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  • Learning And Communicative Strategies August 23, 2012
    Communicative strategies are systematic techniques employed by a speaker to express his meaning when faced with some difficulty and the difficulty here refers to the speaker’s inadequate command of the language used in the interaction (Faerch & Kasper, 1983:16). On the other hand, the term learning strategies has been defined as “the higher-order skills […]
  • Review: Teaching Unplugged by Luke Meddings and Scott Thornbury August 13, 2012
    by Hall Houston About 8 years ago, I read an article titled “Teaching Unplugged” by Scott Thornbury in It’s for Teachers magazine. The article described a new approach to teaching languages that de-emphasized coursebooks and other teaching materials, and stressed real communication between students. This approach was loosely based on a Danish film […]
  • Living and Working in Japan: A guide for US Citizens May 23, 2012
    Japan is a stable, highly developed parliamentary democracy with a modern economy. Tourist facilities are widely available, except in coastal areas of Northeast Japan still recovering from the aftermath of the March 11, 2011, earthquake and tsunami. Below is a comprehensive list of all the information you should read before visiting or relocating to […]
  • Experience a New Culture When you Teach English in China May 21, 2012
    The human desire to help others is an innate one. This is why, despite the negative aspects, people are still very attracted to the profession of teaching, notes Thomas Galvin. It has been regarded for centuries as a very noble job, and no doubt this will continue for centuries to come. Many teachers these […]
  • The Importance of Vocabulary Roots in AP English April 16, 2012
    The Advanced placement exams are very important for students, suggests Joseph Paul, as they look very good on the students’ report cards and also help them to get credit in certain universities which helps them to save a major portion of the tuition money demanded from students who have not cleared the exam. The […]
  • Business Translation: A Useful TEFL Sideline? April 8, 2012
    The use of translation in business is heavily underestimated and misunderstood. However translation has a big part to play in business and is rapidly becoming one of the most useful things an organisation can use to get ahead in the business world. Whether it be using in-house translators to transcribe documents, official papers […]
  • How to Judge the Quality of Language Learning Software March 21, 2012
    We all know that learning a language is a great way to enhance the look of your resume! Fortunately, there are lots of different options available to you to help you make that a reality. Out of the vast number of options available to you, the option that provides you with the most […]
  • The worst ELT interview questions… and how to answer them March 12, 2012
    Some friends of Naturegirl123 were talking about interview questions that they got. Here are some difficult ones to answer and suggested answers. What religion are you?/ Are you X religion? This could be a legit question if you’re applying to a religious school. If you have the same religion as the school, simply say […]
  • Invoice factoring as a way of financing your language school March 12, 2012
    You’re looking into alternative ways to keep the finances in order in your burgeoning language school. Why not consider invoice factoring? Please don’t think of invoice factoring as a loan because it’s actually something quite different to that: it is more correctly defined as the acquisition of a financial asset. What does that mean? […]
  • Language Classes… Heat Up Careers! March 9, 2012
    Whether you love the snow or can’t wait until the warmer days of spring, this is a time of year when we all start to get a little stir-crazy, suggests Charlotte Evans. Winter was fun back in December but now the cold temperatures and extra layers of clothing are starting to feel a bit […]
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Review: Teaching Unplugged by Luke Meddings and Scott Thornbury

by Hall Houston

About 8 years ago, I read an article titled “Teaching Unplugged” by Scott Thornbury in It’s for Teachers magazine. The article described a new approach to teaching languages that de-emphasized coursebooks and other teaching materials, and stressed real communication between students. This approach was loosely based on a Danish film movement called Dogme, after which the new approach was named. I found the article fascinating. It challenged me to rethink the role of the coursebook in the classroom.

In April 2009, Delta Publishing printed Teaching Unplugged, which is part of their new Delta Teacher Development Series. This book gives a reader-friendly introduction to Dogme ELT. Basically, there are three principles to Dogme ELT: teaching should be conversation-driven, materials-light, and focused on emergent language. This approach emphasizes students’ and their needs over technology and techniques.

The book contains 3 sections. Part A is a brief overview of the philosophy and core principles of Dogme ELT. It runs only 15 pages, but it gives a clear explanation of Dogme and includes some intriguing quotes such as “The only questions asked in a school should be by the pupils.” (A. S. Neill). Part B is the longest section of the book. It features almost 100 activities for implementing a Dogme approach in class. The activities are clearly stated and easy to follow. Most require no materials except for pen and paper. Part C provides additional support for certain contexts, such as teaching one to one, teaching exam classes, and teaching with a coursebook.

Overall, this is a useful resource for both new and experienced teachers. I’m looking forward to trying out some of these activities in my lessons this month.

Additional Reading

To learn more about Dogme ELT, read some of the articles on Dogme at Scott Thornbury’s website:

Teaching Unplugged Website

http://www.thornburyscott.com/tu/portal.htm

Delta Publishing – Teaching Unplugged

http://www.deltapublishing.co.uk/html/books/Delta_Teacher_Development_Series.html#TEACHUNP

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Review: Teaching Unplugged by Luke Meddings and Scott Thornbury, 8.5 out of 10 based on 2 ratings
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August 13th, 2012 | Category: Advice, Careers in TEFL, Study skills, Teaching Beginners, Teaching in Asia, Teaching in Europe, Teaching in South America, Teaching in the Middle East

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