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1. Ten Great Low-Cost Teaching Tools

   In: English Teaching Forum 2010, Volume 48, Number 4 Format(s): Text

   Teachers are asked to do a lot with few resources. Some teachers must move quickly from school to school throughout the day. This article describes the teaching bag, which is made to help teachers be effective and save money. The author's teaching tools are lightweight, affordable, and multi-purposed. They include the expected (e.g., scissors and scratch paper, colored markers) as well as the more unique (e.g., sticky putty, pizza box lids).

2. Why and How to Teach Collocations

   In: English Teaching Forum 2004, Volume 42, Issue 2 Format(s): Text

   One of the key developments in vocabulary teaching stems from Michael Lewis’s Lexical Approach, which considers language as chunks of words combined for meaning. These frequently occurring word combinations are called collocations. This article points out a number of problems that result from learning words in isolation. Work with meaningful phrases can help improve students’ comprehension and comprehensibility. The article includes reading and listening activities to raise awareness of collocations as well as writing and speaking activities.

3. Using Comic Strips in Language Classes

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

   The author believes that using comic strips in language-learning classes has three main benefits. First, comic strips motivate younger learners. Second, they provide a context and logically connected sentences to help language learning. Third, their visual information is helpful for comprehension. The author argues that comic strips can be used in exercises of reading and other skills areas. The author provides four activities that use comic strips.

4. Module 8: Authentic Materials

   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 focused on how to choose and use printed texts, images, and multimedia in the classroom.

5. Adding Variety to Word Recognition Exercises

   In: English Teaching Forum 2005, Volume 43, Number 2 Format(s): Text

   This author discusses an interactive model of reading in which there is a balance in activities between top-down processes and the less common bottom-up processes such as word recognition. The author suggests adding more word recognition activities in L2 reading pedagogy to improve reading efficiency. After identifying the challenges in using these types of activities, the author proposes guidelines for developing materials that incorporate word recognition in an engaging way.

6. Picture This – Questions Quiz

   In: Activate Games for Learning American English: Picture This Format(s): Text

   Students practice creating questions that contain very specific information about one item from a Picture This card, so that there is only one correct answer to the question.

7. Word Bricks - Sentence Race

   In: Activate: Games for Learning American English - Word Bricks Format(s): Text

   Sentence Race is a fast-paced, exciting game that gives students a chance to think quickly in English as they try to earn points by building well-formed sentences using Word Bricks.

8. Word Bricks- Parts of Speech

   In: Activate: Games for Learning American English - Word Bricks Format(s): Text

   In Part of Speech, teacher gives the players a specific pattern to use, and their sentences must follow this pattern. Students use Word Bricks to build sentences individually, in pairs, or in small groups. This activity is great for lower proficiency level students, as it provides scaffolding to help students generate a correct sentence.

9. Word Bricks-Sentence Challenge

   In: Activate: Games for Learning American English - Word Bricks Format(s): Text

   With the game Sentence Challenge, learners practice sentence structure in a fun, collaborative way. Teams work to create the longest sentence possible out of their Word Bricks. Then, the opposing teams ‘challenge’ a sentence if they believe there is an error.

10. Center for Applied Linguistics

    Format(s): Text, Website, Image / Poster / Maps

    The Center for Applied Linguistics offers everything from information on immersion programs to the newest research and guidance on best practices for teachers. Visit regularly to keep up to date on research-based strategies and practical hands-on tools to help develop effective classroom activities.

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