Category Archives: Sides

Cheeky Phonemes

Posted on October 24, 2015 by jonnyingham

Many teachers find the phonemic chart a little overwhelming, whether they be newly qualified teachers, trainees on a teacher training course such as the CELTA or Delta, or even very experienced teachers. There can be no better place to start … Continue reading →

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Getting Instructions Right

Posted on July 20, 2014 by jonnyingham

This is my third post in a series of posts going ‘Back to Basics‘, re-examining techniques and ideas introduced on teacher training courses. One of the first things that is often taught on a teacher training course is the importance of … Continue reading →

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The 5-Second Rule

Posted on May 21, 2014 by jonnyingham

There is a common adage that any food dropped on the floor is safe to eat if picked up within five seconds. Now I’m not sure if this is a theory I subscribe to wholeheartedly but I’d be lying if … Continue reading →

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How did it get so late so soon?

Posted on April 17, 2014 by jonnyingham

Despite its questionable grammar and lack of apostrophes, I like the Dr. Seuss poem above. It highlights a common difficulty faced by many teachers. 5 minute warmer took 25 minutes? Lesson ended on a grammar presentation? No time for practice? … Continue reading →

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Tweaking your Boardwork

Posted on February 23, 2014 by jonnyingham

What do you do with the vocabulary that comes up in a lesson? Where do you write it on the board? Many teachers keep an incidental vocabulary column at the side of the board and this can have many advantages. … Continue reading →

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50/50 correction: My favourite error correction technique

Posted on January 15, 2014 by jonnyingham

A simple but effective technique for on the spot ‘hot’ correction. Look at these example classroom interactions: Student: I /laɪked/ Paris very much. Teacher: You /laɪked/ or /laɪkt/? Student: /laɪkt/ Student: I have never ate Chinese food. Teacher: ate or eaten? … Continue reading →

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