Contents

News and views

• Should teacher talk time always be kept to a minimum, or can it be part of a successful methodology?
• How are new words chosen for the Macmillan Dictionary?

Exercise of the month

PHONETIC SPELLING INTRODUCTION

This exercise works well when introducing a new student to the class. To do this, you need a copy of the phonetic chart in your classroom.

1. Bring the new student to the front of the class and let them introduce themselves to their new classmates.
2. Ask them to write their name on the board.
3. Draw their attention to the phonetic chart, and ask them to write the phonetic spelling of their name on the board.
4. If the student is unfamiliar with the chart (as many new students are) encourage the other members of the class to offer assistance.
5. When the student’s name is written correctly on the board, practise the correct pronunciation together and allow all the students to introduce themselves.

This activity works well as it allows new students to quickly feel comfortable with their new classmates and introduces them to the phonetic chart in a straightforward, easy-to-understand manner.

Word of the month

Learner autonomy: The idea that learners have the ability to take charge of their learning and set appropriate learning goals. Autonomous learning is facilitated by teachers creating and maintaining environments that are conducive to learner autonomy.

Interview

Thom Kiddle talks about formative and summative testing, how to make exam classes fun and whether we need country-specific tests of English. 

Teacher’s dilemma

One of your students repeatedly makes offensive or inappropriate comments (e.g. racist, sexist, homophobic, etc). What do you do?

Q&A

1. Is there still a place for deductive grammar presentations in the modern language classroom?
2. Is it important for students to lose their accents?
3. If you could only teach one level for the rest of your teaching career, what level would you choose?