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1. 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.

2. Lesson Plan - Virginia: Jamestown and Its People (Volume 47, Issue 3)

   In: English Teaching Forum 2009, Volume 47, Number 3 Format(s): Text

   The lesson plan “Virginia: Jamestown and Its People” consists of two parts using Jamestown, a historical site in Virginia, and several of its famous figures as the source for classroom activities. Part I activities are about the site including a brief history of Jamestown and its artifacts as a basis for writing and speaking activities, while the second part focuses on some famous figures who lived there as a basis for listening and writing activities.

3. 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.

4. A Questionnaire Project: Integrating the Four Macro Skills with Critical Thinking

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

   This article describes the steps of a questionnaire project that uses listening, speaking, reading and writing while developing interpretation skills and self-regulation. The project creates survey questions, collects and analyzes data, and reports results. While students work in groups, they have opportunities to brainstorm, express opinions, and ask for clarification. The article includes tips on time constraints, evaluation of data, participation, and topic selection.

5. A Classroom Response to HIV/AIDS - Project Proposal Writing

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

   This article describes a task-based writing project. High-school students in Zambia wrote a proposal to raise awareness of HIV/AIDS in their community. By writing on a topic related to their lives, students were motivated and empowered to use their English skills for positive change. The project was an interactive workshop that invited a community leader to help with brainstorming, the setting of ground rules, and understanding of the issue. Students worked together on their responses and drafted and revised a proposal that was based on a model from UNICEF.

6. Students as Textbook Authors

   In: English Teaching Forum 2007, Volume 45, Number 3 Format(s): Text

   The authors describe their experience using a learner-centered approach to turn learner writing into booklets. When students write about their own lives, they can focus on the language they need to express their ideas. Interaction increases because interest is high. Near beginners can create fact sheets about themselves, and more advanced students can write language-learning histories. The texts can become fill-in-the-blank activities or be read aloud. Student texts inform instructors of needs and interests; they give students ownership of their learning and provide models for future classes.

7. A Story-Based Framework for a Primary School Classroom

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

   These two story-based lesson plans were designed to address the lack of motivation and interest by students in a sixth grade English class in Greece. The lessons appeal to young learners who want to be creative and imaginative by making learning entertaining. The animal stories are authentic texts, not graded readers, with helpful visuals. They can be used with a holistic approach and provide a springboard to learning grammar and structure and to recycle vocabulary. Predicting and concentration are some of the thinking skills involved.

8. Rock and Roll English Teaching: Content-Based Cultural Workshops

   In: English Teaching Forum 2011, Volume 49, Number 4 Format(s): Text

   This article considers content-based cultural workshops. With a focus on cultural content and a relaxed, engaging atmosphere, students practice language and cooperative learning strategies. The author describes the process of developing such a workshop as an extracurricular activity for a large, mixed audience. The article details an example interactive workshop on rock and roll and includes an appendix of useful websites related to the topic.

9. Student Documentaries: A Language Learning Tool

   In: English Teaching Forum 2008, Volume 46, Number 2 Format(s): Text

   This article describes the reasons for project-based learning and how it better motivates students in an EFL classroom. It illustrates this topic by presenting a documentary film project that was carried out in a high-intermediate EFL class in Saudi Arabia. The article summarizes the theoretical support for communicative language learning and project-based approaches. The author then describes the documentary film project in detail and presents an evaluation of the project based on Simkins et al.’s (2002) framework of evaluation for multimedia projects.

10. VoIM-Mediated Cooperative Tasks for English Language Learners

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

    This article discusses how computer-mediated communication, negotiation of meaning, and cooperative task-based learning can be combined in a VoIM-mediated activity to benefit language learners. The author starts with a brief review of how the three aspects of learning can benefit language learners. The author then describes a VoIM-mediated cooperative task. The rest of the article explains how to set up the activity, including technical requirements, planning in eight stages, and materials selection.

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