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1. Livening Up College English Classes with Games

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

   This article discusses the use of games in teaching college-level English as a second language (ESL) classes. It describes how teachers can use games such as Taboo to change the direction of teaching from being teacher-centered to student-centered. The article addresses problems such as classroom management and the time spent adapting or creating games and presents useful tips for teachers to consider related to the use of games as a teaching tool.

2. Using VOA Special English to Improve Advanced English Learners' Productive Use of High Frequency Words

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

   This article focuses on advanced ESL learners’ acquisition of the spelling, pronunciation, and comprehension of high-frequency words at the productive skill level rather than at the receptive skill level. It discusses the use of the Voice of America (VOA) Special English program to expose learners to different activities requiring productive skills. The article offers examples of how the VOA program exposes learners to comprehensible input through high-frequency words and helps them produce these words both in writing and speaking.

3. 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.

4. CAR: A Means for Motivating Students to Read

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

   This article addresses the relationship between motivational approaches and second language reading development. It discusses competence, autonomy, and relatedness (CAR) as instructional strategies to teach reading. Competence is established when learners feel they can do the task, autonomy is established when they feel they have the control over it, and relatedness is established when tasks are related to each other. The article suggests ways to use these ideas in the classroom.

5. Virginia: The Old Dominion

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

   This article describes Virginia. It presents facts about its geography, climate, history, work life, symbols, and tourist attractions and activities. It also provides useful websites about Virginia.

6. 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.

7. 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.

8. Language and Life Sciences: Mapping the Human Genome (Reprinted from Chapter 1 of the FORUM Electronic Journal Language and Life Sciences)

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

   The authors use the study of DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid, the building blocks of all living things) to develop student vocabulary and assist in developing a fundamental understanding of the science behind DNA. The article provides supplemental material including helpful Web sites, student group activities with handouts, vocabulary lessons, and warm-up activities.

9. The Formeaning Response Approach: Poetry in the EFL Classroom

   In: English Teaching Forum 2009, Volume 47, Number 4 Format(s): Text

   This article discusses the use of poetry-based activities in the English as foreign language (EFL) classroom. It claims that poetry exposes learners to content-rich materials. It presents the Formeaning Response approach, which combines language elements with personal responses to poetry, and offers activities that motivate students to attend and respond to both the form and the overall meaning.

10. Learning to Learn Cooperatively

    In: English Teaching Forum 2009, Volume 47, Number 4 Format(s): Text

    This article discusses the use of cooperative learning activities in the classroom to strengthen students’ interpersonal communication skills and increase their participation in the language-learning process. It addresses the importance of cultural and individual differences in cooperative learning. The article offers practical suggestions and useful activities to teach learners how to get involved in such activities and to complete the activity successfully.

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