E V O L V E S C H O O L: TeachingEnglish newsletter 02 September 2020

TeachingEnglish newsletter

02 September 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. This week we invite you take part in a survey on teaching speaking in online environments.

And at the start of what may be for some of you, the start of a new academic year, this week we bring you some ideas and activities on first lessons, in addition to a lesson plan to mark the UN's International Day of Peace and another on the topic of racism in sport.

We also bring you an interesting publication about teacher perspectives on well-being, and more tips and open-access resources from the ELTons Awards 2020 finalists in Innovation in Learner Resources.

And finally, don't forget to register for our third event of the Conversations of our time series - Creativity in communities during Covid-19.

We hope you find these resources useful.

The TeachingEnglish team

Take a survey on teaching speaking in online environments

The aim of this research is to better understand teachers’ practices in teaching speaking through online modes. It is hoped that its results will provide an insight into good practices in teaching speaking through online settings, and support efforts in tackling the challenges arising from it. Find out more and complete the survey.

Innovation in Learner Resources 2020 finalists - tips and resources

Access top English language teaching tips and open-access resources from the ELTons Awards 2020 finalists for Innovation in Learner Resources. This year’s finalists focus on developing life-skills like empathy, critical thinking and self-awareness. Some teach vocabulary through bite-sized English stories, others foster long-lasting international connections while learning vocabulary and grammar. This year, the ELTons also recognises a publication that helps doctors prepare for the Occupational English Test. Read more.

Activities for first lessons: 1 and 2

In your first lessons, it's a good idea to focus on getting to know each other, to develop rapport in the class and so you get an idea of the learners' interests and language level. Activities 1 are suitable from beginners level up and some can be adapted to suit higher levels. Activities 2 focus primarily on fluency and are suitable for intermediate level and up. They will give you a chance to get to know the class, break the ice and estimate their language level.

Creativity in communities during Covid-19

Our third event of the series – Creativity in communities during Covid-19 – on Thursday 17 September will explore how artists, entrepreneurs and leaders are finding innovative and inclusive ways of working with communities in response to the current crisis. Speakers will be sharing their views and experiences from around the world in an open discussion.

Peacemakers and peace-breakers

The United Nations' International Day of Peace is on 21 September. Its aim is to get governments and individuals around the world to commit to 'peace above all differences'. Use this lesson with primary (8–11 years) learners at A2 and above level in face-to-face or online teaching to promote the values of peace, respect and tolerance in the classroom.

Show Racism the Red Card

This lesson for secondary and adult learners explores the topic of racism in sport. There are a number of discussion tasks, some brief activities to help students develop their vocabulary, and a reading about progress in Europe with dealing with discrimination in sport. There are some suggested weblinks if students are interested in finding out more.

Filtered and distilled - the first lesson

'Starting this academic year in a new teaching role at a new school gave me plenty of time to stop and consider that opening ‘get to know you’ lesson.' In this blog post, Dave Dodgson discusses how first lessons can be not simply ‘getting to know you’ but also getting to know what the lessons are going to be like, where the students are at in terms of their strengths and weaknesses, and also what their interests are.

‘Sticky objects’ and pathways to well-being and resilience: teacher understandings of and practices in positive psychology in their classrooms

This project investigated teacher perspectives on well-being in their EAP classrooms in Saudi Arabia and the UK. Teachers tracked objects that attracted positive emotions in their daily teaching lives, using an app to keep photographs and comments over 1 month, with follow-up interviews. Analysis revealed the importance of interpersonal relationships, pedagogy and student progress, self-care, and the environment. Read more.