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Using Brain-based Strategies and Critical Thinking to Maximize Vocabulary Acquisition

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

This interactive webinar will focus on maximizing vocabulary acquisition for English learners with a focus on easy-to-implement classroom strategies and activities based on brain-based learning and critical thinking.

No Books and 150 Students?

In: English Teaching Forum 2006, Volume 44, Number 3 Format(s): Text

This article describes the author’s experiences coping with the challenges of teaching English in an Indonesian university, such as classroom conditions and large numbers of students at different proficiency levels. The author suggests five activities that are designed to involve students in learning with little dependence on materials and little movement. The author also describes three out-of-class activities. Appendices include materials for the activities and additional references.

Using Practice Posters to Address EFL Challenges

In: English Teaching Forum 2007, Volume 45, Number 3 Format(s): Text

Practice posters, with pictures and captions, are useful for controlled practice of vocabulary and structures in an EFL context. The author has found many advantages of using posters with beginners in a high school setting. Student led review gets students active, increases autonomy and improves confidence. The use of small groups is effective with multi-language classes and frees the teacher to monitor interactions. Other benefits include increasing English use, limiting mistakes, decreasing discipline issues, helping with pronunciation and appealing to a variety of learning styles.

Classroom Activities

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

This section presents three stand-alone language-learning activities for different level classrooms. The interactive activities focus on skills that familiarize students with simple sentence structures, present tense, grammar review through group work and games, a vocabulary review, and an activity to help students understand the concept of metaphors and use them in their writing.

Lesson Plan: Baseball Stories, Cards,and Interviews

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

This lesson plan offers an opportunity for students to practice their language skills and learn more about the sport of baseball. There are three activities (that will take at least one class period each) aimed at a variety of levels. Students create baseball cards of themselves and flash cards about the sport, and participate in interview role-plays as famous baseball players. Extension activities are included.

Learning to Learn Cooperatively

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

This article discusses the use of cooperative learning activities in the classroom to strengthen students’ interpersonal communication skills and increase their participation in the language-learning process. It addresses the importance of cultural and individual differences in cooperative learning. The article offers practical suggestions and useful activities to teach learners how to get involved in such activities and to complete the activity successfully.

Teaching the World's Children: ESL for Ages Three to Seven

In: English Teaching Forum 2005, Volume 43, Number 1 Format(s): Text

This article discusses teaching English as a second language to very young learners. The authors talks about how important it is for children to have a wide variety of experiences when building language and literacy. The authors explain how the use of various environments, including learning centers, block centers, art or sand tables, writing areas, science and technology centers, and even libraries, can help shape the way a child learns language as well as improve other skills.

Story Theater

In: English Teaching Forum 2005, Volume 43, Number 1 Format(s): Text

This article introduces an interactive and engaging classroom activity entitled Story Theater. The goal of this activity is to provide students with a text to read aloud as they act out the storyline using props and special effects. The purpose of Story Theater is to aid fluency and memorization and to provide students with a chance to use the language and their imaginations. This activity can be used with all ages and all English proficiency levels. The author includes examples of effective Story Theater lessons.

Guess What?- You Don't Say

In: Activate Games for Learning English - Guess What? Format(s): Text

"You Don’t Say" is a game that encourages students to use alternative sentences and descriptions as they describe a topic without saying certain words – an excellent activity for vocabulary and fluency practice.

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