Language Matters : Pot Pourri
How good is your understanding of the form, use and phonological features occurring in various structures and lexical chunks? Test your understanding with this activity - and then check your answers...
View ArticleUsing Coursebooks in the Classroom
This post is based on material originally used in our Delta Module One course, and looks at the advantages and disadvantages of basing your course on a textbook, the alternatives to doing so, and how...
View ArticleLanguage Matters : Connected Speech
Pronunciation changes in connected speech often cause comprehension problems for learners. To help them you need a clear understanding of what the features are and how they affect words in the stream...
View ArticleUsing Different Dictation Techniques
This article focuses on Dictation and asks….a) What are the beliefs about second language learning that underlie the techniques known as Dictogloss and Running Dictation?b) For what purposes could a...
View ArticleUsing Information Gap Activities
Look at the following quote from Scott Thornbury discussing Information Gap activities:The archetypal communicative activity is the information gap task ... where Student...
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Language Matters : Beside / Besides
1. Explain the form and meaning/use of the words beside and besides in the following examples, which all come from the Collins Cobuild Concordancer (no longer available on the web).a) .... It is now...
View ArticleUsing Task Based Learning
This article focuses on the following quote from Jane & Dave Willis, The Cambridge Guide to TESOL, CUP 2001: 174. 'One feature of TBL …… is that learners carrying out a task are free to use any...
View ArticleUsing PPP as a Lesson Format
This article is adapted from material previously used on our Delta Module One Course. It focuses on PPP (Presentation, Practice, Production) as a lesson format. If you're not familiar with the...
View ArticleThe Controlled Practice Stage
Current coursebooks contain far fewer controlled practice activities than were used at the beginning of the Communicative era. These days most controlled practice is generally found in the workbook,...
View ArticleUsing Translation in the Classroom
This article looks at the pros and cons of using and teaching translation in the classroom. It was originally part of our Delta Module One course and it discusses the questions:a) Why is...
View ArticlePot Pourri (3) Suggested Answers
The following is an extract from Brotton, J. (2012) A History of the World in Twelve Maps, Penguin, pp, 218-219Ever since the Habsburg emperor Charles V had inherited the Low Countries from...
View ArticlePot Pourri (2): Suggested Answers
The following is an extract from Haraki Murakami's novel, IQ84 (p.801). Analyse the form and use of the phrase, and comment on any problems (including phonological problems and problems of meaning)...
View ArticleTeaching Grammar at Advanced Levels
This article is based on work from our Delta Module one course, and looks at teaching grammar to advanced level learners (CEFR C1/2) and why it needs to be remedial as well as focusing on new areas...
View ArticleIntermediate Learners - Needs, Problems and Solutions
This article, originally part of our Delta Module One course, focuses on teaching intermediate learners and asks:a) What are the needs and problems faced by intermediate learners?b)How can these needs...
View ArticleBeginner and Elementary Learners - problems, needs and techniques.
This article, originally part of our Delta courses looks at teaching beginner and elementary learners (CEFR A1 /A2 levels) and asks:a) What are the problems you face in beginners and elementary...
View ArticleLanguage Matters: Pot Pourri (2)
How good is your understanding of the form, use and phonological features occurring in various structures and lexical items? What problems might they cause for students? Test your understanding with...
View ArticleLanguage Matters: Pot Pourri (3)
How good is your understanding of the form, use and phonological features occurring in various structures and lexical items? What problems might they cause for students? Test your understanding with...
View ArticleLexical Chunks (1) Suggested Answers
This task asks you to analyse the form and use of various lexical chunks from a novel. For the full text of the task, see here.Cold sweatForm : Adjective cold + singular countable common noun...
View ArticleLanguage Matters: Lexical Chunks (1)
Analyse the form and use of the highlighted lexical chunks in the extracts below. Don't do them all at once - try one or two a day and then check with the suggested answers here. Note anything you miss...
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Teaching Business English
This article, based on material from our Delta Courses, focuses on teaching Business English and looks at:a) how BE classes differ from general purpose classes, b) the problems that they raise and how...
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