All Reference Material articles – Page 21
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ArticleTeenagers: Songs: Activities
Using pop songs in the classroom is a common activity. They are an enjoyable alternative to the traditional listening comprehension.
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ArticleMethodology: absolute beginners
An article offering suggestions and advice on teaching absolute beginners.
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Phrase of the week: to beat about the bush
Tim Bowen sheds some light on the origins and definition of the phrase to beat about the bush.
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Festivals: Europe Day (9th May)
In the aftermath of World War II, Europe faced a difficult future to try and rebuild itself. On the 9th May 1950, the French Foreign Minister, Robert Schuman read to the world a declaration calling for France, Germany and other European countries to bring together their coal and steel industries ...
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Festivals: Children's Day: Kodomo-no-hi (5th May)
This festival is believed by some to come originally from an ancient Chinese festival dedicated to boys during which people would hang medicinal herbs to keep away childhood diseases. This day was created during the Edo period of Japan's history (1603-1867) to stress the importance of military training for boys. ...
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Festivals: American Day of Independence (4th July)
This is considered to be the birthday of the United States of America and is celebrated each year with fireworks displays, parades, family gatherings and concerts. At the end of the Seven Years' War in 1763 (a conflict mainly about trading rights between Great Britain and France in the ...
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Teenagers: Reading 4: Extensive reading
Reading in English is very good to help language development. Here are some ideas to encourage extensive reading.
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Festivals: New Year's Eve (31st December)
Many cities and countries around the world are very proud of their New Year celebrations. Cities organize street parties with fireworks, music, food and dancing. Here are some examples of how Christmas is celebrated in different countries: Scotland In Scotland many of the traditions of 'Hogmanay' (as the New Year ...
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Lesson Share: Thursday 31st March: Grammar
In her tenth diary entry, Maria Alamanou feels frustrated by the grammar depicted in advanced level course books
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Lesson Share: Tuesday 30th November: Phrasal verb stupor
In her second diary entry, Maria Alamanou discusses the problems of teaching phrasal verbs
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Festivals: Doll Festival/Hina Matsuri (3rd March)
This festival is celebrated in Japan where families with girls wish their daughters a successful and happy life. This tradition dates back hundreds of years from a Chinese custom which says that bad fortune is passed to the dolls and then removed by leaving the dolls on a river. Dolls ...
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Grammar contrasts 3: will vs going to
An article explaining the difference between will and going to when talking about the future.
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Grammar and vocabulary: What is Standard English?: Part 3
In the third part of this discussion and explanation on the concept of Standard English, Tim Bowen focuses on International English.
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Teenagers: Reading 3: Vary the tasks
Course books tend to set very similar tasks for reading. This gets very boring for students and some students may just not be very good at that task type but still be good readers. Here are some ideas to help you vary the tasks for your students.
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Lesson Share: Friday 29th October: All the hours of the week
In her third diary entry, Maria Alamanou feels embrassed about dreaming in English
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Festivals: Feast of Passover begins (26th March)
This seven or eight day festival (depending on where you live) commemorates the time when the 'Children of Israel' were led out of slavery to freedom by Moses. They had been slaves in Egypt for over 200 years and when the Pharaoh refused to release the Israelites, God visited ten ...
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Lesson Share: Tuesday 25th January: To translate or not to translate
In her seventh diary entry, Maria Alamanou describes the perils of translation in Greece
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Festivals: Christmas (24th-26th December)
The Christmas Story Christmas is celebrated in different ways throughout the world. Often, the way in which people celebrate Christmas depends upon their family customs or traditions. In the UK, children in primary schools often perform nativity plays, which are reproductions or interpretations of the religious story behind Christmas - ...
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Festivals: St George's Day (23rd April)
Very little is known about the man who became St George as many accounts of his reputation were written by his followers and became enhanced. It is now very difficult to extract historical facts from the myths. George is believed to have been born in Anatolia (modern-day Turkey), in the ...