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1. Determining Students' Language Needs in a Tertiary Setting

   In: English Teaching Forum 2001, Volume 39, Number 3 Format(s): Text

   This article discusses students' perceptions of their language learning needs. It describes a survey conducted among university students and professors to find out how students rated their competence in particular skills and compares the results to those of their English teachers. Researchers conducted semi-structured interviews with the students, English teachers, and program directors. This needs analysis project helped to update the university English department curriculum and course offerings.

2. Motivating with Gamification: Benefits and Cautions

   In: American English Webinars Format(s): Text, Video

   This session, "Motivating with Gamification: Benefits and Cautions,” examines gamification in face-to-face and online classes and explores ways to include gamification elements in ELT instruction.

3. Practical Activities for Balanced Listening Instruction

   In: American English Webinars Format(s): Text, Video

   This webinar will introduce activities to develop students' listening skills in all of these areas; these activities can make your listening instruction both easier and more effective.

4. Contextualizing Teacher Training through Needs Analysis and Reflexivity

   In: English Teaching Forum 2023, Volume 61, Number 2 Format(s): Text

   Experienced teacher trainers Jimalee Sowell and Kevin McCaughey offer “suggestions teacher trainers might implement to improve their understanding of the local teachers they work with as well as ways of knowing the self and how the self interfaces with local contexts.” The article describes methods of needs assessment and discusses techniques for examining and understanding the self, all in the context of enhancing teacher training and professional development.

5. Teacher Resources

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

   This section reviews four books. “Teaching English as an International Language” by Sandra McKay relates English teaching to the use of the language around the world. “Humanizing Your Coursework” by Mario Rinvolucri offers 95 activities range from icebreakers and warm-ups to listening, speaking, and looking backwards or forwards. “Testcraft” by Fred Davidson and Brian K. Lynch addresses how to design contextual tests. “Teaching Large Level Multilevel Classes” by Natalie Hess includes 144 activities and 11 principles for teachers to cope with these types of classes.

6. 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.

7. The Future is Now: Preparing a New Generation of CBI Teachers

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

   This article discusses the use of Content Based Instruction (CBI) and provides ways that language-teacher education programs can better prepare CBI teachers. The author argues that CBI is particularly relevant now, in the 21st century. The article explains what specific skills are needed to successfully teach using a CBI approach, including Language Proficiency, Academic Skills, Pedagogical Knowledge, and content-language interface skills.

8. 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.

9. 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.

10. What Mary Shelley Never Wrote: Using Basic Computer Skills to Enhance Student Writing

    In: English Teaching Forum 2003, Volume 41, Number 2 Format(s): Text

    This article describes an inspired, well-managed process writing class project for intermediate language learners. The author used Mary Shelley’s book Frankenstein as a creative writing tool in class to develop writing and computer skills. Students read and discussed the book. Working in a collaborative format, students wrote a short story sequel to the novel and offered revision advice in a workshop format. The sequels were then compiled and shared with beginner language learners. The author pointed out that the sense of audience was also established with this project.

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