ELTWeekly Issue#14 Contents
By Tarun Patel
DOWNLOAD ELTWeekly Issue#14 by Clicking HERE
Video of the week: How to Organize Yourself When You Start Teaching English
Tip of the week: Facilitate the learning of English language through communicative activities
Research paper: The Attitudes of ELT Students towards the Internet in Doing Their Homework
Book of the week: Easy & Engaging ESL Activities and Mini-Books for Every Classroom
DOWNLOAD ELTWeekly Issue#14 by Clicking HERE
Expert article: Throw Away the Course Book and Adapt Authentic Materials
March 29th, 2009
ELTWeekly Issue#14, Subscriber space: Research paper by Mohamad N. Keramati
By Tarun Patel
Is behaviourism creeping back?
By Mohamad N. Keramati
University of Ershad Damavan University – Tehran
Abstract
Recent models of language learning, like connectionism and competition models with reinforcement learning algorithms, inspired by one of the fundamental law of behaviourism – association between input and response – are now having their advocates. The question which strikes the mind is whether or not behaviourism is making a come back with the new models of language learning like connectionism. This study intends to find the answer to this question. The author first starts with the principles of behaviourism and reviews the strong impacts of behaviourism in education. Reviewing the principles of connectionism and competition model, the author argues that despite similarities between the new models and behaviourism, they are epistemologically different from behaviouristic view of language learning. It is further claimed that behaviourism, despite being discredited now, had never left the ground and their presence in the field has been very strong.
ELTWeekly Issue#14, Video of the week: How to Organize Yourself When You Start Teaching English
By Tarun Patel
In the following video a Madrid teacher provides a basic orientation chat for new English teachers about how to go about organizing their thinking when they get into teaching English.
ELTWeekly Issue#14, Worldwide ELT events
By Tarun Patel
KSAALT 2nd Annual Conference, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, May 7
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Association of Language Teachers - KSAALT is accepting abstracts for the 2nd annual conference to be held on May 7, 2009.
The flagship theme is: EXEMPLARY TEACHING: THEORY AND PRACTICE. The sub-themes are:
- Technology and Language Learning
- Best Practices
- Theory and Research
- Content and Language Integrated Learning.
GUIDELINES FOR PARTICIPANTS
Submissions should clearly indicate which sub-theme will be addressed.
Please indicate clearly which format the presentation will take:
(a) A paper (35 minutes, + 10 minutes Q&A);
(b) A panel discussion (35 minutes, + 10 minutes Q&A);
(c) A workshop (45 minutes);
(d) A workshop (100 minutes) (the double-session needs to be clearly motivated.)
Abstracts should be no more than 200 words. Please submit one copy of the abstract with contact information including name, current school/institution, phone, and e-mail (and bio-data of maximum 30 words, written in the 3rd person), and one copy without contact information. The title should be 8 words or less. The description should be typed and double-spaced. Acronyms and/or abbreviations should be spelled out. Please do not copy and paste the document in the body of the email.
The deadline date for submissions is March 17, 2009 to address: conference@saudiarabianksaalt.org. All abstract submissions will be notified by April 1, 2009, and the registration fee will be waived for the presenter. One presentation equals one waived registration. Several people presenting, for example, will have only one registration waived. Please indicate what your technology needs are. A computer and projector with Microsoft Office 2007 will be in each room. Other needs need to be specified. On the day of the presentation, no photocopier will be available; presenters need to bring 30 handouts and one copy for the registration desk. Please indicate if you would like to include your email address in the conference program as well.
For further details and pre-registration, please visit: http://www.saudiarabianksaalt.org/conference.html
The International Conference on Applied Linguistics: Developments, Challenges, and Promises, Tehran, September 26-27
The International Conference on Applied Linguistics: Developments, Challenges, and Promises will be held in Tehran’s Milad Tower Conference Hall on September 26-27, 2009. The conference aims at exploring some vital issues in applied linguistics that have shaped, and are still shaping the identity of the profession. Applied linguists from across the globe are invited to contribute to a lively debate that would include ideas from some of the prominent figures of the field.
Different themes will be explored in the course of the two-day conference: applied linguistics and its definitions; globalization and its impact on ELT; applied linguistics and English as the world’s lingua franca; post method era and teacher qualifications; and research debates in applied linguistics.
The keynote speakers for the conference are (alphabetically arranged):
Professor David Block, University of London
Professor Guy Cook, The Open University
Professor Hossein Farhady, American University of Armenia
Professor Barbara Seidlhofer, University of Vienna
Professor Henry Widdowson, University of ViennaThe deadline for abstract submission is June 14, 2009. Notification of acceptance will be sent by July 10. Early registration deadline is August 5.
Submission
The whole submission process is electronic. For each submission make sure you have the following pieces of information ready so that you will not spend time composing them online.
- Title of your presentation (maximum of 12 words)
- A 30 word biodata written in third person
- A 50 word summary of the abstract that briefly introduces your presentation topic
- A 250 word abstract that clearly states your topic of presentation and its significance
Upon the completion of your electronic submission, a message will be sent to your email to acknowledge the receipt of your abstract. Only one submission will be accepted for each presenter.
