I’ve been thinking about the role of research in TEFL recently. This was prompted by Dr Paula Rebolledo’s closing plenary on Day 2 of the Teaching for Success online conference, titled ‘How could research inform EFL practice?’ You can watch… Read More ›
tefl
Breaktime games
Does anyone have any good suggestions for break time games? I have an interactive whiteboard and I’ve started to leave a game on the board (if I can trust the class with the equipment!). I prefer using things like Quizlet… Read More ›
DipTESOL Phonology Interview
There are some useful resources online the DipTESOL phonology interview. You can find two great overviews about it from Gemma Lunn and Dave Dodgson. Both mention the example videos by Oxford TEFL, which I think are done by the tutors… Read More ›
Evaluating course books – checklists
I’m currently studying a module in Materials Development through NILE online. It’s a really worthwhile course so far! Unit two talked about evaluating materials, specifically course books. We were introduced to a range of checklists that could be used for… Read More ›
Recent whiteboard work
I mentioned a few whiteboard tips this time last year. I should probably follow my own advice, because my recent whiteboard work has been a bit shoddy. I’ve been taking some pictures of my recent boards. I won’t post them… Read More ›
Classroom games – Dobble!
Dobble is a great card game for quick thinking and bit of new vocabulary. I trialled it during a ‘fun and games’ social club last week and it went down well. Actually, the students enjoyed it so much that they… Read More ›
Planning tasks for young learners
To an experienced YL teacher this post is just stating the obvious. To me it’s not, because I’m new to teaching primary aged learners. I’ve got in the habit of tweaking almost every activity to try and make it fun…. Read More ›
A fun way to drill
A bit of repetition never hurt anyone! It might not be the most riveting stuff, but sometimes I come across these ‘listen and repeat’ drills in our materials or in books. They’re ok. I used to like substitution drills myself…. Read More ›
Encouraging autonomy in teen classes
You might not need to encourage your students to take control of their learning. I do. My teens aren’t used to working independently or undertaking tasks without the teacher directing proceedings. Our current topic is health and fitness. I found… Read More ›
Introducing travel – student quiz
This came up again recently. There’s nothing wrong with ‘Where the hell is Matt?’, that will always be a classic. However, I like to mix things up, personalise, find different ways to engage my students. This worked well… First up,… Read More ›