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1. Using Original Video and Sound Effects to Teach English

   In: English Teaching Forum 2012, Volume 50, Number 1 Format(s): Text

   This article outlines a lesson plan for teaching modals of speculation that express degrees of certainty, using audio-visual techniques. It identifies the teacher's lesson preparation, required materials, and specific ways to engage students in the special interactive environment. It highlights the effectiveness of audio-visual resources to represent and illustrate abstract concepts. The article also provides ideas for variations of the lesson plan, employing video and sound effects to teach grammar, vocabulary, and creative writing.

2. The Conversation Class

   In: English Teaching Forum 2012, Volume 50, Number 1 Format(s): Text

   This article discusses conversation classes, drawing from the author’s experience teaching Persian ESL. The author offers eight guidelines for effective teaching: cultivate a relaxed atmosphere (with six suggestions for doing this), be alert and foster alertness, be enthusiastic and engender enthusiasm, be patient, be sensitive, think, listen, and make corrections. The article finishes with a number of suggested topics and activities for promoting conversation.

3. Promoting Genre Awareness in the EFL Classroom

   In: English Teaching Forum 2011, Volume 49, Number 2 Format(s): Text

   The author introduces genre awareness, a concept from ESP (English for Specific Purposes) and EAP (English for Academic Purposes), and relates it to its potential use in the EFL (English as a Foreign Language) classroom. She explains genre awareness as the ability to use the communication tool that is most appropriate for the purpose and audience. She recognizes several challenges to using genre awareness curriculum in the EFL classroom. Finally, she presents several useful genre awareness classroom exercises.

4. Building Fluency through the Repeated Reading Method

   In: English Teaching Forum 2011, Volume 49, Number 3 Format(s): Text

   This article discusses the success of Repeated Reading (RR) within EFL classrooms, illustrating three techniques of RR that can be used to develop students’ fluency, comprehension skills, and reading self-esteem. After providing a background on the RR method, the author explains the techniques step by step and suggests activities. The techniques include classic oral repeated reading (ORR), Paired repeated reading (PRR), and Reader’s Theater (RT).

5. Eyes On English

   In: English Teaching Forum 2011, Volume 49, Number 3 Format(s): Text

   The author discusses a school-wide campaign to promote the use of English. This six-week campaign, called Eyes on English, was created for Early Childhood and Elementary divisions, but is noted to be flexible for other grade levels. Throughout the article, the author expresses the importance of this program as well as provides a basic activity that can help teachers increase English usage.

6. Letters to the Editor

   In: English Teaching Forum 2002, Volume 40, Number 3 Format(s): Text

   "Letters to the Editor" consists of suggested vocabulary, writing, and listening activities from three teachers around the world based on their experiences.

7. Towards Better Group Work: Seeing the Difference between Cooperation and Collaboration

   In: English Teaching Forum 2010, Volume 48, Number 2 Format(s): Text

   The author explains the difference between cooperation and collaboration in the classroom. Cooperation is students working together (each with individual tasks) for an end product, while collaboration is students interacting to create knowledge. The author discusses the strengths of collaboration and the teacher’s role. Also provided are guidelines for successful collaboration, sample activities, and frequently asked questions, such as what to do when students have emotional reactions to the group work.

8. From Passive Learners to Critical Thinkers: Preparing EFL Students for University Success

   In: English Teaching Forum 2010, Volume 48, Number 3 Format(s): Text

   This article explains how the Bangladesh Rehabilitation Assistance Committee (BRAC) revised their curriculum to best prepare EFL students for English-speaking universities. After completing a needs analysis on how to best serve their students, the committee decided to make a more interactive classroom environment in which teachers integrated the four skills, used critical thinking activities, taught grammar in context, and used various methods of assessment. Feedback showed that both the students and the teachers responded positively to the changes.

9. Twenty Ideas for Using Mobile Phones in the Language Classroom

   In: English Teaching Forum 2010, Volume 48, Number 3 Format(s): Text

   Educators need to learn how best to use the increasingly popular mobile phone technology to support learning in the language classroom. This author outlines the benefits as well as potential problems and solutions of mobile phone use, giving twenty practical ideas for classroom activities, such as using a voice recorder to capture conversations outside the classroom.

10. Lesson Plan: Baseball Stories, Cards,and Interviews

    In: English Teaching Forum 2010, Volume 48, Number 3 Format(s): Text

    This lesson plan offers an opportunity for students to practice their language skills and learn more about the sport of baseball. There are three activities (that will take at least one class period each) aimed at a variety of levels. Students create baseball cards of themselves and flash cards about the sport, and participate in interview role-plays as famous baseball players. Extension activities are included.

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