Le Print Articles Help at Hand Sample PDF 16999

Help at hand
Ideas for the developing teacher
www.teachingenglish.org.uk
Introduction
The 16 articles in this booklet provide practical

advice and classroom ideas for the developing
teacher. They cover topics such as lesson
planning, finding resources and storytelling and
contain ideas that the teacher can take into the
classroom and use immediately.
The ideas here are relevant to teachers at

both primary and secondary levels and in
all kinds of teaching situations.
We hope you find the ideas useful. For more
ideas, activities and advice visit our website
Author Sally Trowbridge, British Council, Barcelona, Spain

Editor Chris Cavey, British Council, Manchester
Help at hand
British Council 2012
Contents
Topic
1
Classroom activity
Lesson planning
What information should go in a lesson plan?
Parents never say
Simon says
11
The word bag
13
The story grid
15
A back-to-back game
17
Noughts and crosses
19
Describe and draw
21
Vanishing dialogue
23
Student feedback
25
A reading lesson
27
Team correction
29
Stop the bus!
31
Learner diaries
33
Finding and creating resources

What can we use to help us teach English?
Storytelling
How can we use storytelling effectively in class?
Talking about experience
Developing teachers English

Speaking more confidently in class
Teaching new language

Ways of presenting new language
A debate
Teaching writing
How can we help our students to write well?
English in the classroom

How can you use more English in the classroom?
Backs to the board
Group work in large classes

Why use group work?
Teachers supporting each other

How can we support each other to develop as teachers?
10 Teaching listening
How can we teach listening in the classroom?
11 Flexible activities
Activities we can adapt for different ages and levels
12 Making lessons motivating

How can we make our students interested in learning English?
13 Teaching reading
How can we teach reading in the English classroom?
14 Error correction
When and how can we correct our students speaking errors?
15 Using the board

How do we get the most out of our board?
16 Developing as a teacher
What can we do to develop professionally?
Help at hand
Page
Topic 1 Lesson planning

Look at these sentences from teachers.
Do you agree with them?
Without a lesson
plan, I shouldnt be
entering the class.
If we dont have a

plan, we wont be
ready for teaching.
Jotra, India
Nasreen, Bangladesh
Resources: We have the textbook but what other resources

can you use that your students will be interested in?
Remember that resources can be many things you, your
students and their world, your storytelling or diagrams and
pictures on the board, anything!
Is the textbook a lesson plan?

Everybodys situation is different but usually we are given
a syllabus and often a set textbook to follow. The textbook
gives us a framework and tells us what language we need
to cover, but it doesnt always let us practise all four skills:
reading, writing, speaking and listening. Writing a lesson
plan helps us make sure that our students get the practice
they need to develop their communicative skills.
Stages: How can you help your students practise all four
skills in your lesson?
Think about a warmer, teaching new language, time for
students to practise, time for revision, and homework.
What goes in the lesson plan?
Interaction: A balance between you at the front working with

the whole class as well as pair work and group work in other
parts of the lesson. How can we deal with more advanced
students and help the weaker ones?
Different teachers write their plans in different ways but here

are some things to think about when you write your plan:
Aims: We need to know what we want our students to do
by the end of the lesson. In our plan we might write:
Most important is to think about what our students are

learning, and try to keep them interested.
By the end of the lesson students will be able to

use three ways to ask permission: Can I? Could I? May I?
What do you think?

Saba from Indonesia writes:
I write out my lesson plan like this and it really helps me make sure all my students are involved.
Time (minutes)
Stage
Activity
Interaction
Warmer
Review vocabulary from last lesson;

play backs to the board game
T whole class
510
Introducing topic
Students work in groups to answer

questions 15 on page 56
Group work
2530
Reading tasks
Students read article on page 5758
Students work individually
Help at hand
S S S
A classroom activity backs to the board

A warmer at the start of the lesson is a good way to get
students in the right mood and focused. Heres a simple
activity you can use to get students warmed up and review
vocabulary from an earlier lesson.
Students work in two or three groups. One volunteer from

each group stands or sits with their back to the board.
The teacher writes a word on the board and the group

members explain the word to the volunteer until they
guess the word and that team wins a point.
Change volunteers and repeat for six or seven words.
You can have a noisy game where students shout out their
clues or a quieter, more controlled game where they take
turns to speak.
Glossary
Think about
Communicative skill is using language to interact and exchange information;

for example, asking and answering questions about your family.
rite down your lesson plan, and decide what

W
you are going to teach, to practise, and to
revise as well as what homework to set.
Remember to include some communicative
activities learning a language is about
communication.
Why not share your lesson planning ideas with

your colleagues and discuss the best way to
design a plan for your teaching situation?
In group work, the class is divided into smaller groups to work together
on an activity; for example, a discussion on favourite sports.
In pair work, two students work together; for example, answering questions
in pairs after reading a text.
A syllabus is a list of language items in the order that they will be taught
on a course.
A warmer is a short, lively activity at the start of the lesson to get students
attention. A warmer can revise language from a previous class.
Help at hand
Topic 2 Group work in large classes

What is group work?
Group work is when the students work together on an activity in groups;
for example, in fours or as a class separated into two.
To teach a class of 80 students to

communicate effectively in English
they need to work in groups.
Do you agree?
Georgina, South Africa
Why use group work?

Several groups can work at the same time so, instead of only
one or two people practising the language and the others just
listening, everyone is active.
Group work is excellent for speaking and listening. Students
can also work in groups for grammar and writing tasks, for
reading and taking notes while listening in fact, for almost
all areas of classroom practice.
which number they are. All the number ones make a group,
all the number twos, all the number threes, etc. If you have
an odd number some groups will have one student more.
Each group can select a spokesperson and secretary to make
notes of the groups ideas.
While the students work in groups, the teacher can leave the
front of the class and move around, listening to the groups,
helping if needed.
Organising group work

Before we do group work we need to:
Give the students a clear objective for the group work activity.
For example, to practise agreeing and disagreeing in English;
or to read parts of a text then share information and answer
comprehension questions.
After the group work is completed, the spokesperson from

each group speaks to the class and summarises the group
activity. Then you can correct any language errors and praise
the students good work.
Group work motivates students in a large class because
everyone can participate and practise.
Arrange the groups. If you have 60 students you could make

12 groups of five. Give each student a number between one
and 12. Ask for a show of hands to check that everyone knows
What do you think?

Mirany from Madagascar writes:
The positive thing about large classes is that you have more life and more dynamism. I give the students more
responsibility when they work in groups but I still feel that Im in charge. I signal to the class to stop by putting up my
hand. One student from each group talks to the class after the activity to give the answers or sum up their discussion
so we dont have a problem with everyone shouting out at the same time and making too much noise. We cant move
the furniture in our classroom, so I just move the students!
Help at hand
A classroom activity a debate

A debate is a good way to get large classes talking in groups.
Students can talk about topics that interest them and they will
want to join in. Heres one way to organise a debate:
Give the students a choice of three discussion topics,

for example:
Speaking is the best way to learn a language.
Everyone should do a sport.
Health is more important than money.
Have a class vote on which topic to debate.
Write up key expressions on the board such as I agree

with you, I dont agree with you because and I think
Ask higher level students for more ways to agree and
disagree in English.
Organise the students into groups of five or six. Each group

chooses a secretary to make notes and a spokesperson to
report back to the class. Set a time limit for the students
to discuss the topic.
During the discussion phase, monitor and listen to the
groups. Remind students to use the key expressions.
Stop the activity and ask each spokesperson/presenter
to report back the important points from the groups
discussion to the class.
Tip: Vary the groups each lesson to allow students to talk

to different people in the class.
Glossary
Think about
To communicate is to use language to exchange information and interact.
Before you do group work with your class,

try to imagine the activity in action. What do
you want the students to do? How will you
explain the activity? How will you organise
the groups? Will you set a time limit? How
will you end the activity?
After the lesson, think about what you would

do differently next time.
Comprehension questions are questions about a text. The questions can

help the students understand the text.
Monitoring is watching and listening to learners while they are doing an
activity but not leading them in the activity. We can find out what errors
students make as they produce language by monitoring.
Your objective is what you want your students to do.
To report back is to give information about a completed activity.
Help at hand
Topic 3 English in the classroom

Why speak English in class?
Do you agree with Hanan and Kazimierz?
Students will think that

English is just for reading,
writing and practising
grammar points if we do
not speak it in class.
If the subject you are

teaching is English, then
you should always try to
speak in English.
Kazimierz, Malaysia
Hanan, Egypt
Getting started
You might feel nervous about using English in the

classroom. Start by thinking of some useful expressions for
you and your students to use. Write them down and practise
them. For example: Good morning. Turn to page 12.
Repeat this. Please close your books. Find a partner
and work in pairs.
You can use just a little English in each lesson, and

gradually increase it.
Try to use English in all stages of your lessons.
Try to personalise your lessons by talking about your own

experiences. Perhaps tell your students about something
that happened to you recently. You can exaggerate and use
gestures; pointing backwards as you say yesterday to
indicate it happened in the past, for example.
Think about what younger children enjoy games, songs,

stories, etc. Teach your students the language needed to
do these activities in English, for example, Its my turn.
Throw the dice.
When you give instructions, demonstrate with humour and

gestures to make your message clear; a hand next to your
ear to demonstrate listen: make a book with your hands
to show open/close your books. Use drawings and write
the phrase on the blackboard.
Encourage students to speak English to you and praise

them when they do.
The beginnings and ends of lessons are a good opportunity

to chat more informally with your students; you can talk
about the weekend, or even the weather.
If you translate to make something clear, go back to

English as soon as possible and encourage your students
to do the same.
Using English in the classroom demonstrates that it really is

a language for communicating. If we prepare well, it is easy
to use a lot more English in our lessons.
What do you think?

Kuheli from Zambia writes:
My younger students love singing and chanting so we use songs and chants in English for all parts of the class routines.
I start each class with a hello chant like this Teacher: Hello students, Students: Hello teacher, Teacher: How are you?
Students: How are you? Teacher: Very well thank you, Students: Very well thank you, Teacher: I am too. Students: I am too.
With older students, I get them to make classroom language posters. They write useful expressions like Sorry Im late,
Can I have a pencil, please? Have a good weekend, and I dont understand and draw pictures for each phrase. We put
the posters on the wall so theres no excuse for not using English in class.
Help at hand
A classroom activity talking about experience

Give students the language they need to talk about their own
experiences in English with this activity.
Write three yes/no questions on the board with the words

in the wrong order. For example:
English/at/Did/you/speak/the/weekend?
you/read/a/book/yesterday/Did?
this/morning/for/breakfast/Did/you/eat/cereal?
The students sort the words to make questions. (Did you

speak English at the weekend? Did you read a book
yesterday? Did you eat cereal for breakfast this morning?)
Now the students can ask you the questions. Answer either
Yes I did or No I didnt.
Students ask and answer the questions in pairs.
You could finish by saying Hands up if you spoke English

at the weekend. Hands up if you and indicate hands up
with a gesture.
Tip: If you are more confident at speaking then add more

information to your answers Yes, I did. I spoke to some
tourists in the city centre. Encourage the students to do
the same.
Glossary
Think about
A gesture is a movement of moving your hand or body to explain ideas.
When you plan future lessons, build up your

confidence by aiming to be a step ahead of
your students.
If you are following a text book or a syllabus

and you know what is coming up, then look
at future units check the key language in a
dictionary and think about what instructions
and conversations you will need in English
to introduce and practise the language, then
write it down.
In personalised activities students communicate real information about

themselves, e.g. talking about their favourite sport.
A syllabus is a list of language items in the order that they will be taught
on a course.
A yes/no question is a question that can be answered by yes or no,
e.g. Do you like chocolate?
Help at hand
Topic 4 Teaching writing

Read these comments from teachers.
Marking my
students writing
takes hours.
Do you agree?
My students write for

homework, not in class.
Aliya, Somalia
Kavi, Malaysia
Writing
How can we help our students to write well? A typical writing

lesson could look like this:
Students can use the ideas that were written on the

board earlier to write a first draft. They can use the model
to help them.
Students now exchange their first draft with a partner and

check their partners writing. We can give students specific
areas to check, for example, that the correct information
is included, that the writing is organised into paragraphs.
Students can also check each others spelling, grammar
and punctuation.
The students can write a second draft in class or at home

to give to the teacher.
Preparation
What type of writing do we want our students to do,

(for example, a letter to a friend, a book review, a party
invitation, etc.)?
To introduce the topic we can ask students:

Have they received a letter (or email) recently?
What books they are reading?
Do they ever go to parties?
Tell students to think about what to include in the

writing. For example, a letter to a friend might include
news, questions, arranging a visit; a party invitation
needs a time, a place, etc.
Correction
We can use a correction code to show students where they

have made mistakes, for example: Sp = spelling mistake,
WW = wrong word, WO = wrong word order, T = wrong
tense, Pr = wrong preposition, Pu = wrong punctuation, /
= missing word.
Then students can correct their own writing.
We can collect common errors and write them on the board

for class correction.
In groups, students could make notes of what to include.

One group writes their notes on the board. Can their
classmates add anything? Keep these ideas on the board
for later.
We can show the students a model of what we want them
to produce (a letter, a book review, etc). We can look at the
kind of language used in the model is it formal or informal?
What useful words and expressions can students use from
the model?
We can look at specific parts of the model. For example:
Are there any paragraphs? How many? How does the model
text start and finish?
We can focus on different areas or stages of writing in class

such as collecting ideas, rewriting or correction. We can help
students with the process of writing by giving lots of
preparation before they produce a finished written piece.
What do you think?

Anil from India writes:
Writing is something that has to be taught, even in your first language. You cant just tell students to write an essay;
they need preparation and more preparation before they write.
At the first stage of preparing to write an essay, I give learners the essay title and pieces of scrap paper. They have three
minutes to work alone, writing one idea on each piece of paper, before comparing in groups. Each group can then present
their three best ideas to the class. This means that everyone has many ideas to choose from before they start writing and
nobody can say I cant think of anything to write.
Help at hand
A classroom activity parents never say

We can give students short, fun activities to get them writing.
This is a group writing activity that even lower elementary level
students can enjoy.
Ask students what rules their parent set at home.

