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1. Reading to Speak: Integrating Oral Communication Skills

   In: English Teaching Forum 2009, Volume 47, Number 1 Format(s): Text

   Although students want to practice speaking English, they do not have many opportunities to do so in the Chinese EFL system. This often results in something called 'mute English.' This article suggests a greater integration of skills through reading to speak activities. The author includes activities for reading to act, reading to debate, and reading to interview. These activities move students away from a focus on form, allowing students to be creative and build fluency.

2. Between the ESP Classroom and the Workplace: Bridging the Gap

   In: English Teaching Forum 2009, Volume 47, Number 3 Format(s): Text

   This article discusses the need to bridge the gap between ESP classroom content and activities, and workplace needs. It suggests using observation, interviews, and questionnaires from the workplace to make teaching methods in ESP classrooms match employment needs. The article offers an example of this from Morocco, where the ESP textbook was supplemented with data gathered from employers and employees in the local hospitality industry.

3. The Formeaning Response Approach: Poetry in the EFL Classroom

   In: English Teaching Forum 2009, Volume 47, Number 4 Format(s): Text

   This article discusses the use of poetry-based activities in the English as foreign language (EFL) classroom. It claims that poetry exposes learners to content-rich materials. It presents the Formeaning Response approach, which combines language elements with personal responses to poetry, and offers activities that motivate students to attend and respond to both the form and the overall meaning.

4. Learning to Learn Cooperatively

   In: English Teaching Forum 2009, Volume 47, Number 4 Format(s): Text

   This article discusses the use of cooperative learning activities in the classroom to strengthen students’ interpersonal communication skills and increase their participation in the language-learning process. It addresses the importance of cultural and individual differences in cooperative learning. The article offers practical suggestions and useful activities to teach learners how to get involved in such activities and to complete the activity successfully.

5. Using Anecdotes in Language Class

   In: English Teaching Forum 2008, Volume 46, Number 1 Format(s): Text

   This article discusses the usefulness of anecdotes as a technique to stimulate learners’ interest and thus create a meaningful learning context in the second language classroom. It describes the pattern of an anecdote and how it should be formed as well as the different types of anecdotes. The article offers tips to successfully implement this technique.

6. The Intercultural Approach to EFL Teaching and Learning

   In: English Teaching Forum 2008, Volume 46, Number 4 Format(s): Text

   This article discusses the teaching of intercultural awareness together with language in foreign contexts. Following a brief discussion of what culture means, the author presents a three-stage intercultural approach for teaching EFL students. For each stage, the author explains the goals and provides five activities as examples. As a follow-up, the author shares challenges for this approach and possible solutions.

7. English Magazines = Motivation + Improved ESL Writing Skills

   In: English Teaching Forum 2004, Volume 42, Issue 1 Format(s): Text

   Creating and editing a magazine in English is a challenging and motivating type of portfolio assessment. It encourages student fluency and freedom by allowing students to choose their own topics for writing. It is real communication for a real audience and requires students to take responsibility for their own writing. It can also make the teacher’s job more enjoyable. The article describes a magazine-editing project for an intermediate university writing class. The students performed well on the national writing examination.

8. Two Writing Activities for Extensive Reading

   In: English Teaching Forum 2004, Volume 42, Issue 3 Format(s): Text

   These activities promote writing fluency and self-monitoring as well as skills such as getting started with writing and skimming. Students demonstrate understanding of their extensive reading. Timed repeated thinking and writing is similar to free-writing. It includes brief cycles of writing and reflecting. In each cycle, students start their writing over. A similar activity involves cycles of skimming, writing, and thinking. For variation, students can start from where their last writing left off or choose the most important point as a starting place for the next writing turn.

9. Morning Discussion as a Communicative Activity

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

   This article describes freshman university students in China. They started their day with Morning Discussion, a student-hosted discussion of relevant topics. BBC and VOA reports were useful sources. The discussions offered opportunities for negotiation, clarification, and building communicative competence. As students took responsibility for the topics, classroom set up, and participation, their confidence grew. This was very successful, as shown by comments in students’ weekly diaries. Instructors stayed out of debates and did not interrupt to offer corrections.

10. An Integrated Skills Lesson Plan for "For Life's Sake" by Linda Hogan

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

    This lesson plan is for use with “For Life’s Sake.” After introducing the topic of Native Americans in class discussion, students read the article and identify unfamiliar vocabulary. Students may then read again and discuss comprehension questions. Post-reading activities build vocabulary, including idioms, and utilize dictionary and scanning skills. Questions to make connections beyond the text may be used for discussion or writing assignments. There are other projects that integrate language skills, such as writing a poem, considering family customs, and doing Internet research.

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