Author Archives

Teacher and Materials Writer

• 5 ideas to expand your ELT Toolkit

  By Pete on June 29, 2015 • ( 3 )

  

  I was reading the Teacher Toolkit the other day, which is a fantastic site. I took at least 5 new ideas from it, mostly relating to classroom management. It reminded me how rewarding it is to learn from others, and… Read More ›

• 35 ways to introduce your lesson topic

  By Pete on June 22, 2015 • ( 43 )

  

  Are you fed up with using the same old methods to introduce your lesson topic? Look no further! Here are 35 ways to kick off your lesson. How many have you tried?

• Little tips from CELTA training that go a long way

  By Pete on June 8, 2015 • ( 17 )

  

  When you undertake a 1-month intensive CELTA course it’s near impossible to absorb all the information you’re given. You have to prioritise, and that means getting the basics right. Staging a lesson, introducing new language effectively, anticipating problems, that type… Read More ›

• Fluency practice: What do you know about Britain?

  By Pete on May 31, 2015 • ( 4 )

  

  Here’s a fun way to get students sharing information, in the context of history and culture. I originally got this idea from waygook.org, which is a good source of lesson inspiration if you’re a teacher based in South Korea. Let’s… Read More ›

• Reflective practice: creating a self-development record

  By Pete on May 27, 2015 • ( 12 )

  

  How do you develop as a teacher? Do you rely on observations from peers or senior staff to tell you what you need to improve on? Do you evaluate and reflect on your own lessons? If so, do you do… Read More ›

• What were the last 10 teaching books you used?

  By Pete on May 18, 2015 • ( 2 )

  

  Last week my boss Martin Sketchley (eltexperiences) was sitting next to me compiling his list of recommended reading for the CELTA. It made me think about resource and reference books in general, and how I use them. I thought it… Read More ›

• CELTA tip: language analysis assignment

  By Pete on May 12, 2015 • ( 23 )

  

  The language analysis assignment is quite straightforward. It’s in two parts, grammar and vocabulary. You’re given a particular grammar structure or lexical items, and you have to analyse it and explain how you would go about teaching it. That’s about… Read More ›

• Lesson idea: UK politics and the election

  By Pete on May 7, 2015 • ( 3 )

  

  Today I taught one of my best lessons ever.  It’s a massive day for the UK, and there was no way I was going to ignore the general election in class. I had a group of 14 year old intermediate… Read More ›

• DipTESOL Tip – Phonology based activities

  By Pete on May 4, 2015 • ( 9 )

  

  I found ‘Phonological Theory in Classroom Practice’ the most useful module on the DipTESOL. It really encourages you to try out new activities and integrate phonology into your lessons. During the final assessment for the module (which is a 30-minute… Read More ›

• Lesson idea: quick conditionals review

  By Pete on April 30, 2015 • ( 2 )

  

  Here’s a quick idea for revising some conditionals. I used this the other day and it worked well: Ask students the following: What would you do if you were the last person on earth? Encourage creativity: If I were the… Read More ›