Pronunciation Chart - Hear the Sounds!

Help your students hear the sounds of English by clicking on the symbols of the pronunciation chart in the link BELOW - you can now install it on your own PC or Mac computer and use off line or in the classroom. To download the chart, simply click on the link below and then save the file to your desktop. You can then just click on the file to open it at any time. (PS: There is a version for a Mac computer on the Teaching English website below, if you use a Mac).

CLICK HERE

Another great idea from
http://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/.

Fun Activity: The Soap Opera

Looking for a fun activity to practice adjectives to describe personality and appearance? Or to develop students´ writing in a creative AND FUN way? Try this! It´s one of my favourite activities! It works very well with adult students (EOI, for example) - I recommend selecting a range of pictures for the students so they can relate to the characters and choose the photos they prefer.

The soap opera

If you like this activity, go to: http://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/ - you will find lots of great ideas for teaching, plus some good articles on aspects of methodology, etc.

Halloween is nearly here!

Halloween is nearly here and what better way to celebrate it than doing a Webquest with your students. For those who don´t know what a webquest is, here is a short definition :

A webquest is an assignment which asks students to use the World Wide Web to learn about and/or synthesize their knowledge on a specific topic. A “true” webquest, as originally designed by Bernie Dodge and Tom March, requires synthesis of the new knowledge by accomplishing a “task,” often to solve a hypothetical problem or address a real-world issue. Simpler web activities designed for students to investigate and collect new knowledge from web-based sources can also be a more engaging and effective replacement for read-the-chapter-and-complete-the-review-questions.

Essentially, webquests are mini projects in which a large percentage of the input and material is supplied by the Internet.

For more information and reasons for doing webquests, and how to structure and produce webquests, read this article below:
Webquest Article

Fancy trying something new with your Bachillerato or teens? Here is a nice webquest a participant on a course I was doing recently sent in .
Go to this link:
Horror Holidays

QUIZ TIME - The 70 Most Beautiful Words in English!

I´m sure you all have your favourite words in English! Maybe you like the meaning of the word, or the sound, or perhaps it makes you laugh.





Well, in 2004, The British Council as part of their 70th Anniversary celebrations, decided to ask people for their favourite 70 words in English.

Can you guess the TOP TEN? Please post your answers in the Comments.

I will reveal the answers on 10 November, so happy word hunting!

250th Anniversary of Robert Burns

Immortal Memory


Did you know 2009 is the 250th Anniversary of the Birth of the great Scottish poet, Robert (Rabbie) Burns? To celebrate this event, there are more than 400 celebrations organized in Scotland throughout 2009. Everyone is welcome to visit! Some of Scotland´s contibutions to the world:


Golf
Whisky
Great inventors
Scientific Innovation
Cultural heritage

Although Burns lived a short life, dying at the age of 37, it was fulfilling and eventful. Starting out as a farmer then moving on to become a writer, Burns travelled throughout Scotland where he gathered inspiration for much of his work. The stunning Ayrshire scenery and the romantic setting of Dumfries helped provide the insight for compiling much of his romantic material.

Around the world tributes to the life and works of Robert Burns are held, through the ritual of the Burns Supper. Originally started a few years after his death by a group of his friends and acquaintances to honour his memory, the suppers are now celebrated annually on the date of his birth, 25th January.

No Burns Supper would be complete without The Haggis, The Drink (normally Whisky), The Songs, The Recitals, The Dance and of course the most important ingredient of all, The Fun. If Burns were alive today he too would surely have enjoyed the celebrations!

2009 marks the 250th anniversary of Robert Burns' birth and is the inspiration behind the year of Homecoming. Come home to the home of Burns in 2009 and celebrate his life and work at one of the many Burns-related events during the year. View the video below for a taster of what it's like to be at a Burns Supper.


If you want to know more about Burns´ life and work - and hear him speak and recite his own poetry, go to this great interactive site which the Scottish government has set up: http://www.scotland.org/burns-night/interactive/

Are Your Students Tense about Tenses?

If so, read this funny example. This is an actual phone call - a student calling her teacher from a railway station........

"Hello, Jill. I´m sorry, I shall be late, er, I mean, I will be late".. Or is it better to say, "I´m going to be late?" Doesn´t "will" suggest volition? And it´s not my fault. I didn´t want to be late - it is the train that is late. (Or should that be "was" late? It should have been here at 08.30 and it is now 08.45). "Oh! I must be quick". (Noise of train in background). "The train has arrived!" - or should that be "is arriving"? It hasn´t stopped yet. Sorry! See you in about an hour´s time".. or should that be "I will see you.." or "I will be seeing you?..

Do you think maybe the teacher has been correcting her students too much?! How much should we correct and when should we ignore mistakes? What do you think?