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Home » Teaching adults
Teaching adults
Articles

Practical articles for English language teachers of adults.

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  • Methodology
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  • Most Popular
  • A to Z List
Methodology, Understanding learners
29 February, 2016
How to maximise the language learning of senior learners
There are many benefits of studying for older learners, such as increased self-confidence, increased feelings of health and well-being,...
Resources, Knowing the subject
27 September, 2014
Film and video
Let us be sure about what we are talking about here. This is not an article examining films that have been made from books or their less...
Resources, Knowing the subject
14 July, 2014
English at your students' fingertips
What advice do you give your students when they ask how they can improve their English? One thing that teachers often advise is that...
Methodology, Knowing the subject
26 March, 2014
Teaching Unplugged
Teaching Unplugged is the term used for a teaching method and philosophy which has three primary aims: teaching through conversation,...
Methodology, Knowing the subject
26 March, 2014
Dogme and Technology
Neither strict dogmeticians nor techno evangelists, we are simply teachers who appreciate both a good Dogme moment and easy-to-use...
Resources, Integrating ICT
31 January, 2014
Ben Goldstein - A history of video in ELT
Sometimes looking back can help us look forward. My talk - The History of Video in ELT, given at the Image conference – came about as a way...
Resources, Managing resources
21 January, 2014
English clubs
English clubs come in many different guises. What they do all have in common, however, is that they provide an opportunity for English...
Methodology, Promoting 21st century skills
9 December, 2013
Jamie Keddie - Visual literacy in ELT
They say that every picture tells a story. They are completely wrong. 
Methodology, Knowing the subject
23 July, 2013
TBL and PBL: Two learner-centred approaches
Many newly qualified or inexperienced teachers tend to base their lesson planning on the traditional PPP approach (Presentation, Practice,...
Methodology, Knowing the subject
1 June, 2012
Lexical notebooks or vocabulary cards?
Few would doubt that students should leave a lesson with some kind of transcript of it: be it a notebook or, if technology allows, pages...
Resources, Knowing the subject
25 April, 2012
Graphic Organisers
Visual representations of information are by no means an innovation in education. The use of graphs and charts to represent statistical...
Methodology, Knowing the subject
15 December, 2011
Vocabulary and autonomy
This article looks at ways to improve your students' abilities to both explore, store and use vocabulary.
Methodology, Knowing the subject
22 November, 2011
Revising lexis: quality or quantity?
This article discusses how much attention language teachers should pay to vocabulary acquisition research, particularly with regard to...
Methodology, Knowing the subject
2 November, 2011
Grammar vs lexis or grammar through lexis?
In this article, informed by the Lexical Approach, I reflect on grammar instruction in the classroom, including my own teaching, and make...
Methodology, Planning lessons and courses
19 October, 2011
Not Unit 5!
In this article, Luke Meddings reflects on the constraints coursebooks can put on the learning experience in the classroom, and offers some...
Methodology, Planning lessons and courses
5 July, 2011
Teaching the tale: language and memory
A feature that is common both to language teaching and to traditional folk and fairy tales is the repetition of phrases or ‘language chunks...
Resources, Using inclusive practices
7 June, 2011
Storytelling to celebrate cultural diversity
Many of us work with groups of students from more than one cultural background while others teach largely mono-cultural groups of students...
Resources, Integrating ICT
1 June, 2011
Online video for ELT
In this article I am going to explore the use of short video clips in the classroom. 
Speaking, Knowing the subject
3 May, 2011
Global English and the teaching of pronunciation
The emergence of so many different kinds (or 'varieties') of international English has caused a number of linguists to question the use of...
Methodology, Planning lessons and courses
27 April, 2011
Planning a writing lesson
Writing, unlike speaking, is not an ability we acquire naturally, even in our first language - it has to be taught. Unless L2 learners are...
Methodology, Assessing learning
15 March, 2011
Testing - why bother?
This article will ask why we test learners of English. 
Video for the English classroom - speaking article - guest writers
Resources, Managing resources
3 November, 2010
Video for the English classroom
Exactly five years ago this month, the video-sharing site YouTube was officially launched to the public. Since then, the site and others...
Pronunciation - the poor relation? - pronunciation article - guest writers
Methodology, Knowing the subject
28 September, 2010
Pronunciation - the poor relation?
The point I want to make is that pronunciation teaching has been neglected and that we have all lost out through this. 
Speaking, Planning lessons and courses
25 August, 2010
Personalised speaking
People spend a huge chunk of their everyday conversation time talking about themselves and the people they know, so the most natural thing...
Pre-listening activities - listening article
Methodology, Planning lessons and courses
18 August, 2010
Pre-listening activities
Listening skills are hard to develop. Students can do a variety of work before listening to help them understand.

