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1. Internet Content-Based Activities for ESP

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

   The article introduces a WebQuest, an inquiry-based online learning activity, as a potential tool for content-based English for Specific Purposes (ESP). It provides a series of WebQuest tasks such as summary and synthesis tasks, design tasks, negotiation and interaction tasks, analytical tasks, and scientific tasks. The article has suggestions for the effective use of WebQuests for a content-based syllabus along with a discussion of the benefits of using WebQuests to develop academic skills.

2. Empowering Teachers through Professional Development

   In: English Teaching Forum 2010, Volume 48, Number 1 Format(s): Text

   This article promotes professional development for teachers. Connection to a community of teachers and greater motivation and achievement of students are just a few benefits of learning new skills, resources, and techniques. The author describes low-cost development opportunities, from individual tasks such as reading articles and keeping a journal, to collaborative techniques such as peer mentoring/coaching, forming a teacher support group, or joining a national organization.

3. Abstracts from Other Journals

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

   "Abstracts from Other Journals” discusses three articles from other journals on different issues related to second or foreign language teaching. The first is on “A Defence of Simplification” by I. S. P. Nation and Jean Paul Deweerdt, from Prospect. The second is “Building Community and Posting Projects: Creating ‘Student Pages’ in Web-Based and Web-Enhanced Courses” by Laura G. McGee, from Foreign Language Annals. The third is “Realism and Imagination in the Teaching of English”by Anthea Fraser Gupta, from World Englishes.

4. Consciousness-Raising and Prepositions

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

   This article discusses consciousness-raising as a way to help students learn English prepositions. This technique, in which grammatical forms are highlighted in some way, can be helpful to teachers, especially when instructors have difficulty finding materials. The author shares her experience using consciousness-raising in a course in South Africa for ESL teachers.

5. Lesson Plan: Be a Good Sport

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

   This lesson plan, targeted at upper-beginner and lower-intermediate learners, includes listening, speaking, and writing activities centered on the sport of lacrosse. At least two activities are included for each skill, such as a mini-presentation and a discussion of why being a good sport is a good way to practice speaking.

6. English Teaching Forum 2006, Volume 44, Number 4

   Format(s): Text

   A feature article called “Newspapers in America” headlines this issue. That article is complemented by a lesson plan on “Using Journalism Skills in the Language Classroom.” Also included in this issue are articles on creating positive attitudes toward EFL, constructivism, teacher research, translation and foreign language reading comprehension, and a classroom activity using Romeo and Juliet.

7. Options for Teacher Professional Development

   In: English Teaching Forum 2003, Volume 41, Number 2 Format(s): Text

   This article addresses the relationship of high-quality teacher characteristics to student learning and then presents eight elements of development and six models of teacher training. The eight elements are: voluntary participation, mutual respect, collaboration, action and reflection, organizational setting, choice and change, motivation, and self-direction. The six models are: conference planning (set goals before going), peer coaching, action research (how to improve one’s own practice), collaborative study groups, individual development plan, and dialogue journals.

8. Why and How to Teach Collocations

   In: English Teaching Forum 2004, Volume 42, Issue 2 Format(s): Text

   One of the key developments in vocabulary teaching stems from Michael Lewis’s Lexical Approach, which considers language as chunks of words combined for meaning. These frequently occurring word combinations are called collocations. This article points out a number of problems that result from learning words in isolation. Work with meaningful phrases can help improve students’ comprehension and comprehensibility. The article includes reading and listening activities to raise awareness of collocations as well as writing and speaking activities.

9. A Lesson Plan Speaking (and Writing) of Sports

   In: English Teaching Forum 2005, Volume 43, Number 3 Format(s): Text

   This lesson plan offers several sports-related photographs and classroom activities that use the pictures for individual, pair, or group work. The activities include a sentence-combination task, structured writing questions, open-ended writing tasks, a charting task, and questions for a whole-class discussion. The author gives suggestions for making the tasks easier or more difficult for multiple levels.

10. Integrating Authentic Materials and Language Skills in English for Science and Technology Instruction

    In: English Teaching Forum 2001, Volume 39, Number 2 Format(s): Text

    This article describes how a unit in an English for Science and Technology (EST) course integrated three learning materials: a research article from a scientific journal, an article from a magazine that reports on the scientific journal article, and an instructional video with its script. Instruction was focused on both content and rhetorical functions. The author shows how the language skills of reading, writing, speaking, and listening were used for each of the three materials.

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