ELT Experiences

3 August, 2010 | "When one teaches, two learn."

Odds & Ends of the

Whiteboard
Aug 3, 2010 03:30PM

I have been taking some photos of other teacher’s (as well as

mostly myself’s) whiteboard at the end of class.  It does illustrate
how the whiteboard was used, how basic husbandry of the
whiteboard could be improved and is just a gentle reminder that if
a third pair of eyes were to look at it would they be able to
understand it; ie. how would a student be able to decipher what
was written on a board if another teacher couldn’t understand it? 
Nonetheless, I hope you enjoy the pictures.  Should you have any
feedback for my whiteboard use, that would be appreciated.

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Final Week Students
Aug 3, 2010 03:19PM
The following is a picture, as requested [by students], of my current
afternoon Spanish students finishing this week.  They have enjoyed
their class for this week and I hope they return soon.
Getting Your Students to
Draw (Part 2)
Aug 1, 2010 04:32PM
Students Drawing Wordle   Critical analysis- Really bitchy observation feedback
Having watched Jamie Keddie on YouTube (which can be seen on
my previous post), I decided to do the same lesson.  This introduced
some interesting results and, as Jamie mentioned, produced some
really good communication in the classroom.  I thought I would
share my student’s work on my blog.  Some of the drawings are
really funny.
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Student’s Drawings
Can you guess which pictures relate to the exercise introduced by
Jamie Keddie?  I hope you enjoyed the pictures as much as I did
looking at them.
Getting Your Students to
Draw
Jul 29, 2010 02:33PM
I am reading and researching for a workshop that I have coming up
soon at LTC Eastbourne about using YouTube in the classroom. 
Whilst I was watching some videos of Harrogate 2010 IATEFL
Conference, I came across a really interesting and fun video of one
Pecha Kucha.  Jamie Keddie introduced the idea of using drawing in
the classroom to really inspire and generate more ideas.  Have a
view of the video below:
One interesting thing that Jamie mentioned is rather than doing a
general elicitation and finishing.  A teacher could encourage
students to put pencil to paper, which in turn, would hopefully
assist with roleplays, storyboarding, etc whereby the drawing is
used as the concept.  Perhaps I should look at using more drawing
in the classroom.  Perhaps I could arrange a future workshop on
using art and drawing in the classroom.
TEFL Jargon explained by
Alex Case
Jul 25, 2010 03:59PM
I found a satirical look at TEFL Jargon written by Alex Case at
TEFLtastic.  I found this post so interesting and funny that I
thought I would share this with those that are interested.
TEFL jargon from this month’s ETP
They do pretty well in English Teaching Professional with
cutting down on jargon and explaining what they do use,
but I found a few which I thought could do with some
clearing up.
Academic word list- A secret list of words that teachers
can use while speaking to put a student who thinks they
are pretty damn good in their place
Core materials- Also “hard core materials”. Kept on the
top shelf of the teachers’ room
Dipshit- A Diploma qualified teacher who still can’t tell
their arse from their TEFL
Discrete-item tests- An exam rewritten with indirect
polite language, e.g. “I wonder if you wouldn’t be so kind
as to consider which of the following answers most takes
your fancy”. Also using euphemisms like “assessment”
 and “pop quiz” to avoid words like “exam” or “test”
Gate-keeping exams- For example, the Cambridge FCB
(First Certificate for Bouncers)
Jagged profile- A euphemistic way of talking about a
really crap job reference supplied by a teacher who you
later find you have to employ anyway when all the other
applicants get better jobs elsewhere
Lexical items- Instruments of torture used by Superman’s
arch enemy
Paraphrasing- Sounding like you are a sergeant major
from the parachute regiment
PLE- Personal Learning Environment- Making a little
castle out of books around you on the table so that you
can concentrate on your studies
Relative clauses- Also “Relative Klauses”. Nazis in your
family who you pretend don’t exist. Particularly common
problem when doing family trees with surprisingly blond
Latin American students
Rubrics- Textbook answer keys. The word “rubric” comes
from “Rubric’s Cube”, because the aim is to make them
as difficult to use as possible, e.g. by adding deliberate
mistakes and making sure that the whole key is never on
just one page
Sentence transformations- The DNA-replication type
process that happens to students’ sentences between
their brains and their mouths
Stakeholders- The teachers who have been armed and
told to stand by in case the night-loving and incredibly
pale teacher who never seems to eat anything really does
turn out to be a vampire.
New Immigration Law
Jul 23, 2010 12:06PM
I received this via email. It just appears that the government have
over-ruled the previous appeal by doing something different but
achieving the same result.  Again, this will have major implications
with schools in the UK.  Perhaps schools will have to re-market
themselves and adjust to immigration laws.  Nonetheless, the
government waited till just before the weekend so there is very
little contention this can draw.
Stop press! : Britain closes to foreign students
In a move that sidesteps the UK Court of Appeal and the Houses of
Parliament, and right as the Gazette goes to press, the British
government has given just 24 hours’ notice of a change to
immigration law.
The change bans adult students from coming to the UK to study
English or any other course below degree level for more than six
months, unless they have passed a specified intermediate English
qualification at B1 level on the Common European Framework of
Reference for Languages (CEFR).
A new list of qualifications comes into effect from 12 August; the
only ones accepted for entry are Toefl, Ielts, the Pearson Test of
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Academic English and Cambridge Esol exams. Among the
qualifications no longer accepted is Toeic, the world’s largest
English language exam, which is taken by over four million
candidates a year and dominates in Korea and Japan, the two
largest markets for English language courses in Britain.
Students out of luck
The government laid the new immigration rules before parliament
just 24 hours before implementation and three days before the
beginning of the summer recess. It also comes at the peak time for
student applications for courses for the next academic year. The
House has forty days to disagree with the judgment, in which case
the government must amend it, but this is unlikely to happen before
autumn. Meanwhile, thousands of students will be rejected because
they do not have the right language level, or because they do not
have the correct qualifications.
The move follows two important rulings on the UK’s student
immigration policy by the British courts. In the first case, known as
Pankina, three Lord Justices of the Courts of Appeal ruled, in what
they described as a question of ‘constitutional importance and real
difficulty’, that amendments to the immigration rules must be laid
before parliament. In the second case, brought by language-centre
association English UK, the Judge also ruled (following the
precedent set in Pankina) that the language levels could not be
increased to B1 without a negative resolution procedure (the
forty-day period above) being implemented.
UKBA admits mistake
The Gazette has also obtained evidence (see p5 of our September
issue) that the UK Border Agency has taken the decision to
reintroduce the B1 level even after admitting that it had been
wrong in claiming that B1 was ‘just below a GCSE in a modern
foreign language’. This would make it equivalent to the foreign
language level of an English 16 year old. The comparison to GCSE
was first made on 10 February and has been repeated by ministers
in statements to the House and to the public. It was also used in
court in the English UK case.
However, on 16 February Dr Brian North, who developed the CEFR
levels, wrote a letter to the UKBA pointing out that a GCSE pass is
a low A2, two school years below the B1 level, and that high-school
students in most northern European countries require seven years
of English at school to achieve that level - making it equivalent, in
British terms, to at least an AS-level pass.
The UKBA did not reply to Dr North’s letter, saying that when a
copy was sent to them by the Gazette it had been ‘overlooked’. The
UKBA’s Jeremy Oppenheim finally replied on 20 July, agreeing that
the comparison to GCSE was ‘simplistic’, but argued that it was the
correct level for language students. Two days after sending the
letter, the government reintroduced the B1 requirement.
The EL Gazette digital team.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Location:Ashford Rd,Eastbourne,United Kingdom

