Learning a second language will be compulsory in junior schools from September 2014. The education secretary, Michael Gove has announced that changes to the curriculum means that all children will begin learning a second language from the age of seven. Languages on offer will include French, German, Spanish, Italian, Mandarin, Latin and Greek. But should second language learning start even earlier? Continue reading
Learning a language is often thought of as the preserve of the young, the adventurous, children at school or travellers looking to broaden the mind by journeying to exotic new destinations. But language is a special part of being human and learning a new language can be as thrilling and rewarding for an octogenarian as for a teenager.
Some people think that it can sometimes be too late to learn a language. However, others believe that a greater age can help someone appreciate the subtleties of language. In fact, older people often have better pronunciation skills and usually a stronger motivation. But can it ever be too late to teach an old dog new tricks? Continue reading
The call for immigrants to learn ‘proper’ English is commonly heard from natives wanting to help preserve their country’s linguistic heritage. But what is proper English? The language of English is rich in borrowed words and foreign phrases, and the language continues to grow and evolve thanks largely to the influx of foreign words brought over by immigrants. This leads us to ask, with such a mingling of languages in the world today, can a ‘proper’ language ever really exist?
Using bingo to teach English might sound like a strange idea. However, using games in EFL lessons is a great way to make classes more fun and keep students entertained. Games are useful for introducing vocabulary in context, in an innovative way. There are many ways to use bingo to teach English.
Bingo is one game everyone has heard of and a fun game that can be used to teach new vocabulary, numbers and grammar points, depending on how you create your bingo cards.
It is easy to use bingo to teach English. All you need is paper and a pen – so grab your bingo dabbers and let’s prepare an innovative bingo game for EFL learners! Continue reading
Happy St Patrick’s Day! This special day is celebrated every year on 17th March and it is a great time to present some new vocabulary relating to Ireland and Irish folklore. Our St Patrick’s Day lesson includes interesting words and phrases relating to Ireland along with lots of interesting facts about this Irish holiday. We have even prepared a tasty recipe for making your own traditional ‘boxty’ – Irish potato pancakes! Read on to discover more about St Patrick’s Day. Continue reading
The glitz and excitement of The Oscars is upon us again! The 92nd Academy Awards will take place on February 9th 2020 at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood. We can’t wait to see who will walk away with the coveted awards!
To join in the cinematic fun, we’ve prepared some English film vocabulary and phrases related to the world of movie-making. These will be great to use for an Oscars-themed EFL lesson. The vocabulary can be used to create gap-fill exercises, right or wrong answers, and question and answer sessions. So prepare the EFL stage: Lights, camera…. action!
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2013 is the Chinese Year of the Snake. This smooth and wily creature will traditionally bring leaps and bounds in academic pursuits – great news for EFL students. People born in the Chinese Year of the Snake are naturally intelligent, cautious and witty.
Their propensity to seek out and understand information means Snake people are well suited to careers in education, research and academia. The influence of the Snake means that 2013 is set to be a year full of steady progress and educational achievement for everyone in the world of EFL!
For EFL teachers, check out our lesson plan for EFL comprehension exercises using the Chinese New Year as a theme.
These kind of seasonal activities are great for EFL lessons as they keep the content relevant and help students learn about a different culture, making the text interesting not only for English language practice but also as an article about Chinese tradition.
The Year of the Snake means that 2013 should be especially prosperous and successful for EFL students and teachers! Ssssssssuper!
Happy Chinese New Year! The Year of the Rabbit begins on Sunday 22nd January 2023. The rabbit is associated with peace, longevity, intelligence, elegance and auspiciousness in Chinese culture. This peaceful, contemplative creature should imbue your EFL teaching learning and teaching with gentle strength and diligence this year. Chinese tradition dictates that 2023 will be filled with quiet, steady and effective progress, along with a touch of witty humour!
The Chinese New Year is a great time for a seasonal EFL lesson. Learning about other cultures and traditions is always interesting and a great way to learn more English, so we’ve prepared a fun comprehension exercise for your next EFL lesson relating to Chinese New Year! Continue reading
The Chinese Year of the Snake starts tomorrow, Sunday 10th February 2013 – but what does this slithery creature have in store for EFL? The snake is an intellectual and quietly adventurous animal in the Chinese calendar, so this could be the perfect year for those looking to start their TEFL career. It is also a good time to pursue intellectual or academic ambitions, so for EFL students this could be the year for you to make great strides forward in your studies.
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For many years, the PPP technique has been used in the EFL classroom to great satisfaction. Presentation, practice and production has been at the centre of TEFL, with teachers first presenting the target information, the students then practising it in a controlled way, before producing it in a fresh context with free communication.
But with some modern approaches to teaching now critical of PPP, and new EFL teaching techniques springing up all the time, has the PPP teaching method become out of date? Continue reading