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Tuesday, September 18, 2012

CULIPS

ESL PODCASTS


A Canadian based website with playful podcasts to help you learn English. Culips podcasts have a lot of cultural contents and we talk a lot about life in Canada and in Montreal in particular.


Thursday, September 13, 2012

THE TIMES IN PLAIN ENGLISH


Reading a newspaper can be a frustrating experience, even in one’s own language!
 Add to the equation a language which isn’t your native tongue and the task becomes even more cumbersome.   Try using ‘The Times in Plain English’.
 The Times in Plain English brings you important news from America’s best sources of information. The writing is in clear, readable English.  It’s a great for learners of the English language because it avoids:
  • Complex sentences
  • Compound sentences
  • Distractions from the main thought
  • Comparisons
  • Metaphors, similes and analogies
  • Argot, slang and idiomatic words
  • Contractions
  • Adjectives
This is a great reading resource for English teachers!



6 GREAT VIDEO TOOLS FOR TEACHERS

Here is a link to some great applications for making or editing videos. 


Thursday, September 6, 2012

15 REASONS WHY ONLINE TEACHER DEVELOPMENT WORKS BEST

Nik Peachey has recently published 15 reasons why online teaching development works best.  I normally try to use my own ideas when blogging but it turns out that I completely agree with Nik and couldn't have expressed myself better than he has!
As an online learner myself, I can completely back up any of the points mentioned.  Having done an online masters practically full time for two years, I could work at my own computer, learn at my own pace and try out any new ideas on the classes that I had at the time. It was a steep learning curve but that's the beauty of working at one's own pace.  On top of developing and fine-tuning my own digital literacy skills, it also gave me great insight into what students go through when participating in online courses and forums.  Last but not least, studying online put me in contact with a great network of professionals with whom I have continued working with and learning from.  For me, the benefits far outnumber any inconvenience.  Have a read!




3 EASY AND EFFECTIVE ESL LESSON PLAN STRATEGIES

I came across this short and sweet text written by Melissa LaBianca about ESL lesson plan strategies and wanted to quickly share the link.  Most of you will be starting up a new school year and wanting some new and refreshing strategies and ideas which will help you when it comes to planning your lessons.  Something to think about!