Write some examples on the board, for example
Come home before 9:00p.m. Do your homework.
Ask what parents never say. For example:
Please dont tidy your room
Use the telephone a lot
Stay up very late.
In groups the students write eight sentences that parents

never say.
Give a time limit of ten minutes. Tell the students that there
will be a vote on the best set of rules.
Each group sticks up the groups rules on the board/wall.
The class read all the different sets of rules and vote on
which is best (not their own).
If correction is needed, you can leave the posters up and

have a group correction session.
Glossary
Think about
A first draft is a first try at writing something. A second draft will improve
and correct the first draft.
If you have a textbook, look at the writing

activities in the book. How can you adapt
these to make them more relevant to
your students?
Ask colleagues how they teach and

correct writing.
Formal words and expressions are used in some types of writing;

for example, we can end a job application letter Yours sincerely
Informal words and expressions are used in some types of writing;
for example, we can end a letter to a friend Love from
A model is an example that students can use to help them with their own work.
10
Help at hand
Topic 5 Teaching new language

We can introduce new language a grammar structure, a
new tense or new vocabulary in three stages: presenting,
then practising and finally using the language more freely.
I present the target language
in a story or with pictures to
make the meaning clear to
the students.
Shakir Ahmed, Afghanistan
When students are using

the language in pairs or
groups, I just listen and
dont interrupt.
I give students lots of

controlled practice to
help them learn new
language.
Joanna, UK
Nery, Mexico
How can we teach new language like these teachers?
There are many ways to present new language; for example,

you can use a text, an object, mime, a picture, or a personal story.
Using a realistic context makes the meaning clear and

memorable. For example, if you want to teach should
and shouldnt to give advice, you could ask your students
what they remember about their first day at school.
Then show a picture of a child who is going to change
schools because his or her family have moved to a
different town. What advice can they give to the child?
Help your students with examples of the target language;
for example, You should be friendly, You shouldnt be
late for class. Make suggestions and corrections.
You can model the language and the students repeat
like this:
Teacher: You should be friendly.
Students: You should be friendly.
Listen and correct pronunciation if necessary.
Use the board to show spelling or the correct form; for

example: subject + should/shouldnt + bare infinitive.
You can ask the students how to write the form or ask
questions to check understanding.
Next, the students practise the language in a

controlled way.
You could ask students to write advice in pairs for a

younger sister preparing for an exam; for example,
You should study a lot.
Finally, students use the new language in freer activities

such as a discussion, problem solving or role-plays.
The students could interview each other, giving advice

for different situations.
Move around the class and help only if necessary. Note

mistakes and correct them with the class at the end of
this activity.
Many teachers find that the present, practise, use method

gives them a useful framework for teaching new language.
What do you think?

Helena from Brazil writes:
I think drilling helps with pronunciation. Its like training for a sport; you need to train your tongue muscles,
and repetition does that.
Choral repetition makes students feel safe while they are learning new language. Even if their pronunciation
is not perfect, they repeat with the group and dont feel exposed.
Make sure that you have different types of speaking practice in your lessons; too much drilling is very boring for students.
Help at hand
11
A classroom activity Simon says

Play Simon says to teach new vocabulary to children and
adults. This activity uses physical actions to show meaning
in a memorable way.
Give an instruction; the students do the action if you say,

Simon says at the start.
If you say, Simon says, touch your nose or Simon says,

touch your ear the students must do the action.
But if you say, Touch your eye the students dont do this
(because you didnt say Simon says ).
Begin by doing the actions with the students and gradually

they can do them just from listening.
If anyone does the action without hearing Simon says

then they are out of the game and have to watch for
anyone else making mistakes.
Tip: Adapt the vocabulary for your class; for example, you
can teach cooking vocabulary (grate some cheese, slice
some bread, whisk an egg) to higher levels or action verbs
(run, walk, sit) to lower levels.
Glossary
Think about
In choral repetition, the whole class repeats the teachers words.
What new language do you want to teach in your

next class?
How can you present the new language in a realistic

context to make the meaning clear and memorable?
How will the students practise the language in a

controlled way?
How will you check understanding?
What freer activities will your students do to use

the language?
In controlled practice, learners practise new language in a limited way.

In drilling, students repeat the teachers words.
In freer activities, learners practise English using the target
language freely.
Modelling is saying a word or phrase clearly to the class to
demonstrate it.
The target language is the items of language that the teacher wants
the students to learn.
12
Help at hand
Topic 6 Developing teachers English

Many teachers would like to improve their English
and be able to speak it more confidently in class.
I can read and write English but

teaching the class in English is
difficult for me. I worry about making
mistakes in front of my students.
Kuheli, India
Does this problem sound familiar? Do you sometimes worry
about your spoken English? Its a worry that lots of teachers
have, even if they dont always want to talk about it. There are
several things teachers can do to improve their English here
are some suggestions:
Speaking English with friends and colleagues can really

help to build your confidence.
Try to organise regular meetings and aim to include some

listening, reading and writing as well as speaking.
Reading books, magazines, and newspapers increases

your vocabulary.
You can talk about your classes and other common

interests; one idea is to read an article in advance, make
some notes and prepare to talk about it with the group.
Try to read a variety of texts news and current affairs,

novels and non-fiction.
You could exchange reading material with other teachers

or find it in local libraries or markets.
Concentrate on fluency rather than accuracy when

you are speaking.
Speaking to yourself in English is also great practice.
Writing a personal journal helps you to write better in English

and practise using new vocabulary and grammatical structures.
Build a bank of vocabulary; use a dictionary and write new

words or expressions in a notebook.
Listening to television, radio or songs in English can give you

lots of language practice.
Try to listen to English from various parts of the world to

hear different accents and vocabulary.
You could invite an English speaker to talk with a group of

teachers; if possible, record them for listening practice later.
You can write about things that happened during the day,
or about an article or a radio programme in English,
for example.
Find and make opportunities to use your English and dont

worry about making mistakes. As Daya, a teacher in Nepal,
says: English is not your first language. You can be a confident
speaker without being perfect.
What do you think?

Geoffrey from Malawi writes:
I did not have a good formal background in English and lacked confidence so I decided to teach myself. Here is my
advice on how you can become a confident speaker of English. First, you have to expose yourself to English from
whatever source you can find. It could be the radio; it could be tourist information leaflets.
Read a lot! Read magazines, comics, international newspapers, even local newspapers. Dont feel embarrassed about
yourself when you speak in English. You will only get better at speaking if you continue speaking.
Help at hand
13
A classroom activity the word bag

Use this activity to help your students learn and revise
vocabulary. Try the same activity if you meet with other
teachers to practise English.
You need two large envelopes and some pieces of

card or paper.
Use the word bag to revise the words. For example,

give each student a card; they find a partner and give
a definition of the word and their partner has to try to
guess what the word is.
Write on one envelope Blank word cards and Class word

bag on the other.
Partners swap cards and find a new partner to give a

definition to.
Keep swapping partners until everyone has had a chance

to speak with several other students.
Cut up lots of small pieces of card and put them in the

Blank word cards envelope.
In every class, a different student is in charge of the word

bag. They take the envelopes at the beginning of the class
and write all the new vocabulary on separate blank word
cards and put them into the class word bag envelope.
If this isnt practical for your group, the teacher can do this.
Glossary
Think about
Accuracy is how correctly a learner uses the language.
What books and magazines can you find to read?
Fluency is how well a learner communicates meaning

mistakes arent important.
What opportunities do you have for regular listening?
Can you follow events in the English-speaking world using

newspapers, radio or television?
Can you find good speakers of English to record or to practise with?
Could you keep a notebook, and have a dictionary ready, to record

and learn new words and expressions?
Revising is practising language that learners have

seen previously.
14
Help at hand
Topic 7 Storytelling
Im not sure how to

use stories with older
learners. Do they want
to listen to stories?
Do you agree?
I dont feel confident telling

stories to young children.
Jagan, India
Juan, Venezuela
Older learners need a reason to listen to a story.
How can we use storytelling effectively in class?
Tell students three stories about your life, two true and
one false. They listen and decide which story is false.
We can give two different endings and the students

discuss which is correct.
A picture book can be in any language just use the

pictures. Remember to hold up a book for all to see.
Students can listen to a story then try to retell it in groups;

each person takes turns to say one sentence.
Get the childrens attention by saying and miming

Eyes on me. Ears open. Mouths closed!
Give students questions to answer before they hear a story

(for example, Why is a boy sitting outside the principals
office? Whos wearing a pink bow tie?). They invent a story
through their answers (for example, A boy is waiting to be
punished by the principal. The maths teacher is wearing
a bow tie). Students want to hear the real story after
inventing their version.
Young children usually love listening to stories.
Introduce a story with props. Use the cover of a storybook,

puppets (use an old sock or a face on a stick) or simple
drawings on the board.
By telling a story with feeling you can really bring it alive

for the students so that they feel they are in the story.
Use different voices and actions. Practise your story
before presenting it.
Encourage children to join in with actions and repeated

phrases. Translate or explain new words if necessary.
Draw the main characters on the board; each time the

children hear the name they have to point to the character.
Mime closing a book (or close a real one) for silence.
What did the students like about the story? Do they have
any similar stories to tell?
Retell a story in a future lesson and encourage the children

to join in a little bit more each time you read it. Read stories
with repeated phrases like The Three Little Pigs and
The Very Hungry Caterpillar.
Reading stories or novel extracts can be part of a project.

It could include finding information about the author, writing
a book review, talking about favourite types of books,
making a quiz about the characters in a story, and writing
a short story.
Storytelling doesnt need lots of resources but it can provide

lots of language practice for all age groups.
What do you think?

Sharka from Czech Republic writes:
Practise telling stories for young children in front of a mirror. You need to find the right pace and know which words to
emphasise (and maybe which to translate or explain) to bring the story alive.
Telling stories and anecdotes forms an important part of our everyday communication; what we did at the weekend,
the latest news, talking about films Everyone loves a good story children, teenagers and adults.
Help at hand
15
A classroom activity the story grid

This is a low preparation activity to use with teens and adults.
Students create a short story in small groups. They dont
write it.
Draw a 4x4 grid on the board and then put one word
in each box.
Include people and place names, verbs, nouns, adjectives,

etc. Add some words to make the story more exciting
such as crime, love, hate, murder, robbery, brokenhearted, treasure.
In small groups, students create a story. They can use

any language they want to but they have to include all
the words in the story grid.
Give help to the groups as they create their stories.
They can retell their story to you, the rest of the class
or to other groups.
Have a class vote on the best story.
Tip: Note errors to write on the board for class correction later.
jungle
plane
Amazon
crash
Tony
survive
insects
snakes
Jayne
lost
knife
run
criminal
Ben
biologist
rescue
Glossary
Think about
Miming is demonstrating something using actions, not words.
Which stories do parents tell to their children?

Could you borrow picture books (it doesnt matter
what language the words are in) to use for
storytelling in class?
Ask other teachers which stories their students have

enjoyed. Do they have a copy you could borrow?
Props are things you can use in your classroom to help you tell a
story or set the scene for an activity.
A project is a series of activities where students work together on
a specific topic. For example, a group of teenagers produce a poster
and give a talk about using social networks such as Facebook.
16
Help at hand
Topic 8 Finding and creating resources

Many English teachers dont have resources such as
posters, photocopies, internet access or even books.
Read these comments from teachers. Do you agree with them?
When there are no

materials the teacher
and the students are
the main resource.
You dont need new

technology to create an
effective English lesson;
you need imagination.
Geoffrey, Malawi
Kuheli, India
raw or cut out pictures from magazines to present new

D
words and revise language (for example, numbers, letters,
sports, daily routines, greetings, etc.). Stick the pictures on
card if possible to make reusable flashcards.
se yourself and your students as teaching aids;
U
for example, you can teach clothes, describe where
things are, and practise parts of the face using the people
in the class.
ime actions (sleeping, cooking, reading, etc.) and ask the

M
students to guess where you are and what you are doing.
se your voice. Beginners can listen and repeat new words.

U
Higher levels can listen to the teacher then talk about their
own experiences.
tudents can learn new songs and chants by repeating
S
each line after the teacher. Adding actions to songs is fun
and makes them easier to remember.
sk your students to find newspaper articles to discuss

A
in class.
e can even use old newspapers as craft material and

W
tear it into shapes to make vocabulary items.
sk students to collect authentic materials in English

A
such as train timetables or application forms to practise
dialogues in different situations: When is the next train
to ? Whats your surname?
tudents can bring in a picture to describe or a photo

S
of their family to talk about.
se objects in and around the classroom to represent

U
words: This table/pencil/chair is an animal. It can swim
but it cant walk. Its a ?
Be creative with limited resources and use your students

knowledge and creativity to actively involve everyone in
learning English.
What do you think?

Dario from Argentina writes:
I make flashcards from old magazines and books to help me teach English. I also draw stick figures (on the board or
on cards) to show people doing different actions or in different situations. Im a terrible artist but my students have fun
guessing what my drawings mean! I paste the pictures onto card and keep them in a folder so that we can use then again
and again. I use flashcards to teach new language or to have fun with English in class. Here are some ideas Show the
class ten cards then mix them up and remove one ask which one is missing. Show the students ten cards then turn them
over and ask them to remember the pictures. Students work in small groups to invent a story about five picture cards.
Hold up two pictures of famous people and ask the students to invent their conversation.
Help at hand
17
A classroom activity a back-to-back game

You can use objects in and around the classroom
to practise giving and understanding instructions.
Ask students to collect a few things in the classroom

(pencils, erasers, pieces of chalk, stones, leaves, etc.).
Place the students in pairs back to back.
Student A has to place his objects in a pattern and then tell

his partner what order they are in. Student B has to listen
and recreate the pattern.
Glossary
Tell more advanced students that they cant use the

name of the object. This is good for practising adjectives;
Put the long, black thing next to the soft, round object.
Think about
Authentic material is taken from real-life written or spoken

English; for example, a native speaker talking, a newspaper article,
or a radio programme. It is used with learners without changing the
language level, but with appropriate tasks for the learners.
A chant is similar to a song; a chant has rhythm but no tune.
How could you use a newspaper as a teaching resource?
Can you cut out pictures of people and ask your students
to describe what they are wearing, doing or saying?
Perhaps there are photographs that would prompt your

students to discuss recent news or sports events.
Children could use pieces of newspaper (and their

imagination) and tear out shapes of animals or favourite
food and talk about them with their classmates.
Dialogue is conversation.
Flashcards are pictures on cards to help students to understand
new vocabulary without translation.
Presenting language is introducing new language.
Revising is practising language that learners have seen previously.
18
Help at hand
Topic 9 Teachers supporting each other

How can we support each other to
learn and develop as English teachers?
Read these comments from teachers. Do you agree?
New teachers can

learn a lot from
more experienced
colleagues.
I feel more motivated

if I can talk about my
classes with other
teachers.
Moya, Mozambique
Rafael, Angola
e can share materials such as flashcards, wallcharts,

W
pictures and games with other teachers. Think about where
and how to store your shared resources in your school.
Can they be organised into different levels or ages?
e can talk to colleagues about how to adapt teaching
W
materials to use them with other students; for example,
flashcards for presenting new vocabulary with one class can
be used as a fun way to invent a story with another class.
eachers can help each other by observing each others
T
classes. Have a specific focus in mind such as: Please watch
the way that I give instructions. How can I do this better?
Some lucky teachers are able to participate in meetings,
events and organisations aimed at professional development;
for example, an international conference with teaching
experts as speakers.
eachers working in schools close to each other can form

T
small groups and meet up every month or so. Have a topic
for the meeting such as large classes so that everyone can
bring ideas about large classes, share their problems and
hopefully offer solutions.
ou can organise meetings with fellow teachers in your

Y
own school to discuss ways to improve your teaching.
Sometimes teachers just need to talk to someone who
understands the stresses of long hours and large classes.
ew teachers in particular may want to share problems

N
and seek advice from more experienced colleagues, senior
teachers or head teachers.
nother idea for novice teachers is to ask for a more

A
experienced teacher to act as your mentor your
supporter and guide.
If teachers help each other with materials, ideas and

advice we can provide more effective English classes.
What do you think?

