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1. U.S. National Parks: Protecting Nature and Providing Enjoyment

   In: English Teaching Forum 2007, Volume 45, Number 4 Format(s): Text

   This feature article on national parks is appropriate for use with higher intermediate or advanced learners. It offers vivid photos and describes the history of national parks, their creation, management, and expansion. The author discusses features of parks from different regions of the country: Acadia National Park (Maine), Denali National Park and Preserve (Alaska), Everglades National Park (Florida), Glacier National Park (Montana), and Grand Canyon National Park (Arizona). Information about the national parks conservation association and the national park foundation is also included.

2. Learn it! Share it! Using a Variety of Tools for Sharing Best Practices and Materials across Continents

   Format(s): Text, Video

   This webinar explores implications of information sharing on teacher professional development and educational sustainability measures.

3. Understanding Culturally Responsive Social and Emotional Learning in Language Classrooms

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

   This session, "Understanding Culturally Responsive Social and Emotional Learning in Language Classrooms," explores the importance of leveraging our students' cultural backgrounds in the ELT classroom as well as the value that social and emotional learning (SEL) has on students’ academic and lifelong success.

4. Classroom Techniques: Counseling and Oral Communication

   In: English Teaching Forum 2003, Volume 41, Number 3 Format(s): Text

   This article addresses a social divide that occurs between university students who have attended English secondary schools and those who have not. The lower proficiency students tend to be from lower socio-economic status and hesitate to speak because they fear humiliation. This article reminds instructors that low-proficiency learners need a safe place to make mistakes and build confidence. As an icebreaker, students discuss what hinders them from speaking to an audience. They then give speeches introducing themselves. Finally, they give a formal speech.

5. Setting Up and Editing an "In-House" Journal

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

   An "in-house" journal is a publication that is produced by a single institution with article contributions coming from only professionals working at that institution. Creating an in-house journal gives teachers the opportunity to discover new ideas from their colleagues and to voice their own ideas. It also contributes to institutional development by keeping teacher-to-teacher conversations alive and educational policy relevant and innovative. This article presents a series of concrete steps for journal publication as well as some problems to avoid.

6. Western Culture and the Teaching of English as an International Language

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

   This article considers the role of culture in the teaching of English as an International Language. There are differing views on whether to include cultural topics in the teaching of English. Educational leaders in some countries have voiced concern over a form of colonization that occurs when Western culture is presented as better than the students’ local culture. The article examines ways that approved textbooks from Chile, Morocco, and Japan present Western values and characters, and suggests that texts could present more characters from countries where English is a second language.

7. Why and How to Teach Collocations

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

   One of the key developments in vocabulary teaching stems from Michael Lewis’s Lexical Approach, which considers language as chunks of words combined for meaning. These frequently occurring word combinations are called collocations. This article points out a number of problems that result from learning words in isolation. Work with meaningful phrases can help improve students’ comprehension and comprehensibility. The article includes reading and listening activities to raise awareness of collocations as well as writing and speaking activities.

8. Using Favorite Songs and Poems with Young Learners

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

   In this article, the author discusses the benefits of using songs and poems to teach young learners. The author explains how songs and poems can be used in English class and what their benefits are. The author explains how teachers can use actions or puppets to accompany the selected songs or poems, or allow young learners to create ideas themselves. Each suggestion includes an activity. The author also offers an example of a song chart.

9. Rediscovering Curiosity, Imagination, and Humor in Learning

   In: English Teaching Forum 2012, Volume 50, Number 2 Format(s): Text

   This piece introduces three previously published articles that speak to the effectiveness of teaching the English language through curiosity, imagination, and humor. The articles introduced are “Curiosity and Comprehension,” “Using Story Jokes for Real Communication,” and “An Imaginative Approach to Teaching Writing.”

10. Establishing Textual Authority and Separating Voices: A New Approach to Teaching Referencing

    In: English Teaching Forum 2011, Volume 49, Number 2 Format(s): Text

    This article provides practical reasoning and tools for the ESOL teacher to better teach source referencing. The author argues that students from around the world are taught different concepts for using sources. Students often assume texts present truths that do not require analysis. Many cultures teach students to memorize texts and repeat them to show mastery and shared knowledge. The author addresses plagiarism and provides classroom exercises.

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