Janet’s Abruzzo Edublog: 5
Fun End of Course Activities
Jul 22, 2010 01:19AM
Here are some activities that Janet shared with the blogging
community.  I thought the pyramid reflection was best.  I will
definitely use some of these ideas in the classroom.  Thank
you Janet.
5 Fun End of Course Activities
The 2 week intensive Teachers’ Refresher course has
sadly come to an end. The blistering heat of the wilds of
Abruzzo now beckons, and today I have been busy
preparing for my homeward journey tomorrow morning.
It’s been a very exciting and productive time and I have
had the most wonderful and amazing students at the
Lake School of English, Oxford. I can’t believe how fast it
has all gone!
I would like to share 5 fun end of course activities that
went down well.
The Gifts Game
I handed out some cutouts of a gift with a space for
writing on and asked the participants in groups of 3 - 4,
to write down a word or phrase that they especially liked
to present to the members of their group. For example,
one teacher wrote the word “brolly” in the space and
then presented it to her clasmate by saying “I’d like to
give you this brolly as a gift, because you will need one
when it rains.” Another wrote “A pint of lager”, and gave
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it to a classmate saying “Here’s a pint of lage, as I know
you appreciate English beer”. The students milled around
and it was a great fun activity, recycling expressions
learned, but at the same time it was a very positive way
to end the classes.
My Front Door
Blue door to O’Connell House via Flickr
This idea from Mario Rinvolucri, seen in Arena Issue 24,
is one which always works a treat. The transition from
here to there is made in a positive fashion. I asked the
students to visualise how they felt approaching their
house in their country. They then had to visualise their
front door. What was it like? What colour was it? Who
would open the door? Describe the feeling. What would
be the first thing they would do as soon as they arrived
home? They were then asked to describe everything to
their partner.
I know the first thing I am going to do once I have
greeted the menagerie is to check on how K has managed
with all the watering of my vegetable plot and flowers.
Will my flowers be flourishing or wilting in the excessive
heat of the last few weeks? I know I will notice every
little change that has occured while I’ve been away.
There will be sooo much catching up to do!
The Five-step Strategy to Implementing New Ideas
This is an idea I have picked up over the years on teacher
training courses.
Stage 1: you ask the participants to think of a couple of
new ideas they will definitely want to put into practice as
soon as they get back to school. Usually they say that it’s
impossible to only choose a couple as there are so many
new ones they have learned.
Stage 2: Ask them to choose only ONE idea they are keen
to embrace as soon as they get back to their working
environment. Get the teachers to concretise the actual
moment they will put the new idea into place. Who will
they use it with? Ask them to imagine the specific class
and level of students. Who will support them in
implementing this concrete example? Their Director of
Studies? Someone from school, maybe a mentor? A
colleague?
Stage 4: The participants are asked the following
questions: How will you know if the idea worked? How
will you get feedback on it?
Stage 5: They find a partner and tell them the answers to
their thoughts. The partner must listen very carefully and
pay attention. Reverse roles and listen to the partner’s
thoughts on ways of implementing one concrete idea.
I like this 5-stage activity because it is nice to focus on a
concrete idea with a specific class. The motivation to try
it out is thus greatly heightened.
Pyramid Reflection on the Qualities of Survivor Teachers
I asked the teachers in pairs to brainstorm 10 qualities of
a “Survivor Teacher”. All the words had to begin with the
letter “c”. As a whole class they managed to come up
with 20 qualities within a set time limit and they are
listed below in the Wordle. We voted that to be a
“survivor” teacher, probably one of the most essential
qualities was to be competent. It was nice to take part in
the discussion as peers. I enjoyed the act of sharing our
views as educators.
Wallwisher Good Luck Messages
This is a great activity. Hopefully the participants will add
their messages over the coming weeks when they can. It
will be a lovely memory of the happy times spent together
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as a group.
Goodbye Lovely Teachers via Youtube
A first for me! My co-teacher on the Secondary Teachers’
Refresher course, Jane, kindly suggested videoing each
other saying goodbye to our students and then uploading
the film onto Youtube and then in the Wallwisher above.
It’s really strange watching myself in action! I didn’t
realise that I gesticulate so much. One day, I’ll look back
on this short piece of film and it will bring back
wonderful memories of a fab time.
Thank you to all the participants for making it such a
special two weeks, and thanks to my lovely colleagues
Jane and Catherine, and everybody at the Lake School.
Posted by Janet Bianchini at 10:40
Guardian Article - Doctor’s
Require Language Training
Jul 21, 2010 06:14AM
There is a good article from the Guardian that illustrates an
opportunity for teachers to teach Doctors and those
requiring language training so that medical professionals are
able to communicate with patients.  Any ideas?
Doctors’ language in need of intensive training
care
Incidents in Europe of language barriers between foreign
doctors and patients have prompted calls for stricter
testing by EU-member states, but medical professionals
require specialist training to master the communication
of the consulting room.
“Linguistic knowledge” is only one of the skills that
doctors require to communicate effectively with patients.
Photograph: Rex Features
Article 20 of the 1993 EU directive facilitating the free
movement of doctors states that: “Member states shall
see to it that … the persons concerned acquire, in their
interest and in that of their patients, the linguistic
knowledge necessary to the exercise of their profession
in the host country.” In light of recent events in the UK,
there are those for whom this will strike a particular
chord, like the family of David Gray, who died while in
the care of a German-trained doctor working as an
out-of-hours GP in Cambridgeshire.
Communication skills are integral to medical practice,
and go far beyond simply “talking” to the patient. Aside
from examining and prescribing, doctors are also
required to build and maintain rapport, negotiate suitable
treatment options, interpret and act upon emotional signs
and break bad news. In addition, practitioners need to be
able to deal with different patient types - children and the
elderly - as well as situations requiring more enhanced
levels of sensitivity.
“Linguistic knowledge” is only one element of a much
larger set of communicative competencies required to
carry out an effective patient encounter. Medical English
trainers should be focusing not only on the verbal, but
also on nonverbal communication, active listening, voice
management and cultural awareness. Learners should
also be given the opportunity to understand and develop
strategies to deal with deficiencies in communication.
The treatment of sensitive issues is a good example.
Where a doctor’s culture shapes personal beliefs about
