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1. Statistics and Research Design: Essential Concepts for Working Teachers

   In: English Teaching Forum 2001, Volume 39, Number 3 Format(s): Text

   This article presents key concepts for teachers seeking to understand statistical reasoning and research design. First the author establishes that one must understand what is being defined and how. The author then defines useful terms such as variable and average and illustrates them with real-world examples. The article concludes by presenting simple tips for understanding and using statistics appropriately, relating both to classroom teaching and research design using quantitative data.

2. Information Gap in Communicative Classrooms

   In: English Teaching Forum 2001, Volume 39, Number 4 Format(s): Text

   The author argues that exchanges in the classroom must go beyond display questions and should be based on the information gap that occurs when one speaker does not know in advance what the other is going to say. The author provides examples of information gap activities to promote a communicative classroom. Activity types include practical situations, guessing games, role plays, opinion gap activities, and reasoning gap activities. The author argues that these activities have real communicative value.

3. Technology-Enhanced Task Engagement in English Language Instruction

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

   This session, "Technology-enhanced Task Engagement in English Language Instruction," defines what a task is and why tasks matter for language teachers and learners.

4. Reading Eyes Wide Shut: Visualization, Language Learners, and Texts

   In: English Teaching Forum 2021, Volume 59, Number 1 Format(s): Text

   Using an excerpt from a Jack London story as an anchor text, the authors describe five strategies designed to help students “see” what they are reading; the visualization strategies can “promote active engagement [with the text] both for enjoyment and for learning.”

5. Activate: Games for Learning American English Part 2

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

   This webinar Activate: Games for Learning American English Part 2 is the second webinar that introduces the Activate resource, demonstrates classroom management techniques for playing games in the classroom, and offers tips on how teacher's can create their own games that match their curriculum objectives.

6. Introductions and Small Talk

   In: Everyday Conversations: Learning American English Format(s): MP3

   Introductions and Small Talk

7. Profits or Preservation?

   In: Teacher's Corner: Integrating Global Affairs into Your English Lessons Format(s): Text

   Using role-plays in your English language classroom is a great way to get students talking. In this week’s Teacher’s Corner, students role-play a scenario about deforestation.

8. Fantasy Politics

   In: Teacher's Corner: Integrating Global Affairs into Your English Lessons Format(s): Text

   This week’s Teacher’s Corner features a game that uses fun competition to get students excited about current affairs.

9. Poems Made Into Songs

   In: Poetry Format(s): MP3

   Students from all over the world participated in poetry writing to celebrate National Poetry Month. Three of the poems were then made into songs! Listen to them or download the MP3s here!

10. On Native Language Intrusions and Making Do with Words: Linguistically Homogeneous Classrooms and Native Language Use

    In: English Teaching Forum 2004, Volume 42, Issue 4 Format(s): Text

    Should L1 use be avoided in an EFL context, where classrooms tend to be linguistically homogeneous and where students have little opportunity to use English outside the classroom? This article reviews research on native language use in the classroom, how it is used (or not used), and the effects. It addresses topics such as impact on learning, teacher guilt, “covert use,” affective and processing benefits, validating the students’ own language, and solidarity with the instructor. The author concludes that a trend toward what Atkinson calls “judicious use” is reasonable.

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