For many English language instructors, teaching academic writing can be a struggle. Perhaps that’s because we usually approach writing internally, and often without any kind of structure or process. Students might start with the first sentence and see where that takes them. But think of it this way: Unless you’re
In the constantly evolving landscape of English language teaching, the necessity to focus on real-life communication over rote learning has gained much more prominence in recent years. Many researchers and practitioners have emphasized vocabulary acquisition and its role in fostering fluency and natural language use. This blog post explores the
Competence, in its general sense, reflects the ability to perform a task successfully, and it is typically comprised of a blend of both innate abilities and learned skills. For English-language learners to show that they are prepared to navigate the complexities of higher education, they must not only demonstrate linguistic
All teachers face the same question every day: How do I know if (and what) my students learned? Formative assessment—informal monitoring of students’ progress in a class—can help answer this question. It’s a way for teachers to check in on their students’ learning and inform teaching. Ok, that all sounds
When was the last time you read a long article online from start to finish, without seeing any images? Most information today is communicated online via web articles and blogs—like this one—using a combination of text and images or graphics. Why is this? One reason is that infographics are liked
When you hear the term ‘mediation’, what words come to mind? Perhaps you might think of words such as negotiation, conflict, or resolution. In the common understanding of the term, the ‘mediator’ is a neutral third party in a situation of conflict who helps each party define the issues, see
As we approach the 2030 target date for achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, we’re seeing increasing focus on these in our classrooms. As Irina Bokova, former Director-General of UNESCO, explains, “Education is at the heart of our efforts both to adapt to change and to transform the world
The ability to communicate clearly and collaborate with others are two of the most important skills for today’s learners. These skills need to be developed through consistent practice, so it’s important to provide plenty of opportunities for learners to speak and work with others in class. Below are some ideas
More and more is being written about self-directed professional development (SDPD) as teachers (and indeed all professionals) start taking their professional development into their own hands. SDPD garnered more interest during the pandemic, as teachers began turning to resources outside their institutes to help them rethink how they taught and
We deal with an increasing amount of information daily, whether we are scrolling social media or catching up on the news. How can we avoid information overload and retain what we read? We need to be active consumers of information, constantly improving our ability to understand and present information visually.