Since I started this beautiful journey as a teacher, I knew it was going to be a great challenge. We all know that we must spend a lot of time planning classes that keep our students engaged and motivated. During these twenty years teaching, I have witnessed all the changes and advances in English Language Teaching, from working with tape recorders, using only print books, and designing materials to fit the right level to all the fantastic classroom presentation tools we have today. Continue reading
Category Archives: Multimedia & Digital
Is Technology Really Helping Us Teach Better?
We know that there are lots of opportunities from technology in ELT – but we also see examples of technology doing what we know isn’t good from a teaching point of view. How can we make sure technology is working for teachers, and that teachers are really benefitting from new developments? Continue reading
Teaching Digital Literacy – Whose Job Is It?
Last December I took part in an online discussion about digital literacy. Amongst the many interesting questions posed by teachers, one question came up that I had never been asked before – Whose job is it to teach digital literacy?
As someone who teaches it as a subject, and also as part of my ELT lessons, I just assumed it was something any and all teachers should do. Which is pretty much the answer I gave at the time. However, the question came up several times. I feel my assumption is not held by everyone, so I’d like to use this opportunity to qualify my answer. Continue reading
5 English Language Rules For Winning At Wordle!
What do ‘basic’, ‘truth’, and ‘style’ have in common? Well, they are five-letter words in the English Language and possible contenders for the daily Wordle!
Wordle is an online word game that was originally created by software engineer Josh Wardle for his partner and, since its creation, it has soared in popularity. Millions of people (including me) are now joining the fun, confusing our family and friends by posting multicoloured squares on newsfeeds everywhere. And it’s free to play – all you need is internet access! Continue reading
Warm-Up Activities For New Classes
The best warm-up activities are all about getting students engaged, and providing them with new interesting ways to work together and connect. They should make the students feel stimulated and allow for personalisation where possible. Don’t error correct during warm-up activities. The emphasis should be on fluency and building trust and rapport. Here are some great warm-up activities suitable for teens and adults to get your classes off to a flying start!