Do you use radio programs to help your English students learn English?
Radio remains a powerful tool for English teachers, especially with advance preparation. You can being by mining the wonderful BBC and Voice of America websites for classroom materials and lessons, but you can also go far beyond those two vulnerable sites. Giving students the power to select their own materials and bring those stories into the classroom gives them a chance to express their...
Read MoreCreating More Student-Centered Conversation Materials
We need, it seems to me, to motivate English students more out of choice than duty – and tailor our ESL and EFL material as much as possible to our individual students. The web allows teachers to individualize instruction to an astonishing degree, but teachers must be prepare flexible, student-centered materials and lead by example. We set the standards, and students will follow their...
Read MoreWorksheet – or Cheat Sheet – for English Teachers to Observe Conversations and Lead Class Discussions
What do you do while students are having conversations or talking in pairs? Do you have a “formula” for taking notes? Do you focus more on fluency or accuracy? Many English teachers, especially novice ESL instructors, talk more than ideal – and allow their English students to talk too little. Ironically, many ESL instructors make this “good mistake” because they are...
Read MoreCATESOL Accepts My Presentation on Practices for a More Democratic ESL Classroom!
Do you want to create a more student-centered, democratic ESL classroom? How do you tailor assignments to individual students? What websites and resources do you incorporate in your classes to help students improve their speaking and listening skills? Finally, are you an English teacher working in California interested in these topics? If so, my CATESOL workshop titled “Techniques and...
Read MoreThree Free Exceptional ESL and EFL Resources for English Students, Teachers, Tutors
Learning English, on your own and according to your own wishes and needs, has never been easier. Everyone with internet access can become autotelic, or self-directed, in creating their own educational program. Naturally, innovative ESL educators and EFL schools have embraced these possibilities to enrich their English classrooms. The endless web continually offers pleasant surprises. This...
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