Get Students Speaking in the Classroom

Fantastic article on strategies that encourage students to speak more in the classroom.

Get Started with Student-Centered Learning - A Beginner's How To Guide

Get Started with Student-Centered Learning - A Beginner's How To Guide

Some useful TESOL Glossaries

A useful little glossary of terms, but needs a bit more work... TEFL A-Z

Another ESL glossary from Boggles World can be found here: ESL glossary

One of the most comprehensive and authoritative glossaries (in my opinion) is that of the University of Cambridge ESOL site: Cambridge ESOL glossary

Sara Davila

Fantastic site, where Sara has generously shared her teaching ideas and materials. Beautifully set out and user-friendly. Sara's background:

"As an artist, a musician, a writer, and all around creative person, nothing challenges or motivates like the changing world of education. The theory, the practice, the avenues for research and development; this is the world’s most exciting field."


Sara Davila

Easter Poll Results



Dyed red Easter eggs and Tsourekhi



Well, well. . . interesting results.  Thanks for your contributions, everyone!  It seems that the most meaningful aspect of Easter for respondents was the chance to have that extra long weekend.  I guess in our stressed-out, hectic lives, the idea of having a few days to escape from the rat race is extremely appealing. Running close behind was the Christian meaning of Easter. It's odd, but most people I have come across in Sydney (apart from family members and close family friends) in the last few days have told me that Easter has no religious relevance in their lives. For Australians of Greek heritage, Easter is arguably the most important period of the year and one during which they feel most connected with their cultural ancestry.  It's also the time those people of Greek Orthodox faith who don't regularly attend church suddenly come out of the woodwork; churches are bursting with snappily-dressed parishioners whose last liturgical experience was a funeral or christening. Of course, Greek Easter is a combination of religious observance, chatting to relatives and eating too much lamb and chocolate on Easter Sunday.  Such was the case for me today. . . the diet will start as soon as the leftovers and chocolate run out!



Ask an English Language Question!

Type your question under Post your Comment (or comment on somebody's question)

What this Blog is About

My initial concept for this blog was to use this space to celebrate the joys of my mother tongue and to share interesting ideas about language and language teaching that I came across in interviews, newspaper/journal articles, websites and blogs.

Today, the fabulous AMES students who come to my Thursday ILC sessions have inspired me to expand this concept to include a space for people to ask language- and culture- related questions. All English language learners are welcome to participate. I plan to set up a section of this blog where you can post your questions (which I will answer to the best of my ability) and comment on other people's questions.

You could ask about:

Grammatical issues

Australian culture & society

Everyday conversation

Aussie slang

Applying for jobs/preparing for interviews

Word order (syntax)

and anything else to do with language.

Stay tuned to this blog for more information . . .

Pronunciation, Schpronunciation

An interesting post about the problematic nature of phonetic transcription in pronunciation dictionaries :


  http://phonetic-blog.blogspot.com/2011/03/unpacking-conventions.html

Sybarite

Oooh, a new word — sybarite!*.   Definition according to the Cambridge Online Dictionary: a person who loves expensive things and pleasure -- similar to hedonist, bon vivant or epicurean

Now, is it possible to be cheapskate sybarite, I wonder. . .

*as used by Ken Follett in his wonderful interview with Jennifer Byrne on ABC1

Ok, this is my first post -- here goes

Aloha, welcome to my blog!  I'm a newbie at this stuff so I think I'll be feeling my way around for a little while until I get used to these bloggy surrounds. . .