"When one teaches, two learn"
Over the length of my teaching career, I’ve changed in many ways. I think my journey mimics a lot of ELT teachers. 1. I have slowed down my delivery and instruction considerably. I used to just screech and scream through content. Now, I relax and...
I’ve spent the weekend reading the Heidegger and a Hippo walk through those Pearly Gates, the sequel to the amazing Plato and a Platypus Walk Into A Bar. Amazing books that combine commentary with jokes. As I’m reading, I was thinking of how jokes so...
“I am my language.” What a powerful phrase about how language is so wrapped up with identity. Both our own personal identity and our social identity in a larger group. A language learner aims to get to the moment where they “flow” with the language...
This “game” is based upon my first successful game “Who Is Speaking” which used the speech accent archive. In it, you listen to the 1st Article of the Universal Declaration of the Rights of Man spoken in a foreign language. Then you guess and see...
Yesterday at the gym, in sharp succession, was called “Sir” by two young men (probably high school age). One replied, “Yes, sir” when I asked if I was going in the direction of the change rooms. The other banged the door into me and gave...
I’ve been thinking a lot about “free will” and the nature of the choices we make – both in teaching and in life. Recent research, especially since the famous Libert experiment, suggests we make decisions before we even know we make decisions. Meaning, something, a...
I’m in love with the alphabet! It is for me, a mine where my deep waters run still, until there is nothing left. It is the ultimate organizer, the ultimate trumpet of sound, the operating table of meaning. Years ago (see the date on...
Finally for the moment, finished with this project – The Idiot’s Dictionary. However, dictionaries, like poems, are never finished, merely abandoned….. Enjoy – get the online copy here. (download button, bottom right) If you really get into it – think of purchasing the hard cover....
We have so many “hypothesis” about second language learning. I’ve commented on this before. Today, just a shout out to the one thing I know that works for all. Not an hypothesis but a fact, – being busy. It’s all about just keeping at it....
As a teacher, I really didn’t follow the standard “levels” of fluency – all those test numbers or beginner – intermediate – advanced. No, I had my own standards, my own way of placing this bar. For me, there were only 3 levels or abilities....
I’ve written a lot about using poetry in the classroom. However, came across my old audio page collection and noted Billy Collins great audio recordings (see below) – couldn’t help sharing. Decided to collect his wonderful “visual” poems in a nice player. Find them, along...
I haven’t posted in awhile. Been traveling and life happens. But looking forward to a summer where I’ll be writing some more “eclectic” posts. This summer, I’ll be focusing on 3 things here: 1. Broad issues in education 2. Highlighting older posts that are well...
I’ve always been fascinated by the role memory plays in language acquisition. It isn’t a straight forward relationship (better memory = better fluency) however, looking at student “2nd language memory” does allow us teachers in a very crude way, to gather knowledge about student fluency....
Find more videos like this on ELT Buzz Video I’ve been noticing more and more, teachers and especially those acknowledged as “leaders”, sharing sites where learners learn “words”. These sites usually involve games or tools that allow the user to have fun with words. These...
As a teacher of language, I love thinking about language. This weekend I made a few quizzes which I’ll be modifying over the next month. Making them more interactive and also with video. However, I chanced upon this video of many languages and readings of...
This video is raw, raw and real. Meaning, to me it speaks on many levels (both good and bad) because it is from the heart, the belly and the brain – because it has spirit and eyes and emotion. We need more of this type...
Sue Lyon-Jones shared this wonderful video on her blog and it really hit me as a great symbol of a language learner who “takes a chance” and just lets the language come out and go through him or her. Risk-taking is one of the most...
I’ve written a lot about Krashen’s ideas on this blog. Fundamentally because they focus so well on what is “essential” in language learning. He doesn’t suffer fools gladly and I’m glad about that. I was going over his online articles and especially his seminal work...
“You can tune a piano but you can’t tune a fish” Words, words, words. Sometimes I feel like becoming a monk solely for the reason to be beyond words, of no need of words, away from words and their slinking skullduggery. They are cruel and...
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