What often urges language teachers to look out for new teaching resources is their concern whether the new materials ‘out there’ are more appropriate for their learners, centred on their own interests, backed up by other components or more attractive in terms of visuals. More preoccupations stretch from whether their activities take less time to prepare...
Introduction
Over the last 30 years or so, computers have had quite an impact on language testing. As regards Computer Adaptive Testing (CAT) in particular, it is currently on the leading edge of assessment technology.
Defining and exploring CAT
CAT is a sophisticated method of test delivery that tailors test question...
“One day I will find the right words, and they will be simple.”
― Jack Kerouac
If I need a series of complicated crafts, 5 different books, 15 photocopies and 3 different classroom setups to teach the letter (or the sound- depending on your approach) ‘m’, something is very wrong!
Text by: Maria Davou
Arts and crafts are beautiful; they enrich our...
Co-teaching is when teachers are paired together in a classroom and they share equal responsibilities for planning, instructing, and assessing students. The most common way of co-teaching is when general and special education teachers are paired together in order to create a more inclusive learning experience.
Co-Teaching is defined as two teachers...
Learning by Heart - a Plea for Poetry
A strange expression that. A very guilty one as well. The “by heart” approach has carried all the negative effects of Behaviourism in Education so the demonization of the term is inevitable in teachers’ minds.
What it usually means is memorization - sticking things in your head and keeping them there, ready to...
Learning a foreign language is an emotional roller coaster mixed with amazing highs and frustrating plateaus. Many a times you feel like you’re not making any progress at all. It’s so easy to become discouraged and want to throw in the towel.
Sayings, quotes and aphorisms are great tools we can use to generate interest in the language classroom and start...
Throughout my long career I have been committed to two fundamental goals: the professional development of my teachers and using the learning environment as a space to develop identities. In this article I would like to show how these goals can be addressed within the context of teachers striving to give meaningful roles to their students. These roles relate...
Research shows that the more students read in English, the more proficient they become. Reading can significantly improve students’ level in all four skills: reading, writing, listening, and speaking. It can also result in big improvements in the use of grammar and vocabulary. An effective way of engaging your students with reading is by using graded...
Infusing lessons with their personal interests can help teachers model the benefits of perseverance and curiosity.
When you’re a teacher, a big part of your job is battling student misconceptions. Often students come to the classroom assuming that learning can’t be fun and that what they learn isn’t relevant to the real world -much less to their personal...
