by Nick Roll

Neo-fascism in the classroom

My policy on the use of learners’ L1 in most of my classes throughout my career has been close to “neo-fascist” zero tolerance, sometimes even involving fines that would go towards an end of course cake buying activity. This was justified by the need for learners to immerse themselves in the language and learn to manage communication difficulties as they would have to do so in the so-called “real world”. Some recent experience and a little research has challenged this narrow default approach and I now move more fluidly up and down the cline of L1 (in)tolerance. (more…)

by Ryan Simpson

Background

The UoB pre-sessional course includes the SAQ (Short Answer Question) as an assessment item (20% of the total), and classes every week are dedicated to preparing students for a summative examination in which they will write two 250-word essays. (more…)

A short video of this year’s ceremony and celebrations.

by Christine Lee

December.  A street in Bristol.  A smiling student stands in front of me.  “Hello Christine!”  I recognise the face but cannot recall the name – I just know he’s one of the many pre-sessional students I had met/taught in the summer.  “Oh hi!” I reply.  “Great to see you!  How’s it going?  Busy?  Going away for the break?”  (more…)

by Denise Rempel

I’m not sure about here in the UK, but where I teach (in California, when I’m not on the PS10), something has gone off in our approach to teaching in the last 10-15 years.  When I compare the ways that I was taught to be a student, how to read, what to consider, and what I see in my students now, there is a marked distance—and not only in our age as I acknowledge I am getting older! (more…)

by Katherine High

One of the most enjoyable courses I have taught so far at CELFS is Advanced English Language (ADV): a 10-week EFL course of 2 hours per week for C1 or C2 international students. Assessment includes a short piece of reflective writing entitled Roots & Routes, exploring the themes of cultural identity and future-plans, and a group presentation of a thematically-linked text. Each week texts are explored from different perspectives in small groups of 3 or 4 – forming the reading and listening circle (RLC). (more…)

Hannah Jones

[Hannah Jones is now Director of English Language Education at the University of Edinburgh]

As a newly appointed EAP Coordinator here at CELFS, I wanted to take this opportunity to introduce myself on the CELFS Blog. (more…)

by Donna Mac Lean

Recently I experimented with playing background music during an EAP reading class in an attempt to make the process of reading and analysing a quite dry, difficult text more palatable for the students.  Their subject tutor had noted that students were not completing preparation reading, which was negatively impacting their seminar performance.  I was surprised by how popular the move was and how the benefits of playing music that I’d read about were evidenced during the class. (more…)

On Sunday, February 26th, Julia Gardos and Kaz Yamamoto gave a webinar on the subject of Exploring the roles of ‘non-native speaker’ teachers in English for Academic Purposes in the UK.

To watch it, please click here.

More information on TEFL Equity Advocates webinars, click here.

by Stuart Marshall

Many a language teacher will be well-acquainted with the affective potential of a well-chosen image in the classroom, while from the earliest stages of learning students will have become accustomed to the use of such learning aids as photos, drawings, timelines and other diagrams. Pre-university students will of course be familiar with the much-loved graphs and charts of the IELTS exam, and may even have enjoyed a map-navigating or diagram-labelling task in one of the reading and/or listening sections. Yet strangely enough, such cherished memories have about them the aspect of a chore when later recalled, and for many students in the EAP classroom visual literacy has an indeterminate and often subsidiary value in comparison to grammar development. (more…)