Site Search | American English

Teacher Resources

In: English Teaching Forum 2004, Volume 42, Issue 1 Format(s): Text

In this special section of Forum, four commercial publications are presented. Topics include techniques to help middle school students with reading, student involvement and choice; an introduction to the concept of genre (of interest to ESL teachers, writing teachers, etc., including genre-based assessment and the importance of audience in writing); the use of literature circles with elementary learners to foster discussion and love of literature; and a book of EFL methodology.

We Dig Worms

In: American Rhythms Format(s): MP3

In this folk song, singer Zach Ladin reminds listeners young and old of the importance of all creatures in nature. Download the song or listen online!

Using an Asynchronous Video App to Stimulate Spontaneous Oral Interaction

In: English Teaching Forum 2021, Volume 59, Number 2 Format(s): Text

The author explains how to use an asynchronous video app, then describes two specific tasks—one collaborative, the other dialogic—that teachers and students can carry out with the app.

Using Story Retelling Wheels with Young Learners

In: English Teaching Forum 2021, Volume 59, Number 3 Format(s): Text

The author describes how to use “story retelling wheels” as scaffolding devices to support young learners as they develop the important skill of being able to retell stories that they have heard and comprehended.

Morning Discussion as a Communicative Activity

In: English Teaching Forum 2004, Volume 42, Issue 4 Format(s): Text

This article describes freshman university students in China. They started their day with Morning Discussion, a student-hosted discussion of relevant topics. BBC and VOA reports were useful sources. The discussions offered opportunities for negotiation, clarification, and building communicative competence. As students took responsibility for the topics, classroom set up, and participation, their confidence grew. This was very successful, as shown by comments in students’ weekly diaries. Instructors stayed out of debates and did not interrupt to offer corrections.

VOA: English in a Minute

Format(s): Video, Website

Looking for ways to improve your listening skills and learn English idioms? Check out Voice of America's English in a Minute and listen to brief video clips that explain American English colloquialisms.

Reciprocal Teaching: A Useful Tool in Increasing Student-Talking Time

In: English Teaching Forum 2004, Volume 42, Issue 2 Format(s): Text

Reciprocal Teaching (RT) can be used to increase student talk time and improve communicative competence. This strategy uses paraphrasing, reported speech, question formation and concept-checking to promote dialogue. As students move from short responses toward longer conversations (or language for transactional purposes), their fluency and retention increase. These “long turns” provide important practice. The author also emphasizes the importance of prompts for lower-level students. The article includes examples of each strategy as well as several axioms of reciprocal teaching.

"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.

Teaching Refusals in an EFL Setting

In: Teaching Pragmatics Format(s): Text, Video, Website

The goals of this lesson in Teaching Pragmatics are: raising awareness that misunderstandings can be caused by differences in performing speech acts between Japanese and Americans; making learners aware of what they know already and encouraging them to use their universal or transferable L1 pragmatic knowledge in L2 contexts; teaching the appropriate linguistic forms that are likely to be encountered in performing speech acts.

Peace