learning styles – yes, it’s complicated
People are different and learn in different ways, of course, perhaps regardless of whatever unique language-specific mechanisms we might believe are at play in the process. It’s only natural, then,...
View Articlelinguistic intuition
There’s a very interesting discussion taking place on Scott Thornbury’s blog right now, sparked by his brilliant “feel” post. The central question he attempts to address is one which has been...
View Articlethe hazy line between grammar & lexis (1)
This post is a short anecdotal account of two lessons I taught in 2002. Why on earth, you must be wondering, would I have any sort of recollection of two lessons I taught nearly ten years ago. It so...
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adult students: why won’t they learn?
7 hypotheses that may account for some adult students’ perplexing lack of progress in their language learning. This post offers no solutions, of course. Only reflections and further questions. Last...
View ArticleTerry Aranda (part 2)
Reading as Critical Thinking (part 2) Click here for the first part of this post. Literature circles are a special kind of small-group literature discussion in which the kids themselves lead the...
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teacher talking time – it’s complicated
Does teacher talking time matter? If you’ve been in the profession long enough, chances are that you’ve either been told that your teacher talking time (TTT) was way too high or that you’ve told...
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Mother tongue (L1) to teach English – a no no?
Here I go again. Another can of worms. This time, I’m tackling the M word: the of the mother tongue (L1) in the EFL / ESL class. What’s the role of translation? Some teachers say they tend to steer...
View ArticleStrategic competence vs. language acquisition
Can students’ over reliance on strategic competence when attacking difficult listening material actually hinder (rather than enhance) long-term language learning? Yes, I believe it can. Let me explain...
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Is it OK to use translation in class?
This post is my answer to an agony letter I received a while ago. The question was “Is teaching through translation a good idea?” Dear Luiz, Whenever I use translation in class, I feel a little guilty,...
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