Lyutfiya from Tajikistan writes:
Last year I had a class of five-year-olds and I had no idea how or what to teach them. I asked an experienced lower primary
teacher from my school if I could watch his class. I wanted to know what activities he did with kids who cant read or write
and how he managed the class. I learnt a lot from that lesson how to tell a story, play games with flashcards and how to
get the students to pay attention by praising good behaviour. The following week my colleague observed me teaching an
adult exam class. He wanted to see how I helped the students with their writing skills.
Help at hand
19
A classroom activity noughts and crosses

You can use noughts and crosses to revise verbs or other
language. You and your colleagues can adapt this game for
other levels and ages by changing the words or instructions
(phrasal verbs, prepositions, write sentences in the past or
future, etc.).
Draw a 3x3 grid on the board like the one below.
Divide the class into three different teams and write a

symbol on the board to represent each team like this:
Team 1 = X, Team 2 = 0, Team 3 = $
The teams take turns to choose a verb and write a sentence

on the board to illustrate it, e.g. go I go to school by bus.
If the sentence is correct they write their symbol in the

go box.
If the sentence is incorrect, the next team has a turn and

may choose any box.
The aim is to get three boxes in a row horizontally, vertically

or diagonally.
Each team should work together to prepare their sentences

and select a writer to write the sentences on the board.
Tip: Pre-teach useful language which can be used during the

game, e.g. Its our turn; We give up.
go
walk
run
play
swim
jump
kick
dive
hop
Glossary
Think about
Flashcards are pictures on cards to help students to understand

new vocabulary without translation.
What can you do to help other teachers? What help do you

need to improve your teaching? Here are some ideas.
Noughts and crosses is a game where players usually put crosses

and circles in square grid of nine spaces; the objective is to get a
row of three crosses or three circles. Also called tic-tac-toe.
et up an observation with a colleague. Talk about what to

S
observe before the lesson. Later, listen to the observers
comments and suggestions.
A swap shop is a meeting where colleagues exchange things

or ideas.
Arrange a meeting with your colleagues or teachers from

local schools to discuss common issues.
A wallchart is a poster with pictures and words to help teach

new language.
Organise a swap shop with a few teachers. Each teacher

brings one teaching idea or resource to share.
20
Help at hand
Topic 10 Teaching listening

How can we teach listening
in the English classroom?
If you dont have

audio facilities you can
still do listening practice
in class. You just need to
be inventive.
Many teachers think that

listening comes naturally, but
in fact its something that can
be learnt. We can teach our
students how to listen.
Zalmina, Afghanistan
Kazimierz, Malaysia
We need to find a variety of material for listening and we dont
always need technology. Here are some ideas to help give your
students listening practice.
Give activities before, during and after listening so that

students are not just listening but doing something with
what they hear.
If you have a coursebook but not the CD or CD player, you can

bring the audio scripts to life by acting them out.
Listening skills we can practise include;

Predicting: What words do you think you will hear?
Listening for the main idea: What are the speakers
talking about?
Listening for details: What specific information do you hear?
We can adapt coursebook audio scripts by changing names,

places and details to make them more relevant to our students.
Students could interview a visitor, a different teacher or each
other in English.
You should use English in class as much as possible so your
students get maximum listening practise.
If we have audio facilities in class, we can record native
English speakers or good English speakers. We can play
clips from radio and television programmes as well as
simply using coursebook listening activities.
We need to give students a reason to listen.
Authentic listening materials, such as a radio or

television weather report, give students experience of
hearing real English.
Authentic material often has quite advanced language. If we
use a difficult listening text we can give our students an easier
activity to suit their level.
We can find or create different types of listening materials for
our students and teach them the skills they need to become
good listeners.
What do you think?

Paulo from Brazil writes:
I have a coursebook but no audio, so I become the CD player! I choose an audio script with two characters, and when I read
the text, I stand at the front of the classroom. I write the names of the characters on the board left and right. So when
character A speaks I wave my left hand and when character B speaks I wave my right hand.
I repeat for a second time, and then I repeat it again for the last time. By the end the CD player sometimes gets tired and
the voice gets quieter
As the narrator, you are in complete control of the listening text. You can even change the one in your book to make it more
interesting for your students.
Help at hand
21
A classroom activity describe and draw

This is a fun listening activity for all ages. The students have a
real reason to listen and also to ask questions. In this example,
the students draw an animal but you can choose any drawing
for your students to describe.
Set a time limit and then let students compare their animals.
The results are usually very amusing and creative!
Tip: Demonstrate the activity with a student before you put the
class into pairs.
With students in pairs, one person in each pair draws

an animal and then describes it in English to the other.
The student who is listening can ask questions, and try
to draw the same animal without seeing the picture.
Glossary
Think about
The audio script is the written words of a coursebook listening

text. Often at the back of the students book.
Authentic material is taken from real-life written or spoken
English; for example, a native speaker talking, a newspaper
article, or a radio programme. It is used with learners without
changing the language level, but with appropriate tasks for
the learners.
A native English speaker is a person who speaks English as
their first language.
Pairs are groups of two students working together in class.
Skills are abilities. We talk about the skills of reading, writing,
speaking and listening.
22
Help at hand
How can you find and create listening materials for

your students?
Can you add variety by sharing materials with other teachers?
What activities can you give your students before, during

and after listening? Look at examples in coursebooks or
invent your own.
Topic 11 Flexible activities

Storytelling, dictation
techniques as well as songs
and poems can be used
with all ages and levels in
the English classroom.

We need activities to

practise speaking, listening,
reading and writing that we
can use with all our classes.
Rafael, Argentina
A dictogloss is a very flexible type of dictation which involves
listening to the teacher, speaking in groups, writing and checking.
The teacher reads a short text to the students, who just

listen. The teacher reads the text again, and the learners
take notes. Then they work in groups to recreate the text
from their notes.
To check the groups texts, volunteers can write the text on

the board sentence by sentence while their classmates make
any necessary corrections. The students dont have to use
exactly the same words as the original text but their writing
must have the same meaning and use correct language.
For lower levels, you can help students by giving them the
text with words missing and they have to fill the gaps.
Kai, Kazakhstan
Flexible activities that we can adapt to use with various levels

and different ages are essential when we have limited
resources and large groups. Here are some simple activities
that can work at all levels.
A chain story involves your students working in small groups
to invent a story.
One student starts a story and the others listen.

Then everyone take turns to tell a bit more of the story.
Songs and poems are usually very memorable and good fun.
They can be used with older students as well as children.
For lower levels, cards with pictures or words can help

tell a story.
We can ask students to listen for specific words or

grammar structures.
Encourage your students to use their imagination. Telling stories

is good fluency practice so dont worry if you hear mistakes.
Students can learn a song or poem, complete the words

or discuss the theme and write down the story in their own words.
A referee in each group can make sure students take turns

and speak in English.
Younger learners often enjoy singing along to songs

with actions.
Set a time limit to control the activity then ask a few groups
to tell their stories to the class.
Find out what songs your students like but check that
the words are suitable before you use them in class.
Students could write the story their group created, either

in class or for homework.
Adapting these activities for your classes can help students at

various ages and levels to practise different skills in English.
What do you think?

Lyutfiya, who teaches in Tajikistan, writes:
A find someone who activity is really versatile. Its a speaking activity that you can use to practise any language. The
students have to try to find someone in the group who matches a description. I used this find someone who to practise
using the present perfect for experiences:
On the board I wrote: find someone who has been abroad
find someone who has eaten something really strange
find someone who has done a bungee jump
The students made questions (Have you been abroad?, etc.) and then, in groups, ask each other the questions. You can
choose the language you want to practise with lower or higher levels.
Help at hand
23
A classroom activity vanishing dialogue

The students invent a dialogue then try to repeat it from
memory. This activity works well with all ages and levels.
Draw two faces on the board; students invent names for

them. Ask the class to invent a short dialogue between the
two people. Write the dialogue on the board as you build it
up with the students.
Drill the dialogue. One side of the class takes the role of
each person. Swap roles and drill again. With younger
students, add silly voices to keep it lively and interesting.
Gradually remove more words until all the dialogue has

gone. Drill each time you remove a part of the dialogue.
Put students into pairs. Can they remember the

whole dialogue?
In groups, students write a similar dialogue. Monitor

and help.
Students could then act out their dialogues in front of
the class.
Remove a word or phrase and drill again. Students have

to remember the dialogue without the missing words.
Glossary
Think about
A dialogue is a conversation between two people.
How could these activities fit with your

teaching plans?
What other flexible activities can you

share with your colleagues?
In a dictation, the teacher reads a text; the students listen and write.
In a drill, the students repeat the teachers words.
Fluency is how well a learner communicates meaning mistakes are not important.
Monitoring is watching and listening to learners while they are doing an activity
but not leading them in the activity.
24
Help at hand
Topic 12 Making lessons motivating

How can we make our students interested in learning English?
Read these comments from teachers. Do you agree with them?
My students dont see any practical

uses for English in real life so they
are not motivated to learn.
Nery, Mexico
Agar, Ethiopia
Why learn English?
How can we plan interesting and varied activities?
We need to give students a reason to learn and show them

how English is useful; for example, in education, work or
travel to other countries.
Students need to feel that English is real and they can

use it. Inviting a native English speaker to chat with your
class is a great way to show this.
How can we make lessons motivating?
We can find out what the students are interested in and

then use this in class; for example, a World Cup project
for football fans, understanding song words for teenagers,
games for young children.
Ask students, their parents, or other teachers to bring

in old toys for primary classes. We can use the toys as
puppets for dialogues, to identify colours or animals, etc.
Students can bring in pictures from home (for example,

of a favourite person) to talk about to the class.
Plan some pair work. For example, tell each student to find
out three things that their partner did at the weekend; they
must ask and answer questions to find the information.
Students can work in groups. Give different roles to suit
students abilities and personalities. For example, a project
about animals where some people design a poster, others
write descriptions and others interview classmates about
their favourite animals.
Students can make materials for others to use in class;

for example, questions about a text, word puzzles, mini
vocabulary or grammar tests.
Giving homework helps students understand that learning

also continues out of the classroom.
We can encourage students to keep vocabulary records,

and to read at home.
Motivating resources dont have to be expensive or high-tech.

We can find them anywhere.
We can ask students to collect materials to provide the
class with free but stimulating resources.
During the course, ask what classroom activities your

students find most useful. Use this information to help
you plan lessons that are relevant to your students.
How can we involve students in their learning?
Where can we find motivating resources?
We have to find out

what our students are
interested in to create
motivating lessons.
We can keep our students motivated by explaining why

learning English is beneficial and using relevant materials
and activities in class.
What do you think?

Saba from Pakistan writes:
As teachers, we understand why we do certain activities, like working in pairs or groups. However, these reasons are not always
clear to our students.
We may need to explain why we do these things in class; for example, we can tell the students that pair work gives everyone a
chance to speak, rather than individuals talking to the teacher or the teacher talking to the class. We can also explain that when
students work in pairs or groups, they are concentrating on fluency and it is not too important if they make or hear mistakes.
Help at hand
25
A classroom activity student feedback

Use this activity to help students think about what they like
doing in class, why they are learning English and how they
can learn outside the classroom.
Write the sentences below on the board.
Students copy and complete the sentences.

Encourage them to be honest.
In groups, students compare their answers. Are they similar

or different?
Walk around the class; make notes of students opinions.
To finish the activity, you could ask two or three groups

to tell the class about ways to practise English at home
(for example, reading, writing vocabulary records).
Plan to include more activities that the students find useful

in future classes.
Tip: If your class doesnt have writing materials, invite students

from different groups to complete the sentences on the board.
Do their classmates agree?
1 The most useful activities in class for me are

2 In class I dont like
3 This year Im studying English because
4 To learn English at home I can
Glossary
Think about

Learners in threes or a class separated into two are examples of groups.
Students can work together on an activity in groups.
A native English speaker is a person who speaks English as their
first language.
Pair work is when two students working together in class.
A project is a series of activities where students work together on a
specific topic. For example, a group of teenagers produce a poster
and give a talk about using social networks such as Facebook.
26
Help at hand
Why are your students learning English? Do they

need to pass a specific exam, or will they need it
for future studies or for work?
Ask your colleagues how they motivate their

students the best ideas are the ones that will
work in your situation.
Topic 13 Teaching reading

How can we teach reading in the English classroom?
We have to teach students

how to read and tell them
not to worry about trying
to understand every word.
We need to show our students

different types of reading
material such as newspapers,
magazines and books.
Shamin, South Africa
Alexandra, Tanzania
We can help our students to become better readers by giving

them activities before they read, while they are reading and
after they have read a text.
The reading skills our students need to practise include
predicting, reading to understand the main idea and reading
for specific details.
After
Before
To help students predict we can discuss what might be

in a text, guess what vocabulary is in the text or write some
questions we hope the text will answer.
While
Students return to the text, this time reading for specific

details. We can ask them to find dates, names or other
information; for example they could answer questions,
complete a chart or check true/false sentences.
The first time students read the text we can set a few
general questions to help them with the skill of understanding
the main idea. Students can read quickly in silence before
discussing the answers as a class.
Post-reading activities help students to think about what

they have read and then use their own ideas. For example,
students could prepare questions in teams about a story
they have read or you could follow up a newspaper article
with a discussion of similar local events.
To help our students become confident readers, we need to

work with a variety of texts in the classroom and practise
reading skills.
What do you think?

