Learning prepositions is difficult for some native speakers of English, let alone for English as a Second Language (ESL) students. Therefore, crafting lesson plans and activities geared toward ESL students helps them understand the subject matter at a level that is appropriate for their language abilities. Furthermore, the acquisition of proper preposition usage enhances ESL learners' general sense and usage of the English language.

Preposition Basketball
This game and learning technique is most appropriate for classrooms that have a decent amount of space, as students will be involved in physical activity. A basket is placed on a chair, and students are divided into two teams. Each team takes turns throwing the ball, and then they describe where the ball has landed by using prepositions. Students may say, for example, "the ball is under the chair" or "the ball is in the hallway." Once a team has made up three correct sentences, they receive a point. Teachers can choose how they want to reward the winning team. Perhaps the winners will get a no-homework pass. Once again, students actually have the opportunity to see prepositions in context and to develop their conversational language skills.

Visual Representations
Simple activities centered around visual representations are appropriate for elementary school-aged ESL students. Teachers hand out sheets with a list of sentences and a list of pictures. Sentences read along the lines of "the cup is on the table" and "the shirt is in the closet." Students have to match the sentences and pictures. Therefore, they are engaging in a learning activity that is also enjoyable for them. Variations of this method exist as teachers also ask students to fill in the blanks. For example, a shoe may be pictured next to a couch, and the students would be presented with the sentence: "The shoe is next to the __________." By learning through such activities, students see the prepositions in context, as opposed to just memorizing them.

Comparison Activities
Students have to learn that prepositions are not only about relative time and location; they are also used to compare different items. Appropriate for older students, these activities require more abstract thinking than the former drills. Students are given worksheets and asked to fill in comparison sentences with the appropriate preposition. Examples of sentences include: "there are similarities ______ them"; and "when compared _______ the other one, this one is much stronger." Once again, although more abstract, the emphasis is placed on both using the prepositions in context and on understanding them in common phrases during everyday life. Therefore, such activities simultaneously strengthen the ESL students' preposition skills and general conversational skills.