Category Archives: Classroom management

Deep TEFL quote of the day

Posted on 21/07/2008 by alexcase

“While many teachers may attend to the questions ‘Do you like this language? Do you like this class?’, perhaps the more fundamental question for a student is ‘Do I like myself in this class?’”

Posted in Cambridge University Press, Classroom dynamics, Classroom management, Learner training, links, Materials, Mixed ability classes, Problem students, Teaching methods and methodologies, TEFL, TEFL celebs/ TEFL heroes and villains, TEFL heroes- Zoltan Dornyei, TEFL reviews | Tagged | 1 Comment

The disadvantages of teaching in Japan

Posted on 18/05/2008 by alexcase

“My first two years in Japan were spent teaching English… The students… studied English- or should I say, English was taught in their presence. Nothing ever seemed to sink in. Years of classes and endless tests and still they couldn’t … Continue reading →

Posted in becoming a teacher trainer, British Council, Business English and ESP, Cambridge Delta, CELTA, Cultural differences/ cultural training, Dave Sperling's ESL Cafe, Eikaiwa, English Teachers in Japan, Functional language, JALT, Materials, Mixed ability classes, Pairwork and groupwork, Problem students, Teacher forums, Teaching English in Japan, Teaching low levels, TEFL, TEFL career planning, TEFL working conditions, TOEIC | 22 Comments

The best TEFL anecdote of the century?

Posted on 16/05/2008 by alexcase

Re-reading my little story on weeping housewives (or not) who hadn’t done their homework, I must admit that it does really cut it as an anecdote- never been a talent of mine, as I find my own life incredibly dull … Continue reading →

Posted in Adapting textbooks, Classroom management, Materials, Songs with adults | Tagged | 5 Comments

The benefits of teaching in Japan

Posted on 12/05/2008 by alexcase

Number one is that the status of English teachers is not so obviously low that when I met the love of my life and asked her to marry me she actually agreed! You won’t hear a lot about it on … Continue reading →

Posted in Becoming a Director of Studies, Cross cultural training in EFL, Cultural differences/ cultural training, Discipline in the classroom, Eikaiwa, ELT management, English Teachers in Japan, IELTS, Job security, Teaching English Abroad, Teaching English in Asia, Teaching English in Japan, Teaching English in Spain, Teaching Japanese primary school children, Teaching older students, Teaching shy students, TEFL, TEFL working conditions, TESOL, TOEIC | 7 Comments

33 cultural differences to annoy you in the classroom

Posted on 20/04/2008 by alexcase

1. German students trying to be cool 2. Japanese students giggling at everything you say, until it just isn’t flattering anymore, however cute they are 3. Chinese students falling asleep, then making you feel guilty when you do the topic … Continue reading →

Posted in Body language in the classroom, Classroom management, Cross cultural training in EFL, Cultural differences/ cultural training, Problem students, Teaching English in Japan, Teaching shy students, TEFL, TESOL | Leave a comment

Random gestures around the world

Posted on 03/03/2008 by alexcase

“An American teenager was hitchhiking in Nigeria. A carload of locals passed him. The car screeched to a halt. The locals jumped out and promptly roughed up the visitor. Why?

Posted in Body language in the classroom, Cultural differences/ cultural training, Teaching English Abroad, Teaching English in Europe, Teaching English in Germany, TEFL | 2 Comments

Chinpoko – Japanese education quote of the day

Posted on 10/01/2008 by alexcase

“During the speech both old and new students had become extremely restless, and thirteen children were out of their seats and moving around the room. The obscenities accompanying another tussle between two four-year-old boys- bakayaro and aho (fool)- had started … Continue reading →

Posted in Classroom management, Classroom routines, Discipline in the classroom, pre-school/ kindergarten/ very young learners, Problem students, Teaching English in Asia, Teaching English in Japan, Teaching large classes, Teaching young learners, TEFL | Tagged | Leave a comment

Putting the grammar back into Xmas

Posted on 03/12/2007 by alexcase

UPDATE: Full list of Xmas ideas and materials now here. Putting the seasonal cheer back into grammar (and putting the grammar back into Xmas) Some of you might be thinking that the problem with Xmas today is an excess of … Continue reading →

Posted in Cultural differences/ cultural training, Flashcard games, Grammar, Grammar games, Lesson planning, links, Listening, Modals, Modals of deduction, Pairwork and groupwork, Passives, Photocopiable worksheets, pre-school/ kindergarten/ very young learners, Present simple for routines etc., Present tenses, Songs with adults, Teaching low levels, Teaching young learners, TEFL, TEFL games, TPR, Using songs with kids | 2 Comments

PPP RIP? Part One

Posted on 23/08/2007 by alexcase

Thanks to Appy Linguist for mentioning the PPP approach while talking about the CELTA because I’ve been meaning to write about it for a while. The question is: should teachers still be trained to teach PPP and it’s offshoot (or … Continue reading →

Posted in Alternative teaching techniques, CELTA, Grammar, Grammar games, Lesson planning, Linguistics, applied linguistics and SLA, Pairwork and groupwork, PPP (Presentation practice production), Speaking, Staging, Teacher training, Teaching low levels, TEFL, TEFL certificate, TEFL games, TEFL qualifications, Test teach test | 5 Comments

Speaking Spanish in the English class

Posted on 10/08/2007 by alexcase

I was recently reading a piece on David’s English Teaching World that lay into the endless debate about L1 in the language classroom. I’d never thought about the link to the publishing industry of an English only policy before. In … Continue reading →

Posted in ALT, Alternative teaching techniques, Classroom management, False friends, Learner training, links, Teaching English Abroad, Teaching low levels, TEFL, TEFL blogs, Using monolingual dictionaries | 1 Comment