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1. To Correct or Not Correct? Ideas for Subtle Error Correction During Speaking Tasks

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

   This webinar presents techniques designed to correct students’ grammar without interrupting the free flow of speech or the lesson.

2. English Teaching Forum 2013, Volume 51, Number 1

   Format(s): Text

   Trains, the theme of this issue, are highlighted in the feature article, the Classroom Activities, and The Lighter Side.

3. The Communicative Approach: Addressing Frequent Failure

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

   The author found that student and teacher beliefs about error correction support a teacher-centered classroom environment. However, the notion of interlanguage suggests that language is acquired through trial and error in communicative settings. Too much correction means decreased confidence and less time for students to use the language. The author proposes that teachers reduce the amount of time they talk. Teachers need to learn more about the benefits and techniques of a communicative approach and ways to adapt material.

4. Building Consensus on Teacher Assessment

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

   This article proposes a collaborative workshop for teachers and teacher trainees to identify their preferred methods of Teacher Assessment (TA).TA refers to the evaluation of teachers. Some examples are observation by colleagues or supervisors, videotaping class, and feedback from students. The pros and cons of various TA instruments and formats are discussed, including how threatening they are perceived to be. Participants also consider what should be included in their professional portfolio. It can be rewarding to involve stakeholders in the process.

5. Destroying the Teacher: The Need for Learner-Centered Teaching

   In: English Teaching Forum 2012, Volume 50, Number 1 Format(s): Text

   This article advocates using English to teach content, addressing this through five areas: Reduction of Coercion (not eliciting correct answers, but engaging students in thinking); Active Learner Involvement (less teacher talk and more material chosen to engage learners), Experience Before Interpretation (handling material before interpreting it), Avoidance of Simplification (choosing materials challenging enough to learn skills for tackling new ideas), and Value of Silence (allowing students to think without forcing them to talk).

6. Politeness is More than "Please"

   In: Teaching Pragmatics Format(s): Text, Website

   This lesson teaches politeness strategies in English.

7. Teacher’s Desk of the United States Department of Agriculture

   Format(s): Website

   Learn about agricultural research, strengthen reading skills, stimulate creative thinking. For a range of student levels.

8. Teaching Vocabulary to English Teacher Trainees

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

   Non-native English-speaking teachers in a foreign context will sometimes experience difficulty with the words used in their training courses. This article presents a six-step method for helping these teachers learn new, relevant vocabulary. The method is effective but does not require a large amount of class time. Once words have been selected, individual students are each given a word for which to create a word profile. Presentation and review follows.

9. Promoting Solidarity in Short Interactions

   In: Teaching Pragmatics Format(s): Text, Video, Website

   This lesson in Teaching Pragmatics aims to raise awareness of and give practice in using strategies of relexicalisation for descriptive accounts and for promoting solidarity in short interactions. A sub-goal is to provide students with interesting and natural vehicles for vocabulary development, recycling and revision.

10. Polite Ways of Correcting or Contradicting our Conversation's Partner's Assumptions

    In: Teaching Pragmatics Format(s): Text, Video, Website

    This lesson aims to raise learners' pragmatic awareness towards an important conversational function and to help them to be aware of the negative impression brought about by the non-use of actually (or other softeners of contradiction or correction) and for students to learn to produce corrections or contradictions prefaced by actually.

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