E V O L V E S C H O O L: TeachingEnglish newsletter 21 July 2020

TeachingEnglish newsletter

21 July 2020

Welcome to the latest edition of the TeachingEnglish newsletter!

The British Council is committed to supporting teachers and teacher educators during the Covid-19 crisis.

To this end we bring you news of three online events including a webinar and panel discussion, three online lesson plans, and news of the latest guide in our Remote Teaching Tips series.

We also bring you a new publication on the theme of English Medium Instruction for Higher Education.

We hope you find these resources useful.

The TeachingEnglish team

Teaching through the Covid-19 pandemic

This webinar on Tuesday, 21 July at 12 pm UK time, presents insights into how teachers and teacher educators are coping with the impact of Covid 19 pandemic on teaching and learning. We will explore what teachers’ experiences have been and what ministries of education have done to support remote teaching and learning. We will present resources and ideas which will help you support your learners remotely and also help you manage the return to learning in school.

Conversations of our time - live event series

Conversations of our time is a series of free digital events that will give you the opportunity to learn from and engage with respected and inspiring thought leaders from around the globe. Each event will address a key societal issue and provide you with actionable insights from our expert panel to equip you to meet your societal challenges that have been intensified by Covid-19. Our second event, 'Living through uncertain times', will investigate how people and communities adapt during times of significant change. Join us 13 August, 12.00 - 13.00 UK time. Read more.

Food issues

Use this lesson for teens or adults at B1 level in online or face-to-face teaching to focus on a variety of food-related issues. The lesson plan looks at two food-related topics: School dinners and Britain's snack culture. The online lesson looks exclusively at Britain's snack culture and focuses on a single text, rather than a jigsaw reading. Learners make notes about key facts to help them summarise the main ideas and answer a series of true or false questions.

Supporting neurodiversity in online teaching

Read the latest guide in our Remote Teaching Tips series, which provides practical ideas and guidance for teachers supporting their learners using a variety of platforms and approaches, across different contexts. ‘Neurodiversity’ describes the different ways brains develop, which result in different strengths and challenges related to thinking and learning. This guide helps you to make your remote teaching more supportive and encouraging for neurodivergent learners. For more guides in the series, click here.

Holidays

Use this lesson for primary learners, specifically designed for online classes, to talk about holidays and holiday activities. Children learn and practise vocabulary through reading, listening and speaking activities; introduced to some past simple forms and play some simple games. They also show a holiday souvenir and write and speak about a previous holiday.

2019 International Symposium on EMI for Higher Education in the New Era: Selected Proceeding

This publication brings together selected proceedings shared at the ‘2019 International Symposium on EMI for Higher Education in the New Era’, Beijing. It comprises of 13 papers that shed light on key challenges and solutions relating to English Medium Instruction (EMI) policy and implementation in a variety of contexts.

Shopping - different shops

This lesson for A1 learners reviews vocabulary relating to everyday shopping and introduces different shop names. The lesson notes are specifically for online lessons and the class materials have been made available as a PowerPoint. Students practise speaking and listening using these items in a meaningful context. They then write short sentences about different shops.

Panel discussion: Developing expertise through experience

This Panel Discussion is being held by the Society of Pakistan English Language Teachers (SPELT) to celebrate their 36th anniversary. The topic is inspired by the British Council book 'Developing Expertise through Experience' edited by Alan Maley. Join this online discussion about the role of experience in teachers' professional development on Friday 24 July 2020, 4.00-6.00 p.m. local time in Pakistan.