Site Search | American English

Twenty Ideas for Using Mobile Phones in the Language Classroom

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

Educators need to learn how best to use the increasingly popular mobile phone technology to support learning in the language classroom. This author outlines the benefits as well as potential problems and solutions of mobile phone use, giving twenty practical ideas for classroom activities, such as using a voice recorder to capture conversations outside the classroom.

Using Mobile Phone Technology in EFL Classes

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

This article explains how students can use their mobile phones to produce video projects and use English for meaningful communication. The author first explains what communicative competence is and why it is important. The author then discusses difficulties of putting principles of communicative language teaching into practice, which is the main rationale behind the author’s idea. Finally, the author describes four video projects and several activities based on mobile phone features.

The E-pet: Enhancing Motivation in E-portfolios

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

The authors wanted to make EAP portfolios more engaging and personal for students, so they introduced an e-pet to accompany the online portfolio program. The e-pet (much like a tamagotchi) grows from an egg into adulthood when the students interact with it through portfolio submissions. Teachers reported that students were enthusiastic about the e-portfolio and the e-pet. Student questionnaires showed a similar trend, with several students saying that the e-pet made the portfolio project motivating. The article includes directions for e-portfolio design.

Building Fluency through the Repeated Reading Method

In: English Teaching Forum 2011, Volume 49, Number 3 Format(s): Text

This article discusses the success of Repeated Reading (RR) within EFL classrooms, illustrating three techniques of RR that can be used to develop students’ fluency, comprehension skills, and reading self-esteem. After providing a background on the RR method, the author explains the techniques step by step and suggests activities. The techniques include classic oral repeated reading (ORR), Paired repeated reading (PRR), and Reader’s Theater (RT).

Writing for the World: Wikipedia as an Introduction to Academic Writing

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

This article outlines a unit in which students write an article for Wikipedia as a way to learn and practice academic writing. Students learn how to use secondary sources in their writing as well as master a new genre with appropriate conventions and word choice. With this activity, students are encouraged to build academic writing skills in an interesting and public way. The author provides an explanation of Wikipedia as well as a step-by-step lesson plan with sample assignment sheets.

Student-Produced Video: Two Approaches

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

This article introduces the idea of using video production to engage second language learners in learner-centered, project-based learning activities to motivate them to learn and participate through writing, directing, acting in, and editing a movie. The authors describe two projects. In the first project, four pairs of students each created a three-minute film. In the second project, all eight students worked together to create one long movie. The advantages and disadvantages of both approaches were discussed.

Student Documentaries: A Language Learning Tool

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

This article describes the reasons for project-based learning and how it better motivates students in an EFL classroom. It illustrates this topic by presenting a documentary film project that was carried out in a high-intermediate EFL class in Saudi Arabia. The article summarizes the theoretical support for communicative language learning and project-based approaches. The author then describes the documentary film project in detail and presents an evaluation of the project based on Simkins et al.’s (2002) framework of evaluation for multimedia projects.

Developing Dynamic Units for EFL

In: English Teaching Forum 2007, Volume 45, Number 2 Format(s): Text

“Developing Dynamic Units for EFL” describes how to develop a thematic unit that integrates skills in context, provides opportunities for learner autonomy, and is project-based and experiential. Planning includes identifying curriculum standards, thinking of a meaningful topic, brainstorming tasks, organizing the activities, and making use of learner choice. The sample unit “Eating Out with Friends” includes the topics of inviting friends; choosing a restaurant and making a reservation; finding and communicating directions; ordering and requesting the bill; and thanking friends and retelling the story.

Empowering Your Students with Media Literacy

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

This webinar, "Empowering Your Students with Media Literacy," explores activities that help students ask key questions about the messages found in news and social media.

Becoming a News Reporter: A Case Study in Project-Based Learning