Category Archives: Lesson planning

New articles and worksheets Nov 08 Part Two

Posted on 30/11/2008 by alexcase

As I haven’t said for a while, the real purpose of this blog isn’t pontificating on all things TEFL (not sure how I started doing that, maybe WordPress is haunted by a malevolent spirit?) but to give links to my … Continue reading →

Posted in Grammar, Grammar games, Lesson planning, Materials, Modals, Photocopiable worksheets, Present perfect, Present Perfect Continuous, reported speech, TEFL | Tagged | Comments Off on New articles and worksheets Nov 08 Part Two

23 Experiences of Language Teaching

Posted on 22/11/2008 by alexcase

Finished reading the Experience of Language Teaching a week or two ago, and here are some of my favourite quotes: on continuous enrollment “like teaching on a moving bus, or in the middle of a railway station, with people coming … Continue reading →

Posted in CELTA, Cultural differences/ cultural training, Experience of Language Teaching, Grammar, Lesson planning, MA TESOL, Problem students, Teacher training, Teaching young learners, TEFL, TEFL games, TEFL in the UK, TEFL qualifications, TEFL working conditions, textbooks | Tagged | 6 Comments

A little bit more reality in TEFL theory

Posted on 06/11/2008 by alexcase

Continuing my occasional series (as occasional as reality coming into TEFL theory): “…it is relatively rare for language teachers to negotiate overall learning goals with their classes at the beginning of courses in an open, direct manner. However… it is commonplace … Continue reading →

Posted in Cambridge Delta, Cambridge ESOL, Cambridge University Press, CELTA, Classroom dynamics, ELT publishing, Learner training, Lesson planning, Materials, Syllabus negotiation, Teacher training, Teaching English Abroad, TEFL, TEFL heroes- Rose M Senior, TEFL qualifications | Tagged | 2 Comments

An alternative way of boosting your teaching confidence

Posted on 27/10/2008 by alexcase

“She… reported that her self-esteem was raised when her [MA in TESOL] assignments were returned with comments that revealed, in her view, a degree of closed-mindedness on the part of the tutors who had marked them.” From pg 72 of … Continue reading →

Posted in Cambridge University Press, CPD, ELT management, ELT publishing, Lesson planning, Materials, pre-school/ kindergarten/ very young learners, Staging, Teaching young learners, TEFL, TEFL career planning, TEFL games, TEFL reviews | Tagged | Comments Off on An alternative way of boosting your teaching confidence

New TEFL articles September 08 Part Two

Posted on 30/09/2008 by alexcase

As this batch is nowhere near the size of September Part One, let’s start by padding out a little with a link to an interesting newspaper article on speed dating adapted for language learning, shall we? Right, as that was … Continue reading →

Posted in Adapting textbooks, Body language in the classroom, Classroom management, Classroom routines, Eliciting, ELT publishing, Lesson planning, links, Teaching mixed level classes, TEFL games, textbooks, Usingenglish | Tagged | Comments Off on New TEFL articles September 08 Part Two

An alternative way of planning your lessons

Posted on 27/08/2008 by alexcase

1. Put a metal plate by the side of your sofa 2. Hold a spoon in your left hand 3. Lie on your sofa with your left hand draped over the plate

Posted in Lesson planning, links, TEFL, TEFL celebs/ TEFL heroes and villains, TEFL heroes- Alan Maley, TESOL | Tagged | Comments Off on An alternative way of planning your lessons

Making textbook listenings manageable and fun

Posted on 18/01/2008 by alexcase

Despite the attempts of some textbooks to use more stimulating listening activities like jigsaw listenings, stories in episodes that end at suspenseful moments, comic dialogues etc, turning on a tape is still the action that is most likely to make … Continue reading →

Posted in Adapting textbooks, ELT publishing, Lesson planning, Listening, Materials, textbooks, Usingenglish | Comments Off on Making textbook listenings manageable and fun

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

What is a lesson plan? (metaphors for teaching)

Posted on 11/10/2007 by alexcase

A great question in the comments box of the TEFLtastic Link Up post below from Sandy of TEFLtrade fame, almost Japanese T Shirt-like in the zen stages of enlightenment it can lead you to- first it seems silly and you laugh, … Continue reading →

Posted in Cambridge Delta, Lesson observations, Lesson planning, TEFL | Comments Off on What is a lesson plan? (metaphors for teaching)

TEFL fun and games Part one- Guess me!

Posted on 03/09/2007 by alexcase

Mondays are not a day for pontificating, and anyway I’m a bit ponficated out at the moment, so here are some fun and games instead- This is one that fits into my ultimate TEFL desert island survival game kit. It … Continue reading →

Posted in adjective plus preposition, Adjectives, Grammar, Grammar games, Mixed conditionals, Photocopiable worksheets, PPP (Presentation practice production), Present perfect, Second conditional, Staging, TEFL, TEFL games, Third conditional | Comments Off on TEFL fun and games Part one- Guess me!