an issue, their verbal and nonverbal language and voice
management skills may well betray such feelings and in
turn “block” their ability to listen actively.
“If you start by telling me how you feel about your
drinking”, for example, delivered with an open facial
expression and with emphasis placed on “you”, is more
likely to result in the patient disclosing their concerns
than the judgmental, “So, why are you drinking so
heavily?”
If there is one thing to be learned from working with
doctors it is that their training must be relevant. Medical
communications experts urge trainers to put the doctor’s
specific agenda at the centre of their instruction. Trainers
should develop a course that analyses real-world tasks
and identifies relevant lexis and grammar points,
appropriate paralanguage and active listening techniques
as well as discussion of related cultural issues.
The perceptive 19th-century physician William Osler
believed medical students learned best by doing and that
“medicine is learnt by the bedside not in the classroom”.
One way to replicate the “bedside” is by using video.
Through exposure to authentic scenarios of patient
interactions, a variety of which are now available online,
learners experience examples of authentic language in an
authentic setting: examples that demonstrate both the
visual aspects and the auditory features of native-speaker
communication.
Video also provides an opportunity for noticing and
awareness raising. Being able to visualise a practising
clinician in real time broaching a sensitive issue in a
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manner that avoids offence and remains non-judgmental
is essential if the learner is to develop the skills
necessary to benefit the patient.
More than with any other English for specific purposes
discipline, it is imperative that the trainer feels
empowered on entering the medical English classroom.
Although learners will not expect their trainer to be
capable of giving an accurate diagnosis, they will have
more confidence in a trainer who understands the
functioning of medical communications. A basic
understanding of the psychology required in patient
management and the rationale behind effective
communication skills is essential, as is an awareness of
the implications of deficiencies in communication. The
trainer should consider this as a meeting of two experts:
one in medicine and the other in the field of
communication.
The advantages of effective medical communication skills
are well documented. The British Medical Association
cites more accurate diagnosis, a more equitable
doctor-patient relationship, increased patient and doctor
satisfaction and ultimately a reduction in incidences of
clinical error.
The UK has long relied on the services of overseas
doctors; today 30% of general practitioners are non-UK
qualified. However, despite the EU’s 1993 directive,
while regulations for those trained outside the EU remain
strict, doctors certified in the EU are virtually exempt
from control either of their clinical or language skills.
Free movement of labour is all very well, but surely the
safety of patients is paramount?
Ros Wright is co-author with Marie McCullagh of Good
Practice, Cambridge University Press
Games in the Classroom
Workshop: 19 July 2010
Jul 20, 2010 02:23PM
I went to a workshop at LTC Eastbourne on Monday 19 July 2010
and it was about “Games in the Classroom”.  The idea behind this
workshop was to introduce common games to assist with teaching
and learning in the classroom.
The principal idea about games, particulary circle games, is that
they “encourage the whole class to work together” as well as
facilitate the learning experience and offer an opportunity for
learners to practice using English in a friendly and informal
setting.  When I teach children and teenagers, I find it particulary
important to include a form of competitive game (or informal
language practice) each day which is linked with the theme, topic
or grammar point.
Anyhow, during the workshop teachers were encouraged to think
about their favourite EFL games that they include in lesson. 
Among teachers there were a list such as; Chinese Whispers, Stop you give students a topic to talk about for a minute.  If students
the Bus, Hotseat, Circle Games as well as many others. make a grammar mistake, repeat themselves or think too much. 
The teacher has to act as a mediator/chairperson.  This activity will
I decided to extend this list, as well as further ideas, for EFL
allow students to practice speaking in an informal and competitive
Games:
setting.
Stop the Bus
There were plenty other games included in the workshop but I have
Divide the class into groups of three or four people each. On the
selected some that were discussed during the workshop.
board, write five or more categories (foods, nouns with more than
five letters, jobs, adjectives to describe people, animals, capitol
cities). Give the students a letter (H); their task is to come up with
one example of each category that begins with that letter (hot dog,
hamburger, hotel receptionist, helpful, hyena, Havana). I usually do Past Simple Reading Relay -
an example with the whole class before we start the real
competition. When a group has one example for each category Lesson Plan
written down, they say “Stop the bus!” and you check. If their
Jul 15, 2010 02:09PM
answers are good you can continue with the same categories but a
different letter. Another version is giving them a time limit and
seeing how many unique examples of each category they can come I created a lesson plan yesterday for students so that they could
up with in that time (“unique” meaning no other group writes it). practice the Past Simple form.  I found a bit more about Heath
Ledger and then created a reading relay.  There are two parts to
Hot Seat
this lesson; first students have to re-create the past simple question
Divide the class into two teams, and have each team send one
forms and, secondly, students then have to look for the correct
representative to the front of the class. Each representative sits on
information.
a chair with his/her back to the board.  You write a word behind
each representative, and the team has to explain or define that You would be able to link this lesson to Superheroes.  Personally, I
word so that the representative can guess it. The first got students to create their own superheroes and then they look at
representative to correctly guess the word written behind him/her popular superheroes and we brainstormed vocabulary (alias,
gets a point for the team and the round is over. Two new superpowers, costume, arch enemy) which we linked to Batman
representatives come to the front. You may have to explicitly forbid and then finally to Heath Ledger.  It was a long context builder but
pantomime or using any form of the word on the board the students enjoyed it.
(“Teacher”…a person who teaches) and of course any translation.
Anyhow, please find below the lesson plan and please feel to share
Chinese Whispers and provide feedback.  I hope your students enjoy this.
A common and traditional game whereby two rows (or could be
more) sit on chairs or perhaps stand.  You show a word to each Question Formation
person at the end of the row and they have to whisper to the person Heath Ledger Question Formation
in front.  This game can be amended to include grammar points,
Reading Relay
questions, collocations, synonyms, etc.  It is a reliable and relaxing
Heath Ledger Reading Relay  
way to introduce new vocabulary.

