Puzzles for ESOL learners (again!)
Why am I so obsessed with puzzles? Last week I got back from the fabulous QATESOL/QCAL mini-conference in Mackay, where I had to admit that some of the things I claim for puzzles can be argued against too; I’ve been thinking more about this since then. Are puzzles really non-elitist? I say how much I like the universality of crosswords, … Continue reading
Real Grammar: a chat with Carl Eldridge
In this post, a chat about Real Grammar (out last year) with author Carl Eldridge: Carl, I know you were wanting to create something different from the usual grammar books. What has the reaction been to Real Grammar? The reaction has been great. Students tell me they finally understand how grammar works and can now make their own sentences with confidence. Which … Continue reading
ESL Extras ‘show and tell’ with YouTube
I’ve been experimenting with video lately – not that I feel very confident about having my face on screen – but there are things that text just can’t do. I want to show people what the books look like, demonstrate how I’d use the Maybe Next Year faces or the Welcome to Hope Street cut-ups, and answer those questions I … Continue reading
Pre-employment for beginners: the resource list
From July 2017, our national AMEP (Adult Migrant English Program) will change. Providers will be offering both a Social and a Pre-Employment English stream – at all levels. Teachers are looking around the bookshelves to see what’s there that’s not out of date (agencies change names, print ads disappear…). Some may have concerns, addressed a decade ago in the 2006 AMEPRC paper Teaching Strategies – 2 … Continue reading
