Sell ESL resources: ESL, ELL, EFL and EAL materials
English language teachers work in public schools, international schools, language centers and online classrooms in dozens of countries. Your materials can reach all of them if you label them in the words each group uses.
Short answer: To sell ESL resources on TeachLessons, apply with the short form, then email your files, previews and Resource Submission List to support@stifo.de. You can live in any country if you can receive PayPal payments in US dollars. You set your own prices and keep 70% of net revenue.
ESL, ELL, EFL or EAL: which term should I use?
The same worksheet is searched for under different names depending on where the teacher works. If your title and description only use one term, you lose the others. Use the main term for your target buyer in the title, and mention the others naturally in the description.
| Term | Who uses it | Typical classroom |
|---|---|---|
| ELL / EL / ML (multilingual learners) | US public schools | Newcomer programs, pull-out and push-in support, sheltered content classes |
| ESL | US, Canada, adult education, many online teachers | Small groups, adult classes, tutoring |
| EAL | UK, Australia, international schools | Learners of English inside a mainstream English-medium school |
| ESOL | UK further and adult education, some US districts | Adult and post-16 courses |
| EFL | Teachers abroad: Asia, Europe, Latin America | English taught as a school subject in a non-English-speaking country |
This matters for content too. A US ELL teacher wants material tied to grade-level content and the WIDA language domains. An EFL teacher in Japan or Spain wants a lesson that fits a 45-minute class of 30 teenagers with a coursebook. A UK EAL coordinator wants something a mainstream teacher can use with a new arrival in a Year 5 class. Pick one main buyer per resource and write for that classroom.
How do I show the language level of a resource?
Teachers filter by level before anything else. A vague label such as "beginner to advanced" makes them scroll past. Give a specific level, and use the scale your buyers know:
- CEFR (A1 to C2) for international schools, EFL teachers and adult courses. "A2, ages 10-13" tells a teacher exactly where it fits.
- WIDA or state proficiency levels for US K-12 buyers, written as a description (for example "suitable for students at an entering or emerging level"). Do not imply the resource is official or endorsed.
- Age or grade band always, because an A1 adult and an A1 eight-year-old need very different topics and images.
If a resource has scaffolded versions, such as a reading with a word bank version and a no-support version, show both in the preview. Differentiation is one of the first things ELL teachers look for.
Which ESL resources do teachers look for?
Newcomer kits
Survival vocabulary, classroom language, school routines and picture dictionaries for the first weeks. Teachers often need these on short notice when a new student arrives.
Vocabulary sets
Themed word cards with clear images, matching games and short practice pages. Keep each set to 10-20 words so it fits real lessons.
Speaking activities
Information gaps, picture discussion cards, role plays, survey sheets and sentence frames. EFL teachers with big classes value pair work that needs no prep.
Graded readers and passages
Short texts at a stated CEFR level with pre-teaching vocabulary and questions.
Grammar in context
One structure per resource, practiced through a story or task, with an answer key.
Academic language for content classes
Sentence frames and word walls for science, math or social studies lessons, for co-teaching settings.
Cultural neutrality helps your resources travel. A worksheet built around Thanksgiving or the Super Bowl sells to fewer EFL teachers abroad than one about food, weather or weekend plans. If a resource is about a specific culture, say so plainly.
What rights issues come up with ESL images and audio?
ESL resources rely on pictures more than most subjects, so image rights carry more weight here. Photos found through a search engine, screenshots from films and coursebook illustrations are not yours to sell, even inside a vocabulary card set. Use your own photos, your own drawings, or clip art and stock images whose license covers resources that are sold. Our guide to clip art and fonts for commercial use explains what to look for in a license.
Audio has its own pitfalls:
- Record listening tasks yourself or with a speaker who has agreed in writing that you can sell the recording.
- Do not use song recordings, film clips or podcast excerpts. Song lyrics are protected too, so a gap-fill based on a well-known song is a rights problem.
