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1. Real-Life Problem Solving: A Collaborative Learning Activity

   In: English Teaching Forum 2002 (Volume 40, Number 1) Format(s): Text

   This article emphasizes the importance of classroom activities that promote interaction and real-life problem-solving skills. The author describes a real-life problem-solving activity that she implements within her own classroom, consisting of multiple groups of students following a seven-step process. The steps she emphasizes include: state the problem, analyze, brainstorm, decide, think though, identify, and follow up. The author suggests how the activity can be used in a variety of classrooms and age levels.

2. English Teaching Forum 2009, Volume 47, Number 3

   Format(s): Text

   The feature article focuses on Virginia, The Old Dominion, and a companion lesson plan is titled “Virginia: Jamestown and Its People.” Other articles in this issue explore literary analysis in the EFL classroom, English instruction for the tourist industry, livening up college English classes with games, using VOA Special English to improve vocabulary, and motivating students to read.

3. Using Self-Assessment for Evaluation

   In: English Teaching Forum 2002 (Volume 40, Number 1) Format(s): Text

   This article explains the usefulness of self-assessment for learning purposes as well as evaluation purposes. The author emphasizes the ways that learners can conduct reliable, global self-assessment as well as three ways in which data-driven self-assessment can be done. The author discusses the purpose of self-assessment and provides specific instruments that can be used. The three data-driven self-assessments that are discussed include Portfolios, Pre- and Post-course writing, and Learner Contracts.

4. Bringing One Language to Another: Multilingualism as a Resource in the Language Classroom

   In: English Teaching Forum 2011, Volume 49, Number 1 Format(s): Text

   Many EFL students are already multilingual, but they may not realize the strengths they bring to language learning. This article calls on instructors to help students develop language awareness and guide them to find ways to apply what they know about language. The author shows how this process occurred in a sociolinguistics course and includes sample lessons for all ages and a variety of levels of proficiency. Lessons incorporate the students’ language knowledge in such skill areas as grammar and vocabulary.

5. Knitting: A Craft Makes a Comeback

   In: English Teaching Forum 2011, Volume 49, Number 1 Format(s): Text

   This article on knitting is written for learners. Knitting has become increasingly popular among young Americans. The article includes the history of knitting, reasons why people knit, new trends such as “yarn bombing” and eco-friendly knitting, and a discussion of popular knitting websites and blogs. At the end of the article, readers will find knitting vocabulary, a list of related websites, and a section entitled, “Knitting Know How.”

6. Classroom Activities

   In: English Teaching Forum 2011, Volume 49, Number 1 Format(s): Text

   This section presents three stand-alone learning activities related to the theme of knitting. A lesson for upper beginners uses the topic of knitting to teach clothing-related vocabulary. A lesson for intermediate learners uses an essay on knitting circles for a paragraph-ordering activity. An advanced lesson helps students understand idioms related to knitting. The lesson plan includes printable idiom cards.

7. English Teaching Forum 2008, Volume 46, Number 1

   Format(s): Text

   Starting off the year of the American City, New York City is Forum’s first stop and the subject of this issue’s feature article. Accompanying the article is a lesson plan entitled “Exploring New York City.” Other topics in this issue include the progression of the field of TESOL, language awareness, applying reading research to lesson plan development, suggestions for academic writing instruction, and using anecdotes in language classes.

8. English Teaching Forum 2008, Volume 46, Number 4

   Format(s): Text

   Chicago is the focus of the feature article and the basis of a lesson plan that provides practice in writing and reading postcards. This issue also includes articles on enhancing learning with mobile phone technology, VoIM-mediated cooperative tasks, and corpus-aided discovery. Additional articles discuss critical media literacy and ideas for incorporating an intercultural approach into EFL teaching.

9. Alternatives to Current Pedagogy for Teaching the Present Perfect Progressive

   In: English Teaching Forum 2003, Volume 41, Number 1 Format(s): Text

   These researchers collected 250 samples of spoken and written American English from high-level communicators and analyzed the use of the present perfect progressive tense. They compared these samples to five leading ESL and EFL grammar textbooks. This article reviews the research and findings. The five leading textbooks provided good overall structure for teaching the present perfect progressive tense, but the use of the tense was critically influenced by broad context, adverbs, temporal context and the uses of other tenses including the present and present perfect tense.

10. English Teaching Forum 2008, Volume 46, Number 2

    Format(s): Text

    This issue focuses on Seattle, the second city on our tour this year. Complementing the feature article is a lesson plan on “Seeing Seattle.” Additional articles in this issue discuss interdisciplinary collaboration, two approaches to student-produced videos, student documentaries as language learning tools, using teacher-developed corpora in the CBI classroom, and building vocabulary and improving writing while developing a tourist brochure.

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