Category Archives: Alternative teaching techniques

Guest post: 11 tips for teaching controversial topics in the ESL classroom

Posted on 17/04/2021 by alexcase

A great post from Alice of Hot Take English, hopefully re-starting the once numerous and always popular TEFLtastic guest posts. For a lot of English language teachers, the mere thought of teaching a so-called “controversial” discussion topic in class is … Continue reading →

Posted in Alternative teaching techniques, Lesson planning, Speaking | Tagged | Leave a comment

Further proof that CLT never had what it takes?

Posted on 07/06/2013 by alexcase

Macmillan have just sent me a PR announcement of their latest CLT title, but CLT doesn’t mean Communicative Language Teaching to Macmillan (any more?), it means Chinese Language Teaching. You can’t imagine the same doubling up happening to acronyms like … Continue reading →

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Variations on Suggestopedia

Posted on 30/06/2011 by alexcase

Suggestopedia is one of those old, old humanistic teaching techniques that for some reason still make up the majority of Delta Experimental Lessons. You’d think for it to be experimental you’d at least be using the latest variations on Suggestopedia, … Continue reading →

Posted in Suggestopedia | 2 Comments

Mario Rinvolucri Handed Over to English UK

Posted on 25/06/2011 by alexcase

Photos have just emerged of the English UK Special Forces taking away a handcuffed Mario Rinvolucri from his secret lair under Pilgrims school in Canterbury. Rumours are that the management of the school have known for years that he was … Continue reading →

Posted in Pilgrims | Tagged | 5 Comments

Is student-centred always a good thing?

Posted on 03/12/2010 by alexcase

No. I think it is fair to say that the main job of most of us is to improve our students’ English language skills. If we sit down to plan how to do so with an open mind, at least … Continue reading →

Posted in Alternative teaching techniques | 3 Comments

Dogme vs CLIL

Posted on 31/10/2010 by alexcase

I would say CLIL is almost certainly having more impact worldwide, what with the interest from publishers and school boards and the fact that it is associated with the primary and secondary schools where the vast majority of the world’s classroom hours … Continue reading →

Posted in CLIL, Dogme | 9 Comments

Live Listening quotes and links

Posted on 07/03/2010 by alexcase

“Live listening is where students are listening to people in a face-to-face situation – or whom they can physically see (such as in the theatre, etc). Different from listening to RECORDED EXTRACTS.” (definition from the ELT Wiki live listening page). … Continue reading →

Posted in Alternative teaching techniques, Listening, Skills | 3 Comments

Experimental lessons

Posted on 03/03/2010 by alexcase

Was hoping some of you could help me brainstorm things that could be done for the Cambridge DELTA experimental practice lesson, as well as any other advice on being experimental that they may have. The main difficulty in the DELTA is that you need … Continue reading →

Posted in Cambridge Delta, CLIL, Community language learning, Dogme, Humanistic language teaching, NLP (Neuro Linguistic Programming), Suggestopedia, TEFL, The Callam Method, The Silent Way, Using L1 in class | 16 Comments

Scientific language teaching finally arrives!

Posted on 20/01/2010 by alexcase

Hot on the heels of their takeover of Wall Street English Schools in China, launching a speaking test that is mainly marked by computer and winning a huge ESL contract in California, Pearson have launched their real bid for global … Continue reading →

Posted in Alternative teaching techniques, Pearson Longman, Wall Street | Tagged | 7 Comments

Interview with a Marxist TEFLer/ TEFLing Marxist

Posted on 16/01/2010 by alexcase

Interview done by email rather than talking to a Zapatista-style balaclavaed bandit in the jungle (which would’ve been nice), but the results are just as interesting as the always thought provoking Marxist TEFL Group blog, I think you’ll find: “Why define yourself as … Continue reading →

Posted in Berlitz, Cactus TEFL, Dogme, EFL exams, EL Gazette, ELT publishing, Experience of Language Teaching, Macmillan, Onestopenglish, Teaching English Abroad, TEFL, TEFL blacklist, TEFL blogs, TESLA Coil | Tagged | 10 Comments