Learning to Teach Better

Hi! I've changed the order and content of the second two sessions of this course, in response to your postings. Next week we'll be looking at error correction and use of L1 in English teaching. In the last session, some selected issues in reading and writing. Hope that's OK with everyone!

I don't know why Francesca's postings don't seem to have a 'reply' button on them, Steve, can you help? So I'm responding as a separate posting. Exchanging between students is a great idea. If your priority is review of as many items as possible, then a possible alternative is to skip the sentence writing and just tell the pair of students who got the list to tick off all those whose meanings they remember, and ask the 'authors' about ones they didn't. Then they exchange the lists with any other pair who have finished working on the list they got ... and so on. That way they see a lot more lists and review more vocabulary. Another tip: if you want them to write sentences, then ask them to write sentences each of which has to include at least TWO of the items on the grid. That means fewer sentences, so the activity moves a bit faster, and is also more challenging and fun.

Hi, everyone! Many thanks for your contributions to this introductory discussion. We have a very mixed group here: mostly teachers of adults and teens in the private sector, but some public school teachers as well and at least one teacher of very young learners! Nice that some of you have been on ITDI courses with me before, or met me at conferences or through my books ... I do hope I won't repeat things you've already heard from me, and will have something new to contribute this time. Your areas of interest are very wide-ranging, and I won't be able to cover them all. But I note that several of you are interested in error-correction, so I'll certainly be discussing that - mainly with reference to oral correction, but also writing. Dealing with mixed-ability classes, and creating engaging and interesting activities: yes, already in the first session and also in later ones. And of course practical activities... there'll be plenty of those! Looking forward to our fi...

Hi, everyone! This is Penny... Looking forward to meeting you and exchanging ideas! Course begins on Sunday! Please introduce yourselves and tell me where and who you teach. And let me know if there's any particular topics or issues you'd like me to include in the course. Penny