#IATEFL2018: Making PARSNIPs palatable by Rose Aylett

Here are my notes from this very interesting and thought-provoking session I attended yesterday. Premise PARSNIPs are left out of classroom practice because of: institutional policies local culture lack of materials fear of Ss reactions However, they are important and Ss often need the language to talk about these issues. So why boycott them? How...

I’m tired

I apologise for the rant that follows, but sometimes I just need to get things out of my chest, and this is one of those times. Despite the best efforts of the institution I work for to actively promote equality, we still get loads of requests for madrelingua (native speakers). And do you know where these...

My #tdsigcarnival contribution: peer observations

This post is in response to TDSiG request to share teacher development success stories as part of their 2018 Web Carnival. In my experience, one of the most successful and useful TD activities we do where I teach are peer observations. In this post, I would like to explain why. 1: Quick and easy tricks...

I’m back

I can't believe it's already been more than a month since my last post. Not a good start in my New Year resolutions. Oh, well. Before I get back into my blogging mood (I'm already preparing a post for the TDSiG Web Carnival event), let me update you on a couple of things: I've passed...

2018: hopes and resolutions

First things first: I wish a happy and peaceful 2018 to you all and to your families and colleagues. May this 2018 bring love and understanding in both your home and your classroom. Now let me talk about blogging and resolutions. As I wrote on my previous post, I am immensely proud of my 2017...

My wandering 2017

The end of 2017 is approaching, so it feels like a good time to stop for a moment and take stock of this blogging year. This blog has been (and hopefully will be) a great CPD tool, as well as a great place to come to when I needed to put something into writing in...

Fighting climate change: lesson notes

Today I would like to share a very successful lesson I created for a B2 (upper-intermediate) group around the topic of climate change and this article by The Guardian. This is a very rough plan and needs fine-tuning, mainly to suit your learners needs and interests. I have used this lesson with both adults and...

Delta module 1 exam is over

Some impressions after sitting Delta module 1 exam. After more than 15 months of preparation (while also working full time), I finally sat module 1 exam last Wednesday. Of course I can't say anything about the result, as I will not know until next February, but I just wanted to note down some impressions I have had after doing the exam.

Storytelling with YLs

Last year I worked with a group of ten eight-year-olds in an afternoon, after-school class. I met the children once a week for one hour and a half, the idea behind it being to reinforce what the children were already doing at school using children's books as a base for the lessons. At the time...