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Motivating Student Reading through Post-Reading Book Creation

In: English Teaching Forum 2022, Volume 60, Number 3 Format(s): Text

The authors explain the importance of reading with a purpose—in this case, learners create a new book based on a text they have just read (or listened to).

Introduction to Reader's Theater for EFL Classrooms

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

This webinar demonstrates how to facilitate Reader's Theater and how to use Reader's Theater as an enriching and productive English language learning activity.

Teaching Reading to Speakers of Non-Romanized Languages

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

This article offers tips for teaching reading to speakers of non-Romanized languages. The author explains how initial lessons of the text “Let’s Read: A Linguistic Approach” by Bloomfield and Barnhart can be modified to address challenges that many Asian and Middle Eastern EFL learners face. The lessons address the alphabet, linking letters to sounds, and focusing on vowels in beginning reading. Rhyming and minimal pairs build connections between symbols and phonetic values. The lessons build a foundation for future reading. Teachers of any age group may find this article useful.

Building Fluency through the Repeated Reading Method

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

This article discusses the success of Repeated Reading (RR) within EFL classrooms, illustrating three techniques of RR that can be used to develop students’ fluency, comprehension skills, and reading self-esteem. After providing a background on the RR method, the author explains the techniques step by step and suggests activities. The techniques include classic oral repeated reading (ORR), Paired repeated reading (PRR), and Reader’s Theater (RT).

Developing Fluency through Oral Reading

In: English Teaching Forum 2020, Volume 58, Number 1 Format(s): Text

The author presents sets of easy-to-incorporate activities designed to improve reading fluency at the word-, sentence-, and passage-level.

Teaching Weak Forms

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

This article describes a pronunciation concept referred to as the weak form, a compression of sounds used to keep the rhythm of spoken English. The author uses the word “that” as an example. Stressing or not stressing the word “that” when reading aloud the sentence “John thinks that man is evil” changes the meaning. Reading “that” as unstressed is an example of the weak form. The author provides examples of how to teach the weak form to provide students with better spoken English and better comprehension.

VOA Classroom Activities

Format(s): Website

Activities for learning and teaching Everyday English, Business English and Academic English.

Teacher Resources

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

In this special section of Forum, four commercial publications are presented. Topics include techniques to help middle school students with reading, student involvement and choice; an introduction to the concept of genre (of interest to ESL teachers, writing teachers, etc., including genre-based assessment and the importance of audience in writing); the use of literature circles with elementary learners to foster discussion and love of literature; and a book of EFL methodology.

A Plan for Using - "Save the Lofty Trees" by Leslie Mills

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

The author describes how to use the play “Save the Lofty Trees” in a classroom. The plan offers six activities that will promote student interaction, involving guided imagination, brainstorming, group-work, creative movement, and an interactive read through. This lesson plan is intended for young learners and addresses all learning styles.

PBS Learning Media