“Emergent language” is a bit of a buzz term in English language teaching. It can be defined as any unplanned language item that arises naturally during lessons that the teacher then chooses to focus on for clarification or modification. In this post, we will look at some examples and practical ideas. 10 language examples Here …
Silent viewing is a standard way to use video in the classroom. The idea is simple: the teacher plays the video with the sound down and students have to guess what the characters are talking about, what they are saying, etc. However, as we will see in this post, there is an alternative approach that …
The ability to visualise is an essential and fundamental part of comprehension. And an awareness of the images that you intend to plant in your audience’s mind is vital for all communicators. A recent LessonStream lesson plan makes use of a story told by Prince William. Just ahead of the Queen’s 90th birthday in 2016, …
The idea behind story dice is simple: students throw the dice and take inspiration from the icons to create a story. One of the great things about story dice is that they require minimal teacher input. But minimal input does not mean zero input. Without any instruction or guidance, the resulting stories can seem contrived …
This time last year, I had just got back from an incredible trip to Myanmar. It was an unforgettable experience that was made particularly special by all the new friends that I made. One of them was a young tour guide called Chris. On February 23rd 2020, I made Chris the subject of a LessonStream …
Myanmar: What can a teacher learn from a tour guide? Read More »
Here is a story from my book Videotelling: YouTube Stories for the Classroom. It works well with face-to-face and live online video classes. Part one: the image This story is about a young Dutch man called Zwier. You can use the image above to introduce him to your students. Ask them to guess what’s going on – what’s …
As teachers, there is a lot we can learn from storytellers. In this post, we consider the narrative hook – a storytelling device that can be effective for getting students’ attention. A desperate man Walter is naked except for his white underpants and an old-style gas mask which completely covers his face. The hot desert …
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