#67, News: Robot Teachers! (Coming Soon to a Classroom Near You)

They’re coming, and they’ll be here by September! Robot teachers, programmed with a single mission: to save our failing schools. Funded by the Frankenstein Foundation, computer engineers in secret mountain laboratories and workshops hidden deep below the desert floor are feverishly soldering chips and circuit boards onto bits of aluminum to create mechanical life forms… Continue reading #67, News: Robot Teachers! (Coming Soon to a Classroom Near You)

#67, Word of the week: Alveolar consonants

Blending is one of the many ways new words are made in English. It refers to joining the beginning of one word and the end of another to make a new word with a new meaning. Example Smog, from smoke and fog, and brunch, from breakfast and lunch, are examples of blends. In the classroom… Continue reading #67, Word of the week: Alveolar consonants

#67, Article: Cuisenaire rods in the language classroom

The first time I saw Cuisenaire rods being used in the language classroom I had no idea how much fun they could be. Since then I’ve used them in both adult and young learner classrooms where they have always been received with enthusiasm. In his book ‘Teaching and Learning Languages’ (1988) Stevick describes them as:… Continue reading #67, Article: Cuisenaire rods in the language classroom

#66, Article: Group discussion skills

“Group discussions occur in many different formats – from very informal ones between friends to highly structured and challenging discussions included as part of a selection process. In both cases, there are a number of specific skills that we can help our students develop to become better able to contribute effectively to group discussions. Why… Continue reading #66, Article: Group discussion skills

#66, Word of the week: Alveolar consonants

Alveolar consonants are consonant sounds that are produced with the tongue close to or touching the ridge behind the teeth on the roof of the mouth. The name comes from alveoli – the sockets of the teeth. Example The consonant sounds /t/, /n/ and /d/ are all alveolar consonants. In the classroom Alveolar consonants exist… Continue reading #66, Word of the week: Alveolar consonants

#66, Research Paper: ‘Gender differences in using cohesive devices while writing’ by Sara Vali and Parnaz Kianiparsa

Gender differences in using cohesive devices while writing by Sara Vali and Parnaz Kianiparsa Abstract The present study investigated gender differences in using cohesive devices while writing. About 24 (male and female) M.A. students of Payam Noor University (PNU) who were studying English language teaching participated in this study. The instrument used for eliciting their… Continue reading #66, Research Paper: ‘Gender differences in using cohesive devices while writing’ by Sara Vali and Parnaz Kianiparsa

#66, Research Paper: ‘Rainy Dinot School Jaabor Mon Naathaake, Kintu Nogole Midday Meal Miss Karu-je…’ by Mahananda Pathak

‘Rainy Dinot School Jaabor Mon Naathaake, Kintu Nogole Midday Meal Miss Karu-je…’ (We don’t feel like going to school on a rainy day, but if we don’t go we miss the midday meal) by Mahananda Pathak, PhD participant (ELT), English and Foreign Languages University (EFLU), Hyderabad, India. Abstract This paper reports an exploratory study to… Continue reading #66, Research Paper: ‘Rainy Dinot School Jaabor Mon Naathaake, Kintu Nogole Midday Meal Miss Karu-je…’ by Mahananda Pathak

#66, Article: ‘Three Deficiencies of English Teachers in Vocabulary Teaching’ By Katherine Lee

Three Deficiencies of English Teachers in Vocabulary Teaching By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Katherine_Lee]Katherine Lee There are three main deficiencies that English teachers are prone to making in the process of vocabulary teaching which would be bad for the learning of English. They are: isolation from the context, neglecting the new words in reading, and lacking creativity while giving… Continue reading #66, Article: ‘Three Deficiencies of English Teachers in Vocabulary Teaching’ By Katherine Lee

#66, Video: The Longest Words in the English Language

Words from this video: Scary ‘Mary Poppins’ Recut Trailer, Honorificabilitudinitas, Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious, ablative, Antidisestablishmentarianism, Church of England, Henry VIII, Thomas Cranmer, Martin Luther, floccinoccinihilipilification, Pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis, The National Puzzlers’ League, Titin.