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1. Abstracts from Other Journals

   In: English Teaching Forum 2003, Volume 41, Number 1 Format(s): Text

   In “EAP Issues and Directions,” Ken Hyland and Liz Hamp-Lyons consider elements EAP researchers and teachers face. The challenges and academic needs of EAP, for both students and teachers, are addressed, along with solutions to those challenges. Teaching writing within the legal profession when the student is also an ESL/EFL student is the main topic of “Developing Legal Writing Materials for English Second Language Learners: Problems and Perspectives” by C. N. Candlin, V. K. Bhatia, and C. H. Jensen. The article includes an analysis of textbooks and suggested customized resources.

2. A Case Study of Reflective Journals in a University Level Writing Course in Hungary

   In: English Teaching Forum 2003, Volume 41, Number 1 Format(s): Text

   This article is about the author’s experience using learning logs and in-class journaling for her college-level ESL writing class in Hungary. Her purpose was to gather information on the students’ writing experiences, both before and during the class, and to address issues raised in the logs and journals. She taught the class with a reflective-teaching, learner-centered style and a process-learning curriculum.

3. Testing Writing in the EFL Classroom: Student Expectations

   In: English Teaching Forum 2002, Volume 40, Number 2 Format(s): Text

   This article reports on the inconsistency between the expected and actual grades of learners of English as foreign language in freshman English writing classes. It discusses the differences between students’ and instructors’ perceptions of acceptable essay writing. It suggests that teachers develop valid and reliable testing procedures and help students to increase their awareness and understanding of the proficiency levels required to write essays.

4. English Prime as an Instructional Tool in Writing Classes

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

   This article discusses a variety of ways to incorporate E-Prime, the idea that all forms of the verb “to be” need to be replaced in writing and speaking. The author shows how this can force ESL and EFL students to improve their writing and make them to spend more time with their essays, to think critically about acceptable grammar and vocabulary, and to search for new vocabulary.

5. Deep Impact Storytelling

   In: English Teaching Forum 2001, Volume 39, Number 4 Format(s): Text

   The authors discuss the importance of storytelling for giving a course depth. They outline ways to help teachers deepen the impact of storytelling through language and thinking activities that include shadowing, summarizing, student retelling, action logging, and creating newsletters. The authors include a story split into assigned readings and sequenced homework and classroom activities. They found that using these activities increases student comprehension, negotiation of meaning, and feelings of community.

6. Supporting Language Learning Using Smithsonian Online Museum Resources

   In: American English Webinars Format(s): Text

   This webinar explores strategies for finding and using visual resources to tell a story.

7. Developing Dynamic Units for EFL

   In: English Teaching Forum 2007, Volume 45, Number 2 Format(s): Text

   “Developing Dynamic Units for EFL” describes how to develop a thematic unit that integrates skills in context, provides opportunities for learner autonomy, and is project-based and experiential. Planning includes identifying curriculum standards, thinking of a meaningful topic, brainstorming tasks, organizing the activities, and making use of learner choice. The sample unit “Eating Out with Friends” includes the topics of inviting friends; choosing a restaurant and making a reservation; finding and communicating directions; ordering and requesting the bill; and thanking friends and retelling the story.

8. 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.

9. Lesson Plan: Exploring Michigan

   In: English Teaching Forum 2009, Volume 47, Number 4 Format(s): Text

   The lesson plan “Exploring Michigan” provides information on things to see and do in Michigan. It has three parts: a warm-up, the main activities that cover the four skills, and follow-up activities to further practice the content of main activities. The lesson aims to practice expressions of preference and persuasion. At the same time, the learners plan things to do on a trip to Michigan while creating and presenting an itinerary for a trip to Michigan, and then for a visit to their own country.

10. Two Writing Activities for Extensive Reading

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

    These activities promote writing fluency and self-monitoring as well as skills such as getting started with writing and skimming. Students demonstrate understanding of their extensive reading. Timed repeated thinking and writing is similar to free-writing. It includes brief cycles of writing and reflecting. In each cycle, students start their writing over. A similar activity involves cycles of skimming, writing, and thinking. For variation, students can start from where their last writing left off or choose the most important point as a starting place for the next writing turn.

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