Thursday 22 October 2009

CLIL: integrating the teaching of content and language

You've probably heard about Content-Based learning as a way to motivate language learners and provide them with a tangible purpose to study a second or foreign language. Willing to keep reviewing proposals along the same line? Visit Onestopclil, the site run by Macmillan publishers to help teachers learn about CLIL (content and language integrated learning). They have lots of articles, and even downloadable resources and a teacher forum for you to explore!

If you'd like to keep updated about this trend in methodology, why not subscribe to Macmillan's online magazine for free? Click on the image below for a direct link:

Remember you can share your impressions, ask questions or share relevant links by leaving a comment to this entry!
Love,
Gladys

Friday 7 August 2009

Great opportunity to ask questions



If you post a question, or would like to make a comment on any of the answers already provided at the site, use the comments feature here!

Gladys

Thursday 16 July 2009

The future of language teaching

http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/07/16/a-virtual-game-to-teach-children-languages/

A Virtual Game to Teach Children Languages - Bits Blog - NYTimes.com via kwout

This was published today in the "New York Times"... How long before we see this kind of technology integrated into our classes, I wonder?

Wednesday 15 July 2009

Teaching teens

Kathie Nunley reports:
Students during early adolescence often struggle academically due to help avoidance and diminished interaction with the classroom teachers. Help avoidance varies for both gender and race. A recent study compared boys and girls of European American and African American race. All groups increased in help avoidance as they transitioned to middle school. European American girls were less likely to avoid help than E. A. boys. Researchers found no difference in help avoidance between genders of African American students.
Ryan, A. et al. (2009) Developmental Psychology. Vol 45(4), 1152-1163.

I believe this implies we teen teachers must be ready to make special efforts to offer help in as many ways as possible ("privately" as well as "publicly") and be particularly sensitive to requests for further support. Any delay or objection from us might be taken as a clear hint for help avoidance!

Do you think similar results would be obtained if researchers observed our classes?
Gladys

Reading Strategies

Longman-Pearson offers an online course for teacher development. As we turn into the discussion of reading, I'd like to invite you to explore the section of the module on this skill they offer for free. It's been developed by Jeremy Harmer, and you can watch videos, read texts and even submit your answers!

Click Here To View

After you've tried the module, why not share in the comments an interesting idea you've learned from it?
Enjoy!
Gladys