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1. The Mediational Role of Language Teachers in Sociocultural Theory

   In: English Teaching Forum 2003, Volume 41, Number 3 Format(s): Text

   This article describes a sociocultural view of interaction, in which teachers construct knowledge with learners. Language is a mediating factor in cognitive development. The article discusses Vygotsky and the Zone of Proximal Development. According to Vygotsky, students are capable of doing more with guidance and support than they can alone. This principle leads instructors to scaffold material just beyond the leaner’s level. When teachers and students have meaningful interaction, learning is enhanced.

2. Assessment of Young Learners

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

   This article discusses how the trend towards low-anxiety, communicative-based language teaching and integrated language and content teaching has created a need to change assessment strategies for young learners. The author describes alternative assessment techniques such as nonverbal responses, oral interview, narratives, group assessment, and dialogue journals, and suggests how they can be carried out through regular classroom work.

3. Literacy Memoirs

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

   This article discusses the use of literacy memoirs to help students become motivated to write. This can give students the chance for reflection on their literacy skills while also improving their writing in English. The author explains how a literacy memoir workshop can work in a process writing classroom, giving a sample schedule and examples of student memoirs.

4. National Clearinghouse for English Language Acquisition

   Format(s): Website

   Funded by the U.S. Department of Education, The National Center for English Language Acquisition provides a broad range of research and resources in support of an inclusive approach to high quality education for English Learners.

5. Eyes On English

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

   The author discusses a school-wide campaign to promote the use of English. This six-week campaign, called Eyes on English, was created for Early Childhood and Elementary divisions, but is noted to be flexible for other grade levels. Throughout the article, the author expresses the importance of this program as well as provides a basic activity that can help teachers increase English usage.

6. Between the ESP Classroom and the Workplace: Bridging the Gap

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

   This article discusses the need to bridge the gap between ESP classroom content and activities, and workplace needs. It suggests using observation, interviews, and questionnaires from the workplace to make teaching methods in ESP classrooms match employment needs. The article offers an example of this from Morocco, where the ESP textbook was supplemented with data gathered from employers and employees in the local hospitality industry.

7. Internet Content-Based Activities for ESP

   In: English Teaching Forum 2002, Volume 40, Number 3 Format(s): Text

   The article introduces a WebQuest, an inquiry-based online learning activity, as a potential tool for content-based English for Specific Purposes (ESP). It provides a series of WebQuest tasks such as summary and synthesis tasks, design tasks, negotiation and interaction tasks, analytical tasks, and scientific tasks. The article has suggestions for the effective use of WebQuests for a content-based syllabus along with a discussion of the benefits of using WebQuests to develop academic skills.

8. Developing Pragmatic Competence in the EFL Classroom

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

   Pragmatic competence is an important part of communicative competence, yet it is often insufficiently addressed. This article outlines a program of four lessons on the speech acts of openings and closings. Lessons examine dialogues for cultural differences regarding forms of address, abruptness, expected responses, and so on. Students also consider pre-closing phrases, ways to express politeness, and formality. Finally, students expand an artificial dialogue to make it more realistic. Activities include translation, pair work, creative writing, class discussion, and role play.

9. Students as Textbook Authors

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

   The authors describe their experience using a learner-centered approach to turn learner writing into booklets. When students write about their own lives, they can focus on the language they need to express their ideas. Interaction increases because interest is high. Near beginners can create fact sheets about themselves, and more advanced students can write language-learning histories. The texts can become fill-in-the-blank activities or be read aloud. Student texts inform instructors of needs and interests; they give students ownership of their learning and provide models for future classes.

10. The Lighter Side: Fishy Fun

    In: English Teaching Forum 2011, Volume 49, Number 2 Format(s): Text

    There are two games. The first has five tongue twisters, each word missing a letter which the student must complete. The second game is a matching game, but the words are missing letters which the student must fill in before he/she completes the match. The games help with vocabulary and spelling.

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