All articles by Jim Scrivener – Page 3

  • Article

    Skills: teaching resources: sound effects

    Sound-effect CDs are an exciting teaching resource. These are recordings that have hardly any words on - but instead contain a sequence of noises such as crashes, bumps, bangs, whistles, screams etc. Here are some ideas for using sound-effects in the classroom.

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    Methodology: level testing in EFL

    Advice on evaluating the level of new students.

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    General: teaching English one-to-one

    Long one-to-one lessons can sometimes be exhausting for both teacher and learner. Here are some ideas for keeping them fresh.

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    Imaginative materials: teaching English using timetables

    Printed train or bus timetables are often available as free leaflets or can be downloaded and printed from the internet. This simple resource can be used in a number of ways.

  • Article

    Imaginative materials: using movies to teach English

    Most students enjoy watching a good movie, whether at the cinema or on TV. Here are a few ideas for making use of their interest and knowledge to create some unusual activities.

  • Article

    Skills: telephoning in English

    For many learners using the telephone in English is a particularly nerve-wracking experience. As well as all the standard "telephone phrases" learners need strategies for getting a failing interaction to work. Here are some ideas for confidence-building in class.

  • Article

    Skills: teaching English intonation

    Many teachers find intonation difficult to teach. As a result they may avoid it. But intonation can be fun to work with - and it can make other language areas such as grammar easier to teach. Here are some ideas.

  • Article

    Skills: teaching listening in English

    Modern coursebooks provide some excellent recorded material, but it can be exciting to supplement this with more unusual sources of listening work. Here are some ideas.

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    Skills: responding to real-life events

    When there is a tragic event in the world teachers often feel the need to address it in some way in classroom time. Finding a way to do this appropriately and sensitively can sometimes be hard. Help is here.

  • Article

    Imaginative materials: fab phone features

    Mobile phones have many features and can provide great opportunities for activities. Here are a few ideas to get the most out mobiles in lessons.

  • The First Lesson of the Year
    Article

    General: the first lesson of the year

    Even if the teacher and class have all worked together before, it is still useful to have activities to welcome everyone back and mark the start of the new year.

  • Photo of children having a party.
    Article

    Imaginative materials: teaching with party games

    In many parts of the world the end of the year is the season for parties. And in class, the last lesson of the year often has a party atmosphere. So, to help things go with a swing, here are three classic party games adapted to be a little more ...

  • Article

    Skills: Glorious gap-fills

    There seem to be an awful lot of gap-fill exercises in course books nowadays. And sometimes they can be rather dreary for students and teacher alike. Well, you could try some of these ideas.

  • Article

    General: using translation

    There is a great deal of useful awareness-raising when learners compare English with their own tongue. Here are four great translation games - and they don’t even require you to speak the other language!

  • Article

    General: making things last

    Ever run out of things to do five minutes before the end of class? There are some fairly simple tricks for usefully extending an activity – so that things just beautifully fall into place.

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    General: pairing and grouping students

    With current teaching methodology teachers are constantly needing to get students into pairs or small groups. A bit of variety can sometimes raise a smile and can also help you to mix up groupings a little.

  • Article

    General: planning lessons

    Remember, a plan is not a route-map of what must happen in class, it is only your informed setting-up of some possibilities. Here are a few ideas for alternative plans:

  • Article

    General: setting homework

    Tired of setting the usual homework tasks? Here are 18 unusual ideas for "homedo" tasks.

  • Article

    Skills: graded readers

    Reading a novel is essentially a private, personal activity – but it can still provide useful classroom work . Here are some ideas for working with graded readers in class.

  • Article

    Grammar: reviewing the present simple

    Present simple for habits and routines is a frequently taught item. Here are some new ways of teaching these familiar items.