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1. The E-pet: Enhancing Motivation in E-portfolios

   In: English Teaching Forum 2009, Volume 47, Number 1 Format(s): Text

   The authors wanted to make EAP portfolios more engaging and personal for students, so they introduced an e-pet to accompany the online portfolio program. The e-pet (much like a tamagotchi) grows from an egg into adulthood when the students interact with it through portfolio submissions. Teachers reported that students were enthusiastic about the e-portfolio and the e-pet. Student questionnaires showed a similar trend, with several students saying that the e-pet made the portfolio project motivating. The article includes directions for e-portfolio design.

2. Tools for Activating Materials and Tasks in the English Language Classroom

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

   This article presents techniques to make classroom materials and tasks more interactive and student-centered and thus motivate learners to take more control over their own learning. It demonstrates these techniques through elicitation, gapping, and adaptation/extension strategies. The article offers examples of classroom activities with detailed instructions to show how teachers can use materials and tasks in the English language classroom to address students’ interests, needs, and goals.

3. Using Guided, Corpus-Aided Discovery to Generate Active Learning

   In: English Teaching Forum 2008, Volume 46, Number 4 Format(s): Text

   This article shows how English teachers can provide careful guidance for students to use a corpus to research, discover, and reflect on the grammatical and sociolinguistic aspects of English. The author introduces the idea of using a corpus in teaching English and offers several important online resources for English language corpora. The author provides a rationale for corpus-based teaching and gives two examples of how to guide students in exploring linguistic features of English.

4. Applying Metacognitive Strategies to Skimming Research Articles in an ESP Context

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

   The article focuses on explaining to post-secondary teachers how to teach their students to use metacognitive strategies to skim research articles in specialized fields. The author briefly explains metacognitive strategies in reading tasks and discusses the importance of strategy training and having a purpose in reading. The author then describes a lesson plan that includes a presentation and a three-step guided practice. The author concludes by emphasizing reading strategy training in an ESP context.

5. Ten Helpful Ideas for Teaching English to Young Learners

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

   This article offers ten suggestions for teaching young learners between the age of 7 and 12 based on language-teaching principles. They include supplementing activities with visuals, realia and movement; involving students in making visuals and realia; moving from activity to activity; teaching in themes; using stories and contexts familiar to students; establishing classroom routines in English; using L1 as a resource when necessary; bringing in helpers from the community; collaborating with other teachers in your school; and communicating with other professionals.

6. Reflection as a Necessary Condition for Action Research

   In: English Teaching Forum 2007, Volume 45, Number 1 Format(s): Text

   This article explores the idea that teachers can improve their practice through reflection and action research. The author discusses the constructivist and socio-constructivist roots of action research. The case study explores the use of a project to improve learner autonomy and cooperation. Students made key decisions about the project content, the size of the groups, and the roles that each member would play. To evaluate the experience, the instructor asked students open-ended questions. A colleague-observer filled out rating scales about instructor and student behaviors.

7. Going Green: Merging Environmental Education and Language Instruction

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

   This article discusses content-based instruction (CBI) and the theme of environmental awareness in the classroom. It addresses not only recycling and preservation of resources, but also integrating English skills and controversial issues into real-world situations. The article presents teachers with examples of group activities and opportunities for critical thinking and encouraging responsibility among their students.

8. Information Gaps: Drawing Dictation

   In: Teacher's Corner: Speaking - Information Gap Activities Format(s): Text

   Information gaps are great activities for increasing student talk time and motivation. The June Teacher’s Corner examines the many forms information gaps can take. Each week will showcase another practical and fun classroom activity that uses a different information gap variation.

9. Information Gaps: Graphic Organizers and Oral Clues

   In: Teacher's Corner: Speaking - Information Gap Activities Format(s): Text

   This week’s activity is an information gap using schedules. Speaking English, students collaborate to reach a shared solution.

10. Making Speaking Fun

    In: Teacher's Corner: Making Learning Fun Format(s): Text

    Get students talking with these fun speaking activities in this week’s Teacher’s Corner!

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