Teaching and writing materials for migrant learners in Australia
Covers of Contact English and Streamline Departures

A few thoughts on the ‘instant lessons’ that I’ve tried to provide with the Teacher’s Guide notes in ESL Extras… Learning to teach … How did you learn how to teach English (and move from theory to practice)? Back when I started, we still had ‘team teaching’ and I learnt so much from watching experienced teachers in action. (There must … Continue reading

2015 Jun 02

My turtles drink milk: Why I love Duolingo

For the last few months I’ve been spending 10 minutes a day ‘playing’ at learning Spanish on my phone with Duolingo, my favourite app. If you haven’t tried it, it’s a must – it’s free, there are no ‘in-app purchases’, and you even win ‘lingots’ to buy virtual rewards as you progress. (Duolingo makes their money by crowd-sourcing translations.) Things … Continue reading

Encounters on the Front Line book cover by Elaine Harvey

This time it’s not a new ELT resource that I’ve found, but a book that has huge resonance for me: a ‘return to Cambodia’ memoir, by Elaine Harvey, a nurse who worked for the Red Cross in Thai/Cambodian border refugee camps in 1980, when conditions were volatile and deeply confronting: the camp would be shelled at night and the medical staff would drive … Continue reading

2015 May 14

Free digital literacy resource kit from AMES Vic

Free resource kit

I had an excellent time at the NEAS conference: lots and lots to think about and the happiness of catching up with materials writer Lilliana Hajncl, who was presenting on the FREE Digital literacy for mobile phones: Resource Kit that she developed with Dora Troupiotis – it’s free from the AMES Vic website, but I have to confess I’d never looked … Continue reading

2015 Apr 20

The NEAS conference approaches…

Doltone House, the NEAS Conference venue

I’m looking forward to the NEAS conference in May (and as usual it’s a stunning location, based on this photo from their site…) Please come and say hello if you’re there – I’ll be attending the AMEP sessions, of course.

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