Teaching That Sticks: From Sample Analysis to Student Confidence

(more…)

by Jess Thomas

As many of us working in the context of an International Foundation Programme (IFP) experience, the challenges we face within our classrooms can vary in contrast to other teaching contexts. After joining the University of Bristol from teaching Mathematics on an International Baccalaureate (IB) programme at an international school in France, I started to think about how I could adapt my teaching to better suit the context I am now working in here at the Centre for Academic Language and Development (CALD). I began by reflecting on some of the key differences and challenges within the classroom, then looked at viewing them in light of some literature on formative assessment. Finally, I turned my thoughts to planning and delivering my lessons.

(more…)

Do you really know what your students’ needs are?

(more…)

by Natalie Green

My interest in collaboration grew out of an MA TEAP (Teaching English for Academic Purposes) assignment at the University of Nottingham. I had been based in Barcelona for many years, and I was interested in studying whether English was perceived to be a linguistic and cultural threat to lecturers using English as the Medium of Instruction (EMI) in a context that is already bilingual, with a minority regional language (Catalan) and a majority state language (Spanish). It turned out that English was viewed very positively: it was perceived as giving opportunities. My attention turned to the role of language in the EMI classroom because of the following questions that I asked the lecturers (via an online survey):

• Do you teach language in your lessons?
• Should you teach language in your lessons?
• In your assessments of student work, what weighting (or importance) do you give to language use? (Score 0 to 10; 0 = only content counts in the assessment, 10 = only language counts in the assessment)

(more…)

by Philip Brown

In 2022, I conducted a small-scale exploratory case study at the Centre for Academic Language and Development (CALD) as part of an MA Dissertation into the role of emotional literacy in online language learning. Dissertations are fairly long reads; therefore, the purpose of this blog is to describe the study and its outcomes in a more condensed form and a less formal style which should provide a more accessible and engaging read. I hope to find others with similar interests with whom to interact and collaborate on future studies.

(more…)

with Stuart Marshall and James MacPherson

Before each class, Stuart and James meet for about 30 minutes to discuss and refine their lesson plans. This collaborative process allows them to decide on an optimal approach, and which activities are engaging or ineffective. The goal is to strip lessons to their core—removing unnecessary elements and focusing on what matters to the students they know so well. Their informal, conversational (and brutally candid) approach blends practical planning with humour (and banter), making the process both efficient and enjoyable. (more…)

Ever wondered why teachers do what they do in the classroom?

(more…)

We as a team – Martin Wright, Tim Fewster and Ksenia Shalonova – did live marking for the Foundations of Statistics data analysis reports (1,000-1,500 words). We present two blog articles: the first gives a brief description of the background information and summarises both the advantages and disadvantages of using live marking, whereas in the second, Tim Fewster shares his personal experience about using live marking for the first time. We hope that Tim’s blog article will inspire you to use live marking … in particular, will inspire those of you who are reluctant to use it in your sessions and for your subjects – as we as a team (the three of us) enjoyed the whole process.

(more…)