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1. Some Suggestions for Academic Writing Instruction at English Teacher Training Colleges

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

   This article presents practical suggestions and tasks to make it easier to teach second language academic writing at the college level. It discusses the necessity of a warm-up period in which learners produce first drafts in pairs or small groups and do peer error correction. The article offers tasks such as reacting to an academic review, comparing two academic articles, and summarizing academic articles.

2. Language Teacher Preparation in Developing Countries: Structuring Preservice Teacher Training Programmes

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

   The author notes that relying on the training of unqualified teachers during service can be costly and inefficient. He underscores the importance of highly structured, comprehensive, pre-service teacher training as a more prudent alternative. Trainees should be preselected based on their general education background, competence in English, competence in teaching, and attitude. The training program should carefully consider topics to be included in the curricula. The author suggests several areas of instruction and explains the different modes of training necessary for success.

3. The Reflective Portfolio: Two Case Studies from the United Arab Emirates

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

   This article explains the benefits of using portfolios, an alternative assessment tool, to assess writing. The author identifies the characteristics of alternative assessment. Portfolios evaluate student progress over time and can include revisions. They are based on activities that show what students can do with language. Portfolios emphasize strengths and involve reflection by the student. Case studies show how portfolios were used in English courses at two universities. The authors advise allowing time for reflection and training in self-evaluation.

4. Reciprocal Teaching: A Useful Tool in Increasing Student-Talking Time

   In: English Teaching Forum 2004, Volume 42, Issue 2 Format(s): Text

   Reciprocal Teaching (RT) can be used to increase student talk time and improve communicative competence. This strategy uses paraphrasing, reported speech, question formation and concept-checking to promote dialogue. As students move from short responses toward longer conversations (or language for transactional purposes), their fluency and retention increase. These “long turns” provide important practice. The author also emphasizes the importance of prompts for lower-level students. The article includes examples of each strategy as well as several axioms of reciprocal teaching.

5. Developing Writing

   Format(s): Text

   Developing Writing is a reading and writing skills text designed for beginning to intermediate learners of English.

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. Stimulating Writing through Project-Based Tasks

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

   As students often see writing in any language as a challenging task, it can be hard to encourage motivation to practice writing in the language-learning classroom. This article offers project-based tasks as a way to motivate students with relevant and interesting topics. The author discusses the principles of project work and explains the process approach to composition, followed by detailed lesson plans for writing a problem/solution essay and the expected outcomes of this project.

8. English Clubs: Introducing English to Young Learners

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

   This article introduces an approach taken in Tunisia to introduce English as a foreign language to children in primary school classrooms. The author states that in Tunisia, children in primary schools are first taught Arabic and then French. The government does not want to overburden the students with English learning. Then, the author describes in detail the approach of an English club, including the materials and staff members and their training. The article concludes with a list of recommendations based on the Tunisian approach.

9. Perspectives on Professional Growth: A Study on the Diaries of Undergraduate ELT Students

   In: English Teaching Forum 2001, Volume 39, Number 2 Format(s): Text

   This article reports on the author's observations of undergraduate ELT students who kept diaries about their professional development during their teaching practicum. The author analyzed these diaries at two stages and categorized the entries into two categories: a concern for the needs of the children of the information age, and a desire for self-improvement and professional growth. The author decided to develop lessons on Computer-Assisted Language Learning (CALL) into future semesters of the course based on the student diaries.

10. Creating a Learner-Centred Teacher Education Program

    In: English Teaching Forum 2001, Volume 39, Number 3 Format(s): Text

    This article describes the creation of a learner-centered classroom environment, with students who came from a teacher-centered background. A teacher-dominated classroom is one where the teacher talks most of the time, leads activities, and constantly passes judgment on student performance. The authors describe a learner-centered classroom as one where students work on distinct tasks and projects individually or in small groups, developing learner autonomy and control. The authors share steps in their process of creating a learner-centered classroom.

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