How can you get your learners speaking more in class?
Of the four language skills, speaking is the most important in terms of managing day-to-day classroom interaction. We deliver most of our classes through spoken information, and it is through…
Recent Articles
Differences between East Asian and European Language Learners
Working in China, Japan, Korea or Southeast Asia, it doesn’t take long to realise that there are some fundamental differences in the ways in which students approach language, as compared…
Verb phrases and phrasal verbs – Common grammar confusions & solution
English grammar is a tricky beast. The many overlaps between spellings, word classes, meanings and functions mean that even the smallest parts of structure can be confusing for teachers and…
Activities to increase student talk time & communication in your ESL classroom
When I started my ESL teaching, I quickly discovered that my adult learners sometimes lacked the confidence of younger students, which can lead to hesitation when speaking and even avoidance…
Things to know before teaching English in Hong Kong
Hong Kong is a place of contradictions. It is by turns incredibly beautiful, frustrating, motivating, insane, loud, congested, rewarding, peaceful and stressful. Spend any amount of time there, and you…
English Teaching Options in Hong Kong (Interview Tips Included)
Hong Kong has a very active and diverse education industry, so if you are in Hong Kong and looking for a teaching job, or if you are moving to Hong…
Tips for teaching writing: a genre-based view
When we consider how we can help our students with writing, there is an important distinction to draw between the ways in which we see this aspect of language use:…
Developing critical reading skills: 4 ideas for teaching with texts
Reading in a second language can be a challenging activity, both to study and to teach. Students have no control over the language that is presented to them in a…
Teaching Speaking – Tips to develop the speaking skills of your students
Speaking is a fundamental language skill. It is the primary way in which we communicate information. When we ask how well we can function in a second language, we ask…
Tips for teaching listening – How to teach your students to listen with purpose
Listening in a second language is so much more than simply understanding what someone is saying. We listen to different people in different ways depending on how, where and when…
Error Correction: When should we correct student errors?
Error correction is a vital part of the language classroom, but can also be a minefield. No-one likes to be told that they are wrong, so sensitivity and care are…
Communicative language teaching with large classes – It’s possible!
Most language classrooms around the world are not ideal for communication between students to take place. They typically contain rows of desks facing the teacher, students sitting individually or in…
How to find an ESL teaching job in a non-English speaking country?
I was surprised at how easy it is to find teaching vacancies, when I decided to step into the unknown and move to one of those countries where English is…
What kind of teacher do I want to be? 3 Types of Teachers
This is the question that every teacher has to ask him/herself at some point in their career. We all have notions of what we think good teachers should be like,…
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