False Information
This is a personal favourite GTKY (get to know you) game/activity. 
You demonstrate this initially on the whiteboard by writing three
personal sentences, for example: Robots to Replace Teachers
1. I have been teaching since 2005.
2. I am 35 years old. in South Korea
3. I can speak some Korean.
Jul 11, 2010 03:16AM
Students have to guess the sentence that is false.  By the way, it is
number 2.  Once you get some feedback, get students to write
I saw this article about robots replacing teachers in South Korea
three sentences about themselves.  Make sure you explain it can be
and I thought, perhaps in the future, 20 to 30 years from now,
about anything (family, friends, hobbies, etc) but it must include a
robots will become more common in the classroom.  There could be
sentence that is false.  Get students to mingle and they have to
possibilities; robots recording conversations, monitoring
guess their partner’s true and false sentences.  This activity alone
pronunciation, etc.  Anyhow the article is below.
can last about 20 minutes.

Just a Minute
This activity is developed from the famous and long-running BBC
Radio show.  Demonstrate the game by playing a recording or
YouTube video from the Radio Show (such as below), and elicit
from students the rules of the game.  Once rules are understood,

7

Teaching Machine Sticks to Script in South Korea
By CHOE SANG-HUN 
Yang Ui-ryeol, a sixth grader in Seoul, practiced a
conversation in English with Engkey, a robot teacher that
recognizes human speech.
SEOUL, South Korea — Carefully trained by a
government-run lab, she is the latest and perhaps most
innovative recruit in South Korea’s obsessive drive to
teach its children the global language of English.
Over the years, this country has imported thousands of
Americans, Canadians, South Africans and others to
supplement local teachers of English. But the program
has strained the government’s budget, and it is
increasingly difficult to get native English speakers to
live on islands and other remote areas.
Enter Engkey, a teacher with exacting standards and a
silken voice. She is just a little penguin-shaped robot, but
both symbolically and practically, she stands for
progress, achievement and national pride. What she does
not stand for, however, is bad pronunciation.
“Not good this time!” Engkey admonished a sixth grader
as he stooped awkwardly over her. “You need to focus
more on your accent. Let’s try again.”
Engkey, a contraction of English jockey (as in disc
jockey), is the great hope of Choi Mun-taek, a team
leader at the Korea Institute of Science and Technology’s
Center for Intelligent Robotics. “In three to five years,
Engkey will mature enough to replace native speakers,”
he said.
Dr. Choi’s team recently demonstrated Engkey’s
interactions with four sixth graders from Seoul who had
not met the robot. Engkey tracked a student around the
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room, wheeling to a stop a foot away, and extended a
greeting in a synthesized female voice. (Although a male
voice is also available, Dr. Choi says the female model
seems more effective in teaching. ) She then led the boy
to a shelf stacked with plastic fruit.
“How can I help you today?” Engkey said.
“Do you have any fruits on sale?” the student said.
“Wow! Very good!” Engkey exulted. She sounded a
fanfare, spun and raised her left arm for a high-five. A
screen on her chest showed stars grading the student.
The students were amazed.
“It’s cool — a machine hearing and responding to me,”
said Yang Ui-ryeol. “There seems to be a life inside it.”
Still, Engkey has a long way to go to fulfill her creators’
dream. The robot can help students practice only scripted
conversations and is at a loss if a student veers off script,
as Yang did during the demonstration.
“I love you,” the boy said to appease Engkey after he was
chastised for a bad pronunciation. Engkey would have
none of it; it was not in her programmed script.
“You need to work on your accent,” the robot repeated.
When Yang said, “I don’t like apples” instead of “I love
apples,” as he was supposed to, Engkey froze. The boy
patted her and said, “Hello, are you alive or dead?”
The trials and errors at the Korea Institute, a wooded
top-security compound for the country’s best scientific
minds, represent South Korea’s ambitious robotic
dreams.
Last month, it announced a trial service for 11 types of
intelligent robots this year. They include “kiosk robots” to
roam amusement parks selling tickets, and “robo
soldiers” that will man part of the 155-mile border with
North Korea with a never-sleeping camera eye, night
vision and lethal fire power.
But the most notable step was this country’s plans to use
robots as teaching aids. In February, the Education
Ministry began deploying hundreds of them as part of a
plan to equip all the nation’s 8,400 kindergartens with
robots by 2013.
One type of robot, toddler-size with a domed head and
boxlike body on wheels, takes attendance, reads fairy
tales and sings songs with children. A smaller puppy
robot helps leads gymnastics and flashes red eyes if
touched too roughly.
Even though they are little more than fancy toys, experts
say, these robots prepare children for a fast-approaching
robotic future.
Early this year, when the institute did an experimental
run of Engkey in Masan on the south coast, there was a
mad rush among children to be selected for the program,
said Kim Bo-yeong, an English teacher.
 “They all loved robots. They get shy before a foreign
native speaker, afraid to make mistakes,” Ms. Kim said.
“But they find robots much easier to talk to.”

An independent evaluator of the trial noticed that Engkey

required the constant presence of a technical operator.
“Engkey has a long way to go if it wants to avoid
becoming an expensive yet ignored heap of scrap metal
at the corner of the classroom,” said Ban Jae-chun, an
education professor at Chungnam National University.

Dr. Choi knows the challenge. After tests in more schools

this winter, he hopes to commercialize Engkey and to
reduce the price, currently $24,000 to $32,000, to below
$8,000.

Dr. Choi said his team was racing to improve the robot’s
ability to recognize students and to discern and respond
to a student’s voice amid noise. It is also cramming
Engkey with more conversational scenarios.

For now, though, Engkey’s limits quickly become

apparent. Hahn Yesle, who participated in the recent
demonstration, said: “Engkey is fun. But she is not
human. Repeating the same dialogue is what she does. I
wish she would become more expressive and responsive,
like a human teacher.”

Teaching English Grammar

Jul 10, 2010 04:36AM

I’ve finally got the book that I’ve been waiting for. The book is
Teaching English Grammar by Scrivener.

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 I hope to meet likeminded teachers at this event.  It will be the year
of my graduation from the MA in English Language Teaching at the
University of Sussex.

Circle Games
Jul 8, 2010 05:04PM

As a keen teacher to allow students the chance to participate in

some circle games, I thought I would share a post from Teaching
English. Some of the ideas are great and a good way to develop
communicative activities in the classroom as well as offering the
possibility for teachers to encourage class motivation. I hope this
post will help those scratching their heads on what to do on a
Friday morning for a group of teenagers.