For further details and pre-registration, please visit: http://www.appliedlinguistics.ir/
3rd INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE - LANGUAGE AND CULTURE: NEW CHALLENGES FOR THE TEACHERS OF EUROPE, Lithuania, 8 – 9 October
THEMES:
- LANGUAGE TEACHING
- TEACHER TRAINING
- LINGUISTIC STUDIES
- INTERCULTURAL STUDIES
- LANGUAGE PROJECTS
KEYNOTE SPEAKERS:
- MARIO RINVOLUCRI
EFL teacher, teacher trainer and writer at PILGRIMS, UK
mario@pilgrims.co.uk; www.pilgrims.co.uk; www.hltmag.co.uk- Dr. EMILIJA SAKADOLSKIS
Vice-president of the Lithuanian Education Council- Prof. Dr. ANNELIESE FEARNS
Expert in teaching foreign languages for specific purposes, co-author of „Handbuch des Fachsprachenunterrichts“
University of Applied Sciences, Konstanz, Germany- Prof. Dr. THIERRY LEBEAUPIN
Centre of Applied Linguistics, BesançonVENUE: Vilnius University
ADDRESS:
5 Universiteto St.
Vilnius LT – 01513
Ph.: +370 5 268 72 63, +370 5 268 72 64
Fax.: +370 5 268 72 65ORGANIZERS:
Institute of Foreign Languages,
Vilnius UniversityCONFERENCE FORMATS:
- Plenary speeches
- Presentations
- Workshops
FEES:Speaker’s fee - € 90Visitor’s fee - € 15
Fees will be paid on arrival.SUBMISSION DEADLINE: Proposals for contributions should be received by 1 June 2009. Presenters will be notified of the acceptance of their proposals by 1 July 2009.For further details and pre-registration, please visit: http://www.uki.vu.lt/en/register/
The organizing committee of the 19th annual IATEFL Hungary Conference cordially invites the members of IATEFL-Hungary and all English teachers around the world to take part in their annual conference in Budapest, 2-4 October 2009.
The title of the conference is: ‘Global skills for global needs: facing challenges in 21st century classrooms’
In our globalised world English is the language which reaches across cultures. Thus, language educators cannot ignore the many various contexts in which English is used, taught and learned when thinking about the pedagogical implications that govern everyday practice. We invite you to think together with us and explore the ramifications of English as the world language and to find solutions for possible tensions between global and local issues. Are schools ready for the challenge? Find out yourself.
If you are interested in the topic of the conference and would like to meet your colleagues at a relaxed and professionally refreshing event, join us in October.
For further details and pre-registration, please visit: http://iatefl.hu/content.php?id=0177
ELTWeekly Issue#14, Worldwide ELT news
By Tarun Patel
Teaching English as second language for elementary kids a challenge for district
The number of students in grades kindergarten through fifth grade speaking English as a second language has increased almost 400 percent in the past four years, from just a few to more than 20.
But the school district can only afford one part-time teacher, who works with the children in both group and individual settings for 90 minutes a day. Elementary School principal Karen Maschler says it’s not enough, but it’s all Sauk Centre can afford.
Read the complete news item here: http://www.saukherald.com/main.asp?SectionID=12&SubSectionID=48&ArticleID=10211&TM=39085.64
Workshop on English language
The English language teaching workshop organised by the Kerala English Language Teachers’ Association (KELTA) at the Gazala Auditorium was inaugurated by Coimbatore Arya Vaidya Pharmacy managing director P R Krishnakumar here on Sunday.Bhaskaran Nair, head of the department of English language teaching, Pondicherry University, and Beena Philip, Principal of the Azhchavattom College, Kozhikode, led the workshop.Read the complete news item here: http://www.expressbuzz.com/edition/story.aspx?Title=Workshop+on+English+language&artid=Ez6Wa3GMZ9E=&SectionID=1ZkF/jmWuSA=&MainSectionID=fyV9T2jIa4A=&SectionName=X7s7i|xOZ5Y=&SEO=
Tibetan-English translator brings Bard to the Himalayas
LHASA, March 24 (Xinhua) — W. Tailing, or Dreling Wangdo in Tibetan, fears his ailing heart and a cataract in his right eye might prevent him from translating “Macbeth” into Tibetan.
Five years ago, at 70, he finished translating two of Shakespeare’s other works, “Hamlet” and “Romeo and Juliet”. At 73, he began translating into English “The Love Songs of the Sixth Dalai Lama Tsangyang Gyatso (1683-1706)”, which remain popular in Tibet to this day.
Despite deteriorating health, he is also translating 1,001 Tibetan idioms into English.
Read the complete news item here: http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-03/24/content_11065350.htm
italki.com brings language teaching to market
When I was visiting Shanghai-based italki.com’s offices this past November (see post) it was mentioned that some exciting news was in the pipes for the massive language learning site.
Today, after completely forgetting that such newsbait had ever chummed this blogger’s waters, I was given the lowdown: italki has just launched a Language Marketplace.
The new feature connects teachers and students for paid teaching of foreign languages. Teachers create a profile and set their own rates. Once approved, teachers are put in a listing that prospective students can browse for a suitable match.
