Tag: elt

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School Crafts and ELT?! I’m a Teacher, Not an Artisan!

photo credits: master1305

by Katherine Reilly, originally published in ELT NEWS printed magazine

Have you ever experienced the chaos of school crafting? If you’re reading this, then you probably attest to the anguish, frustration and occasional frivolity of trying to accomplish such a feat within the time restrictions of our lessons.

“Teacher? I can’t cut this! Help me!” or the classic, “Mary’s not sharing the markers with us!” And let’s not forget, “This glue has dried up, and Mark is using the other one to stick the pages of his book together!”

So many more incidents could be mentioned, however, we still have a long way to go till Christmas holiday and discouraging you is the last thing I wish to accomplish.

Continue reading “School Crafts and ELT?! I’m a Teacher, Not an Artisan!”
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Grammar Woes and Laughs: How to Thrive Amidst Linguistic Lunacy

picture by freepik.com

by Katherine Reilly, originally published in ELT NEWS printed magazine

After more than two decades of teaching grammar, I can assuredly attest to the notion that language teaching has become the embodiment of God’s sense of humor. Bold claims to be held, albeit with concrete justification. I cannot begin to comprehend the turmoil and frustration faced by a language learner when interpreting Greek idioms which baffle them beyond explanation. “Slow the much oil” or “You’ll eat wood” are but a few examples to consider. Of course, this works both ways as learners of English would be scratching their heads when hearing the expression “Bite the bullet” or “I’ll spill the beans”. I can only imagine how upset a host would be upon hearing his guest say the latter, fretting for his clean, shiny floor. Admittedly, I have obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and preserving a spotless kitchen floor is a constant painstaking endeavor.

Continue reading “Grammar Woes and Laughs: How to Thrive Amidst Linguistic Lunacy”