Uncategorized – The Art of TEFL

**Grammar practice in foreign language learning: focus on input and output tasks**

This blog post will examine whether grammar practice activities promote competent language use and whether they foster fluent and accurate communication in the foreign language. The traditional view of grammar practice is that it involves “the rehearsal of certain behaviours with the objective of consolidating learning and improving performance” (Ur 1996:19). Ellis (1994: 63)ContinueContinue reading “Grammar practice in foreign language learning: focus on input and output tasks“

Introducing new language in the EFL classroom: the concepts of form and meaning

When we plan to focus on a new TL pattern (a new linguistic structure, a new grammar point etc.) there are several points to keep in mind. We must think of the most effective ways to introduce this new linguistic information, to grade the level of difficulty of the tasks according to our learners’ContinueContinue reading “Introducing new language in the EFL classroom: the concepts of form and meaning”

The role of interaction activities in promoting foreign language learning

How can we make sure our learners are more actively involved in the learning process? Here are some points to consider in order to encourage student participation and learning through interaction Sources: Bygate, Martin (1987). Speaking. Oxford: OUP Harmer, J. (2001). The practice of English language teaching. Longman. Below you can find a more detailed list ofContinueContinue reading “The role of interaction activities in promoting foreign language learning”

Listening skills and strategies for the EFL classroom

Helping our EFL learners develop effective listening skills By Joanna Nifli (MA TEFL/CELTA certified EFL instructor) http://joannanifli.com Listening may be one of the passive skills in language teaching and learning but it should not be considered as passive at all. The listening process should be viewed as an active process that is not onlyContinueContinue reading “Listening skills and strategies for the EFL classroom”

The role of grammar practice in foreign language learning

How can we define the aims of grammar practice activities and what are their main characteristics? What role does grammar practice play in promoting language learning? Here are some views on grammar practice and how we can adapt these tasks to foster language acquisition By Joanna Nifli (MA TEFL/CELTA certified EFL instructor) http://joannanifli.com TheContinueContinue reading “The role of grammar practice in foreign language learning”

7 tips on integrating literature in the EFL classroom

How can we use literature as a tool to promote foreign language learning? Here are 7 key points to consider when using literary texts in the EFL classroom: L2 literary texts as part of the CLIL (Content and language integrated learning) approach to teaching. Focus on content and form It is important toContinueContinue reading “7 tips on integrating literature in the EFL classroom”

EXPLICIT AND IMPLICIT GRAMMAR TEACHING: 7 key points to consider when introducing new grammar to an EFL classroom

To what extent should we explicitly introduce new grammatical structures to our students? How can our learners benefit from implicit teaching? Here are 7 key points to consider when introducing a new grammatical structure in an EFL classroom Meaningful context Grammar practice is most effective when it is meaningful and contextualized. Grammar should notContinueContinue reading “EXPLICIT AND IMPLICIT GRAMMAR TEACHING: 7 key points to consider when introducing new grammar to an EFL classroom”

8 WAYS TO INCREASE LEARNER MOTIVATION IN THE EFL CLASSROOM

8 WAYS TO INCREASE LEARNER MOTIVATION IN THE EFL CLASSROOM How can we motivate and engage our learners? How can we make sure that our students show up in the language classroom not because they ‘have to’ but because they ‘want to’? Intrinsic motivation (that comes from a genuine ‘love’ for learning languages notContinueContinue reading “8 WAYS TO INCREASE LEARNER MOTIVATION IN THE EFL CLASSROOM”

TEACHING VOCABULARY USING NATURALLY OCCURRING DATA: 10 ideas on the use of language corpora in the EFL classroom

Further to my previous blog post on the importance of adapting materials to foster language learning, I will now focus on the use of raw corpus data for the design of vocabulary activities that promote the acquisition of lexis. What do language corpora have to offer to an EFL classroom? Activities based onContinueContinue reading “TEACHING VOCABULARY USING NATURALLY OCCURRING DATA: 10 ideas on the use of language corpora in the EFL classroom”

The importance of lesson planning: 5 reasons why teachers should religiously stick to their ‘homework’

I truly believe that it is essential, especially for new teachers to devote even a small amount of time each day (as part of their own ‘homework’) and write down the desired lesson process in a clear, concise and organized way. As I have mentioned in a previous blog post, I do believe that keepingContinueContinue reading “The importance of lesson planning: 5 reasons why teachers should religiously stick to their ‘homework’”