The direct method was born out of a need for a more intuitive approach to language learning. Supporters of the DM maintained that language learning was more than the learning of grammar‏‎ rules and that learning a language could not be based only on one’s translation skills. They believed that […]

Dictation is often frowned upon and considered old fashioned, boring and unproductive by some people. But, handled properly, it can be productive, fun and very useful in the EFL classroom. The trick is to use dictation in a way that is both stimulating and relevant. The Text Firstly, make sure […]

The Deficit Paradigm has been used to explain why students misbehave in class and underachieve. Essentially it means that the reason students perform badly is because they have problems with their families, their backgrounds, their community and/or their culture. They lack certain stabilizing elements and the theory goes that to […]

Fifty students and only fifty minutes once a week! How do you get the students to actively participate in class? Here are a few teaching tips and ideas to help you cope with L and XL classes, and give all your students the opportunity to take part in the lesson. […]

The curriculum (plural curricula) is the program of work for a student in school. The hierarchy is this: the entire English language > what the student needs > curriculum > syllabus > lesson > activity Although in general usage curriculum and syllabus overlap, curriculum tends to be used more generally […]