ESLBuzz exists because learning English shouldn’t feel like climbing a wall in the dark. We’re a small team of ESL teachers, applied linguists, and language coaches from seven countries who got tired of seeing our students struggle through outdated textbooks, paywalled apps, and grammar rules that didn’t match how real people talk. So we built the resource we wished we’d had as students ourselves: free, evidence-based, and written by humans who actually teach this stuff every week.
This page tells you who we are, what we believe, and how the site is put together. If you’re a learner, a teacher, or a fellow ESL professional, we want you to know exactly whose work you’re trusting.
What ESLBuzz Stands For
- Free, forever. No paywalls, no premium tier — every guide, tool, and word list is free to use.
- Written by teachers. Every article is drafted, reviewed, or fact-checked by a working ESL instructor with classroom experience.
- Evidence over hype. We cite respected sources (Cambridge, British Council, peer-reviewed linguistics) and avoid clickbait.
- Real English, not robot English. Examples come from the way people actually speak and write — not artificial textbook sentences.
- For all levels. A1 beginners and C2 mastery learners both deserve respectful, accurate guidance.
Our Story
ESLBuzz started in 2014 as a side project run by two friends — one teaching English in Hanoi, one teaching in Manchester. Between us we’d graded enough homework to know that the real questions students asked rarely matched the questions textbooks answered. Why does Look up the word mean something different from Look the word up? Why do native speakers say I have sometimes and I’ve got other times? Why does since work in one tense and not another? These were the gaps. So we filled them, one article at a time, on a free WordPress blog.
By 2017 the site had grown beyond the two of us. Teachers from Vietnam, the United States, the United Kingdom, the Philippines, India, Australia, and South Africa joined as contributors. Each brought their own teaching context — exam prep, business communication, immigration support, university test prep, casual self-study — which is why our coverage now spans grammar fundamentals, vocabulary themes, conversation practice, exam strategies (IELTS, TOEFL, Cambridge), and professional English.
Today, ESLBuzz publishes more than 1,400 articles across 40+ topic hubs and serves learners in over 90 countries. We’re still independently owned. We’ve never taken outside investment. The site is funded by a small amount of advertising and our own teaching work elsewhere.
Who Writes Our Content
Every contributor to ESLBuzz holds at least one of the following: a teaching qualification (CELTA, TESOL, DELTA, MA in Applied Linguistics), several years of full-time classroom experience, or a specialist credential in their topic area. We don’t accept generic content from freelancers without ESL teaching backgrounds.
| Role | What they do | Typical credentials |
|---|---|---|
| Lead Instructors | Draft pillar guides, design learning paths, set the curriculum logic across hubs | CELTA / DELTA, MA Linguistics, 8+ years ESL classroom |
| Topic Specialists | Write deep guides in their niche (test prep, business English, pronunciation, idioms) | Subject-matter expertise + teaching qualification |
| Editors & Fact-Checkers | Review every article for accuracy, register, and learner-appropriate examples | Native-speaker editors with ESL editing background |
| Native-Speaker Reviewers | Final check on naturalness — would real speakers actually say this? | Native English speakers from US, UK, Australia, Canada, NZ |
When you read a guide on ESLBuzz, the work you’re seeing has typically passed through three pairs of eyes: a writer, a fact-checker, and a native-speaker reviewer. We list contributors at the bottom of major guides whenever they consent to a byline.
What You’ll Find on ESLBuzz
The site is organized around six core skill pillars. Pick the one that matches what you want to improve most — but don’t be afraid to wander between them, because real English doesn’t divide neatly into boxes.
Not sure where to start? If your overall level is below B1, begin with our Grammar pillar — it covers the building blocks. If you’re B2+, start with Speaking and Listening to push toward fluency. Test-takers should jump straight to the IELTS, TOEFL, or Cambridge sub-hubs.
Grammar
Tenses, parts of speech, sentence structure, punctuation, common confusions. The foundation everything else sits on.
Vocabulary
Topical word lists (food, travel, business, daily life), word families, synonyms, alphabetical reference. Designed for steady accumulation rather than cramming.
