All Reference Material articles – Page 9

  • Article

    Methodology: Coherence and cohesion

    Can a cohesive text be incoherent? Is coherence subjective? Scott Thornbury takes a look at the difference between coherence and cohesion and suggests some practical ways that we can teach both in an EFL context.

  • Article

    Word of the week: Mint

    Tim Bowen explains the origin and different meanings of this word. It's mint !

  • Article

    Word of the week: Gung-ho

    Are you a little gung-ho in your approach to things? Tim Bowen explains the unusual origins of this word.

  • Article

    Word of the week: Moonlighting

    Fancy a spot of moonlighting ? Tim Bowen explains why this is not as romantic as it sounds...

  • Article

    Word of the week: Green

    How green are you? Tim Bowen explains why he's not asking about your colour!

  • Article

    Word of the week: Muppet

    Remember the cute puppet show? Tim Bowen explains how the word 'muppet' has entered popular slang.

  • Article

    Word of the week: Penguin

    With global warming high on the agenda at the moment, the possible fate of the penguin has been in the news as its natural habitat is affected by the consequences of rising sea temperatures and diminishing ice cover in the Antarctic. The word penguin is another word ...

  • Article

    Word of the week: Nice

    Are you a nice person? Tim Bowen explains why this popular word hasn't always been a compliment.

  • Article

    Word of the week: Snob

    The Macmillan English dictionary for Advanced Learners defines snob as ‘someone who thinks and behaves as if they are better than other people, usually because of their social class’. If you call someone a snob , this usually means that you don’t like their superior attitude and behaviour. ...

  • Article

    Word of the week: Rocket science

    Rocket science can be broadly described as the science and technology of space research. Few would argue that this particular area of human activity is not a complex one and that rocket scientists are, in all probability, highly skilled and knowledgeable people. In colloquial British English you will ...

  • Article

    Word of the week: Spam

    Do you remember this brand of tinned meat? Tim Bowen explains that, with new advances in technology, 'spam' is no longer something you might want to put in your sandwiches.

  • Article

    Word of the week: Fun run

    Have you ever entered a fun run ? Or is that not your idea of 'fun'? Tim Bowen may persuade you to dust off your running shoes with this explanation.

  • Article

    Word of the week: Friendly fire

    If you regularly watch the news, friendly fire is a term you are probably familiar with. Tim Bowen explains this topical oxymoron.

  • Article

    Word of the week: Multitasking

    The word multitasking came originally from the world of computers. It was used to refer to the ability of a computer’s central processing unit to do several different things at the same time. The term soon began to be applied to people as well as computers. If someone is ...

  • Article

    Word of the week: Cowboy

    Are you a fan of the Wild West? Tim Bowen explains why cowboy no longer just refers to the gun-slinging heroes of our childhood.

  • Article

    Speaking matters: Assessing speaking

    Adrian Tennant talks about how and when to assess speaking in the classroom, and provides some practical ideas for setting up assessment activities.

  • Article

    Word of the week: Headbanger

    Do you like to spend your weekends headbanging to your favourite band? Well, you could be crazy, according to Tim Bowen's explanation of this word.

  • Article

    Mixed-ability classes

    Alex Case addresses the difficulties faced by teachers whose young learners have very different levels of English.

  • Article

    Word of the week: Maverick

    Do you see yourself as a little bit different or do you just follow the herd? You could be a maverick , according to Tim Bowen's explanation of this word.

  • Article

    Word of the week: Buff

    Do you fancy yourself as a bit of a film buff ? Or do you fancy your buff next door neighbour? Tim Bowen explains all about this interesting word.