The English Language T-Ching

014 Decline of the staffroom photocopier

Should we mourn the lost age of ELT photocopying (and the even more ancient Roneo Gestetners)? Has the era of handout-driven teaching come to an end? Is “heads up” to an IWB better than “heads down” to a handout? Plus ... there’s a bit of nostalgia for the creativity of DIY handouts

013 "Pay attention, boy!"

What do teachers think will happen when they say "Pay attention" to a learner? What does the learner have to do in order to "pay attention"? And what is attention anyway? How does it connect to "engagement" and "presence? If you have a question, suggestion or comment we'd love to hear from you. Write to: adrianandjimpodcast@gmail.com

012 Why don't chimps ask questions? Why don't students ask more?

Recent interesting research about whale and chimp language starts us wondering about question asking and communication in the language classroom. Can whales have a conversation? What stops chimps asking questions?Does repetition still have a role to play?

011 Karate ... and the Politics of the Language Classroom

What makes karate classes so different from language teaching lessons? What does this suggest about the value of learner-centredness, choice, decision-making and self-discipline? Should we approach different types of classroom subject in different ways? Who has the power in a classroom? Who decides the goals and the route? If you have a question, suggestion or comment we'd love to hear from you. Write to: adrianandjimpodcast@gmail.com

010 Praise, Encouragement, Feedback and Power

Adrian worries about whether he should have praised his four-and-a-half year old grandson's map-reading skills. He relates this to his own attitude to praise, encouragement and feedback in the classroom. Should we praise in class? Or does praising reduce the learner's ability to recognise and value their own achievements? If you have a question, suggestion or comment we'd love to hear from you. Write to: adrianandjimpodcast@gmail.com