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1. Teaching the World's Children: ESL for Ages Three to Seven

   In: English Teaching Forum 2005, Volume 43, Number 1 Format(s): Text

   This article discusses teaching English as a second language to very young learners. The authors talks about how important it is for children to have a wide variety of experiences when building language and literacy. The authors explain how the use of various environments, including learning centers, block centers, art or sand tables, writing areas, science and technology centers, and even libraries, can help shape the way a child learns language as well as improve other skills.

2. A Reading Programme for Elementary Schools

   In: English Teaching Forum 2005, Volume 43, Number 1 Format(s): Text

   This article provides ways to create a positive attitude toward reading through a structured reading program. The article argues that reading programs should include increased reading materials via libraries, fund-raising, and other various collection ideas. The author emphasizes the importance of motivating and structured activities, parental involvement, and various teaching techniques, followed by promises and rewards. This helps young learners create a positive attitude towards reading.

3. Story Theater

   In: English Teaching Forum 2005, Volume 43, Number 1 Format(s): Text

   This article introduces an interactive and engaging classroom activity entitled Story Theater. The goal of this activity is to provide students with a text to read aloud as they act out the storyline using props and special effects. The purpose of Story Theater is to aid fluency and memorization and to provide students with a chance to use the language and their imaginations. This activity can be used with all ages and all English proficiency levels. The author includes examples of effective Story Theater lessons.

4. English Proficiency Test: The Oral Component of a Primary School

   In: English Teaching Forum 2005, Volume 43, Number 1 Format(s): Text

   This article discusses the various problems found when teachers try to design the oral production part of English proficiency tests for young learners. The authors discuss matters such as intimidation or the possibility of relating the test too much to other conventional tests. They offer ways to address these issues, including testing for fluency, using elicitation procedures, and changing the view of the test into a more relaxed game-like scenario. The authors provide examples of where these ideas have been implemented.

5. A Lesson Plan Speaking (and Writing) of Sports

   In: English Teaching Forum 2005, Volume 43, Number 3 Format(s): Text

   This lesson plan offers several sports-related photographs and classroom activities that use the pictures for individual, pair, or group work. The activities include a sentence-combination task, structured writing questions, open-ended writing tasks, a charting task, and questions for a whole-class discussion. The author gives suggestions for making the tasks easier or more difficult for multiple levels.

6. "Imported" Communicative Language Teaching: Implications for Local Teachers

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

   This article criticizes the rejection of Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) in non-Western contexts. Teachers sometimes avoid CLT because it includes ideas (such as autonomy and choice) that do not always fit with the educational, social, and cultural perspectives of their areas. The author defines CLT, considers the issues that come with importing this teaching method, and offers suggestions to help EFL teachers adapt CLT to their contexts to create genuine communication.

7. Applying Current Approaches to the Teaching of Reading

   In: English Teaching Forum 2006, Volume 44, Number 1 Format(s): Text

   This article discusses different approaches to reading instruction for EFL learners based on theoretical frameworks. The author starts with the bottom-up approach to reading instruction, and briefly explains phonics and behaviorist ideas that inform this instructional approach. The author then explains the top-down approach and the new cognitive perspective. The author also explains schema theory and how to apply it to help students before, during, and after reading. The interactive model is then discussed.

8. Encourage Critical Reading in the EFL Classroom

   In: English Teaching Forum 2006, Volume 44, Number 1 Format(s): Text

   Using a reading lesson designed for advanced university students in Brazil, the author discusses different types of exercises that can help students become more active readers and be more critical about the reading materials. The author distinguishes between passive and active reading tasks and argues that active tasks are more beneficial because they encourage readers to read between the lines. The author describes some pre-reading, while-reading, and post-reading activities.

9. Classroom Techniques: Using Radio Programs in the EFL Classroom

   In: English Teaching Forum 2006, Volume 44, Number 1 Format(s): Text

   The article describes how to use Voice of America (VOA) radio programs to teach English to students studying in EFL contexts. A major reason why the author believes VOA programs are a good source for English learning is because they allow the teacher to teach English through content. At the same time, VOA programs provide authentic language-learning materials. The author describes four listening activities (before listening, while listening, and after listening) using VOA radio programs.

10. First Road to Learning: Language through Stories

    In: English Teaching Forum 2006, Volume 44, Number 2 Format(s): Text

    This article discusses the benefits of using stories in language teaching and ideas of how to use stories in the classroom. The authors believe that stories can help solve the problems caused by limited resources and are good ways to teach culture. They describe types of stories and how they can be used in teaching speaking, listening, reading, writing, integrated skills, and critical thinking.

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