Pages

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
  • next ›
  • last »
Methodology, Understanding learners
29 February, 2016
How to maximise the language learning of senior learners
There are many benefits of studying for older learners, such as increased self-confidence, increased feelings of health and well-being,...
Resources, Knowing the subject
27 September, 2014
Film and video
Let us be sure about what we are talking about here. This is not an article examining films that have been made from books or their less...
Resources, Knowing the subject
14 July, 2014
English at your students' fingertips
What advice do you give your students when they ask how they can improve their English? One thing that teachers often advise is that...
Methodology, Knowing the subject
26 March, 2014
Teaching Unplugged
Teaching Unplugged is the term used for a teaching method and philosophy which has three primary aims: teaching through conversation,...
Methodology, Knowing the subject
26 March, 2014
Dogme and Technology
Neither strict dogmeticians nor techno evangelists, we are simply teachers who appreciate both a good Dogme moment and easy-to-use...
Resources, Integrating ICT
31 January, 2014
Ben Goldstein - A history of video in ELT
Sometimes looking back can help us look forward. My talk - The History of Video in ELT, given at the Image conference – came about as a way...
Resources, Managing resources
21 January, 2014
English clubs
English clubs come in many different guises. What they do all have in common, however, is that they provide an opportunity for English...
Methodology, Promoting 21st century skills
9 December, 2013
Jamie Keddie - Visual literacy in ELT
They say that every picture tells a story. They are completely wrong. 
Methodology, Knowing the subject
23 July, 2013
TBL and PBL: Two learner-centred approaches
Many newly qualified or inexperienced teachers tend to base their lesson planning on the traditional PPP approach (Presentation, Practice,...
Methodology, Knowing the subject
1 June, 2012
Lexical notebooks or vocabulary cards?
Few would doubt that students should leave a lesson with some kind of transcript of it: be it a notebook or, if technology allows, pages...
Resources, Knowing the subject
25 April, 2012
Graphic Organisers
Visual representations of information are by no means an innovation in education. The use of graphs and charts to represent statistical...
Methodology, Knowing the subject
15 December, 2011
Vocabulary and autonomy
This article looks at ways to improve your students' abilities to both explore, store and use vocabulary.
Methodology, Knowing the subject
22 November, 2011
Revising lexis: quality or quantity?
This article discusses how much attention language teachers should pay to vocabulary acquisition research, particularly with regard to...
Methodology, Knowing the subject
2 November, 2011
Grammar vs lexis or grammar through lexis?
In this article, informed by the Lexical Approach, I reflect on grammar instruction in the classroom, including my own teaching, and make...
Methodology, Planning lessons and courses
19 October, 2011
Not Unit 5!
In this article, Luke Meddings reflects on the constraints coursebooks can put on the learning experience in the classroom, and offers some...
Methodology, Planning lessons and courses
5 July, 2011
Teaching the tale: language and memory
A feature that is common both to language teaching and to traditional folk and fairy tales is the repetition of phrases or ‘language chunks...
Resources, Using inclusive practices
7 June, 2011
Storytelling to celebrate cultural diversity
Many of us work with groups of students from more than one cultural background while others teach largely mono-cultural groups of students...
Resources, Integrating ICT
1 June, 2011
Online video for ELT
In this article I am going to explore the use of short video clips in the classroom. 
Speaking, Knowing the subject
3 May, 2011
Global English and the teaching of pronunciation
The emergence of so many different kinds (or 'varieties') of international English has caused a number of linguists to question the use of...
Methodology, Planning lessons and courses
27 April, 2011
Planning a writing lesson
Writing, unlike speaking, is not an ability we acquire naturally, even in our first language - it has to be taught. Unless L2 learners are...
Methodology, Assessing learning
15 March, 2011
Testing - why bother?
This article will ask why we test learners of English. 
Video for the English classroom - speaking article - guest writers
Resources, Managing resources
3 November, 2010
Video for the English classroom
Exactly five years ago this month, the video-sharing site YouTube was officially launched to the public. Since then, the site and others...
Pronunciation - the poor relation? - pronunciation article - guest writers
Methodology, Knowing the subject
28 September, 2010
Pronunciation - the poor relation?
The point I want to make is that pronunciation teaching has been neglected and that we have all lost out through this. 
Speaking, Planning lessons and courses
25 August, 2010
Personalised speaking
People spend a huge chunk of their everyday conversation time talking about themselves and the people they know, so the most natural thing...
Pre-listening activities - listening article
Methodology, Planning lessons and courses
18 August, 2010
Pre-listening activities
Listening skills are hard to develop. Students can do a variety of work before listening to help them understand.

