Currently viewing the tag: "EFL"

Toronto in May (uncovering the teacher plan, post 2)

By On May 7, 2013

I apologise for forcing you to read the last post with little guidance, but could you figure out the aims, measurable objectives and possible instructions on an assignment handout? Did you consider how you might take elements of it for your own student projects?

Getting […]

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Toronto in May (a teacher training exercise, post 1)

By On May 7, 2013

Torontonians can almost always count on May to be where spring reliably emerges, bringing with it emotional renewal and visible transformations.

May is when vegetation in Toronto makes its swiftest change in appearance and visibility. On a chilly, rainy late April afternoon, tree buds just begin to appear. Within a week into May, full green […]

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#eltjob? a chat about ELT employment

By On August 2, 2012

Today on Twitter, I noticed another chat hashtag #edhire, thanks to Lisa Dabbs (@teachingwithsoul), which from what I initially gathered is a chance for teachers to discuss tips for gaining employment within the K-12 system.  This gave me an idea and I’d […]

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A language teacher’s Xmas wishlist

By On December 23, 2011


It’s the Christmas…/cough/…holiday season and with it come the wish lists full of toys, games, clothes and gadgets. Although many of the gifts under this tree contain those things, none of them contain the more abstract wishes I have for English language teachers everywhere. 

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Ideas for using graphic novels

By On December 19, 2011


I’m a nerd.  It’s true.  Always have been.  Sometimes I’ve just thrown people off with nice clothes and the occasional hippy hairstyle.  Thankfully, nerds have now taken over cool.  And thus, it should come as no surprise that one of my favourite types of media to bring into class every once […]

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ELT bites (not how you think)

By On November 23, 2011

Sometimes the photocopier is blown, there’s no tech in your room and you forgot all other materials back on your desk, far far away.  A very minimalist activity that generates language and conversation would be helpful now–a nice, bite-sized glimmer of hope for prep gone awry.  These types of activities are included in […]

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The 1st week is around the corner

By On August 29, 2011

With the new academic year just around the corner for many public schools (almost everything in Canada, including university, begin classes the Tuesday after Labour Day each year), the anticipation of a new classes, new students and in some cases new programs, is building among the teacher community.  Is […]

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CBC has the goods, but not the support

By On March 20, 2011

CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation) is our media and cultural “home of Canadian content”.  It’s authentic news and documentary programming for radio, podcast and television (there’s also scripted TV too) which has extraordinary potential for classroom use.  As a proud Canadian, I love it.  Colleagues of mine and I have utilised Continue Reading →

Soundcloud for listening practice

By On February 1, 2011

I’m tired of listening practice.  More specifically, I’m tired of the limitations present with traditional methods of doing listening practice.  Usually, it involves playing an audio file from one set of speakers at the front of the room.  Challenge 1:  volume.  Challenge 2:  time constraints.   Alternatively, I point students to audio on the internet and […]

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Vocabulary profiles & memorisation

By On December 21, 2010

Reading through the blogs this week, I came across Emma Harrod’s “Two Week Vocabulary Blogging Challenge“.  It and a couple of responses by Cecilia Coelho (“I Propose a Vocabulary Bank“) and Vicky Loras (“Word of the Week“) inspired some contemplation on […]

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