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1. Language Teaching through Critical Thinking and Self-Awareness

   In: English Teaching Forum 2004, Volume 42, Issue 3 Format(s): Text

   This article contains a wealth of activities that will help students develop critical thinking skills. These fun and dynamic activities raise students’ self-awareness regarding their perceptions, assumptions, prejudices, and values. The author addresses the teacher's role in helping students think differently and consider ideas from multiple points of view. To encourage critical thinking, assessment should not rely on summary and definition questions, but those that require analysis, hypothesis, and evaluation. A rationale for the importance of critical thinking is provided from a cognitive perspective.

2. From Passive Participant to Active Thinker

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

   This article discusses how, through materials development, teachers can help students think critically and feel comfortable enough to be active participants in class. The author suggests adapting materials to be more relevant to the interests and needs of students in a particular context. Another suggestion is to create materials that help students connect their thoughts and feelings to the language they are learning. The author includes techniques to promote critical thinking and learner autonomy.

3. A Lesson Plan Speaking (and Writing) of Sports

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

   This lesson plan offers several sports-related photographs and classroom activities that use the pictures for individual, pair, or group work. The activities include a sentence-combination task, structured writing questions, open-ended writing tasks, a charting task, and questions for a whole-class discussion. The author gives suggestions for making the tasks easier or more difficult for multiple levels.

4. "Imported" Communicative Language Teaching: Implications for Local Teachers

   In: English Teaching Forum 2005, Volume 43, Number 4 Format(s): Text

   This article criticizes the rejection of Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) in non-Western contexts. Teachers sometimes avoid CLT because it includes ideas (such as autonomy and choice) that do not always fit with the educational, social, and cultural perspectives of their areas. The author defines CLT, considers the issues that come with importing this teaching method, and offers suggestions to help EFL teachers adapt CLT to their contexts to create genuine communication.

5. Stimulating Writing through Project-Based Tasks

   In: English Teaching Forum 2005, Volume 43, Number 4 Format(s): Text

   As students often see writing in any language as a challenging task, it can be hard to encourage motivation to practice writing in the language-learning classroom. This article offers project-based tasks as a way to motivate students with relevant and interesting topics. The author discusses the principles of project work and explains the process approach to composition, followed by detailed lesson plans for writing a problem/solution essay and the expected outcomes of this project.

6. International Business Ethics: Why Discuss International Business Ethics?

   In: English Teaching Forum 2001, Volume 39, Number 2 Format(s): Text

   This lesson introduces business ethics and what society may expect from corporations. The goals of the lesson are to introduce new vocabulary to discus ethics, provide a basic understanding of international business ethics, and create an atmosphere of trust in discussing the culturally sensitive topic. The lesson asks students to complete and discuss a questionnaire on international business ethics, work in groups to propose a solution to an ethical dilemma at work, and consider a case study in the ethics of gift giving. Online resources are also provided.

7. Creating a Positive Classroom Community

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

   This session, "Creating a Positive Classroom Community," explains how to successfully foster relationships among learners to create a sense of purpose and belonging in the classroom, resulting in greater student participation and rapport.

8. Exploring Generational Culture through Oral Histories

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

   This session, "Creating a Positive Classroom Community," explains how to successfully foster relationships among learners to create a sense of purpose and belonging in the classroom, resulting in greater student participation and rapport.

9. Assess and Motivate: Student Portfolios and Self-Assessments in the EFL Classroom

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

   "Assess and Motivate: Student Portfolios and Self-Assessments in the EFL Classroom" explores the use of portfolios and self-assessments that document the completion of performance-based tasks as a great way to motivate students and measure learning.

10. Going Green: Merging Environmental Education and Language Instruction

    In: English Teaching Forum 2012, Volume 50, Number 2 Format(s): Text

    This article discusses content-based instruction (CBI) and the theme of environmental awareness in the classroom. It addresses not only recycling and preservation of resources, but also integrating English skills and controversial issues into real-world situations. The article presents teachers with examples of group activities and opportunities for critical thinking and encouraging responsibility among their students.

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