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1. Using L1 in the L2 Classroom

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

   There may be more to the use of L1 in the L2 classroom than previously thought. Recent findings show that L1 usage values the native culture and language of the students, allowing them to feel comfortable taking risks in English. The author distributed a questionnaire on Spanish usage to English language students and professors at a Puerto Rican university. Results showed that both students and teachers felt there were clear instances where Spanish would help understanding. The author also shares his own personal experiences as a Spanish-speaking English teacher.

2. To the Man on Trail

   In: To Build a Fire and Other Stories Format(s): Text

   In this story from To Build a Fire and Other Stories, a stranger seeking to get back the money that he lent to another man visits a group of revelers in their cabin. The stranger has been on the trail for 12 hours with no rest. The revelers take him in and listen to his story.

3. Digital Literacies: Practical Approaches for the ELT Classroom

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

   This session, "Digital Literacies: Practical Approaches for the ELT Classroom," aims to clarify the multiskill “digital literacies” construct and explore how and why these skills can be integrated into English language instruction.

4. Teacher Development - What Works in the ELT Classroom? Using Robust Reasoning to Find Out

   In: English Teaching Forum 2002, Volume 40, Number 4 Format(s): Text

   This article focuses on the usefulness of “robust reasoning” or reflection on one’s own teaching to discover what “works,” or what is effective and appropriate in the classroom. The author describes what “robust reasoning” is and explains how it can be used. The author states that going through such a reflection will lead teachers to definitions of effective teaching that are context appropriate and applicable to their classrooms.

5. Going Beyond “The Lighter Side” Puzzles for English Language Practice

   In: English Teaching Forum 2024, Volume 62, Number 2 Format(s): Text

   Author Tom Glass describes multiple ways that teachers can use and adapt “The Lighter Side” puzzles, found in all issues of English Teaching Forum, to give students extended language practice by solving puzzles and creating new puzzles of their own. The article includes examples from puzzles that teachers can find and download (for free) on the American English website.

6. Online Reading Strategies for the Classroom

   In: English Teaching Forum 2019, Volume 57, Number 4 Format(s): Text

   This article presents three clear strategies for reading online content effectively and productively, with examples and a helpful discussion of differences between reading content online and reading printed texts.

7. The Roles of Assessment in Language Teaching

   In: English Teaching Forum 2012, Volume 50, Number 3 Format(s): Text

   This piece makes a case for using assessment to understand and identify the needs of learners and introduces the three reprints that follow: “Twenty Common Testing Mistakes for EFL Teachers to Avoid,” Coming to Grips with Progress Testing: Some Guidelines for Its Design,” and “Purposeful Language Assessment: Selecting the Right Alternative Test.”

8. VOA Podcast: "42" Tells the Story of Jackie Robinson's Major League Breakthrough

   In: VOA Podcasts: Shows in Special English Format(s): MP3, Website

   Learn about Jackie Robinson in this podcast from VOA Learning English. Learn English as you read and listen to a weekly show about people in America, including study in the U.S. Stories are written at the intermediate and upper-beginner level and are read one-third slower than regular VOA English.

9. Language & Literature in Tertiary Education: The Case for Stylistics

   In: English Teaching Forum 2002, Volume 40, Number 2 Format(s): Text

   This article discusses the lack of quality in students’ literary criticism in degree English courses, suggesting that students have difficulty understanding literary texts in English. It recommends stylistic analysis, the analysis of structures and vocabulary, as a way that learners of English as a second or foreign language can develop a more active and independent approach to understanding and critiquing literary works.

10. Writing Check with the Academic Word List

    In: Teacher's Corner: Teaching Academic Writing Format(s): Text

    When English language learners in academic settings focus attention on wordlists, such as AWL (the Academic Word List), they have an opportunity to expand vocabulary. In this week’s activity, students will use the AWL to check and revise their own written work.

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