Circle games

Circle games are a great way to encourage the whole

class to work together. They also provide an often
welcome change in working pattern. They are mostly
used with young learners, but teenagers will play them
and so will the right kind of adult class: one that doesn’t
take itself too seriously.

This article links to further activities in Try - Other try -

Circle games
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
What are circle games?

Why and when

Brighton IATEFL 45th Managing circle games with young learners

A few activities
Annual Conference What are Circle Games?
Jul 8, 2010 05:33PM Circle games are any games or activity that involve the
whole class, sitting in a circle. Many of the games recycle
vocabulary and involve an element of fun. I would like to
outline a selection of my favourite circle games that can
be used in young learner and adult classes. Some of the
ideas were given to me by colleagues or they are classic
children’s party games which have been adapted to the
English language classroom. I do not claim to have
invented them all myself!

Why and When?

I have just received the information about the 2011 IATEFL
Conference in Brighton in a form of a nice booklet.  I am planning
to go to this conference next year and it will be my nice
conference.  I have viewed the conference online but there is
nothing like being there in person.  I am curious what to expect but
Nowadays, in the world of EFL, pair work and work in
small groups is very much in fashion. The communicative
approach encourages teachers to use a lot of pair work
and therefore increase ‘student talking time’. I believe
that for a group to gel and for a good group dynamic to
prevail there are times when the class should work
together as a whole. Circle games are a good opportunity
to bring the group together. I tend to use them to start or
end a class. They can be used as warmers at the
beginning of a class or as a ‘filler’ at the end.
Several of the activities, such as Chain Drawings and
Consequences are great for when you have to do a last

10
minute substitution class for a colleague. Very little
material is required, they’re suitable for all levels and a
lot of language can be generated.
Managing circle games with young learners
Circle games can be incorporated into the regular routine
of a young learner class. If students are introduced to the
idea of working in a whole group from the beginning of a
course it is easier to establish the rules and acceptable
behaviour for this type of activity. They should be seen by
the students as a normal part of the class and clear
parameters should be set as to what is and isn’t
acceptable behaviour when participating in a circle
game.
If you have never used any circle games and want to
start, set up the class before the students arrive and
begin the class with one of the simple activities. It may
make a nice change and it also gives you an opportunity
to greet each student on arrival and do the register.
Speak to young learners about the importance of
listening to fellow students and respecting each other’s
talking time and turns. To calm lively students and focus
them, try some basic TPR activities which demand their
concentration. For example, “if you’re ready to start the
activity, touch your nose”, “if you’re ready to start the
game, point to the door”.
When students get to know the routine and the activities
you can nominate one of them to start the game and lead
it.
A few activities
There are more activities available at Try - Other try -
Circle games
Chain drawings
Give each student a piece of paper and some
coloured pencils.
Tell them that you are going to play some music and
you want them to draw whatever comes into their
heads.
As music is playing, all students should be drawing.
After 20 or 30 seconds, stop the music.
Students stop drawing and pass their picture to the
person to the left of them in the circle.
Play the music again and they continue with the
drawing the person next to them had started.
Stop the music again, pass pictures on and this
continues until the end of the song.
When you have finished each student will have a
picture that several students contributed to.
11
Then it’s up to you what to do with the pictures.
They can be used to describe to the group, to
write a story about, or to pretend they were a
dream the student had last night.
The rest of the class can try to analyse the
meaning of the dream.
Use different types of music to get different types of
pictures. I’ve found that reggae and samba produce
happy beach scenes and dance music gets futuristic
city scenes!
If you want to ‘force’ the pictures towards a topic
you are studying, ask some questions about the topic
first and get students into thinking about the theme.
Beware - with teenagers this activity can be quite an
eye-opener as it tends to reveal what is going on in
their minds!
One word stories
For higher-level groups this can be really fun.
Each student adds a word to create a group story.
The teacher can begin by saying the first word and
in a circle each student adds the next word, without
repeating what has come beforehand.
Good starting words are “Suddenly” or “Yesterday”
to force the story into the past tense.
It is great for highlighting word collocations and
practising word order. The stories can develop in
any number of ways. Some groups may need the
teacher to provide punctuation and decide that the
sentence should end and a new one should begin.
Change places if……
This is a TPR activity with students in a closed circle,
with the teacher in the middle to begin the game.
There should always be one less chair than
participants.
Depending on what you want to revise the teacher
says, “Change places if …… you’re wearing
trainers.”
All students who are wearing trainers must stand
up, and move to another chair and the teacher
should sit on one of the recently vacated seats.
The person left without a seat stays in the middle
and gives the next command, “Change places if you
…… like pizza” and so it goes on.
Young learners can get very excited, so be careful to
incorporate this activity in the class at an
appropriate time. It is a definitely a ‘warmer’ as
opposed to a ‘cooler’ and may be better at the end of
a class.
Picture consequences
 Each student needs a piece of paper and a pencil. students to tell the story.

Make sure students have their paper in portrait (not Then invite students one by one to unfold their
landscape) and ask students to draw a hat at the top stories and read them to the group.
in the middle. When they have finished they should
Depending on the level you can encourage use of
draw two short lines to show where the head begins
connectors, reported speech etc.
and then fold over the paper leaving only the two
short lines showing.

Students then pass the folded paper to their right

and the teacher instructs them to draw a face and
neck.
GAMES, FILLERS,
Students fold, leaving the two lines of the neck
peeping out from the fold. Instruct students to draw
WARM-UPS
the body, to the waist. Fold and pass as before. Jul 1, 2010 05:19PM

Then they draw to the knees, then fold and pass,

then to the feet. A great post from “A Journey in TEFL”. Wonderful ideas to keep
students on their toes.
It’s important to tell students not to cheat and peep
at the folded part of the body. That will spoil the fun! GAMES, FILLERS, WARM-UPS

