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1. Notes for Teachers

   In: Why English? Comics for the Classroom Format(s): Text

   This section includes a table of contents, information about the project, and how teachers can use these comics in their classrooms.

2. Bright Ideas: A Teacher’s Resource Manual

   Format(s): Text

   Bright Ideas: A Teacher’s Resource Manual offers twenty-six practical teaching strategies and techniques that originally appeared in Ideas Plus, a special series of publications produced by the National Council of Teachers of English.

3. Communication Practice vs. Pattern Practice or A Live Teacher Is Absolutely Necessary

   In: English Teaching Forum 2012, Volume 50, Number 4 Format(s): Text

   This article, originally published in 1971, posits that the main goal of language learning is communication and that classroom work should concentrate on developing students’ communication skills. Communication-practice drills are presented and discussed.

4. Tasks for Integrating Language and Culture Teaching

   In: English Teaching Forum 2013, Volume 51, Number 2 Format(s): Text

   This article discusses the role of culture in language teaching and provides activities for introducing culture in the classroom, focusing on teaching context and methodology to integrate culture. The authors outline five activities that can be adapted to the language level and interests of students. Instructions for each activity include language points and intercultural points.

5. The Collaborative Scaffolding Model of Teaching Speaking

   In: English Teaching Forum 2024, Volume 62, Number 4 Format(s): Text

   This article, by Krishna Prasad Parajuli, describes a step-by-step activity in which students work in groups to begin, develop, and share stories they create. Teachers can also use the approach with debates, speeches, interviews, and other speaking genres as students enhance their speaking, listening, and collaborating skills.

6. Task-Based Language Teaching for Designing Grammar-Focused Communicative Activities

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

   This session, "Task-Based Language Teaching for Designing Grammar-Focused Communicative Activities," examines how task-based language teaching (TBLT) creates opportunities for students to use and develop language skills in the course of authentic communication.

7. Lessons from the Other Side of the Teacher’s Desk: Discovering Insights to Help Language Learners

   In: English Teaching Forum 2011, Volume 49, Number 1 Format(s): Text

   An EFL instructor shares ideas on classroom practice after participating in an intensive language program. The author discusses L1 use in the classroom as well as the importance of pronunciation instruction. The article also includes tips on acquiring vocabulary and reasons why pair and group work are good. Finally, the author considers how to support students who may be experiencing communication anxiety as they learn a new language. The article emphasizes a communicative approach and the importance of a friendly classroom environment.

8. Teaching Conversation with Trivia

   In: English Teaching Forum 2002, Volume 40, Number 2 Format(s): Text

   This article presents reasons for using trivia (a quizzing game) to teach conversation and provides tips on how trivia-based materials fit into communicative language teaching approaches. It also presents examples of trivia-based activities that can be used in the conversation classroom. The article suggests that using trivia-based materials makes the content more interesting, meaningful, and thus motivating for learners.

9. Teacher Resources

   In: English Teaching Forum 2004, Volume 42, Issue 1 Format(s): Text

   In this special section of Forum, four commercial publications are presented. Topics include techniques to help middle school students with reading, student involvement and choice; an introduction to the concept of genre (of interest to ESL teachers, writing teachers, etc., including genre-based assessment and the importance of audience in writing); the use of literature circles with elementary learners to foster discussion and love of literature; and a book of EFL methodology.

10. Reciprocal Teaching: A Useful Tool in Increasing Student-Talking Time

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

    Reciprocal Teaching (RT) can be used to increase student talk time and improve communicative competence. This strategy uses paraphrasing, reported speech, question formation and concept-checking to promote dialogue. As students move from short responses toward longer conversations (or language for transactional purposes), their fluency and retention increase. These “long turns” provide important practice. The author also emphasizes the importance of prompts for lower-level students. The article includes examples of each strategy as well as several axioms of reciprocal teaching.

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