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1. On Native Language Intrusions and Making Do with Words: Linguistically Homogeneous Classrooms and Native Language Use

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

   Should L1 use be avoided in an EFL context, where classrooms tend to be linguistically homogeneous and where students have little opportunity to use English outside the classroom? This article reviews research on native language use in the classroom, how it is used (or not used), and the effects. It addresses topics such as impact on learning, teacher guilt, “covert use,” affective and processing benefits, validating the students’ own language, and solidarity with the instructor. The author concludes that a trend toward what Atkinson calls “judicious use” is reasonable.

2. For Life's Sake

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

   In “For Life’s Sake,” author Linda Hogan provides the reader with a view of the cultural influences that have made her into the poet, essayist, and storyteller she is today. She describes how her ancestors and the beliefs she inherited as a Native American have inspired her choice of topics and shaped her writing into its unique style. Her love of trees is woven through the article. Hogan’s essay gives students a chance to understand and appreciate the life of a writer from another America. It includes her poem, “Affinity,” on the topic of horses, as well as a glossary of terms.

3. English Proficiency Test: The Oral Component of a Primary School

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

   This article discusses the various problems found when teachers try to design the oral production part of English proficiency tests for young learners. The authors discuss matters such as intimidation or the possibility of relating the test too much to other conventional tests. They offer ways to address these issues, including testing for fluency, using elicitation procedures, and changing the view of the test into a more relaxed game-like scenario. The authors provide examples of where these ideas have been implemented.

4. A View of the Past: The Second Decade (1973 - 1982)

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

   This article reflects on the articles published at the second decade of Forum (1973-1982) to reconsider theoretical perspectives and classroom practices that are still relevant today. It discusses two recurring themes. The first addresses the meaning of linguistic competence, and the second relates to the effectiveness of language teaching methods. The article focuses on four major pieces published at different times within that period.

5. Using Task Journals with Independent Readers

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

   This article discusses using journal tasks to help intermediate students with the challenges they face when they do independent reading in ESL/EFL reading classes. It describes the design, implementation, and integration of task journals designed to encourage students to think about content, reflection on the reading process, and vocabulary learning.

6. Noun Compounds and Compressed Definitions

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

   This article discusses the difficulty of understanding noun compounds in professional texts in science and technology, business, medicine, law, and other areas of English for Specific Purposes (ESP). It provides techniques and activities to teach students how to decode noun compounds to see the link between definitions, which are usually familiar, and noun compounds, which are usually not familiar. These strategies can help students overcome this difficulty in reading advanced and specialized texts.

7. Individualizing Learning Through Self-Directed Projects

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

   This article discusses the use of self-directed projects to develop learner independence in academic settings. It describes and gives examples of how self-directed projects are integrated into a teaching situation at Arabian Gulf University. The article discusses how getting students involved in doing self-directed projects can lead to a gain in confidence in their ability to manage their own learning and progress in becoming independent language learners.

8. Passion for Life!

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

   In “Passion for Life,” the author promotes the use of drawing to make the classroom a positive and pleasant place. This technique can help even shy students become active. After reading the poem “Life” by Mother Teresa, students choose their favorite line from the poem and draw a picture to represent it. Secondary students are asked to learn the poem by heart.

9. 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.

10. Effective Questions

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

    Teachers ask many questions in the classroom, but not all are useful. Questions that the teacher already knows the answer to are known as display questions. These are often asked for the student to display knowledge. Questions where the teacher does not already know the answer are meaning based and known as referential questions. This article explains the problems with relying on display questions in the L2 classroom. This distinction applies to reading comprehension questions as well as oral questions.

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