Raul from Cuba writes:
At the small school where I work, the director gave his own magazines to the library. The teachers made copies of
interesting articles and prepared some activities (questions, true/false statements, etc.) to use with each one. We use the
copies with different classes and write the activities on the board. We even use the same articles with many levels. We give
a really simple activity to low levels and with advanced students we think of a more difficult task.
Some advice: set time limits when students are reading to understand the main ideas of a text this means they dont have
time to think about understanding every word.
Help at hand
27
A classroom activity a reading lesson

You can use this reading activity with a story, a coursebook
text, a magazine article or newspaper story.
Write the title of a text on the board. Ask students where

the text is from (a book, magazine, newspaper, etc.).
Students read the text again and in pairs make a note of any
names, numbers, and dates they see. Set a five minute time
limit. Ask a volunteer to list the names, etc. on the board.
Cover the text, and in pairs, students try to remember what

the names, numbers and dates refer to. They should look at
the text only if necessary.
Walk around the class and help with vocabulary.
Write Was this story/article interesting? Why/why not? on

the board. Students discuss the question in small groups.
Students could also discuss a different question, more
relevant to the specific text.
In pairs, students look at the title and predict what

vocabulary is in the text.
Ask one pair to write their vocabulary list on the board.
Invite others to add to the list.
Students read the text quickly in silence. Can they find any
of the words from the list on the board? Invite students to
the front to cross off the words they found.
Glossary
Think about
Find a text that you think will interest your students.

Plan some pre-reading, while reading, and postreading activities to try in class.
After the class, think about which activities worked

well or what you would do differently next time.
Predicting is thinking about the content of a text before you read it.
Skills are abilities. Reading skills are abilities that we can practise to
help us to read well.
True/false sentences are sentences about a text. The students decide
if the sentences are true or false by reading the text.
28
Help at hand
Topic 14 Error correction

When and how can we correct our students speaking errors?
I worry that my students

wont learn if I dont
correct all their errors.
My students make lots

of errors when they
speak but Im not sure
how to correct them.
Sami, Palestine
Ayegl, Turkey
Why do students make errors?
Students sometimes use language forms and structures

from their first language when they speak English.
Perhaps students make errors because they are tired and

find it difficult to pay attention.
When many students are making the same errors we may

need to review that part of the lesson.
Errors are a natural part of learning. Students try to say
something but may not get it right first time.
When should we correct errors?
When we do a class activity that practises fluency

for example, a discussion we can pay attention to
communication and not worry about errors.
A class activity that practises accuracy for example,
students performing a dialogue that they have
prepared needs more attention to error correction.
If we correct too much our students may worry about

making errors and decide not to speak!
Praising good use of English rather than correcting errors

can be very effective. This shows students that they are
using the language correctly.
Often students have clear ideas about correction. We can

ask our students when and how they like to be corrected.
How can we correct errors?
A shake of the head or raised eyebrows can show a student

that he or she has made an error.
We can use hand gestures; for example, point behind you to

show that a past tense is needed.
Remember to give the student time to think and to correct

his or her error.
We can correct what the students said like this:

Student: I go to the shop yesterday.
Teacher: went to the shop yesterday.
We can note errors and ask students to correct them after

the activity.
Students can choose a secretary to listen and note errors

during speaking practice in groups. The group corrects the
errors later.
Another correction method is to record students speaking

and then ask them to listen and try to correct any errors.
Errors give teachers essential information about where their

learners are, and what needs to be done next. We can help
students learn from their errors by correcting them (or not) in
different ways.
What do you think?

Anup from India writes:
We need to remember the difference between a mistake and an error. The main difference is that mistakes, when attention
is called to them, can be self-corrected; an error cannot.
Often when a learner produces accurate language, they arent sure that its right. The teacher might think that the student
knows that piece of language, when really the student was just experimenting or trying to communicate with the new
language. By praising this good language use, the teacher shows that the language used was correct. Now students know
that they can say it the same way again in the future.
Help at hand
29
A classroom activity team correction

This activity is a fun way for students to correct their own errors.
In teams, the students try to correct the sentences.
Students do a speaking activity; for example, a discussion

in groups.
The teams take turns to choose a sentence to correct.

Give a point if they get it right.
Walk around the class quietly and take notes on the

mistakes you hear.
The winner is the team with the most points.
At the end of the activity or next class, write sentences on

the board with the errors you noted from the previous class.
Glossary
Think about
Reviewing is practising language that learners have

seen previously.
30
Help at hand
Think about how and when you correct your students when
they are speaking.
Do you use gestures to show errors?
Do you give your students the chance to correct their errors?
How do you like your errors to be corrected

when you are speaking a foreign language?
Topic 15 Using the board

Where there is a
shortage of resources
in the classroom, the
board is responsible for
the success of a lesson.
I feel my board is too

untidy. Id like it to be
well organised and clear.
Ridha, Tunisia
Girish, India
How can we use the board to help us give
effective classes?
Look at this list of ideas.
Is your writing on the board tidy and the correct size?
Do you write in straight lines? Can everyone see what
youve written? Check by looking from the back of the class.
s you write on the board, turn around frequently to check
A
on the class. If possible, write texts or exercises on the
board before the class starts.
Make sure you turn to face the class when you speak.
Is your board organised? Some teachers write a list of the

class activities on one side of the board, use the other side
for vocabulary and the middle section for writing and
rubbing off as necessary.
sk Can I clean the board? before cleaning. Remember

A
to clean the board completely for the next teacher.
einforce your spoken instructions by writing page

R
numbers, exercise numbers and homework on the board.
Using different colours can draw attention to specific language.
se the board for drawing stick people to tell stories or

U
present new language. Use speech bubbles and symbols
such as ! and ?. Number pictures to help students follow
and recall the story.
Draw a spidergram on the board to present or revise

vocabulary. Students add more words related to the topic.
Display posters, flashcards, maps, and pictures by sticking
them on the board.
tudents usually like to write or draw on the board. For

S
example, groups race to write words connected to a topic
each group has a section of the board. Have a space at the
bottom of the board where young children can reach to write.
lay games such as hangman, noughts and crosses, and

P
pictionary (draw a picture and guess the word) on the board.
se the board for discipline. Write the name of a badly

U
behaved student on the board. Remove the name when the
student behaves well. With young children, draw a happy
face and a sad face. Add names under the faces for good
or bad behaviour.
Copying from the board can calm an overexcited class.
The board can be a really useful resource. We need to be

organised and include board work in our lesson plans.
What do you think?

Luis from Argentina writes:
My board work was a disaster. I had very large writing.
I often had no space on the board later in the lesson so
I had to write very small words in the corners of the board.
Now I write smaller to fit into each box. As a result, I have

both more space and clearer writing. I fill one box at a time
so there is lots more space. I can clean just one box if I
need more space.
By dividing the board into a four box grid at the beginning

of the lesson I solved this problem!
Help at hand
It
really
works
31
A classroom activity stop the bus!

Play this game on the board with any age group or level by
changing the category headings.
Give ten points for each correct word. The other teams
score ten points for each correct word that is different
from the one on the board, and five points if they have
the same word.
Draw a table like the one below on the board. In teams,

students copy it onto a piece of paper.
Choose a letter. Each team writes one item beginning

with that letter for each category.
Repeat with a different letter.
The team with the highest total is the final winner.
The first team to finish shouts Stop the bus! Everyone must
stop writing now.
Tip: Reduce the number of categories the teams have to

fill for difficult letters.
The winning team write their words on the board (see below
for example).
Animals
Colours
Food
Clothes
Countries
Sports
Total
Tiger
Turquoise
Tuna
Trousers
Tunisia
Tennis
60
T
B
Glossary
Think about
Flashcards are pictures on cards to help students to understand new vocabulary

without translation.
Sit down in one of your students

chairs after the class and look at
the board.

A spidergram is a spider-shaped diagram with the main topic (for example, clothes) in
a central circle and related words as legs (for example, get dressed, put on, take off).
engine
boot
car
wheel
32
Help at hand
mirror
door
Is it organised?
Is the writing clear?
Could you present the information

in a clearer way?
Does the board give you a clear

idea of what the lesson was about?
Topic 16 Developing as a teacher

Do you agree?
Developing as a teacher
is important but I dont
have the time or the
money to do a course.
I want to learn more

about teaching and
language learning but Im
not sure where to start.
Rashid, Pakistan
Yolanda, Mexico
Here are some ideas.
Talk to other teachers. The staff room is a great resource

its full of teachers with ideas that you can borrow to try
with your classes.
Keep a teaching diary. After each lesson, makes notes on
what you learned about your students, yourself, teaching,
and the English language. List simple personal goals such
as trying group or pair work.
Read about your profession in teaching journals, books,

online articles, blogs, etc.
Try a blind observation. This is good if you dont want
someone to watch your class at first or if its difficult to
find a time when someone can watch you teach. The
teacher tells the observer (a colleague) about the lesson
she is going to teach and describes one or two areas that
she wants to improve (for example, instructions). She then
teaches the lesson (without the observer). After the
lesson, the two colleagues have feedback, paying
particular attention to those one or two areas.
Try team teaching. Plan and teach a lesson with another

teacher. Decide who is going to teach which parts of the
class. This is a great way to learn about different ways of
teaching from each other.
ive a session/workshop at your school. Choose a topic
G
that interests you, such as creating resources. Do some
research and plan what you want to say to your colleagues.
Give teachers ideas for activities to use in class.
Start a professional community with colleagues. You can
meet (in person or online) to exchange teaching tips, share
resources, compare experiences, and work on projects
together (for example, improving English). The community
can be just two people or as big as you like.
Think about professional training. You could learn to be a
teacher trainer or an online tutor. Perhaps your school can
help pay for training courses (some online courses are free).
Be open to trying new ideas and look for ways to learn more
about your profession. Developing professionally can make
your job more interesting and improve your teaching.
What do you think?

Osman from Turkey writes:
Do you know what a PLN is? It means Personal Learning Network. A PLN is a group of people that can help you to develop
and learn.
Many people nowadays associate PLN with the connections made online with other teachers; for example, through blogging,
Twitter and Facebook. However, we sometimes forget the most important people in our PLN the people we work with
every day. They know the context we work in and they can be the most useful source of advice and support.
Help at hand
33
A classroom activity learner diaries

Learner diaries help students to think about their learning
and provide information on their progress. They can also
help the teacher to see what activities work well and not so
well in class.
Students can use the back of their notebooks as

a diary. Or fold a sheet of paper into a z-shape to make
a six-page diary.
At the end of each class give the students five minutes

to complete sentences in their diaries (see below for examples).
Check the diaries as students are writing or collect them

to read from time to time. Write comments if you like.
With a large class, correction may be impractical but give

students help with writing if needed.
Today I learnt
One thing I said very well in class today
One mistake I made today
One activity I liked in class today was
In the class today I didnt like
Glossary
Think about
A teaching diary is a record a teacher keeps of their classes what worked

well and what didnt and notes about classes.
Write a list of three ways that you want to

develop as a teacher:
A lesson observation is where one teacher watches anothers lesson to give

feedback and advice to help the teacher develop. A blind observation is
one type of observation.
Team teaching is when there are two teachers in the classroom teaching
a lesson together.
A professional community is an organisation of teachers that lets them

exchange information and ideas.
34
Help at hand
Tick the boxes as you do them.
Glossary
A native English speaker is a person who speaks English as their

first language.
The audio script is the written words of a coursebook listening text,

often at the back of the students book.
Noughts and crosses is a game where players usually put crosses and
circles in square grid of nine spaces; the object is to get a row of three
crosses or three circles. Also called tic-tac-toe.
Authentic material is taken from real-life written or spoken English;

for example, a native speaker talking, a newspaper article, or a radio
programme. It is used with learners without changing the language
level, but with appropriate tasks for the learners.
A chant is similar to a song; a chant has rhythm but no tune.

Comprehension questions are questions about a text. The questions
can help the students understand the text.
To communicate is to use language to exchange information
and interact.
Predicting is thinking about the content of a text before you read it.
Presenting language is introducing new language.
In choral repetition, the whole class repeats the teachers words.

In controlled practice, learners practise new language in a limited way.
In drilling, students repeat the teachers words.
Props are things you can use in your classroom to help you tell a story
or set the scene for an activity.
A first draft is a first try at writing something. A second draft will

improve and correct the first draft.
Flashcards are pictures on cards to help students to understand new

vocabulary without translation.
Fluency is how well a learner communicates meaning mistakes
arent important.
In freer activities, learners practise English using the target language freely.
A gesture is a movement of moving your hand or body to explain ideas.
Miming is demonstrating something using actions, not words.

A model is an example that students can use to help them with their
own work.
Modelling is saying a word or phrase clearly to the class to
demonstrate it.
Monitoring is watching and listening to learners while they are doing
an activity but not leading them in the activity. We can find out what
errors students make as they produce language by monitoring.
Skills are abilities. We talk about the skills of reading, writing, speaking
and listening. Reading skills are abilities that we can practise to help us
to read well.
A spidergram is a spider-shaped diagram with the main topic
(for example, clothes) in a central circle and related words as legs
(for example, get dressed, put on, take off).
Formal words and expressions are used in some types of writing;

for example, we can end a job application letter Yours sincerely
Informal words and expressions are used in some types of writing;

for example, we can end a letter to a friend Love from
A professional community is an organisation of teachers that lets

them exchange information and ideas.
A project is a series of activities where students work together on a
specific topic. For example, a group of teenagers produce a poster and
give a talk about using social networks such as Facebook.
In a dictation, the teacher reads a text; the students listen and write.
In group work, the class is divided into smaller groups to work

together on an activity; for example, a discussion on favourite sports.
In pair work, two students work together; for example, answering

questions in pairs after reading a text.
In personalised activities students communicate real information
about themselves, e.g. talking about their favourite sport.
Communicative skill is using language to interact and exchange

information; for example, asking and answering questions about
your family.
Learners in threes or a class separated into two are examples of

groups. Students can work together on an activity in groups.
A lesson observation is where one teacher watches anothers lesson

to give feedback and advice to help the teacher develop. A blind
observation is one type of observation.
A swap shop is a meeting where colleagues exchange things or ideas.

