Advanced Search: Resources

1. Teacher Resources

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

   Information about four resource books is provided. The first, “Film,” contains 68 games and activities based on films, each designed for students at various levels of proficiency. The second, “Imaginative Project,” includes project work and lesson plans for 11 to 17 year olds. The third, "Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages,” is a reference that contains 30 chapters on current topics about language teaching. Lastly, “American Roots” provides various readings on U.S. cultural history as well as various intermediate level exercises on the topic.

2. Using L1 in the English Classroom

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

   The author provides details on a case study she performed to examine the effectiveness of using the native language (L1) in foreign language classrooms. The article describes the details of her research design and her methods and procedures, including classroom observations, interviews, and questionnaires. One hundred first-year English major students in Beijing participated in her study. Included are the results of her study and a comparison of her findings to that of other researchers.

3. Transforming the Whole Class into Gossiping Groups

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

   This article discusses various communicative purposes displayed by speakers of a language, including focusing on the topic of gossiping as a universal language function and exploring ways to exploit our human tendency for gossip to provide language fluency practice. The author provides two different interactive gossip activities that can be used in the classroom to help students speak more fluently. Included are step-by-step details for each lesson plan and each activity.

4. Clause Relationships and Macro Patterns: Coherence, Cohesion, and the Writing of Advanced ESOL Students

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

   This article discusses problems that non-native speakers of English may have in making their written texts cohesive and coherent. The author provides cohesive devices that can aid students in their writing and emphasizes the organization of ideas in order to build coherence. Included are activities designed to raise students' awareness of various patterns, help reformulate sentences, aid students in creating their own texts, and increase their ability to edit their own work.

5. A Case Study of Reflective Journals in a University Level Writing Course in Hungary

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

   This article is about the author’s experience using learning logs and in-class journaling for her college-level ESL writing class in Hungary. Her purpose was to gather information on the students’ writing experiences, both before and during the class, and to address issues raised in the logs and journals. She taught the class with a reflective-teaching, learner-centered style and a process-learning curriculum.

6. Ready-to-use Methodology Materials: Breaking the Teacher-Fronted Cycle in the Classroom

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

   This article describes the use of loop input and reflective journals to create a more effective way of teaching and preparing teachers of English-as-a-second-language in Slovakia. The authors of this article, who are also the designers of the technique, discuss how they handled challenges to the course, which included poor student motivation and attendance, and students who expect a teacher-fronted classroom rather than a learner-centered one.

7. English Teaching Forum 2008, Volume 46, Number 3

   Format(s): Text

   This issue’s feature article looks at Miami, Florida, while a companion lesson plan is based on an interactive telenovela. Other topics include the challenges of spelling in English, six practical vocabulary activities, teaching English for and with communities, and making use of simplified novels and their film adaptations.

8. Written Peer Response in L2 Writing

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

   This article argues that peer reviews of student writing should be done in writing and orally, as opposed to only in writing or only orally. Peer reviewing usually addresses the organization and style of student writing. The author discusses eight advantages to managing a peer-review process this way.

9. Motivating Students by Modifying Evaluation Methods

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

   This author identifies three key elements to student assessment—overly critical correcting, expectations, and competitive scoring—that prevent success in the ESL environment, based on the typical Chinese educational structure. The article discusses several techniques, mostly learner-centered, that a teacher can use to provide effective assessments while also creating an environment of trust, confidence, and fairness, where a student feels safe to take risks.

10. News & Notes

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

    This entry tells readers that audio from vinyl records included in Forum over 20 years ago is now available free via the Internet at www.antimoon.com. The audio files includes shaggy dog jokes and a train story. There is also an announcement of a new journal, the Journal of English for Academic Purposes, which started last year to keep EAP teachers and researchers up to date.

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