Speaking
Pronunciation drills, conversational phrases, idioms, slang, collocations. The bridge from “knowing English” to “using English.”
Listening
Strategies by CEFR level, accent training, podcast recommendations, shadowing technique. How to understand real spoken English at full speed.
Reading & Writing
Reading strategies, graded readers, free news resources for ESL, essay writing, emails, professional communication.
Test Prep
Dedicated guides for IELTS, TOEFL, and Cambridge English (FCE/CAE/CPE). Plus interactive tools — verb conjugator, word finder, sentence analyzer, pronunciation practice — that you can use during exam preparation.
Our Editorial Standards
We care about getting English right. Our editorial process for any new guide includes:
- Topic brief. An editor defines the question, target CEFR level, and learner intent.
- First draft. A qualified ESL writer drafts the guide using primary sources (Cambridge Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, Oxford, British Council, peer-reviewed linguistics).
- Fact check. A second teacher verifies grammar rules, scoring claims (for test-prep articles), and example accuracy.
- Native review. A native English speaker reads every example sentence aloud — if it sounds unnatural, it gets rewritten.
- Learner test. For pillar guides, we sometimes share drafts with current students for clarity feedback.
- Annual refresh. All test-prep guides are reviewed yearly because exam structures change. Other guides are updated whenever a learner spots an error.
What We Don’t Do
To set expectations clearly: ESLBuzz is a self-study resource, not a school. We don’t grade your essays, certify your level, or sell English courses. We don’t track your progress (no account required). We don’t sell your data. We don’t recommend products we haven’t personally vetted.
If you want personalized feedback, certification, or live conversation practice, we recommend pairing ESLBuzz with a teacher (in person or via platforms like italki, Preply, or local language schools). Our content gives you the foundation; a human tutor accelerates the application.
How to Reach Us
If you’ve spotted an error, want to suggest a topic, are interested in contributing, or simply want to say hello, you’re welcome to email us:
- General inquiries & feedback: hello@eslbuzz.com
- Content corrections: editors@eslbuzz.com
- Partnerships & press: partnerships@eslbuzz.com
- Privacy & legal: privacy@eslbuzz.com
We try to respond within three working days. Please be patient if you write during exam season — half our team is in classrooms and the inbox sometimes catches up slowly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is ESLBuzz really free? What’s the catch?
Yes, fully free. No premium tier, no paywall, no email signup required to read articles. The site runs on advertising revenue and the small income our writers earn from teaching elsewhere. The “catch” is simply that we display unobtrusive ads and may earn a small affiliate commission if you purchase a recommended book through our links — at no extra cost to you.
Can I cite ESLBuzz in my school assignment?
Yes. We’re a published web resource and you may cite us like any other reference. Use the article URL, our site name (ESLBuzz), and the publication or last-updated date shown at the top of each guide. For academic work, we’d recommend pairing our content with primary sources (peer-reviewed linguistics journals, Cambridge English).
Can I translate or republish your articles on my own site?
Translations and republishing require written permission. We do allow short quotations (up to 100 words) with a link back to the original article. For full translations into other languages — particularly for non-profit educational projects — please email editors@eslbuzz.com with your proposal.
How can I become a contributor?
We accept guest contributors who hold an ESL teaching qualification and at least three years of classroom experience. Email editors@eslbuzz.com with a short bio, your teaching credentials, and 2-3 sample articles or lesson plans. We typically review submissions within two weeks.
I found a mistake in one of your articles. What should I do?
Thank you — corrections from observant readers are how we keep the site accurate. Email editors@eslbuzz.com with the article URL, the specific error, and (if possible) the correct version. We’ll update the article and add a “thanks to [name]” note in the editorial log if you’d like the credit.
Do you offer one-on-one tutoring or paid courses?
No. ESLBuzz is purely a free reference site. Several of our contributors do tutor privately or work for language schools, but we don’t run our own paid programs. We may suggest reputable platforms in our guides if relevant, and we’ll always disclose any affiliate relationship.
Where is ESLBuzz based?
The site is owned and operated from Hanoi, Vietnam, but our contributors and readers are global. We try to write in international English (mixing US and UK conventions naturally) and we mark dialect-specific terms when they matter.