A syllabus is a list of language items in the order that they will be
taught on a course.
The target language is the items of language that the teacher wants
the students to learn.
A teaching diary is a record a teacher keeps of their classes
what worked well and what didnt and notes about classes.
Team teaching is when there are two teachers in the classroom
teaching a lesson together.
True/false sentences are sentences about a text. The students decide
if the sentences are true or false by reading the text.
A wallchart is a poster with pictures and words to help teach
new language.
A warmer is a short, lively activity at the start of the lesson to get
students attention. A warmer can revise language from a previous class.
A yes/no question is a question that can be answered by yes or no,
e.g. do you like chocolate?
Help at hand
35
Help at hand
Ideas for the
developing teacher
The 16 articles in this booklet provide
practical advice and classroom ideas for
the developing teacher. They cover topics
such as storytelling, using the board and
finding resources and contain ideas that will
work for teachers at all age groups and in
all situations. Each article also contains a
practical idea for teachers to take away
and use in their classrooms.
For more advice and activities for teachers visit

ISBN 978-086355-666-1
British Council 2012 Brand and Design/C040b
The British Council creates international opportunities for the people
of the UK and other countries and builds trust between them worldwide.
A registered charity: 209131 (England and Wales) SC037733 (Scotland).
Using the board

This series of articles from the British Council aims to help you think about your teaching and bring new ideas and activities into your classroom.
The series covers topics including homework, working with large classes and finding resources. Today we look at using the board.

I feel my board
is too untidy. Id
like it to be well
organised and
clear.
Girish, India
Where there is a
shortage of
resources in the
classroom the
board is
responsible for the
success of a lesson.
Ridha, Tunisia
How can we use the board to help us give

effective classes? Look at this list of ideas.
n Is your writing on the board tidy and the
correct size? Do you write in straight lines?
Can everyone see what youve written?
Check by looking from the back of the class.
n As you write on the board, turn around
frequently to check on the class. If possible
write texts or exercises on the board before
the class starts.
n Make sure you turn to face the class when
you speak.
n Is your board organised? Some teachers
write a list of the class activities on one side
of the board, use the other side for
vocabulary and the middle section for
writing and rubbing off as necessary.
n Ask Can I clean the board? before cleaning.
Remember to clean the board completely
for the next teacher.
n Reinforce your spoken instructions by
writing page numbers, exercise numbers
and homework on the board.
n Using different colours can draw attention to
specific language.
n Use the board for drawing stick people to
tell stories or present new language. Use
speech bubbles and symbols such as !! and
?. Number pictures to help students follow
and recall the story.
n Draw a spidergram on the board to present
or revise vocabulary. Students add more
words related to the topic.
n Display posters, flashcards, maps, and
pictures by sticking them on the board.
n Students usually like to write or draw on the
board. For example, groups race to write
words connected to a topic each group
has a section of the board. Have a space at
the bottom of the board where young
children can reach to write.
n Play games such as hangman, noughts and
crosses, pictionary (draw a picture and
guess the word) on the board.
n Use the board for discipline. Write the name
of a badly behaved student on the board.
Remove the name when the student
behaves well. With young children, draw a
happy face and a sad face. Add names
under the faces for good or bad behaviour.
n Copying from the board can calm an
overexcited class.
The board can be a really useful resource. We
need to be organised and include board work in
our lesson plans.
What do you think?

Luis from Argentina writes:
My board work was a disaster. I had very large writing. I often had no space on the board later in
the lesson so I had to write very small words in the corners of the board.
By dividing the board into a 4-box grid at the beginning of the lesson I solved this problem!
Now I write smaller to fit into each box. As a result, I have both more space and clearer writing. I
fill one box at a time so there is lots more space. I can clean just one box if I need more space.
It
really
works
A classroom activity - stop the bus!

Play this game on the board with any age group or level by changing the category headings.
n Draw on the board a table like the one below. In teams, students copy it onto a piece of
paper.
n Choose a letter. Each team writes one item beginning with that letter for each category.
n The first team to finish shouts Stop the Bus! Everyone must stop writing now.
n The winning team write their words on the board, for example:
Animals
Colours
Food
Clothes
Countries
Sports
Total
Tiger
Turquoise
Tuna
Trousers
Tunisia
Tennis
60
n Give 10 points for each correct word. The other teams score 10 points for each correct
word that is different from the one on the board, 5 points if they have the same word.
n Repeat with a different letter.
n The team with the highest total is the final winner.
Tip: Reduce the number of categories the teams have to fill for difficult letters.
Glossary
Think about
Flashcards are pictures on cards to help

students to understand new vocabulary without
translation.
Sit down in one of your students chairs after

the class and look at the board.
Revising is practising language that learners

have seen previously.
A spidergram is a spider-shaped diagram with
the main topic (for example, clothes) in a central
circle and related words as legs (for example,
get dressed, put on, take off).
Want to find more teaching tips? Visit www.teachingenglish.org.uk
n Is it organized?
n Is the writing clear?
n Could you present the information
in a clearer way?
n Does the board give you a clear idea
of what the lesson was about?
Teaching reading
The series covers topics including homework, working with large classes and finding resources. Today we look at teaching reading.
How can we teach reading in the English

classroom? Read these comments from
teachers. Do you agree?
We need to show
our students
different types of
reading material
such as newspapers,
magazines and
books.
We have to teach
students how to
read and tell them
not to worry about
trying to understand
every word.
Alexandra, Tanzania
Shamin, South Africa
We can help our students to become better

readers by giving them activities before they
read, while they are reading and after they have
read a text.
n The reading skills our students need to
practise include predicting, reading to
understand the main idea and reading for
specific details.
Before
n To help students predict we can discuss
what might be in a text, guess what
vocabulary is in the text or write some
questions we hope the text will answer.
While
What do you think?

Raul from Cuba writes:
At the small school where I work, the director gave his own magazines to the library. The
teachers made copies of interesting articles and prepared some activities (questions, true/false
statements) to use with each one. We use the copies with different classes and write the
activities on the board. We even use the same articles with many levels. We give a really simple
activity to low levels and with advanced students we think of a more difficult task.
Some advice: set time limits when students are reading to understand the main ideas of a text
this means they dont have time to think about understanding every word.
A classroom activity - a reading lesson

You can use this reading activity with a story, a course book text, a magazine article or
newspaper story.
n Write the title of a text on the board. Ask students where the text is from (a book,
magazine, newspaper?).
n In pairs students look at the title and predict what vocabulary is in the text.
n Ask one pair to write their vocabulary list on the board. Invite others to add to the list.
n Students read the text quickly in silence. Can they find any of the words from the list on
the board? Invite students to the front to cross off the words they found.
n Students read the text again and in pairs make a note of any names, numbers, and dates
they see. Set a five-minute time limit. Ask a volunteer to list the names, etc on the board.
n Cover the text and in pairs students try to remember what the names, numbers and dates
refer to. They can look at the text only if necessary.
n Walk around the class and help with vocabulary.
n Write Was this story/article interesting? Why/why not? on the board. Students discuss
the question in small groups. Students could also discuss a different question, more
relevant to the specific text.
n The first time students read the text we can

set a few general questions to help them
with the skill of understanding the main idea.
Students can read quickly in silence before
discussing the answers as a class.
n Students return to the text, this time reading
for specific details. We can ask them to find
dates, names or other information. For
example they could answer questions,
complete a chart or check true/false
sentences.
After
n Post reading activities help students to
think about what they have read and then
use their own ideas. For example, students
could prepare questions in teams about a
story they have read or you could follow up
a newspaper article with a discussion of
similar local events.
To help our students become confident readers

we need to work with a variety of texts in the
classroom and practise reading skills.
Glossary
Think about
n Find a text that you think will interest

your students. Plan some pre-reading,
while-reading, and post-reading
activities to try in class.
Predicting is thinking about the content of a text before

you read it.
Skills are abilities. Reading skills are abilities that we can
practise to help us to read well.
True/false sentences are sentences about a text. The
students decide if the sentences are true or false by
reading the text.
n After the class, think about which

activities worked well or what you
would do differently next time.
Teaching listening
The series covers topics including homework, working with large classes and finding resources. Today we look at teaching listening.
How can we teach listening in the English

classroom? Read these comments from
teachers. Do you agree?
Many teachers think
that listening comes
naturally. But in fact
its something that
can be learnt. We can
teach our students
how to listen.
If you dont have

audio facilities you
can still do listening
practice in class.
You just need to
be inventive!
Kazimierz, Malaysia
Zalmina, Afghanistan
We need to find a variety of material for listening

and we dont always need technology. Here are
some ideas to help give your students listening
practice.
n If you have a coursebook but not the CD or CD
player, you can bring the audio scripts to life
by acting them out.
n We can adapt course book audio scripts by
changing names, places and details to make
them more relevant to our students.
n Students could interview a visitor in English, a
different teacher or each other.
n You should use English in class as much as
possible so your students get maximum
listening practise
What do you think?

Paulo from Brazil writes:
I have a course book but no audio. So I become the CD player! I choose an audio script with two
characters. And when I read the text, I stand at the front of the classroom. I write the names of
the characters on the board left and right. So when character A speaks I wave my left hand and
when character B speaks I wave my right hand.
I repeat for a second time, and then I repeat it again for the last time. By the end the CD player
sometimes gets tired and the voice gets quieter : )
As the narrator, you are in complete control of the listening text. You can even change the one in
your book to make it more interesting for your students!
A classroom activity - describe and draw

This is a fun listening activity for all ages. The students have a real reason to listen and also
to ask questions. In this example the students draw an animal but you can choose any
drawing for your students to describe.
n With students in pairs, one person in each pair draws an animal and then describes it in
English to the other.
n The student who is listening, can ask questions, and tries to draw the same animal without
seeing the picture.
n Set a time limit and then let students compare their animals. The results are usually very
amusing - and creative!
Tip: Demonstrate the activity with a student before you put the class into pairs.
n If we have audio facilities in class, we can

record native English speakers or good
English speakers. We can play clips from radio
and TV programmes as well as simply using
course book listening activities.
We need to give students a reason to listen.
n Give activities before, during and after
listening so that students are not just listening
but doing something with what they hear.
n Listening skills we can practise include;
Predicting: What words do you think you will
hear?
Listening for the main idea: What are the
speakers talking about?
Listening for details: What specific
information do you hear?
Authentic listening materials, such as a radio or
TV weather report give students experience of
hearing real English.
Glossary
Think about
n Authentic material often has quite advanced

language. If we use a difficult listening text we
can give our students an easier activity to suit
their level.
The audio script is the written words of a course book

listening text. Often at the back of the students book.
n How can you find and create listening

materials for your students?
We can find or create different types of listening

materials for our students and teach them the
skills they need to become good listeners.

Authentic material is written or spoken English used

with learners without changing the level of language.
For example, a native speaker talking, a newspaper article,
a radio programme.
n Can you add variety by sharing

materials with other teachers?
n What activities can you give your
students before, during and after
listening? Look at examples in course
books or invent your own.
Skills are abilities. We talk about the skills of reading, writing,

speaking and listening.
Teaching writing
The series covers topics including homework, working with large classes and finding resources. Today we look at teaching writing.

Do you agree?
My students write
for homework, not
in class.
Kavi, Malaysia
Marking my
students writing
takes hours!
Aliya, Somalia
How can we help our students to write well?

A typical writing lesson could look like this:
What do you think?

Anil from India writes:
Writing is something that has to be taught, even in your first language. You cant just tell students
to write an essay, they need preparation and more preparation before they write.
At the first stage of preparing to write an essay, I give learners the essay title and pieces of scrap
paper. They have 3 minutes to work alone, writing one idea on each piece of paper, before
comparing in groups. Each group can then present their 3 best ideas to the class. This means
that everyone has many ideas to choose from before they start writing and nobody can say
I cant think of anything to write.
Preparation
n What type of writing do we want our students
to do? For example, a letter to a friend, a book
review, a party invitation?
n To introduce the topic we can ask students
Have they received a letter (or email)
recently?
What books they are reading?
Do they ever go to parties?
n Tell students to think about what to include in
the writing. For example a letter to friend
might include news, questions, arranging a
visit. A party invitation needs a time, a place.
n In groups, students could make notes of what
to include. One group writes their notes on the
board. Can their classmates add anything?
Keep these ideas on the board for later.
n We can show the students a model of what we
want them to produce (a letter, a book review
etc). We can look at the kind of language used
in the model - is it formal or informal? What
useful words and expressions can students
use from the model?
A classroom activity - parents never say...

We can give students short, fun activities to get them writing. This is a group writing activity
that even lower elementary level students can enjoy.
n Ask students what rules their parent set at home. Write some examples on the board, for
example Come home before 9 oclock. Do your homework.
n Ask what parents never say, for example:
Please dont tidy your room,
Use the telephone a lot,
Stay up very late.
n In groups the students write eight sentences that parents never say.
n Give a time limit of 10 minutes. Tell the students that there will be a vote on the best set
of rules.
n Each group sticks up the groups rules on the board/wall.
n The class read all the different sets of rules and vote on which is best (not their own).
n If correction is needed, you can leave the posters up and have a group correction session.
n We can look at specific parts of the model.

For example: Are there any paragraphs?
How many? How does the model text start
and finish?
Writing
n Students can use the ideas that were written
on the board earlier to write a first draft. They
can use the model to help them.
n Students now exchange their first draft with a
partner and check their partners writing.
We can give students specific areas to check,
for example, that the correct information is
included, that the writing is organised into
paragraphs. Students can also check each
others spelling, grammar and punctuation.
n The students can write a second draft in class
or at home to give to the teacher.
Correction
n We can use a correction code to show
students where they have made mistakes, for
example: Sp = spelling mistake, WW = wrong
word, WO = wrong word order, T = wrong
tense, Pr = wrong preposition, Pu = wrong
punctuation, / = missing word.
n Then students can correct their own writing.
n We can collect common errors and write them
on the board for class correction.
We can focus on different areas or stages of
writing in class such as collecting ideas, rewriting
or correction. We can help students with the
process of writing by giving lots of preparation
before they produce a finished written piece.
Glossary
Think about
A first draft is a first try at writing something. A second

draft will improve and correct the first draft.
n If you have a textbook, look at the

writing activities in the book. How can
you adapt these to make them more
relevant to your students?
Formal words and expressions are used in some types of

writing. For example we can end a job application letter
Yours sincerely,..
Informal words and expressions are used in some types
of writing. For example we can end a letter to a friend
Love from,..
n Ask colleagues how they teach and

correct writing.
A model is an example that students can use to help

them with their own work.
Teachers supporting each other

The series covers topics including homework, working with large classes and finding resources. Today we look at teachers supporting each other.
How can we support each other to learn

and develop as English teachers?
I feel more
motivated if I can
talk about my
classes with
other teachers.
Rafael, Angola
New teachers can

learn a lot from
more experienced
colleagues.
What do you think?