Students then unfold the paper and reveal the misfit

Games and game like activities
type character they have created between them.
ICEBREAKERS AND WARM-UPS
Use the pictures to practise describing people,
revise clothes vocabulary or to create role plays.
Written consequences
Similar to picture consequences in the way the activity is
conducted but this one creates a story.
At each stage, before folding and passing to the
student on the right, give these instructions.
1. Write the name of a man. It can be a
famous man or a man everyone in the
class knows. (Depending on the group,
allow them to put the names of class
mates)
2. Write the name of a woman. It can be a
famous woman or a woman everyone in
the class knows. (Depending on the group,
allow them to put the names of class
mates)
3. Write the name of a place where the two
people meet.
4. When they meet, he says something to
her. What does he say? Students write
what he says to her.
5. She replies to the man. What does she
say?
6. What’s the consequence of this encounter?
What happens?
7. What’s the opinion of the whole story?
What does the world say as a comment?
The end result is a mixed-up story that can often be
amusing.
1. Tongue twisters: these are great challenges and also
good for pronunciation and memory.
2. Find someone who: You can use this activity anytime
you want during the lesson, as a warmer for
presenting or awareness-raising or at the end of a
lesson as a filler to practice the target language.
3. Puzzles, word games: these are good for vocab
revision. I also ask my students to create their own
puzzles then they exchange the puzzle and try to
solve the ones their friends prepared. If you want
they can prepare them in pairs or groups.
4. Charede: this one is my favourite. It can be used as a
filler. Team them and tell them they will compete.
Usually we play charde with grammatical structures
such as If clauses, time clauses or relatives. Once
they code certain things and get the rule they easily
guess the sentence. Plus they mime and have fun.
5. Yes-No Game
6. Line up according to: This is a good warmer and also
works well to group your students for the next
activity. You can line your students according to the
seasons they were born in or the fast food they like
or the shoes they are wearing. The alternatives are
endless. Just use your imagination.
7. Stand up if: This one is also a great warmer, filler or
energizer. Shout out sentences and tell your
students to stand up if the statement is correct for
them. You can change the instruction and say, for
instance, touch your nose if you agree and jump if
you disagree.
8. Associations : give 2 object, which looks completely
different and ask them to find the similarities.

Read yours as an example of how you want the 9. How can we use it other than: Give them an object,

12
 say a paper clip and give them time to list what else
we can do with a paper clip apart from attaching
paper.
10. Tic-tac-toe: you can use it to practice and revise
vocabulary and grammar points.
11. Dictations
12. Shake hands: This is a great activitywith lots of
laughter and action.Play some music and tell your
students when you stop the music they will greet
each other as you instruct. Instruct your students as
follows:
13. Greet each other as two close friends
14. Greet each other as neighbours
ENDERS
1. Guided Fantasy: it is great after a hard day’s work,
just relax, close your eyes and imagine…. You will
find lots of ideas in Imagine That by J. Arnold,H.
Puchta, M.Rinvolucri .
2. Sentence completion: good for feedback and/or
evaluation.
3. Memory games
4. Flash dictations.
5. Wall dictation
VOCABULARY GAMES
Back to the Mark
Jun 29, 2010 02:47PM
I have had a nice few weeks off from marking and am due to start
marking again by tomorrow.  It will be the first time for marking
FCE scripts but it will be rewarding.  I have about a fortnight worth
of marking to do in this time, combined with my teaching at LTC
Eastbourne with the summer school.
Nevertheless, for those that have been following, there has been
some progress with regards to the Master course in English
Language Teaching at the University of Sussex.  The University
decided to review their fee status and not charge me at
international rates.  I am not sure what made them change their
mind; was it the fact that our local MP was involved in this matter
or was it the fact that I was currently studying a PGCert in a
business related subject?  Perhaps both, atleast they decided to do
the right thing.  I am glad so that I can focus my energy on
teaching and examining during this busy period.  Currently, I am
thinking about the MA course and the possibility of combining a
dissertation with the Cambridge ESOL Research Programme.  It
would be a great opportunity to combine both my passion for
testing, evaluation and assessment with my desire to complete a
dissertation in a subject that I am enthusiastic about.
Finally, I have decided to do the course full-time rather than
part-time.  It will be nice to get back to academia again and meet
other likeminded individuals.

1. Puzzles

2. Miming
a cLiL to cLiMB, Chiew’s
3. Chinese whispers

4. Hot seat CLIL EFL ESL blog: Games

5. Vocabulary match to find the new partner

6. Bingo
and Activities: Open or
7. Tic-tac-toe opened? Welcome or
8. Hang a man

9. Find someone who: Find someone who with words

welcomed?
and definition. Find someone who can define ‘a Jun 28, 2010 01:52PM
word’. / Find someone who can use ‘this particular
word’ in a sentence. / Find someone who knows a
a cLiL to cLiMB, Chiew’s CLIL EFL ESL blog: Games
synonym or antonym for ‘this word’
and Activities: Open or opened? Welcome or welcomed?

GRAMMAR GAMES When do we use ‘open’ and when do we use ‘opened’? Do

we say ‘You’re welcome’ or ‘You’re welcomed’?
1. Find someone who

2. 20 questions These questions often pose problems to even advanced

learners, let alone beginners. I’ve also seen teachers
3. Kim’s game
making mistakes with these.
4. I went to the market and I bought
The reason for this confusion is that the adjective form of
5. Stand up if some verbs is exactly the same as their verb form.
“Open” and “welcome” are two examples. Look at these
following sentences:

There’s a shop around the corner that is open for

13
 business 24 hours a day. Jun 26, 2010 04:37PM

Who left these windows open?

ELT Experiences on Wall Wisher
He was slumped in his armchair, fast asleep, snoring with
his mouth wide open. I’ve just created a Wall Wisher board so that school rules, lesson
plans and teaching ideas can be shared amongst students and
‘Open’ in the above examples is used as an adjective.
teachers.
However, in the sentences below, it is used as a verb.
Remember that both the past tense and the past
participle of ‘open’ is ‘opened’.

Do you mind if I open this window? Workmen write ‘school’ on

The school gates are opened at 8.25. (Passive form)

The shop around the corner first opened in 2009.

road
Jun 18, 2010 09:25AM
‘Welcome’ is used in the same way:

You know that your friends are always welcome here.
You are welcome to that last piece of cake; I’m too full.
Everyone is welcome to attend tomorrow’s meeting.
The headline from the Telegraph is humorous at best but it also
indicates how important spelling can be for students.  If anyone
could think of a lesson based upon the article below, that would be
great.

‘Thank you!’ ‘You’re welcome!’

Workmen write ‘shool’ on road
‘Welcome’ in the above sentences is used as an adjective.
These below use it as a verb: Council workmen were left red-faced after
misspelling the word “school”.
They all welcomed the new proposals put forward at
yesterday’s meeting.

Visitors to this hotel are always so warmly welcomed.

(Passive form)

I always welcome comments from my readers.

CLOSE

Although close exists as an adjective, as in ‘We can walk

to the cinema from here; it’s quite close’, when used to
mean ‘shut’, the past participle form is used.

This shop is closed on Mondays.

Who left these windows closed?