Pages

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
  • next ›
  • last »
A framework for planning a listening skills lesson - listening article
Listening, Resources, Planning lessons and courses
10 February, 2010
A framework for planning a listening skills lesson
By developing their ability to listen well we develop our students' ability to become more independent learners, as by hearing accurately...
Methodology, Managing the lesson
3 February, 2010
Asking questions
Asking questions is a natural feature of communication, but also one of the most important tools which teachers have at their disposal. 
Aspects of Business English - methodology article
Methodology, Understanding learners
22 October, 2008
Aspects of Business English
The term Business English can cover a multitude of things. When someone says they teach business English or they are studying business...
Resources, Integrating ICT
31 January, 2014
Ben Goldstein - A history of video in ELT
Sometimes looking back can help us look forward. My talk - The History of Video in ELT, given at the Image conference – came about as a way...
Checking answers - methodology article
Methodology, Managing the lesson
3 August, 2006
Checking answers
When checking the answers to an exercise or activity teachers often revert to a more traditional role, whereby from the front of the room...
Checking Understanding - methodology article
Methodology, Managing the lesson
8 June, 2006
Checking Understanding
In a standard language focus lesson following a PPP (present, practise, produce) or similar format, the target language (structure or...
Collocation with advanced levels 1 - not entirely...proper/appropriate/good? - vocabulary article
Methodology, Knowing the subject
28 November, 2003
Collocation with advanced levels 1 - not entirely...proper/appropriate/good?
This article gives an overview of the topic of collocation in English language teaching and shows how this is a key area of study for...
Concordancers in ELT - resources article
Resources, Knowing the subject
25 April, 2005
Concordancers in ELT
Over the past decade there has been a huge increase in the power and abilities of computers to digitise, store and analyse text.
Resources, Knowing the subject
19 August, 2005
Context developing activities
It is widely recognized that second language (L2) mental lexicon must be independent of its first language (L1) counterpart, if learners...
Controversies in Business English - speaking article - guest writers
Speaking, Planning lessons and courses
23 April, 2009
Controversies in Business English
I began teaching business English in 1980 and have observed over the years huge differences in the way we teach.
Controversies in using technology in language teaching - speaking article - guest writers
Methodology, Integrating ICT
8 April, 2009
Controversies in using technology in language teaching
In his first article for TeachingEnglish, Pete Sharma considers some of the controversies surrounding the use of technology in and out the...
Resources, Understanding learners
24 March, 2010
Counselling learners
There are various ways of measuring learners' progress. Whichever method you choose, you should take time out to counsel your learners.
Criteria for identifying tasks for TBL - methodology article - guest writers
Methodology, Knowing the subject
29 May, 2008
Criteria for identifying tasks for TBL
This is the first in a series of four articles which will explore how to integrate a task-based approach into a typical textbook to...
Culture - the fifth language skill - culture article - guest writers
Methodology, Using inclusive practices
29 September, 2008
Culture - the fifth language skill
This is the first in a series of articles by our third Guest Contributor Barry Tomalin.
Delexicalised verbs - vocabulary article
Resources, Knowing the subject
6 December, 2004
Delexicalised verbs
In the first part of this two part article Shaun Dowling looks at delexicalised verbs, and the problems they cause for our students.
Delexicalised verbs 2 - vocabulary article
Resources, Knowing the subject
6 December, 2004
Delexicalised verbs 2
In the first part of this article the writer explored the use of delexicalised verbs and the problems they create for our learners. He now...
Designing a WWW reading task - reading article
Resources, Integrating ICT
24 April, 2003
Designing a WWW reading task
The world wide web offers a myriad of opportunities for authentic English reading texts.
Designing Business English programmes 1 - methodology article
Methodology, Planning lessons and courses
13 May, 2009
Designing Business English programmes 1
This is the first of three articles on designing Business English programmes to suit students' needs.
Designing Business English programmes 2 - methodology article
Methodology, Planning lessons and courses
3 June, 2009
Designing Business English programmes 2
This is the second article in a three part series. In the first part we looked at needs analysis and how to define goals and objectives....
Designing Business English programmes 3 - methodology article
Methodology, Planning lessons and courses
1 July, 2009
Designing Business English programmes 3
This is the final article in a three part series. In the first part we looked at needs analysis and how to define goals and objectives. In...
Methodology, Knowing the subject
26 March, 2014
Dogme and Technology
Neither strict dogmeticians nor techno evangelists, we are simply teachers who appreciate both a good Dogme moment and easy-to-use...
Dogme: A teacher's view - methodology article
Methodology, Knowing the subject
6 August, 2004
Dogme: A teacher's view
In this article one teacher gives us her view of how the ideas and principles of a new approach to teaching have shaped her classroom...
Dogme: nothing if not critical - methodology article - guest writers
Methodology, Knowing the subject
10 June, 2009
Dogme: nothing if not critical
This is Scott Thornbury's second article for TeachingEnglish.
Eliciting - methodology article
Methodology, Managing the lesson
26 August, 2009
Eliciting
Eliciting (elicitation) is term which describes a range of techniques which enable the teacher to get learners to provide information...
Resources, Knowing the subject
14 July, 2014
English at your students' fingertips
What advice do you give your students when they ask how they can improve their English? One thing that teachers often advise is that...

Pages

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  • next ›
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A - Z of Content

A B C D E F G H I J L M N O P R S T U V W
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A framework for planning a listening skills lesson
Asking questions
Aspects of Business English
Ben Goldstein - A history of video in ELT
Checking answers
Checking Understanding
Collocation with advanced levels 1 - not entirely...proper/appropriate/good?
Concordancers in ELT
Context developing activities
Controversies in Business English
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