as well in a textbook format. Instead, I included activities they could complete individually, such as word searches and crossword puzzles.
I also made sure to incorporate “breaks” throughout the workbook. My students are incredibly hardworking and committed, so I wanted to balance their study time with creative activities. I included comic book panels where they could create and write their own stories, along with prompts to draw or illustrate their favorite tales. This approach gave them space to explore their interests while still practicing English.
One of my favorite parts of creating the workbook was designing the final level assessment. Originally, I planned to create a traditional test, but I realized this didn’t align with the interactive spirit of the workbook. Instead, I developed a five-part activity series where students could choose five activities from a list of ten. Examples included speaking English for an entire day or, with permission, going to the grocery store to write and shop from a list in English. These activities encouraged students to use English in real-world situations, making learning practical and enjoyable.
In the future, I hope to create more workbooks for my students. Their determination and eagerness to learn have truly motivated me to continue pursuing my goal of supporting students' growth.
