Sometimes coincidence is just too vague a term to describe a series of seemingly unrelated events which take you in a certain direction. However, for lack of a better term, I’d say it is coincidence that made me want to read more about different approaches to teaching listening skills. Coincidences Some time ago, Marc Jones […]
Product vs. process listening Read More »
I don’t know if this word even exists in ELT, it’s probably called ‘self-reflection’ or something similar. Terminology aside, this is what I’ve tried to do more consistently in the last few months: consciously noticing and if possible reflecting on the on-the-spot choices I make as a teacher in the classroom.
Self-observation in the classroom Read More »
Some time ago I wrote about how I (am required to) plan my lessons. What I wrote there actually only applies to groups. Apparently, I do not have to produce such an accurate plan for my individual students. To tell you the truth, nobody ever told me what I am supposed to produce for these
Planning one-to-one lessons Read More »
Today I’d like to share with you some questions and — possibly wrong — ideas I had last week, during our Delta preparation week. One day we were reviewing the development of methodologies in language teaching (from grammar-translation all the way down to humanistic approaches and so called post-communicative era) when I realised how most
Why is grammar-translation so persistent? Read More »
I have already discussed on this blog how I love the idea of materials-light teaching and how I am experimenting with an unplugged approach. So it comes as no surprise that last week I decided to unplug one of my intermediate-level lessons to see where it would go. The result was amazing to me. Some background information before I start:
On Dogme and how a world map transformed my lesson Read More »
Can a flipped, game-based approach to teaching English really work with adult, monolingual classes?
The problems I see with flipped, game-based teaching Read More »
I briefly mentioned on this post how I love activities which are materials-light and conversation-driven. I might not have acknowledged it fully, but I’m starting to suspect Dogme has seriously influenced my teaching 😎. Anyway, last Sunday I tried to follow #AusELT chat on teaching materials-light, and even though I missed the time and couldn’t join the conversation, it still
Materials-light teaching Read More »
I am very proud and excited to post my very first #ELTchat summary here. I have been unable to follow previous chats live as I was always working, but this time with the slow-burn idea I was able not only to read, but also to participate in the chat as it was unfolding. This week’s #ELTchat was inspired by
#ELTchat summary: Does technology motivate or distract in the classroom? Read More »
I recently read a not-so-recent article about a group of UK teachers who went to China to try to understand the secret to the high performance of Chinese students in international tests. The alleged results came as quite a shock. According to the article, the “traditional” methods used in China — the same that the
Are we getting it all wrong? Read More »
I decided to write this post after reading Sandy Millin’s post and thinking: “wow, that’s exactly what I think!”. I apologise if this is more of a random collection of thoughts, but again, Sandy’s post reminded me of how putting your thoughts in writing sometimes can help to clarify your mind and put things into
To coursebook or not to coursebook? That is the question. Read More »
