Guesing vocab from context…
…is a really bad way to acquire new words, at least that’s what I rather provocatively suggested on a thread over on the ELT World forums.
Of course, it’s not an impossible skill, as many noted: ‘It’s possible,’ suggetsts Golightly, ‘but it depends on factors such as how concrete or abtract it is if it’s a [...]
Police pay £900 per day for translation
Good news for any of you who’ve spent some time abroad as a poor and destitute TEFL, only to make the move back to Britain to find yourself even poorer and more destitute. If you managed to pick up the local lingo to a decent level of proficiency, why not offer your services to [...]
Where should newbies go to begin their TEFL careers?
Times they are a changin’ and not for the better, it’s sad to say. ‘Where in the World can one make a decent living and save some AT A NEWBIE LEVEL‘ asks Spiral78 over on the ELT World forums. The question has received a number of responses and the outlook is not so great it [...]
Lost in Mistranslation
Welsh is not the easiest of languages to get to grips with, especially for native English speakers, it would seem. When officials asked for the Welsh translation of a road sign, they thought the reply was what they needed. Unfortunately, the e-mail response to Swansea council said in Welsh: “I am not in the office at [...]
Portsmouth makes players take English lessons
Overseas players at English Premier League club Portsmouth are taking extra English lessons to help them communicate on the field more clearly, the Canadian Press website notes. Like all the teams in England’s top flight, Portsmouth has a squad drawn from all over the world, with 16 of its 28-man squad coming from outside Britain. [...]
The ‘Salad Bowl’ of English Teaching
Like it or loath it, diversity has been the chief buzzword in education across the globe over the past 30 years. When we talk about “diversity” in language teaching, what on Earth are we talking about? Is this something new? Is the teaching of English somehow different from the teaching of other languages (and should [...]
EFL in Malta?
Malta has fast become one of Europe’s premier EFL destinations, notes Tom West on the ELT Times online TEFL newspaper, as the island’s ties with the English language, coupled with its fantastic natural resources have made this an attractive location for agents and private students alike.
With its rich history of been visited, and often invaded [...]
Girls have harder time than boys adjusting in language-learning environment
Girls who don’t share a common language may have more difficulty adjusting socially than boys, according to surprising new Michigan State University research looking at language acquisition among young children.
A study of 3- to 6-year-olds attending an international school in Beijing found that in general, girls had more social adjustment problems than boys. The students, [...]
Are your students learning anything?
This question, perhaps the most subjective of any that we as teachers could be asked, was inspired by Justme on the ELT World forums. The answers proved to be varied, although the overriding conclusion seems to be fairly clear, as will become apparent as you read on.
So what, if anything, are students actually learning when [...]
Advice for a New ESL Teacher?
‘When you first arrive in your assigned country, the first few minutes can be shocking. The air smells different, the people surging around you are likely different, the looks of buildings and storefronts and wares for sale may all be different’ notes Douglas Anderson in his article ‘Advice for a New ESL Teacher‘ over on [...]
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