Lyutfiya from Tajikistan writes:
Last year I had a class of 5-year-olds and I had no idea how or what to teach them. I asked an
experienced lower primary teacher from my school if I could watch his class. I wanted to know
what activities he did with kids who cant read or write and how he managed the class. I learnt
a lot from that lesson how to tell a story, games with flash cards and how to get the students
to pay attention by praising good behaviour. The following week my colleague observed me
teaching an adult exam class. He wanted to see how I helped the students with their writing skills.
Moya, Mozambique
Do you agree?
n We can share materials such as flashcards,
wallcharts, pictures, and games

with other teachers. Think about where
and how to store your shared resources
in your school. Can they be organised into
different levels or ages?
A classroom activity - noughts and crosses

You can use noughts and crosses to revise verbs or other language. You and your
colleagues can adapt this game for other levels and ages by changing the words or instructions
(phrasal verbs, prepositions, write sentences in the past, future)
n Draw a 3x3 grid on the board like the one below:
n We can talk to colleagues about how to adapt
teaching materials to use them with other

students. For example, flashcards for
presenting new vocabulary with one class can
be used as a fun way to invent a story with
another class.
go
walk
run
play
swim
jump
kick
dive
hop
n Teachers can help each other by observing
each others classes. Have a specific focus

in mind such as: Please watch the way that
I give instructions. How can I do this better?
n Some lucky teachers are able to participate
in meetings, events and organisations aimed

at professional development, for example an
international conference with teaching
experts as speakers.
n Teachers working in schools close to each
other can form small groups and meet

up every month or so. Have a topic for the
meeting such as large classes so that
everyone can bring ideas about large
classes, share their problems and hopefully
offer solutions.
n You can organise meetings with fellow
teachers in your own school to discuss

ways to improve your teaching. Sometimes
teachers just need to talk to someone who
understands the stresses of long hours
and large classes!
n New teachers in particular may want to share
problems and seek advice from more

experienced colleagues, senior teachers or
head teachers.
n Another idea for novice teachers is to ask
for a more experienced teacher to act as

your mentor your supporter and guide.
If teachers help each other with materials,
ideas and advice we can provide more effective
English classes.
n Divide the class into at three different teams and write a symbol on the board to represent
each team like this: Team 1 = X, Team 2 = 0, Team 3 = $

n The teams take turns to choose a verb and write a sentence on the board to illustrate it,
e.g., go I go to school by bus.

n If the sentence is correct they write their symbol in the go box.
n If the sentence is incorrect, the next team has a turn and may choose any box.
n The aim is to get three boxes in a row horizontally, vertically or diagonally.
n Each team should work together to prepare their sentences and select a writer to write the
sentences on the board.

Tip: Pre-teach useful language which can be used during the game, e.g., Its our turn. We give up.
Glossary
Think about
Flashcards are pictures on cards to help

students to understand new vocabulary without
translation.
What can you do to help other teachers?

What help do you need to improve your teaching?
Noughts and crosses is a game where players

usually put crosses and circles in square grid of
nine spaces; the object is to get a row of three
crosses or three circles. Also called tic-tac-toe.
n Set up an observation with a colleague.

Talk about what to observe before the lesson.
Later, listen to the observers comments
and suggestions.
A swap shop is a meeting where colleagues

exchange things or ideas.
n Arrange a meeting with your colleagues or teachers

from local schools to discuss common issues.
A wallchart is a poster with pictures and words

to help teach new language.
n Organise a swap shop with a few teachers.

Each teacher brings one teaching idea or resource
to share.
Storytelling
The series covers topics including homework, working with large classes and finding resources. Today we look at storytelling.

Do you agree?
I dont feel
confident telling
stories to young
children.
Juan, Venezuela
Im not sure how

to use stories with
older learners. Do
they want to listen
to stories?
Jagan, India
What do you think?

Sharka from Czech Republic writes:
Practise telling stories for young children in front of a mirror. You need to find the right pace
and know which words to emphasise (and maybe which to translate or explain!) to bring the
story alive.
Telling stories and anecdotes forms an important part of our everyday communication; what we
did at the weekend, the latest news, talking about films. Everyone loves a good story children,
teenagers and adults.
How can we use story telling effectively in class?

Young children usually love listening to stories.
n Introduce a story with props. Use the cover
of a storybook, puppets (use an old sock or
a face on a stick) or simple drawings on the
board.
n A picture book can be in any language just
use the pictures. Remember to hold up a book
for all to see.
n Get the childrens attention by saying and
miming Eyes on me. Ears open. Mouths
closed!
n By telling a story with feeling you can really
bring it alive for the students so that they feel
they are in the story. Use different voices and
actions. Practise your story before presenting it.
n Encourage children to join in with actions and
repeated phrases. Translate or explain new
words if necessary.
n Draw the main characters on the board, each
time the children hear the name they have to
point to the character.
n Mime closing a book (or close a real one) for
silence.
n What did the students like about the story? Do
they have any similar stories to tell?
n Retell a story in a future lesson and encourage
the children to join in a little bit more each
time you read it. Read stories with repeated
phrases like The Three Little Pigs and The
Very Hungry Caterpillar.
Older learners need a reason to listen to
a story.
n Tell students three stories about your life, two
true and one false. They listen and decide
which story is false.
n We can give two different endings and the
students discuss which is correct.
n Students can listen to a story then try to retell
it in groups, each person takes turns to say
one sentence.
n Give students questions to answer before they
hear a story (for example, Why is a boy sitting
outside the principals office? Whos wearing
a pink bow tie?). They invent a story through
their answers (for example, A boy is waiting to
be punished by the principal. The maths
teacher is wearing a bow tie. ) Students want
to hear the real story after inventing their
version.
n Reading stories or novel extracts can be part
of a project. It could include finding
information about the author, writing a book
review, talking about favourite types of books,
making a quiz about the characters in a story,
and writing a short story.
Storytelling doesnt need lots of resources
but it can provide lots of language practice
for all age groups.
A classroom activity - story grid

This is a low preparation activity to use with teens and adults. Students create a short story
in small groups. They dont write it.
n Draw a 4x4 grid on the board and then put one word in each box, for example:
jungle
plane
Amazon
crash
Tony
survive
insects
snakes
Jayne
lost
knife
run
criminal
Ben
biologist
rescue
n Include people and place names, verbs, nouns, adjectives etc. Add some words to
make story more exciting such as crime, love, hate, murder, robbery, brokenhearted, treasure.
n In small groups students create a story. They can use any language they want to but they
have to include all the words in the story grid.
n Give help to the groups as they create their stories.
n They can retell their story to you, the rest of the class or to other groups.
n Have a class vote on the best story.
Tip: Note errors to write on the board for class correction later.
Glossary
Think about
Miming is demonstrating something using actions,

not words.
n Which stories do parents tell to their

children? Could you borrow picture books
(it doesnt matter what language the words
are in) to use for storytelling in class?
Props are things you can use in your classroom to

help you tell a story or set the scene for an activity.
A project is a series of activities where students
work together on a specific topic. For example, a
group of teenagers produce a poster and give a
talk about using social networks such as Facebook.
n Ask other teachers which stories their

students have enjoyed. Do they have a
copy you could borrow?
Teaching new language

The series covers topics including homework, working with large classes and finding resources. Today we look at teaching new language.
We can introduce new language - a

grammar structure, a new tense or
new vocabulary - in three stages:
presenting then practising and finally
using the language more freely.
I present the
target language in
a story or with
pictures to make
the meaning clear
to the students.
I give students
lots of controlled
practice to help
them learn new
language.
Shakir Ahmed,
Afghanistan
What do you think?

Helena from Brazil writes:
I think drilling helps with pronunciation. Its like training for a sport, you need to train your tongue
muscles, and repetition does that.
Choral repetition makes students feel safe while they are learning new language. Even if their
pronunciation is not perfect, they repeat with the group and dont feel exposed.
Make sure that you have different types of speaking practice in your lessons. Too much drilling is
very boring for students!
Joanna, UK
When students are

using the language
in pairs or groups, I
just listen and dont
interrupt.
Nery, Mexico
How can we teach new language like these
teachers?
There are many ways to present new language.
For example, You can use a text, an object, mime,
a picture, or a personal story.
n Using a realistic context makes the meaning
clear and memorable. For example if you want
to teach should and shouldnt to give advice,
you could ask your students what they
remember about their first day at school. Then
show a picture of child who is going to change
schools because his or her family have moved
to a different town. What advice can they give
to the child?
A classroom activity - Simon says

Play Simon says to teach new vocabulary to children and adults. This activity uses physical
actions to show meaning in a memorable way.
n Give an instruction; the students do the action if you say, Simon says... at the start.
n If you say, Simon says, touch your nose or Simon says, touch your ear the students
must do the action.
n But if you say, touch your eye the students dont do this (because you didnt say
Simon says).
n Begin by doing the actions with the students and gradually they can do them just from
listening.
n If anyone does the action without hearing Simon says then they are out of the game and
have to watch for anyone else making mistakes.
Tip: Adapt the vocabulary for your class, for example you can teach cooking vocabulary
(grate some cheese, slice some bread, whisk an egg) to higher levels or action verbs (run,
walk, sit) to lower levels.
n Help your students with examples of the

target language, for example, You should be
friendly. You shouldnt be late for class. Make
suggestions and corrections.
n You can model the language and the students
repeat like this:
Teacher: You should be friendly.
Students: You should be friendly.
Listen and correct pronunciation if necessary.
n Use the board to show spelling or the correct
form, for example: subject + should/shouldnt
+ bare infinitive. You can ask the students how
to write the form or ask questions to check
understanding.
Next the students practise the language in a
controlled way.
n You could ask students to write advice in pairs
for a younger sister preparing for an exam, for
example, You should study a lot.
Finally students use the new language in freer
activities such as a discussion, problem solving
or role-plays.
n The students could interview each other,
giving advice for different situations.
n Move around the class and help only if
necessary. Note mistakes and correct them
with the class at the end of this activity.
Many teachers find that the present, practise,
use method gives them a useful framework for
teaching new language.
Glossary
Think about
In choral repetition, the whole class repeats the

teachers words.
What new language do you want to teach in

your next class?
In controlled practice, learners practise new

language in a limited way.
n How can you present the new language in a

realistic context to make the meaning clear
and memorable?
In drilling, students repeating the teachers words.

In freer activities, learners practice English using
the target language freely.
Modelling is saying a word or phrase clearly to the
class to demonstrate it.
The target language is the items of language that
the teacher wants the students to learn.
n How will the students practice the language

in a controlled way?
n How will you check understanding?
n What freer activities will your students do
to use the language?
Making lessons motivating

The series covers topics including homework, working with large classes and finding resources. Today we look at making lessons motivating.
How can we make our students

interested in learning English?
My students dont
see any practical
uses for English in
real life so they are
not motivated to
learn.
Agar, Ethiopia
We have to find out

what our students
are interested in to
create motivating
lessons.
What do you think?

Saba, from Pakistan writes:
As teachers, we understand why we do certain activities, like working in pairs or groups.
However, these reasons are not always clear to our students.
We may need to explain why we do these things in class; for example, we can tell the
students that pair work gives everyone a chance to speak, rather than individuals talking to
the teacher or the teacher talking to the class. We can also explain that when students work
in pairs or groups, they are concentrating on fluency and it is not too important if they
make or hear mistakes.
Nery, Mexico
Why learn English?

n We need to give students a reason to learn
and show them how English is useful, for
example, in education, work or travel to other
countries.
n Students need to feel that English is real and
they can use it. Inviting a native English
speaker to chat with your class is a great way
to show this.
How can we make lessons motivating?
n We can find out what the students are
interested in and then use this in class. For
example a World Cup project for football fans,
understanding song words for teenagers,
games for young children.
Where can we find motivating resources?
Motivating resources dont have to be expensive
or high-tech. We can find them anywhere.
n We can ask students to collect materials to
provide the class with free but stimulating
resources.
n Ask students, their parents, or other teachers
to bring in old toys for primary classes. We
can use the toys as puppets for dialogues, to
identify colours, animals.
n Students can bring in pictures from home, for
example, of a favourite person to talk about to
the class.
How can we plan interesting and varied
activities?
n During the course, ask what classroom
activities your students find most useful. Use
this information to help you plan lessons that
are relevant to your students.
n Plan some pair work. For example, tell each
student to find out three things that their
partner did at the weekend. They must ask
and answer questions to find the information.
n Students can work in groups. Give different
roles to suit students abilities and
personalities. For example, a project about
animals where some people design a poster,
others write descriptions and others interview
classmates about their favourite animals.
How can we involve students in their learning?
n Students can make materials for others to use
in class, for example, questions about a text,
word puzzles, mini vocabulary or grammar
tests.
n Giving homework helps students understand
that learning also continues out of the
classroom.
n We can encourage students to keep
vocabulary records, and to read at home.
We can keep our students motivated by
explaining why learning English is beneficial and
using relevant materials and activities in class.
A classroom activity - student feedback

Use this activity to help students think about what they like doing in class, why they are
learning English and how they can learn outside the classroom.
n Write the following on the board:
1 The most useful activities in class for me are

2 In class I dont like
3 This year Im studying English because
4 To learn English at home I can
n Students copy and complete the sentences. Encourage them to be honest!

n In groups students compare their answers. Are they similar or different?
n Walk around the class; make notes of students opinions.
n To finish the activity, you could ask 2 or 3 groups to tell the class about ways to practise
English at home (for example, reading, writing vocabulary records.)
n Plan to include more activities that the students find useful in future classes.
Tip: If your class doesnt have writing materials, invite students from different groups to
complete the sentences on the board. Do their classmates agree?
Glossary
Think about
Fluency is how well a learner communicates meaning mistakes arent important.
n Why are your students learning

English? Do they need to pass a
specific exam, or will they need it
for future studies or for work?
Learners in threes or a class separated into two are examples

of groups. Students can work together on an activity in groups.
Pair work is when two students working together in class.
A project is a series of activities where students work
together on a specific topic. For example a group of teenagers
produce a poster and give a talk about using social networks
such as Facebook.
n Ask your colleagues how they

motivate their students the best
ideas are the ones that will work
in your situation!
Lesson planning
The series covers topics including homework, working with large classes and finding resources. Today we look at lesson planning.
Look at these sentences from teachers.
What do you think?
Saba from Indonesia writes:

I write out my lesson plan like this & it really helps me make sure all my students are involved
If we dont have a
plan we wont be
ready for teaching.
Nasreen, Bangladesh
Without a lesson
plan, I shouldnt be
entering the class.
Jotra, India
Is the textbook a lesson plan?

