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1. Classroom Techniques: - English for Fools

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

   This article describes a lesson that can be used on April Fool’s day to bring humor to the classroom. The writer explains how the translation of proverbs about fools can be used for a discussion and offers ideas about the teaching of these proverbs, such as exploring themes or looking at the definition of “fool” in each saying.

2. Activate: Games for Learning American English Part 2

   In: American English Webinars Format(s): Text, Video

   This webinar Activate: Games for Learning American English Part 2 is the second webinar that introduces the Activate resource, demonstrates classroom management techniques for playing games in the classroom, and offers tips on how teacher's can create their own games that match their curriculum objectives.

3. Six Vocabulary Activities for the English Language Classroom

   In: English Teaching Forum 2008, Volume 46, Number 3 Format(s): Text

   This article focuses on the development of vocabulary among English language learners. The author first defines what a “word” means, then discusses five aspects of vocabulary knowledge. Drawing on Swain (1993), the author identifies three main goals of vocabulary learning. The rest of the article is devoted to the description of six activities to help students learn vocabulary in ESL/EFL contexts.

4. 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.

5. How to Make Upper-Level University English Classes More Interactive

   In: English Teaching Forum 2009, Volume 47, Number 2 Format(s): Text

   Because of the advanced nature of the work in ESP classes, some students may have trouble keeping up and staying motivated. The author outlines what she did to make her ESP Engineering class more interactive. By incorporating task-based language teaching (TLBT), there were more opportunities for group work and student-to-student communication. A number of activities are available to the instructor using a TBLT approach, including listing, compare and contrast, problem solving, sharing personal experiences, and projects.

6. SWELL: A Writing Method to Help English Language Learners

   In: English Teaching Forum 2007, Volume 45, Number 4 Format(s): Text

   Social-interactive Writing for English Language Learners (SWELL) is collaborative writing based on Topping’s Paired Writing Method. The method was changed to meet the needs of English language learners. In both methods, pairs are formed according to proficiency, pairing a more advanced student (a Helper) with a less advanced one (a Writer). The author describes the steps of generating ideas, drafting, reading, editing, best copy, and evaluating. Features of SWELL include using students’ linguistic knowledge (L1), balancing fluency with mechanics, and promoting explicit teacher instruction.

7. Tools for Activating Materials and Tasks in the English Language Classroom

   In: English Teaching Forum 2009, Volume 47, Number 4 Format(s): Text

   This article presents techniques to make classroom materials and tasks more interactive and student-centered and thus motivate learners to take more control over their own learning. It demonstrates these techniques through elicitation, gapping, and adaptation/extension strategies. The article offers examples of classroom activities with detailed instructions to show how teachers can use materials and tasks in the English language classroom to address students’ interests, needs, and goals.

8. Creating Positive Attitudes Towards English as a Foreign Language

   In: English Teaching Forum 2006, Volume 44, Number 4 Format(s): Text

   The author reviews research on the connections between attitudes and language learning, and between attitudes and motivation. The article suggests that language learners’ motivation and attitudes can influence learning outcomes, and that effective teaching can change negative attitudes. It describes a classroom action research project that was carried out among 95 students in Turkey to examine attitudes and motivation for English learning. Results and possible factors are discussed with regard to the students’ attitudes and motivation.

9. VoIM-Mediated Cooperative Tasks for English Language Learners

   In: English Teaching Forum 2008, Volume 46, Number 4 Format(s): Text

   This article discusses how computer-mediated communication, negotiation of meaning, and cooperative task-based learning can be combined in a VoIM-mediated activity to benefit language learners. The author starts with a brief review of how the three aspects of learning can benefit language learners. The author then describes a VoIM-mediated cooperative task. The rest of the article explains how to set up the activity, including technical requirements, planning in eight stages, and materials selection.

10. Using L1 in the English Classroom

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

    The author provides details on a case study she performed to examine the effectiveness of using the native language (L1) in foreign language classrooms. The article describes the details of her research design and her methods and procedures, including classroom observations, interviews, and questionnaires. One hundred first-year English major students in Beijing participated in her study. Included are the results of her study and a comparison of her findings to that of other researchers.

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