Author Archives: alexcase

A hilariously bad TEFL course model lesson plan

Posted on 08/10/2014 by alexcase

Discovered this while researching something else and my jaw just dropped with its awfulness (and I say that as someone who still has to teach with materials made up by random teachers in other branches of my schools). I’ve highlighted … Continue reading →

Posted in Online TEFL certificate, Teacher training, Teaching English in Thailand | 11 Comments

Present Simple – 56 stimulating practice activities

Posted on 07/10/2014 by alexcase

New article with that rather large number of activities just up on Usingenglish.com. Many of the ideas are possible with no or minimal resources, and we are getting up all the worksheets which are described as I write this. Article … Continue reading →

Posted in Present simple for routines etc. | 2 Comments

Have Something Done activities page just added

Posted on 29/09/2014 by alexcase

Couldn’t find much good stuff online, but have added five useful links to my own speaking games on the topic, one that Cambridge FCE examiners love for some reason: New have something done page

Posted in Cambridge First Certificate, Passives | Leave a comment

Can you recommend any campaigning TEFL blogs?

Posted on 27/09/2014 by alexcase

I’ve been thinking for a while that a TEFL blog carnival on more campaigning topics such as teaching pay and conditions, crappy schools and the like would make a great change to “Teaching ideas for…”, so if anyone with actual … Continue reading →

Posted in Teaching English as a Foreign Language | 2 Comments

10 beginning and ending emails classroom photocopiables

Posted on 22/09/2014 by alexcase

New page on the most important part of emailing in English, and the point I probably spend most classroom time on, now I’ve realised how pointless (if fun) it is to spend much class time on First Conditional and Past Continuous … Continue reading →

Posted in Email | Leave a comment

A great warmer for managers who have to cover classes

Posted on 21/09/2014 by alexcase

This is based on an activity which managers in a chain of school that I work for love passing onto teachers in teacher training workshops. In order to repay the favour, I’ve adapted it to be more suitable for said … Continue reading →

Posted in Teaching English as a Foreign Language | Tagged | 2 Comments

74 ESL bluffing games/ lying games (TEFLtastic Classics Part 24)

Posted on 20/09/2014 by alexcase

Games mixing lying and telling the truth for super-intensive practice and a real reason to listen carefully. If you like anything here and want more, please support TEFLtastic.  EFL lying games/ bluffing games articles and blog posts Q&A Lying games … Continue reading →

Posted in Teaching English as a Foreign Language | Tagged | 1 Comment

New EFL negotiating games article and worksheets page

Posted on 14/09/2014 by alexcase

21 ideas in the article and 15 worksheets, including one I really should mention in my TEFLtastic classics series of posts where students can win a negotiation by accepting the easy jobs and fobbing off the longer ones on their … Continue reading →

Posted in Teaching English as a Foreign Language | 1 Comment

“The data is” or “The data are”?

Posted on 06/09/2014 by alexcase

I got asked this question twice in the same week as I heard both the British presenter and Australian guest on the fab statistics podcast More or Less agree with my prefered form just as I was beginning to doubt … Continue reading →

Posted in countable and uncountable nouns | 1 Comment

Does IELTS Academic Writing Task 1 need a conclusion?

Posted on 01/09/2014 by alexcase

Opinions on this vary a lot. I have a quite strong and clear point of view on it, but not being an IELTS examiner I still have enough doubt about it that I’d like to hear other people’s thoughts. First of all, … Continue reading →

Posted in IELTS Writing | 5 Comments