Recent Posts - page 51
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Using Google Doodles to revise dates
I read a great post from Svetlana Kandybovich yesterday on using Google games in the classroom. Her comments on Google matched my experience. I used to fight against technology and hated it when students always tapped away on their smart phones… Read More ›
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DipTESOL observed practice – lesson planning
Avoid my ramblings and skip to the end of this post for an example lesson plan for the DipTESOL observed practice.
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Video resource: a one minute guide to planet earth
Here’s a fluency based activity to challenge those adult advanced classes. I am always on the hunt for activities that will stretch my strongest students, and get them talking about rather alien topics. After all, if you’ve mastered a language… Read More ›
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A fun way to introduce graphs in class
I stumbled across Google Trends on the net last year after reading a blog by Jeremy Kritt. I did a project on Trends back in June, and found it a great resource for lessons. Google Trends provides information of what… Read More ›
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Video lesson: sickness benefits in the UK
Here’s a fairly topical upper-intermediate level lesson, as we get closer to the general election. I saw this report on Sky News back in mid-February and thought it would be a really good talking point. Apparently, David Cameron is thinking… Read More ›
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DipTESOL observed practice – evaluate and reflect!
This is my first blog on the Trinity College London DipTESOL. It might seem like I’m jumping ahead a bit by talking about the final observations, especially if you’re new to the course. But if you’re anything like me, the… Read More ›
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Teach Petr Cech English – a lesson using British Council Premier Skills
I’ve only just discovered the British Council Premier Skills site. It’s a great resource for some of the groups I teach. They’ve got a lesson planning competition going on at the moment, which inspired me to create a little something…. Read More ›
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Windsor Castle video observation challenge!
Here’s one of my favourite activities to get students interested in Windsor Castle. The lesson is based around the ‘visit Windsor’ introductory video that can be found on youtube. The lesson is suitable for intermediate students, although the part that uses… Read More ›
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writing task on Henry VIII using gradual approximation
Teaching writing is something I’ve hardly ever done. I mostly work with groups that visit England for a week or so, and want intense listening and speaking practice. During my DipTESOL I really had to think about what teaching skills… Read More ›
Featured Categories
materials writing ›
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Materials writing conversations #20: The title
September 7, 2025
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Materials writing conversations #19: vague briefs
October 31, 2024
DipTESOL tips ›
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DipTESOL Independent Research Project
August 10, 2021
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Reflections on the DipTESOL
June 29, 2021
teacher development ›
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Community building activities for tutor time
February 16, 2026
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Interview task: create a lesson for a Year 10 IGCSE ESL class
February 15, 2026