Read the complete news item here: http://asia.cnet.com/blogs/thetechdynasty/post.htm?id=63009740&scid=hm_bl
Volunteer Teaching in Hunan
THE FOLLOWING MESSAGE HAS BEEN POSTED AS A PUBLIC SERVICE. THIS IMPLIES NO ENDORSEMENT OF THE WORLDTEACH PROGRAM.
Seniors: Spend a year in Hunan, China with WorldTeach.
*About the China Year Program*
We are moving into our sixth year partnering with the Hunan Department of Education in China, where we have sent over two hundred volunteers to teach English in the public schools of Hunan province. There is currently a huge demand for English teachers in China. In many parts of the country, only students from the most elite schools have the opportunity to learn English from a native speaker. The WorldTeach Hunan Program was established to bring volunteer English teachers to a broader range of students through the Province’s public schools.
Read the complete news item here: http://www.international.ucla.edu/article.asp?parentid=106228
ELTWeekly Issue#14: Tip of the week: Facilitate the learning of English language through communicative activities
By Tarun Patel
Giving the students various activities which enable them to communicate in English among the students enhance their chance to be more fluent in their use of the language. Every grammar session or the teaching of any topic should be followed by communicative activities. Such activities not only activate the interest among the students but also enhance their learning ability.
Communicative activities can vary from the topic to topic and here an instructor can use some innovative activities. It will maximize their output in terms of their learning ability.
ELTWeekly Issue#14, Research paper: The Attitudes of ELT Students towards the Internet in Doing Their Homework
By Tarun Patel
The Attitudes of ELT Students towards the Internet in Doing Their Homework
By Atamturk, Nurdan
Abstract
Educational technology has been gaining importance in English language teaching since with the help of technological tools teaching and learning became more effective. This study which is descriptive in nature, is designed to investigate the present attitudes of ELT students towards the Internet in doing homework, their technological literacy and the level their instructors use technological tools in their classes. The participants of this study are prospective teachers who are studying in ELT department at the Near East University. Investigation shows that they resort to the Internet mostly whilst doing homework, they have good computer skills and they have positive attitudes towards technology. (Contains 2 tables.)
To access the full paper, please visit: http://www.eric.ed.gov/ERICWebPortal/Home.portal
ELTWeekly Issue#14, Book of the week: Easy & Engaging ESL Activities and Mini-Books for Every Classroom
By Tarun Patel
Easy & Engaging ESL Activities and Mini-Books for Every Classroom: Terrific Teaching Tips, Games, Mini-Books & More to Help New Students from Every Nation Build Basic English Vocabulary and Feel Welcome!
By Kama Einhorn
Book Description
Meets TESOL Standards!
Great ideas for assessing your ESL student¹s needs, communicating with the child¹s family, and more! Plus vocabulary-building mini-books.
About the Author
Before coming to Scholastic as an editor, Kama Einhorn was an ESL-program coordinator for K 8 in San Francisco for four years. She received her Masters degree in literacy in 1997. Kama lives in New York City.
Book Details
- Reading level: Ages 4-8
- Paperback: 64 pages
- Publisher: Teaching Resources (June 1, 2001)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0439153913
- ISBN-13: 978-0439153911
- Price: $8.76
ELTWeekly Issue#14, Cool ELT resources
By Tarun Patel
Cambridge Messages
Attractive and innovative, Messages is the perfect course to motivate lower-secondary students. Teacher and students are rewarded by immediate results with every ‘Step’. Level 1 assumes students have studied English at primary school, but gives full coverage of all basic language areas.
The free workbook Audio CD has been expanded to include a wealth of fun interactive CD-ROM exercises. Take a tour of the CD-ROM
Videos for use with all levels accompany the course. There are two videos, one for use with Levels 1 and 2 and one for Levels 3 and 4. The videos contain entertaining documentary sequences reflecting life in Britain and the US. An EAL (English as an Additional Language) Teacher’s Resource CD-ROM is now available to supplement the course.
Exmplore Cambridge Messages at http://www.cambridge.org/elt/messages/
LanguageGames.org
Have fun playing while learning languages with www.languagegames.org online games! Is it possible to learn while playing games?
Of course it is! The games you will find here are much more effective at helping you acquire foreign language skills than other types of exercises. See by yourself!! When solving the series of crosswords LanguageGames.org team prepared, you’ll always be aware of your progress. This is very important for a foreign language student.
Explore LanguageGames.org at http://www.languagegames.org/la/
Englishpage.com
Englishpage.com is the premier Internet resource for intermediate and advanced English learners around the globe. Visitors are typically well-educated business people and professionals between the ages of 18 and 35 looking to improve their English for career advancement.
Every month, Englishpage.com receives millions of visits from over 180 countries worldwide.
Englishpage.com offers content for ELT professionals in the following categories:
- Weekly Lesson
- Grammar Book
- Vocabulary
- Verb Tenses
- Conditionals
- Modals
- Gerunds
- Prepositions
- Mini-tutorials
- Irregular Verbs
- Reading Room
- Listening Lounge
- Games
- Student Forums
- English Schools.