Clines in Language Teaching
Delayed Error Correction
Routines with Young Learners
My one-to-one student just wants to chat
Timelines in EFL
Tag Archives: EFL
Incremental Coaching – A Better Alternative to Formal Observation?
It is common practice in many educational institutions for teachers to be observed just once a year. This annual observation can be a stressful experience; often high stakes with the outcome directly linked to performance management. As a result, teachers … Continue reading
Posted in Manager's Office
Tagged Cambridge Regional College, coaching, CRC, EFL, ELT, Future of Training, IH, IH AMT, IH London, incremental coaching, leadership, management, observation
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Effective Eliciting
This is my fourth post in a series of posts going ‘Back to Basics‘, re-examining techniques and ideas introduced on teacher training courses. What is eliciting? The British Council Teaching English website defines elicitation as ‘a technique by which the … Continue reading
Posted in Mains
Tagged #eltwhiteboard, back to basics, boardwork, CELTA, checking meaning, classroom management, concept checking, EFL, elicit, elicitation, eliciting, ELT, pre-teaching, vocabulary
3 Comments
Starting with Quotations
Stuck for an idea for a lead-in? Starting a new unit and don’t want to go straight into the book? Not sure how to set the context in a communicative way? This simple idea might be just the activity for … Continue reading
Cheeky Phonemes
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
Posted in Sides
Tagged adrian underhill, boardwork, CELTA, cheeky phonemes, Delta, EFL, ELT, phoneme, phonemic chart, phonemic script, phonology, pronunciation
4 Comments
My one-to-one student just wants to chat
So, after planning a lesson tailored to the needs of the individual student, all they seem to want to do is have a chat. You start to wonder if it is worth planning the lesson at all. Then there’s … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged 1-to-1, 1:1, conversation, dogme, EFL, ELT, error correction, feedback, one-to-one, progress, pronunciation, vocabulary
30 Comments
Developing Reading Skills – A guest post by Suzanne Goodwin
I am delighted that Suzanne agreed to write this guest post based on a super INSETT session she recently delivered at IH Palermo. Without further ado, I’ll hand over to Suzanne. There has been considerable discussion in contemporary ELT about … Continue reading
Posted in Mains
Tagged Christine Nuttall, developing reading skills, EFL, ELT, IH Palermo, meaning from context, reading, reading skills, scanning, skimming, Suzanne Goodwin, text attack
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How to write a TEFL CV
Part of my job involves teacher recruitment and therefore I’ve seen a good number of CVs over the years. Very few of the CVs have stood out, and many have been, quite frankly, terrible! Some facts about CVs Recruitment websites … Continue reading
Posted in Manager's Office
Tagged CV, EFL, ELT, jobs, recruitment, resume, TEFL, TEFL CV, work, write, writing
7 Comments
Warmer of the Week – Polarisation
Here’s an idea for a simple, low preparation, communicative activity to set the context and lead in to your lesson. The basic procedure Write ‘I agree’ on one side of the board and ‘I disagree’ on the other side of … Continue reading
Posted in Aperitifs, Starters
Tagged discourse markers, EFL, ELT, polarisation, speaking, warmer, writing
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Getting Instructions Right
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
Posted in Sides
Tagged back to basics, CELTA, classroom management, EFL, ELT, ICQs, instructions
12 Comments
Timelines in EFL
This is my second post in a series of posts going ‘Back to Basics‘, re-examining techniques and ideas introduced on teacher training courses. What is a timeline? A timeline is a visual representation of the relationships that exist between tense and … Continue reading
Posted in Mains
Tagged #eltwhiteboard, back to basics, CCQ, ccqs, CELTA, concept checking, EFL, ELT, grammar, timelines, visual
22 Comments
Back to Basics
It’s June in Sicily… Not only does that mean it’s starting to get really hot here in Palermo, but it also means I’ll soon be wearing a different hat at work… We have a CELTA course starting in a couple … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged back to basics, CELTA, EFL, ELT, methodology, teacher training
6 Comments
The 5-Second Rule
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
Come Cline with Me!
This is a follow up to a blog post I wrote a couple of months ago on using clines in language teaching, First of all, I’d like to say a big thank you to all the readers, numbering over 35,000. … Continue reading
Posted in Manager's Office
Tagged #eltwhiteboard, clines, Come Cline with Me, EFL, ELT, IH, IH Palermo, IH Teachers Online Conference, IHTOC6
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How did it get so late so soon?
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
Headway in Harrogate
This is my first post as a registered IATEFL online blogger. I’ve never actually attended IATEFL but have always found the online sessions a valuable resource and hope to share some over the next week or so. First up, a … Continue reading
Recipes for the EFL Classroom 