Category: English Language Teaching

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Red Balloons, London T-Shirts and Open Doors: The Experiences of an Oral Examiner

By Katherine Reilly, Author, Teacher Trainer

Originally Published in ELT NEWS Magazine

“Look at the following pictures. I would like you to describe them for me please,” I asked as I handed the candidate the photos. As he spoke, I couldn’t help but wonder what I would have said if our positions were reversed. Some pictures are so vague, I actually feel sorry for the test takers. How long and to what extent can you describe a red balloon? The student had already started trembling as I urged him to continue with his description, so as to meet the time restrictions imposed by the university. To his merit, he did quite well as he expanded the description to how the image made him feel.

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How to Use a Semicolon

It may seem like the semicolon is struggling with an identity crisis. It looks like a comma crossed with a period. Maybe that’s why we toss these punctuation marks around like grammatical confetti; we’re confused about how to use them properly. Emma Bryce clarifies best practices for the semi-confusing semicolon. Lesson by Emma Bryce, animation by Karrot Entertainment.

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Webinar – Students of the Pandemic

After enduring recessions, a pandemic and major retcons in education, both educators and students are called upon to adhere to their respective roles, be it in the classroom or on camera. The challenges posed by our present predicament will test our capabilities in the academic field via experimentation of new scholastic approaches, the fostering of critical thought and the motivation to help our students build personal identities that will positively impact their welfare and progress.
To this end, the webinar will focus on the following approaches:
• Empowerment of students via various forms of engagement.
• Unconventional approaches to spark interest and stimulate participation.
• Experimenting and reflecting on what works and what doesn’t.
• Tailoring the lesson to the students’ needs.
Registration fee: 20€ https://bit.ly/38SaoDV by ELT NEWS