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1. Teacher's Corner: Literacy Development for True Beginners

   Format(s): Text

   The term literacy refers generally to a person’s ability to read and write. (Though literacy is also used more broadly for describing critical knowledge and productive ability in other things, such as financial literacy, media literacy, and cultural literacy, in this Teacher’s Corner, we’ll refer to reading and writing skills).

2. English Teaching Forum 2010, Volume 48, Number 3

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   Baseball is the focus of this issue. "Baseball: A National Tradition" offers an in-depth look at this popular American sport, while the Lesson Plan provides activities to interest students in baseball. Other articles in this issue discuss teaching critical thinking to prepare EFL students for university success, setting up oral homework, using mobile phones in the language classroom, and an innovative way to use literature to teach advanced EFL students.

3. English Teaching Forum 2009, Volume 47, Number 2

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   The spotlight is on New Mexico. Accompanying the feature article is a lesson plan designed to teach students about the state’s climate and energy issues. Other articles focus on World Englishes, organizational skills that aid language learning, public speaking tasks in English language learning, ways to make university English classes more interactive, and video recording in teacher training.

4. Real-Life Problem Solving: A Collaborative Learning Activity

   In: English Teaching Forum 2002 (Volume 40, Number 1) Format(s): Text

   This article emphasizes the importance of classroom activities that promote interaction and real-life problem-solving skills. The author describes a real-life problem-solving activity that she implements within her own classroom, consisting of multiple groups of students following a seven-step process. The steps she emphasizes include: state the problem, analyze, brainstorm, decide, think though, identify, and follow up. The author suggests how the activity can be used in a variety of classrooms and age levels.

5. Using Self-Assessment for Evaluation

   In: English Teaching Forum 2002 (Volume 40, Number 1) Format(s): Text

   This article explains the usefulness of self-assessment for learning purposes as well as evaluation purposes. The author emphasizes the ways that learners can conduct reliable, global self-assessment as well as three ways in which data-driven self-assessment can be done. The author discusses the purpose of self-assessment and provides specific instruments that can be used. The three data-driven self-assessments that are discussed include Portfolios, Pre- and Post-course writing, and Learner Contracts.

6. English Teaching Forum 2008, Volume 46, Number 4

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   Chicago is the focus of the feature article and the basis of a lesson plan that provides practice in writing and reading postcards. This issue also includes articles on enhancing learning with mobile phone technology, VoIM-mediated cooperative tasks, and corpus-aided discovery. Additional articles discuss critical media literacy and ideas for incorporating an intercultural approach into EFL teaching.

7. English Teaching Forum 2008, Volume 46, Number 2

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   This issue focuses on Seattle, the second city on our tour this year. Complementing the feature article is a lesson plan on “Seeing Seattle.” Additional articles in this issue discuss interdisciplinary collaboration, two approaches to student-produced videos, student documentaries as language learning tools, using teacher-developed corpora in the CBI classroom, and building vocabulary and improving writing while developing a tourist brochure.

8. English Teaching Forum 2004, Volume 42, Issue 3

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   This issue rounds up articles with a number of teaching ideas. Features include the uniquely American sport of rodeo and an integrated skills lesson plan for "Just off Main Street" by Elmaz Abinader. Other articles explore the areas of critical thinking, writing for extensive reading, developing pragmatic competence, teacher assessment, and keeping discipline in the classroom.

9. English Teaching Forum 2007, Volume 45, Number 4

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   This issue showcases the U.S. National Park System. The feature article is coupled with a lesson plan on environmental preservation or “going green.” Other articles cover replacement performance role-plays, the paradigm shift from paper-and-pencil tests to performance-based assessments, using story-based frameworks, microteaching for non-native speaking teacher trainees, and open classroom communication centered on civic education.

10. How to Set Up Oral Homework: A Case of Limited Technology

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

    This article discusses the benefits and challenges of having students complete oral homework as a way to practice speaking skills. The author explains the technology necessary as well as steps to follow when using this type of homework when designing a course. Also provided is a detailed list of assignments that can be completed orally (as an individual or in a group) and how a teacher can give feedback on this work and keep records.

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