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1. 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.

2. Establishing Textual Authority and Separating Voices: A New Approach to Teaching Referencing

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

   This article provides practical reasoning and tools for the ESOL teacher to better teach source referencing. The author argues that students from around the world are taught different concepts for using sources. Students often assume texts present truths that do not require analysis. Many cultures teach students to memorize texts and repeat them to show mastery and shared knowledge. The author addresses plagiarism and provides classroom exercises.

3. Mind Mirror Projects: A Tool for Integrating Critical Thinking into the English Language Classroom

   In: English Teaching Forum 2009, Volume 47, Number 1 Format(s): Text

   Students often have difficulty 'reading between the lines.' This article suggests the use of mind mirror activities as a tool to improve students' critical thinking and learning skills (e.g., analysis, categorization, clarification, inferencing). The author describes a successful five-day group project from his own classroom that ended in students sharing their work through poster presentations.

4. Using Teacher-Developed Corpora in the CBI classroom

   In: English Teaching Forum 2008, Volume 46, Number 2 Format(s): Text

   This article argues for the use of teacher-generated corpora in content-based courses. Using a content course for engineering and architecture students as an example, the article explains how a corpus consisting of texts from textbooks and journal articles helped students learn grammar, vocabulary, and writing. The article explains how the corpus was compiled and presents examples of how students learned to analyze language use using corpus tools and dictionaries. The article ends by emphasizing the advantages of corpus analysis for self-directed learning.

5. The Gift of the Magi and Other Stories

   Format(s): Text

   This collection of short stories by O. Henry gives the reader a wonderful selection of characters from the United States of 100 years ago.

6. The Gift of the Magi

   In: The Gift of the Magi and Other Stories Format(s): Text

   The story of the Gift of the Magi describes a couple who go to great lengths to buy each other a special Christmas present.

7. Two Thanksgiving Day Gentlemen

   In: The Gift of the Magi and Other Stories Format(s): Text

   How strong is tradition? For nine years, an old gentleman and a homeless man have met every Thanksgiving Day to share a meal. One year, the day ends in a very different way. Read to find out what happens!

8. The Last Leaf

   In: The Gift of the Magi and Other Stories Format(s): Text

   This story describes a woman who catches pneumonia and wishes to die when the last leaf on an ivy vine outside her window falls.

9. The Furnished Room

   In: The Gift of the Magi and Other Stories Format(s): E-book, Text

   This story tells of a man who, on the trail of a lost love, rents out a furnished room that is popular among thespians. Download the PDF or E-book.

10. Hearts and Crosses

    In: The Gift of the Magi and Other Stories Format(s): Text

    This story tells of a Texas rancher named Webb who is not content with holding a lower rank than his wife regarding ranch affairs.

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