Teaching Matters: Creating Student-Centered Materials for Your English Classroom
“Be curious, not judgemental.” —Walt Whitman (1819-1892), American poet What makes classroom materials “student-centered”? How do fluency-focused materials help create a livelier learning environment? While the web allows English teachers to individualize instruction to an astonishing degree, teache… The post Teaching Matters: Creating Student-Centered...
Read MoreGuest Blog: Things You Need To Know Working as a Teacher in Dubai
By Fazreen Razeek, Edarabia.com Guest Blogger Famous for its skyscrapers and shopping malls, Dubai is an outstanding place to live and work for those who love the city life. A melting pot of cultures from around the world, Dubai is a great city to explore – especially for teachers. From diverse clas… The post Guest Blog: Things You Need To Know Working as a Teacher in Dubai...
Read MoreTeaching Matters: The Art of Teaching “Unplugged”
“The art and science of asking questions is the source of all knowledge.” – Thomas Berger (1924-2014), American novelist What is teaching “unplugged?” How does this approach enhance language learning for students? What kinds of activities can English teachers implement that reflect this style… The post Teaching Matters: The Art of Teaching...
Read MoreTeaching Matters: Introducing Informational Interviews to Your Advanced ESL Class
“You have to know how to accept rejection and reject acceptance.” – Ray Bradbury (1920-2012), American author Speaking skills – in particular interview skills – matter. Job interviews – a perennial topic on this blog – are often stressful, especially for English language learners. A broad consensus … The post Teaching Matters: Introducing...
Read MoreThe Value of Playback: Recording Student Presentations and Making Good Mistakes in Real-time
“Don’t sweat the small stuff, and it’s all small stuff.” – Dr. Richard Carlson (1956-), bestselling American author and psychologist Creating a classroom atmosphere of tolerance, understanding, and constructive criticism remains a constant challenge. How do you help your ESL students recognize their… The post The Value of Playback: Recording Student...
Read MoreTeaching Matters: Correcting Error in the Classroom
“I cannot teach anybody anything. I can only make them think.” -Socrates (c. 470-399 BCE), Ancient Greek philosopher What are “good mistakes?” How can we – as teachers of English – encourage students to make more of them? When can we use error as an opportunity to increase students’ confidence in their speech? Recently, we’ve stumbled onto an...
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