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1. Story Theater

   In: English Teaching Forum 2005, Volume 43, Number 1 Format(s): Text

   This article introduces an interactive and engaging classroom activity entitled Story Theater. The goal of this activity is to provide students with a text to read aloud as they act out the storyline using props and special effects. The purpose of Story Theater is to aid fluency and memorization and to provide students with a chance to use the language and their imaginations. This activity can be used with all ages and all English proficiency levels. The author includes examples of effective Story Theater lessons.

2. Library of Congress Teacher’s Page

   Format(s): Website

   Teaching the use of primary sources through interactive media, online professional development, and materials.

3. Abstracts from Other Journals

   In: English Teaching Forum 2002 (Volume 40, Number 1) Format(s): Text

   Two abstracts are presented from other journals, “Transcending the Nativeness Paradigm” from World Englishes and “Enriching Reality: Language Corpora in Language Pedagogy” from ELT Journal. In the first, the authors argue that the binary classification of native or non-native speakers is based on socially constructed identity. They use four case studies based on four participants to validate their point. The authors of the second abstract argue that using corpora has been overlooked by L2 learners, and provide suggestions on how to incorporate this within a classroom.

4. Teacher Resources

   In: English Teaching Forum 2002 (Volume 40, Number 1) Format(s): Text

   Information about four resource books is provided. The first, “Film,” contains 68 games and activities based on films, each designed for students at various levels of proficiency. The second, “Imaginative Project,” includes project work and lesson plans for 11 to 17 year olds. The third, "Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages,” is a reference that contains 30 chapters on current topics about language teaching. Lastly, “American Roots” provides various readings on U.S. cultural history as well as various intermediate level exercises on the topic.

5. A Dozen Stories and Fables for Teacher Development

   In: English Teaching Forum 2002, Volume 40, Number 4 Format(s): Text

   This article discusses the use of stories and fables in teacher training programs. It provides a selection of 12 stories and fables the authors have used in pre-service and in-service teacher training workshops around the world. The article suggests a theme to connect each story to a teaching, training, or staff development situation.

6. A View of the Past: The Fourth Decade (1993 - 2002)

   In: English Teaching Forum 2002, Volume 40, Number 4 Format(s): Text

   This article reflects on the articles published at the fourth decade of Forum (1993-2002) that present theoretical perspectives and classroom practices discussed over the past ten years. It provides four articles, each of which focuses on a different theme that was preeminent in that decade. These themes consist of the efficacy of using methods developed for ESL contexts in EFL contexts, the use of portfolios as assessment tools, the integration of project work in ESP classes, and teacher autonomy.

7. Module 2: Building Language Awareness

   In: Shaping the Way We Teach English: Successful Practices Around the World Format(s): Text, Video

   This Module of the Shaping the Way we Teach English Series contains a lesson plan and accompanying video that is focused on the details of the language within the context of language input.

8. Teaching Weak Forms

   In: English Teaching Forum 2003, Volume 41, Number 2 Format(s): Text

   This article describes a pronunciation concept referred to as the weak form, a compression of sounds used to keep the rhythm of spoken English. The author uses the word “that” as an example. Stressing or not stressing the word “that” when reading aloud the sentence “John thinks that man is evil” changes the meaning. Reading “that” as unstressed is an example of the weak form. The author provides examples of how to teach the weak form to provide students with better spoken English and better comprehension.

9. Noun Compounds and Compressed Definitions

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

   This article discusses the difficulty of understanding noun compounds in professional texts in science and technology, business, medicine, law, and other areas of English for Specific Purposes (ESP). It provides techniques and activities to teach students how to decode noun compounds to see the link between definitions, which are usually familiar, and noun compounds, which are usually not familiar. These strategies can help students overcome this difficulty in reading advanced and specialized texts.

10. Reflective Teaching: The Principles and Practices

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

    Reflective teaching is highly popular within English language programs, but there is some debate over definitions and best practices for reflective teaching. The author explores current approaches to reflective teaching (e.g., reflection-in-action, action research) and provides guides for a teacher development model using reflective teaching. He concludes that teachers who use reflection will gain freedom from impulse and uncertainty and will redefine themselves as educated and experienced human beings.

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