After years of talking and writing about critical thinking (CT) and of reading and listening to others do the same, my colleague John Hughes and I decided that we should codify our thoughts on the subject. What came out of it two years later was Critical Thinking in ELT: a practical
In the article on the topic of Critical Thinking in ELT, my co-author Paul Dummett suggested that critical thinking in English language teaching should involve more than simply identifying fact from misinformation or searching texts for supporting evidence. We argue instead that critical thinking is more encompassing and should be viewed
We’re back with more Learning Moments photos! This week’s highlighted photo was taken by Lilly Anastasiou from Athens, Greece. Read on to learn what makes this photo great for teaching the present continuous. Let us know if you try it out with your students! Photo submitted by Lilly Anastasiou from Athens, Greece. School/Institution: Iordanakeion
If you’ve already told stories in your classroom, you’ll know just how magical it can be. However, you might have also experienced a session where the students couldn’t concentrate properly or get engaged in the story you were trying to tell. Below, you’ll find are a number of things that
In this series of blog posts for 2020, Katherine shares ideas for creative mini-project lesson plans that encourage learners to take an interest in aspects of nature. The series will motivate learners to feel wonder, respect, and love for the natural world. Learners will develop traditional skills of reading, writing,
Creativity and creative thinking are generally viewed as positive elements in a classroom. When students are being creative, we assume they are having fun, they are motivated and they are using language in a way which will be memorable to them. Similarly, when we describe a colleague as ‘creative’, it’s
This Learning Moment was submitted by Abir Doukani from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The photo is of a sunrise on the island of Thulhagiri, Maldives. Read on to learn more about how you might use this photo in your classroom! What makes this photo a learning moment? Tell us how you might use
In this series of blog posts for 2020, Katherine shares ideas for creative mini-project lesson plans that encourage learners to take an interest in aspects of nature. The series will motivate learners to feel wonder, respect, and love for the natural world. Learners will develop traditional skills of reading, writing,
If you’re dreaming of warmer weather and a beautiful sunset, take a look at Juan Flamenco’s photo taken in San Salvador, El Salvador. Submitted by Juan Flamenco, a teacher in San Salvador, El Salvador. School/Institution: Universidad Jose Simeon Canas What makes this photo a learning moment? Tell us how you might
In my previous post, I looked at one way to plan an entire lesson around a video by using a before/while/after-you-watch structure. It’s a reliable structure which allows a teacher to plan a series of exercises with almost any type of video. However, one of the most common problems I