Everybodys situation is different but usually
we are given a syllabus and often a set
textbook to follow. The textbook gives us a
framework and tells us what language we need
to cover, but it doesnt always let us practise all
4 skills: reading, writing, speaking and listening.
Writing a lesson plan helps us make sure that
our students get the practice they need to
develop their communicative skills.
What goes in the lesson plan?
Different teachers write their plans in different
ways but here are some things to think about
when you write your plan:
Time (minutes)
Stage
Activity
Interaction
Warmer
Review vocabulary from last lesson
T whole class
Play backs to the board game.
S S S
5 10
Introducing topic
Students work in groups to answer

questions 15 on page 56
Group work
25 30
Reading tasks
Ss read article on
page 5758
Students work
individually
A classroom activity - backs to the board

A warmer at the start of the lesson is a good way to get students in the right mood and focused.
Heres a simple activity you can use to get students warmed up and review vocabulary from an
earlier lesson.
n Students work in two or three groups. One volunteer from each group stands or sits with their
back to the board.
Aims: We need to know what we want our

students to do by the end of the lesson. In our
plan we might write:
By the end of the lesson students will be able
to . use three ways to ask permission:
Can I ..? Could I ..? May I ..?
Resources: We have the textbook but what
other resources can I use that my students will
be interested in? Remember that resources can
be many things you, your students and their
world, your story-telling or diagrams and
pictures on the board anything!
Stages: How can you help your students
practise all 4 skills in your lesson?
Think about a warmer, teaching new language,
time for students to practise, time for revision,
and homework.
Interaction: A balance between you at the front
working with the whole class as well as pair
work and group work in other parts of the
lesson. How can we deal with more advanced
students and help the weaker ones?
Most important is to think about what our
students are learning, and try to keep
them interested.
n The teacher writes a word on the board and the group members explain the word to the
volunteer until he or she guess the word and that team wins a point.
n Change volunteers and repeat for 6 or 7 words.
n You can have a noisy game where students shout out their clues or a quieter, more controlled
game where they take turns to speak.
Glossary
Think about:
Communicative skill is using language to interact and exchange information, for example asking and
answering questions about your family.
n Write down your lesson plan, and decide what you

are going to teach, to practise, and to revise as well
as what homework to set. Remember to include
some communicative activities learning
a language is about communication!
In group work, the class is divided into smaller groups to work together on an activity, for example, a
discussion on favourite sports.
In pair work, two students work together, for example, answering questions in pairs after reading a text.
A syllabus is a list of language items in the order that they will be taught on a course.
A warmer is a short, lively activity at the start of the lesson to get students attention. A warmer can revise
language from a previous class.
n Why not share your lesson planning ideas with your

colleagues and discuss the best way to design a
plan for your teaching situation?
Group work in large classes

The series covers topics including homework, working with large classes and finding resources. Today we look at group work in large classes.
What is group work?
What do you think?
Group work is when the students work together

on an activity in groups, for example, in fours or
as a class separated into two.
Mirany from Madagascar writes:

The positive thing about large classes is that you have more life and more dynamism. I give the
students more responsibility when they work in groups but I still feel that Im in charge. I signal
to the class to stop by putting up my hand. One student from each group talks to the class after
the activity to give the answers or sum up their discussion so we dont have a problem with
everyone shouting out at the same time and making too much noise. We cant move the
furniture in our classroom so I just move the students!
To teach a class of 80 students to

communicate effectively in English
they need to work in groups.
Georgina, South Africa
Do you agree?
Why use group work?
Several groups can work at the same time so
instead of only one or two people practising the
language and the others just listening, everyone
is active.
Group work is excellent for speaking and
listening. Students can also work in groups for
grammar and writing tasks, for reading and
taking notes while listening - in fact for almost
all areas of classroom practice!
A classroom activity - a debate

A debate is a good way to get large classes talking in groups. Students can talk about topics that
really interest them and they will really want to join in. Heres one way to organize a debate:
n Give the students a choice of 3 discussion topics, for example:
Speaking is the best way to learn a language.

Everyone should do a sport.
Health is more important than money.
n Have a class vote on which topic to debate.
n Write up key expressions on the board such as I agree with you, I dont agree with you because
and I think. Ask higher level students for more ways to agree and disagree in English.
Organizing group work

Before: Before we do group work we need to:
n Give the students a clear objective for the
group work activity. For example, to practise

agreeing and disagreeing in English; or to
read parts of a text then share information
and answer comprehension questions.
n Arrange the groups. If you have 60 students
you could make 12 groups of 5. Give each

student a number between 1 and 12. Ask for
a show of hands to check that everyone
knows which number they are. All the number
1s make a group, all the number 2s, all the
number 3s etc. If you have an odd number
some groups will have one student more.
Each group can select a spokesperson and
secretary to make notes of the groups ideas.
During: While the students work in groups the
teacher can leave the front of the class and move
around, listening to the groups, helping if needed.
After: The spokesperson from each group
speaks to the class and summarizes the group
activity. Then we can correct any language
errors and praise the students good work.
Group work motivates students in a large class
because everyone can participate and practise.
n Organize the students into groups of 5 or 6. Each group chooses a secretary to make notes and a
spokesperson to report back to the class. Set a time limit for the students to discuss the topic.
n During the discussion phase, monitor and listen to the groups. Remind students to use the
key expressions.
n Stop the activity and ask each spokesperson/presenter to report back the important points
from the groups discussion to the class.

Tip: Vary the groups each lesson to allow students to talk to different people in the class.
Glossary
Think about
To communicate is to use language to exchange information and interact.
n Before you do group work with your class, try to imagine

the activity in action. What do you want the students to
do? How will you explain the activity? How will you
organize the groups? Will you set a time limit? How will
you end the activity?
Comprehension questions are questions about a text. The questions can help the students
understand the text.
Monitoring is watching and listening to learners while they are doing an activity but not leading them
in the activity. We can find out what errors students make as they produce language by monitoring.
n After the lesson, think about what you would do

differently next time.
Flexible activities
The series covers topics including homework, working with large classes and finding resources. Today we look at flexible activities.

We need activities
to practise speaking,
listening, reading
and writing that
we can use with
all our classes.
Kai, Kazakhstan
Story telling,
dictation techniques
as well as songs and
poems can be used
with all ages and
levels in the English
classroom.
What do you think?

Lyutfiya, who teaches in Tajikistan, writes:
A find someone who activity is really versatile. Its a speaking activity that you can use to
practise any language. The students have to try to find someone in the group who matches a
description. I used this find someone who to practise using the present perfect for experiences:
On the board I wrote:
find someone who has been abroad
find someone who has eaten something really strange
find someone who has done a bungee jump
The students made questions (Have you been abroad? etc) and then in groups ask each other
the questions.
You can choose the language you want to practise with lower or higher levels.
Rafael, Argentina
Flexible activities that we can adapt to use with

various levels and different ages are essential
when we have limited resources and large
groups. Here are some simple activities that can
work at all levels.
A chain story involves your students working in
small groups to invent a story.
A classroom activity - vanishing dialogue

The students invent a dialogue then try to repeat it from memory. This activity works well with
all ages and levels.
n One student starts a story and the others

listen. Then everyone take turns to tell bit
more of the story.
n Draw two faces on the board, students invent names for them. Ask the class to invent a
short dialogue between the two people. Write the dialogue on the board as you build it up
with the students.
n For lower levels, cards with pictures or words

can help tell a story.
n Drill the dialogue. One side of the class takes the role of each person. Swap roles and drill
again. With younger students add silly voices to keep it lively and interesting.
n Encourage your students to use their

imagination. Telling stories is good fluency
practice so dont worry if you hear mistakes.
n A referee in each group can make sure
students take turns and speak in English.
n Set a time limit to control the activity then ask
a few groups to tell their stories to the class.
n Remove a word or phrase and drill again. Students have to remember the dialogue without
the missing words.
n Gradually remove more words until all the dialogue has gone. Drill each time you remove a
part of the dialogue.
n Put students into pairs. Can they remember the whole dialogue?
n Students could write the story their group

created, either in class or for homework.
n In groups students write a similar dialogue. Monitor and help.
A dictogloss is a very flexible type of dictation

which involves listening to the teacher, speaking
in groups, writing and checking.
n Students could then act out their dialogues in front of the class.
n The teacher reads a short text to the students,

who just listen. The teacher reads the text
again, and the learners take notes. Then in
groups they recreate the text from their notes.
n To check the groups texts, volunteers can
write the text on the board sentence by
sentence while their classmates make any
necessary corrections. The students dont
have to use exactly the same words as the
original text but their writing must have the
same meaning and use correct language.
n For lower levels you can help students by
giving them the text with words missing and
they have to fill the gaps.
Songs and poems are usually very memorable
and good fun. They can be used with older
students as well as children.
n We can ask students to listen for specific
words or grammar structures.
n Students can learn a song or poem, complete
the words or discuss the theme and write
down the story in their own words.
n Younger learners often enjoy singing along to
songs with actions.
n Find out what songs your students like but
check that the words are suitable before you
use them in class.
Adapting these activities for your classes can
help students at various ages and levels to
practise different skills in English.
Glossary
Think about
n How could these activities fit with your

teaching plans?
In a dictation, the teacher reads a text. The students

listen and write.
n What other flexible activities can you

share with your colleagues?

- mistakes are not important.
Monitoring is watching and listening to learners
while they are doing an activity but not leading them
in the activity.
Finding and creating resources

The series covers topics including homework, working with large classes and finding resources. Today we look at finding and creating resources.
Many English teachers dont have

resources such as posters, photocopies,
internet access or even books.
You dont need
new technology to
create an effective
English lesson; you
need imagination.
Kuheli, India
When there are

no materials the
teacher and the
students are the
main resource.
What do you think?

Dario, from Argentina writes:
I make flashcards from old magazines and books to help me teach English. I also draw stick
figures (on the board or on cards) to show people doing different actions or in different
situations. Im a terrible artist but my students have fun guessing what my drawings mean!
I paste the pictures onto card and keep them in a folder so that we can use then again
and again. I use flashcards to teach new language or to have fun with English in class.
Here are some ideas: Show the class 10 cards then mix them up and remove one - ask which
one is missing. Show the students 10 cards then turn them over and ask them to remember
the pictures. Students work in small groups to invent a story about 5 picture cards.
Hold up two pictures of famous people and ask the students to invent their conversation.
Geoffrey, Malawi

n Draw or cut out pictures from magazines
to present new words and revise language
(for example numbers, letters, sports,
daily routines, greetings). Stick the
pictures on card if possible to make
reusable flashcards.
n Use yourself and your students as teaching
aids: For example, you can teach clothes,

describe where things are, and practise
parts of the face using the people in the
class.
n Mime actions (sleeping, cooking, reading)
and ask the students to guess where you

are and what you are doing.
n Use your voice. Beginners can listen and
repeat new words. Higher levels can listen

to the teacher then talk about their
own experiences.
n Students can learn new songs and chants
by repeating each line after the teacher.

Adding actions to songs is fun and makes
them easier to remember.
n Ask your students to find newspaper articles
to discuss in class.
n We can even use old newspapers as craft
material and tear it into shapes to make

vocabulary items.
A classroom activity - a back to back game

You can use objects from in and around the classroom to practise giving and
understanding instructions.
n Ask students to collect a few things in the classroom (pencils, erasers, pieces of chalk,
stones, leaves etc).

n Place the students in pairs back to back.
n Student A has to place his objects in a pattern and then tell his partner what order they are in.
Student B has to listen and recreate the pattern.

n Tell more advanced students that they cant use the name of the object. This is good for
practising adjectives. Put the long, black thing next to the soft, round object.
n Ask students to collect authentic materials
in English such as train timetables or

application forms to practise dialogues in
different situations: When is the next train
to, Whats your surname?
n Students can bring in a picture to describe
or a photo of their family to talk about.

n Use objects in and around the classroom
to represent words. This table/pencil/chair

is an animal. It can swim but it cant walk.
Its a .?
Be creative with limited resources and use your
students knowledge and creativity to actively
involve everyone in learning English.
Glossary
Think about
Authentic material is English texts which you can

use in class but that are not designed for teaching.
n How could you use a newspaper as a

teaching resource?
A chant is similar to a song; a chant has rhythm

but no tune.
n Can you cut out pictures of people and ask

your students to describe what they are wearing,
doing or saying?
Dialogue is conversation.
Flashcards are pictures on cards to help students
to understand new vocabulary without translation.
Presenting language is introducing new
language.
Revising is practising language that learners have
seen previously.
n Perhaps there are photographs that would

prompt your students to discuss recent news or
sports events.
n Children could use pieces of newspaper
(and their imagination!) to tear out shapes of
animals or favourite food and talk about them
with their classmates.
Error correction
The series covers topics including homework, working with large classes and finding resources. Today we look at error correction.
When and how can we correct our

students speaking errors? Read these
comments from teachers. Do you agree?
I worry that my
students wont
learn if I dont
correct all their
errors.
My students make
lots of errors when
they speak but Im
not sure how to
correct them.
Sami, Palestine
Ayegl, Turkey
What do you think?

