Category Archives: Teaching low levels

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

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

Teaching quote of the day

Posted on 24/08/2007 by alexcase

“(Rod Ellis) recommends holding off teaching grammar to beginning students because the early stages of acquisition are primarily lexically rather than grammatically based and because of the evidence from immersion programs that learners are able to acquire word order and … Continue reading →

Posted in Alternative teaching techniques, ELT publishing, General English textbooks, Grammar, Lesson planning, Linguistics, applied linguistics and SLA, Teaching low levels, TEFL, textbooks, The lexical approach | Tagged | Leave a comment

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

Pairwork: "It started with a kiss…"*

Posted on 06/08/2007 by alexcase

In a moment of inspiration fueled by low tolerance to the stimulating effects of real British “builders’ tea”, have come up with: The pairwork magic formula I have yet to teach a class that wouldn’t do and enjoy pairwork eventually. … Continue reading →

Posted in Classroom dynamics, Classroom management, First conditional, Grammar games, Learner motivation, Lesson planning, links, Mixed ability classes, Pairwork and groupwork, Problem students, Speaking, Staging, Teaching low levels, Teaching teenagers, TEFL, TEFL blogs | Leave a comment

Ask Auntie Alex- All your troubles solved with TEFL Part Four

Posted on 04/08/2007 by alexcase

Dear Auntie Alex As a TEFL teacher, I like to feel I am doing my bit for international understanding every day. However, as my interest in issues of global poverty etc. grows, teaching a language starts to seem a bit … Continue reading →

Posted in Classroom dynamics, Classroom management, Mixed ability classes, Teaching low levels, TEFL, TESOL | Leave a comment

Big Teacher

Posted on 29/07/2007 by alexcase

Have just been reading about Daniel Liebskind, yet another celebrity architect. Let me write that again- celebrity… architect. Celebrity architect???? Might not be as bad as celebrity driving instructors or celebrity hotel staff (we’ve had both of them in the … Continue reading →

Posted in EFL exams, ELT publishing, Teaching low levels, Teaching older students, TEFL, TEFL qualifications, TESOL | 9 Comments

Older = wiser = wider vocab??

Posted on 25/07/2007 by alexcase

It seems not just the population but also the chimps in Japan are suffering from rapid ageing, something else in which we also lead the world. (First time I’ve said ‘we’ meaning people in Japan there!) As the baby boomers … Continue reading →

Posted in Learner motivation, Problem students, Teaching English in Japan, Teaching low levels, Teaching older students, TEFL, TESOL | Leave a comment

What do you do when you're number one?

Posted on 25/07/2007 by alexcase

No, not TEFLtastic- Toyota. Now that Toyota is top of the world, it seems all some analysts can see is the inevitable decline. Understandable in a way, but it is not as if the Japanese gave up their number one … Continue reading →

Posted in Learner motivation, Problem students, Teaching English in Japan, Teaching low levels, TEFL, TESOL | Tagged , | Leave a comment