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1. The Lighter Side of TEFL: Jokes and Riddles

   In: The Lighter Side of TEFL, Volume 1 Format(s): Text

   This section of The Lighter Side of TEFL focuses on jokes and riddles, which play with language and make people laugh at the same time. This section has an audio component.

2. The Lighter Side of TEFL: Puzzle Stories

   In: The Lighter Side of TEFL, Volume 1 Format(s): Text

   This section of The Lighter Side of TEFL focuses on puzzle stories, which are "thinking" games that get students to think about what they are listening to or reading. This section has an audio component.

3. The Lighter Side of TEFL: Shaggy Dog Stories

   In: The Lighter Side of TEFL, Volume 1 Format(s): Text

   This section of The Lighter Side of TEFL focuses on shaggy dog stories, which are long-winded tales that gradually work up to a surprise ending. This section has an audio component.

4. The Lighter Side of TEFL: Folk Wisdom

   In: The Lighter Side of TEFL, Volume 1 Format(s): Text

   This section of The Lighter Side of TEFL focuses on folk wisdom from different cultures around the world. This section has an audio component.

5. The Lighter Side

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

   There are two games in this issue. “Sights in the City: A Word Puzzle” is for high intermediate or advanced students who are familiar with tourist attractions in the United States. Clues about landmarks and their locations are provided, as are “hangman” type blanks to cue the number of letters in the answer. The second game is “Urban Renewal: A Word Search Puzzle.”

6. Maps and Legends

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

   The author of this student-directed reading, Michael Chabon, shares his experience as a pioneer of the Columbia Experiment. Columbia’s renewal was the dream of James Rouse, who put together a team of city planners to design a lovely, convenient, modern city where races lived together in harmony. Chabon writes about the impact of living with the dream and vision of the city’s development. Since the late 1960s, Columbia has grown from a few thousand people to the second largest city in Maryland.

7. An Integrated Skills Lesson Plan for "Maps and Legends" by Michael Chabon

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

   This lesson plan is based on the article “Maps and Legends” by novelist Michael Chabon and is for high intermediate to advance students. The lesson includes group and pair work. Students discuss the neighborhood where they grew up. They read the text and identify unfamiliar words, then answer comprehension questions in writing or discussion groups. Post-reading activities include scanning, inferring meaning from context, dictionary practice, and discussion questions. The lesson ends with questions to make connections beyond the text and project ideas.

8. The Making of a City

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

   This article about urban planning is appropriate for advanced learners. The content discusses city planners, planned cities (e.g. Chicago), zoning laws, and high-rise residential districts. There are many images, a glossary, and a list of related websites. There are two short sections. One is about Columbia, Maryland, the subject of another article in this issue (“Maps and Legends”). Columbia was a completely planned, experimental community. The second section is about rebuilding Cabrini Green, a Chicago neighborhood well known for its poverty and crime.

9. Language Teaching through Critical Thinking and Self-Awareness

   In: English Teaching Forum 2004, Volume 42, Issue 3 Format(s): Text

   This article contains a wealth of activities that will help students develop critical thinking skills. These fun and dynamic activities raise students’ self-awareness regarding their perceptions, assumptions, prejudices, and values. The author addresses the teacher's role in helping students think differently and consider ideas from multiple points of view. To encourage critical thinking, assessment should not rely on summary and definition questions, but those that require analysis, hypothesis, and evaluation. A rationale for the importance of critical thinking is provided from a cognitive perspective.

10. How Do You Say Good-Bye?

    In: Teaching Pragmatics Format(s): Text, Video, Website

    This lesson aims to help students gain confidence in conducting interactional conversations, with emphasis on conversational closings.

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