Anup from India writes:
We need to remember the difference between a mistake and an error. The key difference is that
mistakes, when attention is called to them, can be self-corrected. An error cannot.
Often when a learner produces accurate language, they arent sure that its right. The teacher
might think that the student knows that piece of language, when really the student was just
experimenting or trying to communicate with the new language. By praising this good language
use, the teacher shows that the language used was correct. Now students know that they can say
it the same way again in the future.
Why do students make errors?

n Students sometimes use language forms and
structures from their first language when they
speak English.
n Perhaps students make errors because they
are tired and find it difficult to pay attention.
n When many students are making the same
errors we may need to review that part of the
lesson.
A classroom activity - team correction

This activity is a fun way for students to correct their own errors.
n Students do a speaking activity, for example, a discussion in groups.
n Walk around the class quietly and take notes of mistakes you hear.
n Errors are a natural part of learning. Students

try to say something but may not get it right
first time.
n At the end of the activity or next class write sentences on the board with the errors you
noted from the previous class.
When should we correct errors?
n The teams take turns to choose a sentence to correct. Give a point if they get it right.
n When we do a class activity that practises

fluency, for example a discussion, we can pay
attention to communication and not worry
about errors.
n In teams, the students try to correct the sentences.

n The winner is the team with the most points.
n A class activity that practises accuracy, for

example, students performing a dialogue that
they have prepared needs more attention to
error correction.
n If we correct too much our students may worry
about making errors and decide not to speak!
n Praising good use of English rather than
correcting errors can be very effective. This
shows students that they are using the
language correctly.
n Often students have clear ideas about
correction. We can ask our students when and
how they like to be corrected.
How can we correct errors?
n A shake of the head or raised eyebrows can
show a student that he or she has made an
error.
n We can use hand gestures, for example, point
behind you to show that a past tense is needed.
n Remember to give the student time to think
and to correct his or her error.
n We can correct what the students said like this:
Student: I go to the shop yesterday.
Teacher: went to the shop yesterday.
n We can note errors and ask students to correct
them after the activity.
n Students can choose a secretary to listen and
note errors during speaking practice in groups.
The group corrects the errors later.
n Another correction method is to record
students speaking and then ask them to listen
and try to correct any errors.
Errors give teachers essential information
about where their learners are, and what
needs to be done next. We can help students
learn from their errors by correcting them (or
not!) in different ways.
Glossary
Think about
Reviewing is practising language that learners

have seen previously.
n Think about how and when you correct your

students when they are speaking.
Fluency is how well a learner communicates

meaning - mistakes arent important.
n Do you use gestures to show errors?
Accuracy is how correctly a learner uses the

language.
n Do you give your students the chance to

correct their errors?
n How do you like your errors to be corrected
when you are speaking a foreign language?
English in the classroom

The series covers topics including homework, working with large classes and finding resources. Today we look at English in the classroom.
Why speak English in class?
What do you think?
Do you agree with Hanan and Kazimierz?
Kuheli from Zambia writes:

My younger students love singing and chanting so we use songs and chants in English for all
parts of the class routines. I start each class with a hello chant like this - Teacher: Hello students,
Students: Hello teacher, Teacher: How are you? Students: How are you? Teacher: Very well thank
you, Students: Very well thank you, Teacher: I am too. Students: I am too.
If the subject you

are teaching is
English, then you
should always try
to speak in English!
Students will think

that English is just
for reading, writing
and practising
grammar points if
we do not speak it
in class!
Hanan, Egypt
Kazimierz, Malaysia
Getting started
n You might feel nervous about using English
in the classroom. Start by thinking of some
useful expressions for you and your students
to use. Write them down and practise them.
For example: Good morning. Turn to page 12.
Repeat this. Please close your books. Find a
partner and work in pairs.
n You can use just a little English in each lesson,
and gradually increase it.

Try to use English in all stages of your
lessons.
n When you give instructions, demonstrate with
humour and gestures to make your message
clear; a hand next to your ear to demonstrate
listen: make a book with your hands to show
open/close your books. Use drawings and
write the phrase on the blackboard.
With older students, I get them to make classroom language posters. They write useful
expressions like Sorry Im late, Can I have a pencil please? Have a good weekend, I dont
understand and draw pictures for each phrase. We put the posters on the wall so theres
no excuse for not using English in class!
A classroom activity - experience

Give students the language they need to talk about their own experiences in English with this
activity.
n Write 3 yes/no questions on the board with the words in the wrong order. For example:
English/at/Did/you/speak/the/weekend?
you/read/a/book/yesterday/Did?
this/morning/for/breakfast/Did/you/eat/cereal?
n The students sort the words to make questions. (Did you speak English at the weekend?
Did you read a book yesterday? Did you eat cereal for breakfast this morning?)
n Now the students can ask you the questions. Answer either Yes I did or No I didnt.
n Students ask and answer the questions in pairs.
n You could finish by saying Hands up if you spoke English at the weekend. Hands up if you
and indicate hands up with a gesture.

Tip: If you are more confident at speaking then add more information to your answers
Yes, I did. I spoke to some tourists in the city centre. Encourage the students to do the same.
n If you translate to make something clear, go
back to English as soon as possible and

encourage your students to do the same.
n Try to personalise your lessons by talking
about our own experiences. Perhaps tell you

students about something that happened to
you recently. You can exaggerate and use
gestures; pointing backwards as you say
yesterday to indicate it happened in the past,
for example.
n Think about what younger children enjoy -
games, songs, stories, etc.Teach your students

the language needed to do these activities
in English, for example, Its my turn. Throw
the dice.
n Encourage students to speak English to you
and praise them when they do.

n The beginnings and ends of lessons are a
good opportunity to chat more informally

with your students; you can talk about the
weekend. or even the weather!
Using English in the classroom demonstrates

that it really is a language for communicating.
If we prepare well it is easy to use a lot more
English in our lessons.
Glossary
Think about
A gesture is a movement of moving your hand or

body to explain ideas.
n When you plan future lessons, build up your

confidence by aiming to be a step ahead of
your students.
In personalised activities students communicate

real information about themselves, e.g., talking
about their favourite sport.
A syllabus is a list of language items in the order
that they will be taught on a course.
A yes/no question is a question that can be
answered by yes or no, e.g., Do you like chocolate?
n If you are following a text book or a syllabus

and you know what is coming up, then look at
future units - check the key language in a
dictionary and think about what instructions
and conversations you will need in English
to introduce and practise the language.
Then write it down!
Developing teachers English

The series covers topics including homework, working with large classes and finding resources. Today we look at developing teachers English.
Many teachers would like to improve

their English and be able to speak it
more confidently in class.
I can read and write English but teaching
the class in English is difficult for me.
I worry about making mistakes in front
of my students.
Kuheli, India
Does this problem sound familiar? Do you
sometimes worry about your spoken English? Its
a worry that lots of teachers have, even if they
dont always want to talk about it. There are
several things teachers can do to improve their
English - here are some suggestions:
Reading books, magazines and newspapers
increases your vocabulary.
n Try to read a variety of texts news and
current affairs, novels and non-fiction.
n You could exchange reading material with
other teachers or find it in local libraries or
markets.
n Build a bank of vocabulary. Use a dictionary
and write new words or expressions in a
notebook.
Listening to television, radio, or songs in English
can give you lots of language practice.
n Try to listen to English from various parts of
the world to hear different accents and
vocabulary.
What do you think?

Geoffrey from Malawi writes:
I did not have a good formal background in English and lacked confidence so I decided to teach
myself. Here is my advice on how you can become a confident speaker of English:
Firstly, you have to expose yourself to English from whatever source you can find. It could be the
radio; it could be tourist information leaflets.
Read a lot! Read magazines, comics, international newspapers, even local newspapers.
Dont feel embarrassed about yourself when you speak in English. You will only get better at
speaking if you continue speaking!
A classroom activity - the word bag

Use this activity to help your students learn and revise vocabulary. Try the same activity if you
meet with other teachers to practise English.
n You need two large envelopes and some pieces of card or paper.
n Write on one envelope Blank word cards and Class word bag on the other.
n Cut up lots of small pieces of card and put them in the Blank word cards envelope.
n Every class, a different student is in charge of the word bag. He or she takes the envelopes
at the beginning of the class and writes all the new vocabulary on separate blank word
cards and puts them into the class word bag envelope. If this isnt practical for your group,
the teacher can do this.
n Use the word bag to revise the words. For example, give each student a card. They find a
partner and give a definition of the word. Their partner has to try to guess what the word is.
n Partners swap cards and find a new partner to give a definition to.
n Keep swapping partners until everyone has had a chance to speak with several other students.
n You could invite an English speaker to talk with

a group of teachers. If possible record them
for listening practice later.
Speaking English with friends and colleagues can
really help to build your confidence.
n Try to organize regular meetings and aim to
include some listening, reading and writing as
well as speaking.
n You can talk about your classes and other
common interests. One idea is to read an
article in advance, make some notes and
prepare to talk about it with the group.
n Concentrate on fluency rather than accuracy
when you are speaking.
n Speaking to yourself in English is also great
practice!
Writing a personal journal helps you to write
better in English and practice using new
vocabulary and grammatical structures.
n You can write about things that happened
during the day, or about an article or a radio
programme in English, for example.
Find and make opportunities to use your English
and dont always worry about making mistakes!
As Daya, a teacher in Nepal, says, English is not
your first language. You can be a confident
speaker without being perfect.
Glossary
Think about
Accuracy is how correctly a learner

uses the language.
n What books and magazines can you find to read?
Fluency is how well a learner

communicates meaning - mistakes
arent important.
n Can you follow events in the English-speaking world using

newspapers, radio or television?
Revising is practising language that

learners have seen previously.
n What opportunities do you have for regular listening?
n Can you find good speakers of English to record or to

practise with?
n Could you keep a notebook, and have a dictionary ready,
to record and learn new words and expressions?
Developing as a teacher
The series covers topics including homework, working with large classes and finding resources. Today we look at developing as a teacher.

Do you agree?
I want to learn
more about
teaching and
language learning
but Im not sure
where to start.
Developing as
a teacher is
important but I
dont have the time
or the money to do
a course.
Yolanda, Mexico
Rashid, Pakistan
What do you think?

Osman from Turkey writes:
Do you know what a PLN is? It means Personal Learning Network. A PLN is a group of people, any
people, that can help you to develop and learn.
Many people nowadays associate PLN with the connections made online with other teachers for
example, through blogging, Twitter and Facebook.
However, we sometimes forget the most important people in our PLN - the people we work with
every day! They know the context we work in and they can be the most useful source of advice
and support.

n Talk to other teachers. The staff room is a
great resource its full of teachers with ideas
that you can borrow to try with your classes.
n Keep a teaching diary. After each lesson
makes notes on what you learned about your
students, yourself, teaching, and the English
language. List simple personal goals such as
trying group or pair work.
n Read about your profession in teaching
journals, books, online articles, blogs.
n Try a blind observation. This is good if you
dont want someone to watch your class at
first or if its diffcult to find a time when
someone can watch you teach. The teacher
tells the observer (a colleague) about the
lesson she is going to teach and describe one
or two areas that she wants to improve, for
example instructions. She then teaches the
lesson (without the observer). After the
lesson, the two colleagues have feedback,
paying particular attention to those one or
two areas.
n Try team teaching. Plan and teach a lesson
with another teacher. Decide who is going to
teach which parts of the class. This is a great
way to learn about different ways of teaching
from each other.
n Give a session/workshop at your school.
Choose a topic that interests you such as
creating resources. Do some research and
plan what you want to say to your colleagues.
Give teachers ideas for activities to use in
class.
n Start a professional community with
colleagues. You can meet (in person or online)
to exchange teaching tips, share resources,
compare experiences, work on projects
together, for example, improving English. The
community can be just two people or as big as
you like.
n Think about professional training. You could
learn to be a teacher trainer or an online tutor.
Perhaps your school can help pay for training
courses. Some online courses are free!
Be open to trying new ideas and look for ways to
learn more about your profession. Developing
professionally can make your job more interesting
and improve your teaching.
A classroom activity - learner diaries

Help students to think about their learning and provide information on their progress.
They can also help the teacher to see what activities work well and not so well in class.
n Students can use the back of their notebooks as a diary. Or fold a sheet of paper into a
z-shape to make a six-page diary.
n At the end of each class give the students 5 minutes to complete sentences in their diaries,
for example:
Today I learnt
One thing I said very well in class today
One mistake I made today
One activity I liked in class today was
In the class today I didnt like
n Check the diaries as students are writing or collect them to read from time to time.
Write comments if you like.
n With a large class, correction may be impractical but give students help with writing
if needed.
Glossary
Think about
A teaching diary is a record a teacher keeps of his/her

classes - what worked well and what didnt and notes
about classes.
n Write a list of three ways that you want

to develop as a teacher:
A lesson observation is where one teacher watches

anothers lesson to give feedback and advice to help
the teacher develop. A blind observation is one type of
observation.
Team teaching is when there are two teachers in the

classroom teaching a lesson together.
A professional community is an organisation of
teachers that lets them exchange information and ideas.
3
n Tick the boxes as you do them!

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Help at hand

Ideas for the developing teacher

The 16 articles in this booklet provide practical

The ideas here are relevant to teachers at

Author Sally Trowbridge, British Council, Barcelona, Spain

Ideas for the developing teacher

British Council 2012

Parents never say

The word bag

The story grid

Noughts and crosses

Describe and draw

Stop the bus!

Finding and creating resources

Talking about experience

Developing teachers English

Teaching new language

English in the classroom

Backs to the board

Group work in large classes

Teachers supporting each other

12 Making lessons motivating

15 Using the board

Ideas for the developing teacher

British Council 2012

Topic 1 Lesson planning

If we dont have a

Resources: We have the textbook but what other resources

Is the textbook a lesson plan?

What goes in the lesson plan?

Interaction: A balance between you at the front working with

Different teachers write their plans in different ways but here

Most important is to think about what our students are

By the end of the lesson students will be able to

What do you think?

Review vocabulary from last lesson;

Students work in groups to answer

Students read article on page 5758

Students work individually

Ideas for the developing teacher

British Council 2012

A classroom activity backs to the board

Students work in two or three groups. One volunteer from

The teacher writes a word on the board and the group

Change volunteers and repeat for six or seven words.

Communicative skill is using language to interact and exchange information;

 rite down your lesson plan, and decide what

Why not share your lesson planning ideas with

Ideas for the developing teacher

British Council 2012

Topic 2 Group work in large classes

To teach a class of 80 students to

Georgina, South Africa

Why use group work?

Organising group work

After the group work is completed, the spokesperson from

Arrange the groups. If you have 60 students you could make

What do you think?

Ideas for the developing teacher

British Council 2012

If we dont have a

rite down your lesson plan, and decide what

To teach a class of 80 students to

Students will think that

If the subject you are

My students write for

When students are using

I give students lots of