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1. Casey

   In: American Teens Talk! Format(s): MP3, Text

   What would it be like to be homeschooled? Read and listen to Casey tell her story of going to school at home.

2. A-Z List of Publications

   Format(s): Text

   Browse the list of publications and resources produced by the U.S. Department of State, Office of English Language Programs for English language teachers and learners.

3. Beyond Proficiency: Nurturing Critical Thinking Skills in the EFL Classroom

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

   Develop a shared understanding of what it means to “think critically," and examine why teachers should devote time to helping students develop a critical thinking mindset.

4. Using Brain-based Strategies and Critical Thinking to Maximize Vocabulary Acquisition

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

   This interactive webinar will focus on maximizing vocabulary acquisition for English learners with a focus on easy-to-implement classroom strategies and activities based on brain-based learning and critical thinking.

5. You Made Me Laugh

   In: American Rhythms Format(s): MP3

   The song 'You Made Me Laugh' by Omar Kent Dykes, a blues guitarist and singer, is an engaging example of Texas blues-rock.

6. On Top of Old Smokey

   In: Sing Out Loud Traditional Songs Format(s): MP3, Text, Image / Poster / Maps

   This song in the Sing Out Loud Traditional Songs collection is a ballad where a mountain is the centerpiece.

7. Adapting Authentic Materials for Language Teaching

   In: English Teaching Forum 2001, Volume 39, Number 2 Format(s): Text

   This article looks at how to adapt original materials for language teaching, using an intermediate-level text for business as an example. The discussion is organized into four sections: semantic, lexical, syntactic, and discourse elements. The author argues that the process is the same for teaching each of these four elements. Teachers can adapt authentic materials for different classroom uses, depending on their students’ ages and proficiency levels.

8. Supertalents

   In: American Rhythms Format(s): MP3, Text

   "Supertalents" by Mista Cookie Jar and the Chocolate Chips is a song from the American Rhythms album. Download or listen online.

9. Using Letters to Tell Stories in the EFL Classroom

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

   This article discusses how letter writing can be used as authentic language use. An activity for beginners involves an exchange of letters of introduction between the instructor and students. This serves a socially meaningful interactional purpose. The second activity is the construction of an story, one in which the plot is expressed in a series of letters. The writer suggests using letter exchanges for this creative writing project after using books such as The Color Purple. Letter writing is one way to enable and empower students to tell their own stories.

10. English Magazines = Motivation + Improved ESL Writing Skills

    In: English Teaching Forum 2004, Volume 42, Issue 1 Format(s): Text

    Creating and editing a magazine in English is a challenging and motivating type of portfolio assessment. It encourages student fluency and freedom by allowing students to choose their own topics for writing. It is real communication for a real audience and requires students to take responsibility for their own writing. It can also make the teacher’s job more enjoyable. The article describes a magazine-editing project for an intermediate university writing class. The students performed well on the national writing examination.

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