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1. Livening Up College English Classes with Games

   In: English Teaching Forum 2009, Volume 47, Number 3 Format(s): Text

   This article discusses the use of games in teaching college-level English as a second language (ESL) classes. It describes how teachers can use games such as Taboo to change the direction of teaching from being teacher-centered to student-centered. The article addresses problems such as classroom management and the time spent adapting or creating games and presents useful tips for teachers to consider related to the use of games as a teaching tool.

2. Six Vocabulary Activities for the English Language Classroom

   In: English Teaching Forum 2008, Volume 46, Number 3 Format(s): Text

   This article focuses on the development of vocabulary among English language learners. The author first defines what a “word” means, then discusses five aspects of vocabulary knowledge. Drawing on Swain (1993), the author identifies three main goals of vocabulary learning. The rest of the article is devoted to the description of six activities to help students learn vocabulary in ESL/EFL contexts.

3. Teacher's Corner: Using Art in the English Language Classroom

   Format(s): Text

   This month’s Teacher’s Corner shows ways to incorporate art into the English language classroom with a new activity each week. Each activity is designed for teachers to easily add an element of art into their English language classrooms.

4. Sing Out Loud Word Play: Music Resources for English Language Teachers

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

   This session, "Sing Out Loud! Wordplay: Music Resources for English Language Teachers," shares a new resource you can find on the American English website—diverse, music-based instructional materials that include free, downloadable audio tracks, videos, and classroom-ready activities. These low-prep activities are student-centered and fun for both teachers and learners!

5. Contextualizing English Instruction to Focus on Environmental Issues

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

   This session, "Contextualizing English Instruction to Focus on Environmental Issues," offers teaching techniques to situate language learning within local, environmental settings and demonstrates how to use authentic materials to connect local to global ecological concerns for learners of all ages and proficiency levels.

6. Ten Helpful Ideas for Teaching English to Young Learners

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

   This article offers ten suggestions for teaching young learners between the age of 7 and 12 based on language-teaching principles. They include supplementing activities with visuals, realia and movement; involving students in making visuals and realia; moving from activity to activity; teaching in themes; using stories and contexts familiar to students; establishing classroom routines in English; using L1 as a resource when necessary; bringing in helpers from the community; collaborating with other teachers in your school; and communicating with other professionals.

7. SWELL: A Writing Method to Help English Language Learners

   In: English Teaching Forum 2007, Volume 45, Number 4 Format(s): Text

   Social-interactive Writing for English Language Learners (SWELL) is collaborative writing based on Topping’s Paired Writing Method. The method was changed to meet the needs of English language learners. In both methods, pairs are formed according to proficiency, pairing a more advanced student (a Helper) with a less advanced one (a Writer). The author describes the steps of generating ideas, drafting, reading, editing, best copy, and evaluating. Features of SWELL include using students’ linguistic knowledge (L1), balancing fluency with mechanics, and promoting explicit teacher instruction.

8. English Teaching Forum 2009, Volume 47, Number 1

   Format(s): Text

   This issue features Hawaii, and a lesson plan guides teachers in exploring Hawaiian culture, and their own cultures, with their students. Other articles discuss integrating indigenous cultures into English language teaching, integrating critical thinking into language teaching, using story boxes in the classroom, and learning to hypothesize through Sudoku game play.

9. Using L1 in the English Classroom

   In: English Teaching Forum 2002 (Volume 40, Number 1) Format(s): Text

   The author provides details on a case study she performed to examine the effectiveness of using the native language (L1) in foreign language classrooms. The article describes the details of her research design and her methods and procedures, including classroom observations, interviews, and questionnaires. One hundred first-year English major students in Beijing participated in her study. Included are the results of her study and a comparison of her findings to that of other researchers.

10. English Teaching Forum 2003, Volume 41, Number 4

    Format(s): Text

    This special issue, An Anthology for Teacher Trainers, contains articles published in English Teaching Forum between 1994 and 2000.

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