Tweet, Tweet: Learn Contractors omitted the ‘C’ when they daubed ‘SHOOL
KEEP CLEAR’ outside the gates of Our Lady of the
Rosary Catholic Primary School in the Lawrence Weston,
English on Twitter! Bristol.  It was hoped the wording would ease school run
congestion – but has caused hilarity among parents and
Jun 27, 2010 12:58PM
local residents.

Staff from Bristol-based Prestige Line Painting – which is

Tweet, Tweet: Learn English on Twitter!
contracted by Bristol City Council – returned a few days
An interesting article about Twitting and English Teaching. later to burn off the ‘S’ and replace it with ‘SC’.

Council spokeswoman Julia Dean said: ”It was a

contractor error. As soon as it was recognised the council
made sure it was corrected.”
ELT Experiences on Wall The writing was laid down on Saturday along with yellow

Wisher zigzag markings following complaints about ”chaotic”

parking during the school run.

14
 Resident Pam GcGreevy, 73, who has lived in the road for pronounce. If they make an error on the board (as most
45 years, said: ”I didn’t realise they had spelt it wrong teachers do from time to time) they may make a quick
until someone came out to have a look at it on Monday.  quip to show that they are not embarrassed – and to
”Only time will tell if the new road markings work.” demonstrate that mistakes are a natural part of the
learning process.

When it is appropriate to pull individuals into line,

teachers tend to do so firmly but with a light touch,
Teaching & Learning with returning to the business of the lesson as quickly as
possible. (By disciplining students with humour, teachers
Laughter reduce the risk of alienating potentially tricky
individuals.)
Jun 16, 2010 05:24PM
Language learners quickly absorb the message that their
teacher welcomes spontaneous laughter within the
The article below from the Guardian is interesting for those that
classroom (provided it is of the supportive ‘laughing with’
are teaching EFL.  I do like to inject some tacit humour in the class
and not of the destructive ‘laughing at’ kind). Sensing
through the use of body language and eye contact.
that their teacher has given them permission to laugh,
many classes start to relax and to behave in readily
Learning with laughter
responsive ways.

They then find themselves laughing spontaneously at the

myriad unexpected events, errors and misunderstandings
that routinely occur in language classes. Once it is
understood that laughter is acceptable, students will see
the funny side of daily occurrences that an outsider might
not consider amusing.

Not all language classes respond equally readily to the

humorous initiatives of their teachers. For a variety of
reasons students in some classes remain relatively
unresponsive throughout their courses. Sometimes it
takes longer for classes to relax and become readily
responsive.

  Teachers can often pinpoint a particular moment when

the class laughed spontaneously for the first time – often
Two girls have fun at school. Photograph:
at a quite trivial event. When this happens the teacher
Ableimages/Getty Images
relaxes, feels more confident – and is inspired to teach
  When asked, most experienced language teachers will more imaginatively and enthusiastically.
readily admit that they encourage humour and laughter
Language teachers use a number of specific techniques
in their classrooms and plan it into their lessons. So what
to ensure that their classes continue to be laughter-filled.
is the role of unplanned and spontaneous humour –
In the early days of their classes, experienced teachers
moments when the whole class momentarily erupts in
are on the alert for quick-witted, extroverted individuals
laughter before returning to the task at hand?
with whom they can develop a bantering relationship.
In the early days of each course, when they meet their
Students who are prepared to act as the teacher’s foil,
class for the first time, language teachers convey many
even to the extent of light-hearted cheekiness, can
hidden messages through their body language, their
provide a focal point for the class, enabling shyer
overall demeanour and the manner in which they address
individuals to enjoy the interaction by watching and
their students. One clear message (usually implicit)
listening and laughing on cue.
relates to the kind of atmosphere they wish to foster in
their classroom. Over the years experienced teachers develop personal
tried and tested techniques, in the form of facial
In order to develop a spirit of informality within their
expressions, exaggerated gestures, plays on words,
classes such teachers attempt to reduce the social
well-worn quips and so on that they know from
distance between themselves and their students by
experience are likely to engender laughter and give a
behaving in friendly and approachable ways. They
quick injection of vitality into the lesson. They know, too,
smilingly encourage students to speak and applaud their
which interactive language learning activities are likely
efforts, being supportive when errors are made.
to enliven the class. They are aware, however, that
They may sometimes demonstrate in a humorous way students can become overexcited and that laughter can
that they themselves find unfamiliar sounds difficult to get out of control.

