Using students' first languages in the classroom Summary: Using students' first languages in the classroom Whether it is better to use the students' first language (L1) in class or have an English-only policy is something that has been much debated and that has seen many changes of fashion over the years. It seems, therefore, that the only sensible reaction an individual teacher can take to this controversial subject is to neither accept nor reject the use of L1, but simply to search for an ideal level of its use in each individual class- maybe changing its use as the class progresses in level or changes in other ways. Here are some tips to help you spot if you have found your own perfect level of L1 use in your classes and how to adjust the level if you haven't reached that point yet. Possible signs that there is too much L1 in your classroom 1. Possible signs that you could usefully have more L1 in your classroom 1. Other signs that you might not have the balance of L1 use in class right 1. 1. Copyright © 2008 Alex Case
English Profile - English Vocabulary Profile The English Vocabulary Profile offers reliable information about which words (and importantly, which meanings of those words) and phrases are known and used by learners at each level of the Common European Framework (CEF). Cambridge University Press is making the A1-C2 English Vocabulary Profile available free of charge to teachers and educationalists around the world for the time being. Click on the buttons below to use the EVP: Note that some plugins, e.g. 'adblock' can make the 'Advanced search' section disappear and will need to be disabled for this functionality to work properly. The English Vocabulary Profile contains information about phrases, idioms and collocations as well as the words themselves. The EVP forms an invaluable reference source for anyone involved in syllabus design as well as materials writers, test developers, teachers and teacher trainers.
Error Correction 1 Therefore the aim of this article is not to be prescriptive, but to highlight some key areas. It is in 2 parts. In the first part we look at ... Attitudes to error correction Categorising errors A model for correcting writing The role of planning Practical techniques / ideas for correcting writing Attitudes to error correction Attitudes to error correction vary not only among teachers but also among students. The fact that English is their second language and great emphasis was placed on correctness at their teacher training college. As for students, we not only have to consider their age but also their approach to learning. Categorising errors We can categorise an error by the reason for its production or by its linguistic type. What's the reason for the error? To be sure about the type of error produced by a student we need to know where the student's interlanguage is (the language used by a student in the process of learning a second language). What type is it? 1. What type is it? 1.
Integrating pronunciation into classroom activities In my work as a teacher trainer I have been surprised at how often experienced teachers are reluctant to tackle pronunciation issues in class. I can think of at least two reasons why pronunciation tends to be neglected: firstly, the lack of clear guidelines and rules available in course books, and secondly the fact that isolated exercises once a month do not seem to have much of an effect. This is not surprising, however; like all other areas of language teaching, pronunciation needs constant attention for it to have a lasting effect on students, which means integrating it into daily classroom procedures. I find that addressing issues regularly during the language feedback or group correction stage of a lesson helps to focus learners' attention on its importance and leads to more positive experiences. Using student talk to teach pronunciationWord stressVowel soundsDiphthongsWeak formsSentence stressConclusion After the activity, on the board I draw a column with the heading /e/.
Connected speech Recently however, there has been a shift of focus towards the other systems operating within phonology, which may be more important in terms of overall intelligibility. What connected speech is How this affects native and non-native speakers Aspects of connected speech Working on weak forms Conclusion What connected speech is "English people speak so fast" is a complaint I often hear from my students, and often from those at an advanced level, where ignorance of the vocabulary used is not the reason for their lack of comprehension. When students see a spoken sentence in its written form, they have no trouble comprehending. Why is this? The reason, it seems, is that speech is a continuous stream of sounds, without clear-cut borderlines between each word. How this affects native and non-native speakers As native speakers, we have various devices for dealing with indistinct utterances caused by connected speech. How many words do you hear? Vanessa Steele How many words do you hear?
English Profile - English Grammar Profile The English Grammar Profile allows us to see how learners develop competence in grammatical form and meaning, as well as pragmatic appropriateness, as they move up the CEFR levels. This provides us with typical, world-wide grammar profiles for each level. Like vocabulary, grammatical forms often have more than one meaning. For example, the modal verb 'may' can be used with various meanings at different levels. Weak possibility: "The weather may be hot." Formal permission: "May I borrow your bike?" 'May well': "You may well find that this is not the case." 'May as well': "We may as well go home." Watch Mike McCarthy's introduction to the EGP below, originally featured on Cambridge English Teacher: How to access the EGP The EGP is available as a free, online resource. Feedback If you have any comments about the English Grammar Profile, please let us know by contacting us.
Working in pairs and groups The advantages of pair work and small group work Gives learners more speaking time Changes the pace of the lesson Takes the spotlight off you and puts it onto the children Allows them to mix with everyone in the group Gives them a sense of achievement when reaching a team goal Teaches them how to lead and be led by someone other than the teacher Allows you to monitor, move around the class and really listen to the language they are producing Pitfalls and how to avoid them You could lose control of the class. How to set up pair and group work Be sure to fully explain the procedure before splitting the class up. Activities which lend themselves to pair work Roll the ball This can be used to practise any language that requires a question/answer pattern. Activities which lend themselves to group work Posters Used to practise categorizing skills, reviewing colours and names of toys. The advantages of pair work and small group work Pitfalls and how to avoid them You could lose control of the class.
News - Pronunciation Science Two-day introduction to the Articulatory Approach In 2018, we've got a busy summer programme of other activities, so we're not reserving any training dates. Please contact us if you would like us to put on a special event. See the entries below for examples of our normal programme and costs. IATEFL Conference 2018 On Tuesday 10th April, together with Adrian Underhill, we will be marking the 30th anniversary of Caleb Gattegno's death with a forum at the IATEFL Conference. Language is for Expression before it is for Communication So said Caleb Gattegno, inventor of the Silent Way. Online Training: Teaching Pronunciation Differently 2018 We ran another EVO (Electronic Village Online) session for 5 weeks starting in mid-January 2018. This was the flyer which described the session: EVO 2018 flyer.pdf Adobe Acrobat Document 475.2 KB We've collected some of the feedback we received here. Our Winter/Spring dates for introductory training: The cost is £160 or €190. PronSci Training, 2017.pdf New Sounds 2016
Checking Understanding Analysis of the language consists of two sub-stages, often known as highlighting and concept checking. Highlighting is taking the model sentence and showing, telling or eliciting what the problems are in terms of form, function, and phonology. Concept checking is checking the understanding of difficult aspects of the target structure in terms of function and meaning. Concept checking is vital, since learners must fully understand the structure before any intensive practice of form and phonology is carried out. Ways of checking understandingConcept questionsSome examplesLearning to construct concept questionsConclusion Ways of checking understanding Concept checking is normally achieved by the use of a set of questions designed to ensure comprehension of the target language, raise awareness of its problems, and to indicate to the teacher that the learners have fully understood. The question 'Do you understand?' Time lines to establish tenses. Target sentence: Look! Yes/no questions.
IELTS UNLOCKED | Samples, tips, and tricks to beat the IELTS Test Grouping students Do you think about whether you’ve got a balance between pairs, groups, whole class and individual work? If you have activities for pairs and groups, do you let the students decide who they’re going to work with or do you decide? This tip looks at the advantages and disadvantages of the three main ways of grouping students. They are, giving students the choice, random grouping and selecting the groups yourself. You’ll probably find that no one way will always be the best choice for a particular group, but that you’ll use all three ways at different times depending on your students and the activities you plan to do. Giving students the choiceThe chances are, if you let your students decide who they want to work with they will always stick to the same people. Paul Seligson, a well known TEFL author and teacher trainer, recently gave a workshop about classroom management at a conference here in Barcelona. By Jo BuddenFirst published 2008