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1. Effective Questions

   In: English Teaching Forum 2003, Volume 41, Number 4 Format(s): Text

   Teachers ask many questions in the classroom, but not all are useful. Questions that the teacher already knows the answer to are known as display questions. These are often asked for the student to display knowledge. Questions where the teacher does not already know the answer are meaning based and known as referential questions. This article explains the problems with relying on display questions in the L2 classroom. This distinction applies to reading comprehension questions as well as oral questions.

2. Extra Work or Work Extra: Five Steps for Studying Vocabulary

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

   An instructor shares a plan for extra study that helped struggling students learn vocabulary. Students selected five words from each unit of their class text. A sample of words from the text “Raise the Issues” and reasons for choosing them are included. The five steps used to learn the words were learning pronunciation, recognizing other word forms, using the dictionary, reading the word in context, and using the word in context. Scaffolding for writing with the word is provided. This method was more successful and more popular than extra quizzes for low-achieving students.

3. Lesson Plan: Taking a Look at Schools

   In: English Teaching Forum 2005, Volume 43, Number 2 Format(s): Text

   This lesson plan, based on a short reading of a student’s description of a one-room schoolhouse, has a variety of activities, including group discussions, vocabulary practice, a spelling bee, research topics, interviews, and a task that has students exploring their own school.

4. The Lighter Side: Poetry Word Search

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

   This is a word game where readers are expected to find poetry terms in a box of letters. Cues are given.

5. VOA Podcast: People in America: Anne Lindbergh

   In: VOA Podcasts: Shows in Special English Format(s): MP3

   From Voice of America Podcasts in Special English. Learn how Anne Lindbergh influenced American culture with her experiences and writings. Download the MP3 or listen online.

6. Picture This – In a Minute

   In: Activate Games for Learning American English: Picture This Format(s): Text

   In a Minute provides students with practice forming questions that begin with wh- words: who, what, when, where, why, and how. First, players read and respond to the six ques­tions on a Picture This card. Then players race to write as many questions as they can in a set amount of time. This game works best in small groups.

7. Back Translating: An Integrated Approach to Focus Learners' Attention on Their L2 Knowledge Gaps

   In: English Teaching Forum 2014, Volume 52, Number 1 Format(s): Text

   This article describes a three-step process for using back translation in reading classes as a way to help students identify gaps in their English competence.

8. The Lighter Side: "Dog Tricks"

   In: English Teaching Forum 2014, Volume 52, Number 3 Format(s): Text

   In this puzzle, readers use clues to fill in commands that someone might give to a dog.

9. English Teaching Forum 2016, Volume 54, Number 1

   Format(s): Text

   Read about pragmatics, learn tips for publishing, and use the latest “Try This” activity in your classroom. All of this and more can be found in the newest English Teaching Forum.

10. World News Report

    In: Teacher's Corner: Reported Speech Format(s): Text

    Bring the news into your classroom. This week’s Teacher’s Corner shows how students can practice reported speech while reporting news stories.

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