I tend to post my short-thoughts on LinkedIn rather than on this blog. This one is an example from around 8 months ago – but I decided to post here too just for easy reference. I originally came across Ball’s… Read More ›
General
Research in brief: Language ideologies and pedagogical tensions
An interesting (small scale) study on home language use in the EAL classroom from Neokleous and Natlandsmyr (2025) – Link here. Plenty of interesting findings within those themes: Theme 1 Theme 2 Relating this to my context The findings seemed… Read More ›
Further IGCSE ESL musings
A few months ago, I wrote a post on the value of the IGCSE ESL course. I’ve had a few other thoughts since, which I’ve shared on other platforms. I just wanted to file those thoughts somewhere under ‘random Pete… Read More ›
Materials writing conversations #20: The title
Project manager (PM): So, this new product is the big one! General English resources have never been so pointless, which is why TITLES MATTER. (Everyone unmutes their mics to shout ‘hear, hear’ and bang stuff down loudly and repeatedly) PM:… Read More ›
IGCSE LinkedInLit (Volume 2)
Here are more of my #LinkedInLit posts about IGCSE English as a Second Language. You can read the first volume here. The cultural trip ‘This cultural trip to England is an excellent opportunity for #IGCSE #ESL students,’ said Mr Wells… Read More ›
Does IGCSE ESL miss the mark?
I like teaching IGCSE ESL although I’m not sure it’s always suitable for my learners. Here are a few thoughts I have on it, both good and bad. Note, I’m writing about the Cambridge course here, as it’s the one… Read More ›
Bell Assessment Framework: Guide for International Users
A few months back, I wrote about the CEFR and the benefits of reading the Companion Volume. Similarly, the Bell Assessment Framework also has a companion doc – a ‘Guide for International Users’. It’s a concise and accessible resource. Well… Read More ›
EAL video summaries for parents
Earlier this year, we trialed video reports for our EAL parents and learners. Here’s a summary of what/why/how, pros, cons, etc. What were the video reports? We provided parents with a 5-minute video summary of their child’s progress across all… Read More ›
EAL student voice
We request feedback on our EAL provision from learners twice a year – towards the end of Term 1 and Term 3. We are open to further feedback at any point, but that’s just when we request it. How do… Read More ›
Our EAL exit process
As mentioned previously, our EAL learners follow a bespoke curriculum. Here’s some info on our exit process for learners moving from ‘EAL support’ into mainstream English classes. Step 1: A learner is referred by EAL teachers & coaches for possible exitWe… Read More ›
ELT Planning 