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Nasreddin Hodja and the Importance of Context

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

This article introduces the tales of Nasreddin Hodja, a 15th century Turkish folk character and uses them to illustrate the importance of context, the need for multiple perspectives, and the role of the teacher. The author looks at various aspects of context, such as social, cultural, and historical contexts. The idea of multiple perspectives is explained with the current multiple intelligence theory. The author addresses the role of the teacher in terms of teaching style.

Creating Cartoons: A Learner-Centered Approach to Comprehending Texts

In: English Teaching Forum 2017, Volume 55, Number 2 Format(s): Text

This article carefully describes the technique of having learners create cartoons based on a reading passage to explore their understanding of the passage and to help teachers reflect on what the learners comprehended.

Effective Questions

In: English Teaching Forum 2003, Volume 41, Number 4 Format(s): Text

Teachers ask many questions in the classroom, but not all are useful. Questions that the teacher already knows the answer to are known as display questions. These are often asked for the student to display knowledge. Questions where the teacher does not already know the answer are meaning based and known as referential questions. This article explains the problems with relying on display questions in the L2 classroom. This distinction applies to reading comprehension questions as well as oral questions.

Human Mind Maps

In: English Teaching Forum 2025, Volume 63, Number 4 Format(s): Text

To celebrate the innumerable contributions of past English Teaching Forum Editor-in-Chief Tom Glass, we are pleased to reshare his creative Human Mind Maps activity. This engaging, movement-based technique requires students to think critically and creatively as they communicate and collaborate to identify and explain conceptual relationships.

A Rough Guide to Language Awareness

In: English Teaching Forum 2008, Volume 46, Number 1 Format(s): Text

This article discusses the need to focus on form while learning language in context, and names this method of teaching grammar as “language awareness.” It connects this method of learning grammar with the concept of input processing, searching for examples of grammar in context, noticing the linguistic features and themes, deducing a rule, testing it against further data, and finally producing it in short tasks. The article provides teachers with practical techniques on how to teach grammar in a communicative lesson.

First Road to Learning: Language through Stories

In: English Teaching Forum 2006, Volume 44, Number 2 Format(s): Text

This article discusses the benefits of using stories in language teaching and ideas of how to use stories in the classroom. The authors believe that stories can help solve the problems caused by limited resources and are good ways to teach culture. They describe types of stories and how they can be used in teaching speaking, listening, reading, writing, integrated skills, and critical thinking.

Is There a TA in Your Future? Upper-Class Teaching Assistants in the EFL Classroom

In: English Teaching Forum 2023, Volume 61, Number 2 Format(s): Text

Author Gene Richards argues that establishing a program that prepares and allows upper-class students to become teaching assistants (TAs) for lower-class students can have benefits for all students—as well as their teachers. The article provides suggestions for setting up and managing the program; it also includes templates for TA agreements and certificates that readers are welcome to use if they establish a TA program of their own.

Classroom Activities

In: English Teaching Forum 2013, Volume 51, Number 3 Format(s): Text

This section presents three stand-alone English language-learning activities related to motorcycles.

The Art of Discussion: Prompting Discussions with the Work of Norman Rockwell

In: English Teaching Forum 2022, Volume 60, Number 4 Format(s): Text

Author Piero Carlini demonstrates how teachers can use specific works of art by Norman Rockwell, in addition to recurring themes in the artist’s work, to spur critical thinking and productive discussion beyond the artwork itself. The article gives suggestions for using the art with learners who have different levels of English language ability.

Bear Fights: An Ursine Introduction to Debating in the EFL Classroom