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Hi, everyone, great meeting you in this virtual space. I've been teaching English for about 40 years; I haven't got a paid job right now, but I do quite a bit of volunteering that always involves teaching English: in a week I'm starting an English Film Club at the only state teacher training university in Ecuador. They've got 1241 non-English degree students with various levels of English proficiency. I signed up for the course because I enjoy Penny Ur's presentations: her advice is rooted in practice, it is measured and sensible. I'll be happy for her to address any issues related to ELT, especially how our priorities may have to change now that English has emerged as a truly international language.

Comments

  1. Anne HendlerNovember 3, 2017 at 5:11 PM

    Great to meet you, too! Your Film Club sounds like a lot of fun.

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  2. Claudie GNovember 5, 2017 at 3:40 AM

    Hi Elizabeth - Is the Film Club social or is there an English language component? I use movies in class (classes are F/T, five hours) -or sometimes just clips. Do you know this website eslnotes.com - ESLnotes.com - The English Learner Movie Guides It is very useful...list of cast of characters, synopses....In December I will show "It's a Wonderful Life" (and I will use a unit from an old Grammar Dimensions which has a (context) "movie review" of IAWL and practice with Unreal in the past/3rd conditional) Sounds like you too have practical knowledge to share. I absolutely agree with you about Penny. I still have my 17 year okd copy of Five Minute Activities. Also I wonder if there are activities that she would change/omit in the light of "present day English", or "Globlish". (Hehe -just use the Edit feature!)

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  3. Elizabeth BekesNovember 5, 2017 at 8:10 AM

    There is a definite English component and also a message. The first film is Pay It Forward (I know), the next is The Freedom Writers' Diary and the third in the series is Landfill Harmonic (the documentary about the Recycled Orchestra of Paraguay). The students are teacher trainees, but not English degree students. We have activities before and after the film show with facilitators from the expat community living in Cuenca, Ecuador. All of us are volunteers and keen on engaging the students in extracurricular activities in English.

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