- Name the accent (for example US or British English) so teachers know what to expect.
- Put audio files and the worksheet into one ZIP, with clear file names such as Weather-Listening-A2-Track1.mp3.
TeachLessons does not check resources for third-party rights. You confirm that every image, font and recording is yours or licensed for commercial use, and you are responsible if a claim arises because of your resource.
How do I sell ESL resources to international schools and teachers abroad?
International school teachers and EFL teachers often print on A4. Many US buyers use US Letter. If you can, include both sizes and say so in the description. Use British or American spelling consistently, and state which one you used, because some schools follow one strictly.
Offer a teacher page with clear instructions in simple English. Many EFL teachers are not native speakers and appreciate plain directions just as much as their students do. Keep student-facing instructions short and repeat the same instruction wording across your resources so learners recognize them.
Sellers can be teacher-authors from any country, as long as they can receive PayPal payments in US dollars and write resources in English or language-teaching resources for English-speaking classrooms. If you teach English abroad yourself, see our page on selling teaching resources from outside the US.
What should I charge for ESL worksheets and lessons?
Many EFL teachers pay for materials themselves, so a lower price on single lessons can make sense, while bigger kits justify more. You decide. Our optional suggestion is a minimum of $4.99 for a single resource.
| Resource | Price | Payout per sale |
|---|---|---|
| Single speaking card set | $3.00 | $2.04 |
| Vocabulary unit with games, A1 | $4.99 | $3.39 |
| Newcomer kit, 60 pages with audio | $10.00 | $6.79 |
| Full term of EFL lessons, B1 | $24.99 | $16.97 |
Your payout is price x 0.97 x 0.70. There are no listing or membership fees. Check other prices in the payout calculator. You are responsible for taxes on your own income; check with a tax advisor in your country.
How do I join and send my ESL resources?
- Apply with the short application form (about five minutes, no files).
- Receive the seller documents by email, including the Seller Agreement and the Resource Submission List.
- Fill in one row per resource, including the level in the grades or description column.
- Email everything at once to support@stifo.de: documents, files, and previews and thumbnails as PNG or JPEG. Audio-heavy kits can go as one shared link that opens without a login, up to 100 MB per resource.
- Go live. We set up your product pages and author page. There is no extra approval round, so send final versions.
Preparing many vocabulary sets? Read how to submit many resources at once.
Frequently asked questions
Can I sell ESL resources if I am not a native English speaker?
Yes. Sellers can be teacher-authors from any country who write resources in English and can receive PayPal payments in US dollars. Ask a colleague to proofread, because buyers notice errors in language materials quickly.
Can I use song lyrics in a listening or gap-fill activity?
Song lyrics and recordings are protected by copyright, so using them in a resource you sell needs permission from the rights holders. Write your own texts or chants instead.
Should I label resources with CEFR levels?
It helps teachers outside the US find the right level quickly. Add the age or grade band as well, because topics for young learners and adults differ a lot.
Can I sell resources based on a published coursebook?
Material that copies a coursebook's texts, images or exercises is a rights problem. Resources that practice a general topic or structure without copying the book are a different matter. When in doubt, ask a lawyer.
How do I send audio files?
Put the audio and the printable pages into one ZIP and send it with your email, or include one Google Drive, Dropbox or WeTransfer link that opens without a login. The limit is 100 MB per resource.
Can I sell the same ESL resources on my own website?
Yes. There is no exclusivity, unless you signed an exclusive deal elsewhere for that resource.
Ready to sell your teaching resources?
Apply with the short form. We email you the seller documents, you send your final files with previews and thumbnails, and we set up your product pages, your author page and landing pages. You keep 70% of net revenue, with no fees and no exclusivity.
Keep reading
General information about the TeachLessons Seller Program, not legal, tax or financial advice. The signed Seller Agreement sets out the binding terms. Questions: support@stifo.de.