15
 As they progress, language classes develop their
individual cultures: bodies of shared understandings
about the personalities, passions, strengths, weaknesses
and foibles of individuals within the class. Each class also
develops a collective memory of the various incidents that
have occurred within that particular class. This sense of
friendly intimacy enables short bursts of laughter to be
invoked by reference (either by the teacher or by a
student) to previous events that the class found amusing.
Humour is, of course, a powerful force in any situation
and a highly complex phenomenon. There are obviously
times when humour is detrimental to the well-being of
individuals. Teasing is a case in point. While some
students are happy to be foregrounded (for example, by
being given a nickname) others are not. Jokes that were
funny first time round can quickly wear thin. Most
teachers who include teasing in their personal repertoire
of laughter-engendering techniques back off quickly if
they see that they are causing offence.
Although it has the potential to be used unwisely,
experienced language teachers see laughter as a positive
force in their classrooms. They regard whole-class
laughter as a welcome behaviour and cultivate it. For
teachers, regular small bursts of laughter are a vital and
reassuring sign that their class is functioning cohesively
and responsively.
Experienced language teachers know that good teaching
involves far more than technical proficiency: it involves
encouraging each class to function as collectively as
possible. Judicious use of humour is a great way to
encourage classes to develop into friendly, lively,
mutually supportive social groups.
YouTube in the Classroom
Jun 15, 2010 11:36AM
Unlike my colleagues, I really enjoy using technology in the EFL
classroom.  I am keen to setup my laptop with a projector to show a
short movie clip, use presentation tools to assist in the classroom,
run a dictionary or show images on google that are related to
vocabulary.  However, I have not used YouTube that much in the
classroom and am keen to share ideas I have about the potential of
this in the EFL classroom.
Movie Trailers
YouTube is available in HD quality now for those showing movie
trailers.  For example if you see the movie below, you could play
the movie trailer without any sound but let students guess what the
story is about.  Ensure you check on the internet to find out about
the story yourself.  In this case, Inception is about people entering
the dreams of others and stealing information.
The Plain Weird
For some clips, the sounds are so strange that your could play the
16
audio first then get students to guess what is happening.  For
example, when I have started a topic about sport, I have asked
students to guess the sport with the audio from the clip below.
Weather Forecasts
If you are looking at the topic of the weather, you can use YouTube
for including weather reports/forecasts.  It will introduce students
to, as illustrated below, to use authentic material to complement
coursebooks or themes.  With the weather forecast below, you
could watch the clip yourself and make some questions for students
to answer when they watch the forecast (What’s the weather like in
Scotland? What is the weather like in Newcastle on Monday early
morning? What does the MET Office issue?  What does the brief
outlook say about Cardiff for Friday?  “Further South West we’ve
had the ________ weather”).
News Headlines
On YouTube, news headlines are available to watch.  You would, of
course, be able to get authentic news headlines in class for
students.  As the news is summarised very quickly (in the first
minute for the video below), you can get students to put headlines
in order (where they have the headlines on a handout). 
Furthermore, you could provide students listening comprehension
exercises for when they listen again.  The news summary could be
used to introduce topics or themes.  For example, in the news
summary there is something related to “Cohesion Report”; whereby
there are mandatory English lessons for migrants.  This could be
used to extend further into areas about intergration for migrants,
migration, immigration, etc.
Unexpected Results
Some videos have unexpected results; you can get students to
predict what is going to happen.  Show the first one or two seconds
and get some ideas bouncing around the classroom.  Once you have
a list of ideas, play the video in class and check to see if any were
predicted.  Such as the video below, what do you think is going to
happen?  You could show students the street scene, right at the
beginning.
Countries and Cities
If you are going to introduce cities and countries to a class, why not
introduce with the following video? 
To follow up on the video, get students to choose 15 countries and
give them five minutes to think of the nationality.
Music Videos
The great thing about YouTube is that you can use music videos in
the classroom.  Music can be used to introduce topics, focus on
grammar, etc.
No Internet Connection
If you really want to get YouTube videos in the classroom, have a
laptop and a projector as well as some speakers but no internet
connection it may appear that there is no possibility of intergrating
videos in the classroom.  Don’t dispair.  With KeepVid you can
download YouTube videos and play them on your laptop.  The best
thing about it is no internet connection is required. 
 Ideas for the picture above could include:
Uploading Videos 
Make a headline
If you have a smartphone or a video camera, you will have the
chance to upload videos to YouTube to share with students.  If you What is the player in the background thinking?
have any iPhone 3GS or the upcoming iPhone 4, you will be able to
Do you know player number 10?
record videos and upload automatically.  I am sharing a video of my
84 year old on a scooter.  It is below to view. What do you think will happen next?

What is number 13/15 thinking?

I hope the above has helped and if you have any favourite videos Describe the picture to a partner and get them to draw it
that you use in class, please feel free to comment or share with the without them seeing the original.
blog.  Additionally, should you wish to provide further ideas about
I hope this sparks some ideas and if you have more, please feel free
using YouTube in class, please suggest.
to comment.

Video listening quiz: Waka Learning Fun: 10 useful sites

Waka This Time For Africa for teachind kids
Jun 14, 2010 04:32PM
Jun 12, 2010 04:25PM

Video listening quiz: Waka Waka This Time For Africa

Learning Fun: 10 useful sites for teachind kids
A great listening exercise for the World Cup by Arjana.
An interesting post by Bianca Garcia for those websites dedicated
for Young Learners.

10 useful sites for teachind kids

World Cup 2010 - Lesson
Ideas
Jun 12, 2010 07:04PM

The World Cup is a great opportunity for many teachers to

introduce songs, facts and information for the classroom but
another possibility for teachers is to use pictures. However, why
would a teacher wish to use pictures in the classroom?

Pictures can support creative thinking, encourage free-thought and

allow students the opportunity to discuss ideas amongst
themselves. For example, how could teachers use the picture below
in the classroom?

Hello everybody! Today I brought you ten sites that are

useful for teaching English to Young Learners (at least, I
use them a lot! ). There are specific ESL sites for kids, as
well as non language-focused sites. I hope you enjoy
them! Let me know if they were useful for you, and which
section is your favorite, ok? Have a great teaching!

BBC

This site has a plethora of resources, ranging from

activities to very young learners, available at the
CBeebies Section to resources for storytelling or even an
online music editor for kids. Here teachers can find loads
Telegraph 2010, www.telegraph.co.uk of useful classroom materials and kids can find lots of
fun! J The CBeebies section is totally adapted to very

17
young learners, including spoken menus for kids who Kids Domain
cannot read. It’s awesome!
Fantastic site for kids, teachers and parents, with lots of
Crayola hints, articles and recipes for a range of subjects, from
special recipes for cooking with kids to a social network
Loads of craft ideas for kids, including online coloring
for parents to exchange experiences and ideas. Don’t
pages, crafty videos and looooooooooots of ideas for
forget to check the awesome Holidays section, with lots
teachers. Really worth seeing!
of cultural and practical resources for you and your
Cesame Street classes!

Our Favorite TV Series Cesame Street is the basis of this

very rich, kid-friendly site. Here, there are ideas to stay
in and go out, including videos teaching how to play
games, activities to print, online games, and a special
section in which the kid can personalize his or her
section, choosing favorite games, videos and playlists.

Learn English Kids (British Council)

This site offers loads of materials for teachers, including

a listening comprehension section for very young
learners (oh, so cute!), games for practicing reading
and writing , and a lot more!

PBS Kids

Inspired on PBS’s educational programs, this site (also,

completely kid-friendly, with spoken menus) offers
instructive resources not only for kids (such as games,
videos and crafts), but also for parents, including child
development and kids’ health articles.

Genki English

Site by Richard Graham, It is “this site is a collection of

games, songs and ideas for use by teachers of languages
to children. “ and, if you are curious about the word
Genki, here comes the definition: “”Genki” is a really cool
Japanese word that means “fun”, “lively”, “energetic”,
“full of life”. There isn’t really a word for it in English, but
if you try these ideas in your classroom, you’ll know what
it means!” Make sure to take a look at the Articles
section, filled with interesting ideas on games and
activities.

MES English

A world of resources for teachers. This is the best way to

describe this lively and interesting site! A MUST-SEE!
(Really!) From flashcards to worksheet creators, it will
spare you hours of research for material and class
design!!

Boggles World ESL

Lessons, games, flashcards and theme units for teaching

kids! A very resourceful and creative site for teachers of
young learners!

Discovery Kids

From games and crafts available to very young learners

to a video on how mummies are made, there are
resources for learners and teachers from all walks of life!
J Great for CBI or CLIL materials development!

18