Christina Cavage
In last month’s newsletter I wrote all about the increased level of engagement among students when a blended model is employed. I touched briefly on the FLIPped model. In this edition, I’d like to take a deeper look at the FLIPped model and what exactly it means for an ESL classroom. Continue reading
Bill Bliss
Valentine’s Day greeting cards offer some of the most unusual ways to say “I love you” through idioms. Can your students find the correct words to complete these expressions of love? READ MORE
PTE Academic is a leading computer-based academic English language test designed for international students. PTE Academic assesses English language skills in more ways than any other test. Continue reading
Sandra Heyer
One way to extend the lessons in True Stories Behind the Songs and More True Stories Behind the Songs is to follow up each song with an activity based on the theme of the unit. Each month I’ll share a song-based activity that has worked well with my beginning and high-beginning students. This month, let’s look at some examples of song choices and personalizing the theme of a song with an activity called Draw-Write-Share.
Many popular songs have themes that are universal: love, resilience, friendship, and family, to name just a few. So it’s easy to see how a song can set the stage for a meaningful class discussion. What is perhaps not so easy is finding a way to structure the discussion for beginning students. A speaking activity that gives your students the opportunity to plan—in contrast to a spontaneous discussion–is generally better suited to the beginning level; it makes it more likely that every student will speak. (In The Art of Teaching Speaking Ken Folse makes a strong case for incorporating a “planning phase” into discussions at every level to ensure more successful student output.) One of my favorite discussion activities for beginners, Draw-Write-Share, has a two-part planning phase. Continue reading
Stacy Hagen
Join us on March 4th at 3:00 pm (EST) to celebrate Grammar Day with Stacy Hagen. She will discuss the critical role of listening in the grammar classroom. Click here to register.
Of the four language skills taught in the classroom, listening has received the least attention, yet its role is vital. She will talk about recent research in listening, discuss the importance of teaching decoding skills, and show why listening belongs at all levels of a grammar curriculum.
Stacy Hagen is co-author of the Azar-Hagen Grammar series. She is an experienced ESL teacher and administrator, and the creator of EnglishwithStacy, a YouTube channel on spoken English.
Click here to learn more about this exciting professional development webinar.
Do you want to see a sample of the new fourth edition of Basic English Grammar? If so, click here.
