Category Archives: Usingenglish

When student-centred goes too far

Posted on 15/08/2009 by alexcase

“When I´ve set a class an activity, and they are working away happily, I am usually too caffeined-up to sit down, I begin to pace as much as the confines of the class allow – no one seems to mind. … Continue reading →

Posted in links, Special Brew Man, Teaching English in Asia, TEFL, TEFL blogs, Usingenglish | 6 Comments

New photocopiable worksheets May 2009

Posted on 25/05/2009 by alexcase

These ones on Usingenglish.com: Timetable Battleships (telling the time, Present Simple for routines and school subjects- for young learners and beginner adults) Telephoning Communication Breakdowns Roleplays (see my telephoning worksheets for more of the same) Present Simple and Continuous Taboo Topics … Continue reading →

Posted in Adjectives, Business English and ESP, Business English games, countable and uncountable nouns, Cultural differences/ cultural training, Food vocabulary, Grammar, Materials, nationality adjectives, Photocopiable worksheets, postcards, Prepositions, prepositions of position, Present simple/ continuous, Present tenses, Teaching young learners, TEFL, TEFL games, Telephoning, TESOL, Usingenglish, Vocabulary, Writing, Writing games | Tagged | 1 Comment

New TEFL articles etc April 2009

Posted on 23/04/2009 by alexcase

No messing, no pointless attempts at humour (for once), just links to more serious stuff I’ve been publishing elsewhere: 15 ways of combining listening and reading – LINK FIXED 15 fun activities for practising a, an and the – LINK FIXED The … Continue reading →

Posted in Classroom management, Classroom routines, Determiners and articles, Ending lessons, Grammar, Grammar games, Interactive whiteboard, Learner motivation, links, Listening, Mixed ability classes, pre-school/ kindergarten/ very young learners, Reading, reported speech, Skills, Staging, Teaching mixed level classes, Teaching young learners, Technology, TEFL, TEFL games, Using a whiteboard, Usingenglish | 6 Comments

New TEFL articles Feb 09

Posted on 11/02/2009 by alexcase

Feel like I should actually write something on my own blog between all these guest pieces, but am still trying to put stuff back where it was after my mother in law rearranged the flat. Instead, here is the usual … Continue reading →

Posted in Classroom management, CPD, Grammar, Grammar games, links, Listening, Passives, Pronunciation, pronunciation games, sentence stress, Staging, Starting lessons, Teacher training, Teaching young learners, TEFL, TEFL games, TEFL workshops, Using a whiteboard, Usingenglish | Tagged , , | Comments Off on New TEFL articles Feb 09

The best end of term revision games

Posted on 10/12/2008 by alexcase

One way of finishing the term is with Xmas-themed stuff (see the post below). Another good one is lots of fun revision games. As I’ve spent a few years teaching students who want to do every page in the book … Continue reading →

Posted in Business English and ESP, Business English games, Collocations, ELT publishing, English for study abroad, Functional language, Grammar, links, Materials, Personalisation, Photocopiable worksheets, Revision games, Speaking, Speaking games, Taboo, Teaching teenagers, TEFL, TEFL games, Usingenglish, Vocabulary, Vocabulary games | 2 Comments

The greatest TEFL soap opera?

Posted on 02/10/2008 by alexcase

Candidate number one Involves me, and Paul Lowe’s threats to sue me for never mentioning him on my blog (!?) or something, still can’t quite work it out. “Bizarro!” as TESall.com put it. I thought, what the hell if I’m going … Continue reading →

Posted in Bruce Veldhuisen, Dodgy TEFL courses, Dodgy TEFL school owners, ELT World, Grammar games, IATQUO, links, Teacher forums, Teaching English in Thailand, TEFL blogs, TEFL celebs/ TEFL heroes and villains, TEFL certificate, TEFL heroes- Sandy McManus, TEFL in the UK, TEFL International, TEFL qualifications, TEFL scams, TEFL School Reviews, TEFL villains- Paul Lowe, TEFLtrade, TEFLwatch, Usingenglish, Windsor TEFL | Tagged | 8 Comments

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

Do you want the temporary buzz of moving on and/ or up too?

Posted on 21/09/2008 by alexcase

Doesn’t last of course, especially the initial thrill of being in the chaos of a third world city or in the chaos left for you by the last person who had that DoS job, but if having some kind of … Continue reading →

Posted in Becoming a Director of Studies, becoming a teacher trainer, Business English and ESP, CPD, EFL exams, ELT management, ELT publishing, finding good TEFL jobs, getting into ELT publishing, Lesson observations, links, Materials, Peer observations, Teacher training, Teaching English in Asia, TEFL, TEFL career planning, TEFL CV/ TESOL resume, TEFL qualifications, TEFL reviews, TEFL working conditions, TEFL workshops, TESOL, Usingenglish | Tagged | 2 Comments

Telephoning in English worksheets, games and lesson plans

Posted on 12/09/2008 by alexcase

Updated, expanded and with many more links here: https://tefltastic.wordpress.com/worksheets/telephoning/

Posted in Answerphone messages, Business English and ESP, Business English games, Delta Publishing, ELT publishing, Functional language, links, Materials, Oxford University Press (OUP), Photocopiable worksheets, Skills, Speaking, TEFL, TEFL games, TEFL reviews, Telephoning, Usingenglish | Comments Off on Telephoning in English worksheets, games and lesson plans

IELTS, TOEIC, TOEFL, FCE, CAE and CPE worksheets, articles and tips

Posted on 09/09/2008 by alexcase

Have done a bit more tedious reorganisation so that you don’t need to do so much tedious searching, and you can now find all the links to my stuff on said topics elsewhere on the internet as well as my … Continue reading →

Posted in CAE, Cambridge First Certificate, Cambridge Proficiency, EFL exams, English for Academic Purposes, ETS, IELTS, IELTS Academic Reading, IELTS Speaking, links, Listening, Materials, Photocopiable worksheets, Reading, Speaking, TEFL, TOEFL, TOEIC, Usingenglish, Vocabulary | Comments Off on IELTS, TOEIC, TOEFL, FCE, CAE and CPE worksheets, articles and tips