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1. 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.

2. Lesson Plan: Taking a Look at Schools

   In: English Teaching Forum 2005, Volume 43, Number 2 Format(s): Text

   This lesson plan, based on a short reading of a student’s description of a one-room schoolhouse, has a variety of activities, including group discussions, vocabulary practice, a spelling bee, research topics, interviews, and a task that has students exploring their own school.

3. Classroom Techniques: Unleashing Writing Creativity in Students

   In: English Teaching Forum 2005, Volume 43, Number 4 Format(s): Text

   This article argues for free, creative writing in the L2 classroom. The author states that because writing can be stressful and at times paralyzing, the goal of L2 writing should not be to produce perfect, error-free work. The teacher should be a coach, dictionary, and grammar book. The author includes creative writing activities.

4. Classroom Techniques: Some Communicative Activities Based on Overhead Projectors

   In: English Teaching Forum 2005, Volume 43, Number 4 Format(s): Text

   This article offers sample activities that use an overhead projector. These activities encourage students to use the target language while recalling information they have already learned. Activities include making shapes on the projector for discussion, manipulating objects to practice prepositions, and creating dialogues.

5. NASCAR: An American Sport and Pastime

   In: English Teaching Forum 2005, Volume 43, Number 4 Format(s): Text

   This article, written for students, is about NASCAR, a popular auto racing sport in the United States. It offers the history of the sport, interesting pictures, and a piece on the importance of a pit crew. There is also a profile of Jeff Gordon, a popular and winning driver. Also included are a list of NASCAR vocabulary and websites of interest, an overview of the sport and its rules, and information on three legendary drivers.

6. Lesson Plan: Quilting with Language

   In: English Teaching Forum 2006, Volume 44, Number 3 Format(s): Text

   This lesson plan contains four activities based on the cultural content of quilts. It includes activities for teaching vocabulary and grammar, speaking, writing, and a dicto-comp activity (in which there is both dictation and composition).

7. Trees

   In: English Teaching Forum 2007, Volume 45, Number 2 Format(s): Text

   This is a thematic lesson plan for young learners about palm trees and the importance of taking care of them. The two part lesson teaches listening, reading and speaking skills. The lesson includes parts of a tree; the modal auxiliary, can; dialogues and a role play activity.

8. Classroom Activities

   In: English Teaching Forum 2012, Volume 50, Number 1 Format(s): Text

   This piece offers three activities that give students practice with vocabulary, grouping of similar terms, the use of future and present tenses, and identifying grammatical categories such as adjectives, verbs, and nouns.

9. Getting the Most Out of the Dictionary

   In: English Teaching Forum 2012, Volume 50, Number 4 Format(s): Text

   Inspired by questions from language teachers, this discussion of dictionaries (reprinted from 1974) explores their utility in determining pronunciation, meaning, and points of grammar and makes recommendations about the kind of dictionaries teachers should use with their students.

10. The Lighter Side: Train of Thought

    In: English Teaching Forum 2013, Volume 51, Number 1 Format(s): Text

    This activity sheet focuses on phrasal verbs in a context of train rides.

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