Contributor articles examine instructional enhancements that improve students’ reading abilities, ways to help EFL students understand metaphors, “talking to learn” in classroom discussions, and using puns to teach English.
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This article offers five instructional enhancements that help students become better readers. These classroom practices coincide with five key elements of EFL reading instruction: “extensive practice and exposure to print,” “commitment to building student motivation,” “attention to reading fluency,” “vocabulary building,” and “comprehension skills practice and discussion.” The classroom practices can be used in addition to a prescribed reading curriculum, for as little as ten minutes per week, to improve students’ reading abilities.
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International Subscriptions: English Teaching Forum is distributed through U.S. Embassies. If you would like to subscribe to the print version of English Teaching Forum, please contact the Public Affairs or Cultural Affairs section of the U.S. Embassy in your country.
U.S. Subscriptions: English Teaching Forum is exempted from the Congressional restriction on distribution of Department of State-produced materials in the United States. U.S. residents who want to order the printed edition can order from the U.S. Superintendent of Documents.
Learners of English as a foreign language often find it difficult to understand figurative speech, which relies heavily on metaphor. This article explores why metaphors challenge learners and presents ways to incorporate metaphors into EFL instruction to help learners understand figurative speech. Topics discussed include cognitive metaphor, environmental metaphors, and culture-based metaphors.
Format: Text
International Subscriptions: English Teaching Forum is distributed through U.S. Embassies. If you would like to subscribe to the print version of English Teaching Forum, please contact the Public Affairs or Cultural Affairs section of the U.S. Embassy in your country.
U.S. Subscriptions: English Teaching Forum is exempted from the Congressional restriction on distribution of Department of State-produced materials in the United States. U.S. residents who want to order the printed edition can order from the U.S. Superintendent of Documents.
The authors of this article propose structured and focused classroom discussion to engage students in thoughtful dialogue. They present a model for principled discussion and suggest ways to engage students in focused discussions drawing from their experiences, offering guidance for helping students make the most of the dialogue sessions. The article concludes with three formats for classroom dialogue—gallery walk, rating agreement/disagreement, and scenarios for role play.
Format: Text
International Subscriptions: English Teaching Forum is distributed through U.S. Embassies. If you would like to subscribe to the print version of English Teaching Forum, please contact the Public Affairs or Cultural Affairs section of the U.S. Embassy in your country.
U.S. Subscriptions: English Teaching Forum is exempted from the Congressional restriction on distribution of Department of State-produced materials in the United States. U.S. residents who want to order the printed edition can order from the U.S. Superintendent of Documents.
Students feel more comfortable in a new language when they understand its jokes. And when the jokes are puns, they build metalinguistic awareness. This article describes four categories of English puns—soundalike puns, lookalike puns, close-sounding puns, and texting puns—and suggests how they can be incorporated into English language classrooms.
Format: Text
International Subscriptions: English Teaching Forum is distributed through U.S. embassies. If you would like to subscribe to the print version of English Teaching Forum, please contact the Public Affairs or Cultural Affairs section of the U.S. Embassy in your country.
U.S. Subscriptions: English Teaching Forum is exempted from the Congressional restriction on distribution of Department of State-produced materials in the United States. U.S. residents who want to order the printed edition can order from the U.S. Superintendent of Documents.
This feature article explores the topic of trains from their early history to recent trends in railroading. A glossary provides related vocabulary, and a sidebar called “Romance of the Rails” adds colorful detail about train songs and railroad lore.
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International Subscriptions: English Teaching Forum is distributed through U.S. Embassies. If you would like to subscribe to the print version of English Teaching Forum, please contact the Public Affairs or Cultural Affairs section of the U.S. Embassy in your country.
U.S. Subscriptions: English Teaching Forum is exempted from the Congressional restriction on distribution of Department of State-produced materials in the United States. U.S. residents who want to order the printed edition can order from the U.S. Superintendent of Documents.
This section presents three stand-alone language-learning activities related to trains.
1. “Train Lineups,” designed for students at the Intermediate level and up, encourages students to speak and listen to one another and to cooperate to achieve an objective.
2. “Train Dictadraw,” for Intermediate students, helps students practice and produce vocabulary related to trains by describing and drawing.
3. “Who Gets to Ride?” is for Intermediate and higher levels and can be used to develop pair or group cooperation and critical thinking skills.
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International Subscriptions: English Teaching Forum is distributed through U.S. embassies. If you would like to subscribe to the print version of English Teaching Forum, please contact the Public Affairs or Cultural Affairs section of the U.S. Embassy in your country.
U.S. Subscriptions: English Teaching Forum is exempted from the Congressional restriction on distribution of Department of State-produced materials in the United States. U.S. residents who want to order the printed edition can order from the U.S. Superintendent of Documents.
This activity sheet focuses on phrasal verbs in a context of train rides.
International Subscriptions: English Teaching Forum is distributed through U.S. embassies. If you would like to subscribe to the print version of English Teaching Forum, please contact the Public Affairs or Cultural Affairs section of the U.S. Embassy in your country.
U.S. Subscriptions: English Teaching Forum is exempted from the Congressional restriction on distribution of Department of State-produced materials in the United States. U.S. residents who want to order the printed edition can order from the U.S. Superintendent of Documents.