How do I teach directions and places in town to ESL students?
How do I teach directions and places in town to ESL students?
Teach places first with pictures, then prepositions of place, then direction phrases such as go straight, turn left, turn right and it's next to. Practice with a classroom map, a tape town on the floor and role plays where students give and follow directions. This page covers the usual confusions, practical activities, a five-lesson sequence and a ready unit on places and directions in town.
See the town and directions unitStart with the names of common places in town, taught with pictures: school, park, library, store, hospital, bus stop. Next teach prepositions of place such as next to, between, across from and behind. Then add direction phrases: go straight, turn left, turn right, it's on the corner. Practice with one simple map everyone shares, then move to physical activities and role plays where students ask Where is the library? and give directions.
Ready-made material
ESL Newcomer Curriculum Bundle, Grades 2–6
9 resources in one download: $79.99 instead of $159.91 bought separately.
The first cover is the main resource; the others are related options. Open any cover for the full contents and price.
ESL Newcomer Curriculum Bundle | Everyday English, Grammar & Vocabulary | 9 Resources | Grades 2–6
Grades 1–6 Literacy Skills Curriculum | Grammar, Writing, Phonics & Reading Packs for Every Grade
Grade 3 ELA Pack | Grammar, Creative Writing, Phonics, Reading & Vocabulary
Learning at Home Bundle | Parent Guides & Workbooks for Reading, Math, English & Motivation | Grades 1–4
Why it is hard
Why directions confuse young English learners
Left and right are a problem before English even enters the picture. Many children in the early grades still mix them up in their first language, and on a map facing the wrong way it gets even harder. When the teacher stands facing the class and says turn left, half the room turns the wrong way. Prepositions cause the next difficulty. Across from, opposite, in front of and next to are close in meaning, and home languages divide space differently, so a direct translation often fails. Students also confuse on and at in phrases like on Main Street and at the corner. The vocabulary of places depends on where a child grew up. A student from a village may not have a word for a subway station in any language, while another knows these places but not the American names, like drugstore. Finally, much textbook practice is a fill-in-the-blank map task. Students can complete it without ever saying a direction aloud or following one. Directions are a speaking and listening skill, and they need to be used out loud, with movement, many times.
What works
Activities that get students moving
Directions stick when students hear, say and follow them. Mix these into your lessons over a couple of weeks.
- Tape a street grid on the floor and let students walk the routes their classmates give.
- Turn your back to the class when modeling left and right so your directions match theirs.
- Use a single shared map so everyone describes the same streets and buildings.
- Play a barrier game: one partner describes where a building goes, the other draws it.
- Write simple direction cards for real routes in the school, such as our room to the library.
- Have students design their own small town and write directions between two places.
Step by step
A five-lesson town and directions sequence
Suggested for Grades 2–6 newcomers and beginning English learners. Each lesson can be split into shorter sessions.
- Places in our townIntroduce eight to ten places with pictures and photos from your area. Students sort the places by what you do there: buy, learn, play or get help. End with a quick picture-and-word matching game.
- Where is it?Teach prepositions of place with classroom objects, then on a simple town map. Students answer Where is the bank? in full sentences such as It is next to the park.
- Left, right and straightPractice direction words with movement games in the gym or hallway. Use a sticker on each student's right hand as a reminder, and repeat the phrases aloud as students move.
- Asking and giving directionsModel a short dialogue: Excuse me, where is the library? Go straight and turn left. Pairs practice with the shared map and switch roles until each student has asked and answered several times.
- My own townStudents draw a simple map of an invented or real neighborhood, label the places and write directions from home to two of them. Partners follow each other's directions to test them.
Ready-made option
A ready unit on places and directions
The ESL Newcomer Curriculum Bundle ($79.99, with a separate-parts price of $159.91) includes In the Town: Places & Directions, which covers exactly this topic. The other eight resources add the language learners need around it: the simple present and simple past, pronouns and possessives, word families, time and calendar, a vocabulary trainer set and two grammar and punctuation packs. That makes the bundle a good choice when directions are one part of a wider newcomer program rather than a one-off lesson. If you only need directions practice for a mixed class, the town unit is also sold on its own.
Honest limits
What you add to make it local
The unit gives you the language and tasks, but it cannot show your actual neighborhood. Add photos of local places, your school's floor plan and a walk around the block if your school allows it. Movement games and the floor map are yours to set up. Before using the material for grades, check it against your state's English language proficiency standards. If several teachers want to use it, send Teach Lessons a short message first. Store credit of equal value is available as an exchange within 7 days if the bundle does not fit; there is no cash refund.
Good to know
More teacher questions
How do I help students who mix up left and right?
Give a physical reminder, such as a sticker on the right hand, and show that the left thumb and finger make an L. Always model facing the same way as the students. Practice with movement before maps, because turning your body is easier than rotating a map in your head.
Which prepositions should I teach first?
Start with next to, between, across from and on the corner, because they describe most locations in a town. Add in front of, behind and near once those are secure. Teach on for streets, as in on Main Street, and at for exact points, as in at the bus stop.
Can I teach this without a field trip?
Yes. A tape map on the floor, a printed town map and the school building itself give plenty of practice. Photos of local places make it feel real. If a walk around the block is possible, it makes a strong final lesson, but it is not required.
Is this unit aligned to my state's standards?
Teach Lessons does not claim alignment with state ELA or English language proficiency standards. Places and directions is a common topic in beginning English programs, but whether the unit fits your required outcomes is your call. Compare its tasks with your state's standards and your ELL program guidance first.
How do I add writing to a speaking topic?
Once students can give directions aloud, have them write a short set for a classmate, then test it by following it. Sentence frames help: First, go ___. Then turn ___. It is next to the ___. Older students can write directions for a visitor coming to the school.
What place words do newer students need most?
Focus on places in their own life: school, home, store, park, library, bus stop, hospital and restaurant. Add useful signs such as exit, stop and crosswalk. Words the student will actually see on the way to school are worth more than a long list of buildings they never visit.
Tape a street on the floor
A few strips of tape turn your classroom into a town. Let students walk the routes and the language follows.
See the town and directions unit