01 May 2015 / by Vincent Chieppa

How to... design paperless ESL activities

Be economical with word use and avoid excessive scrolling. Make sure that the text is easy to read by using a clear typeface with a legible font size (on average between 14 – 16pt) and 1.5 line spacing. Also chunk longer texts in paragraphs. Also remember to accompany your texts with visuals (e.g. images or video clips). Remember that if you have text for reading to highlight the new target language in bold and/or capitals.

Tables should be numbered so that when teaching, both you and the students know exactly which cell you are referring to. Also make sure that you randomise the table for activities where students have to match new target language with definitions/images. This is also to ensure that students engage with the new target language rather than just no-effort reading from their part.

Remember to always use large images & rescale to keep quality rather than the opposite & be stuck with pixelated images. Also try to save multiple images as a single picture when creating paperless ESL activities in order to ensure that you don´t lose picture integrity.

Keep in mind when using video clips in paperless ESL activities how appropriate the video is in terms of level, topic & the objective of the activity. Aim for short & sweet – that is roughly 2 minutes.

When designing paperless ESL activities remember to apply the KISS principle & don´t forget that – as with most things – there are limitations and drawbacks to any tool:

https://youtu.be/HHEYtw4IMpY

04

December 2015

Comfortable settings in an ESL classroom

by Toby Knight

How well can you remember your first classroom at school? I can vividly remember walking into the classroom to be greeted by Mrs Magdalia, who had a book in her hand. She asked me if I knew what the word on the page of the book on the desk was. The word was “look”, and I didn’t know it, but I didn’t feel disappointed or unha...

01

December 2015

Learning Styles and the Different Approaches to Them

by James Ekins

We are all different; it is a part of the human condition. One obvious but often unspoken difference between us is the different learning styles that we can use. But how can these differences affect learning? Or teaching? In the early 90’s, Neil Fleming proposed one of the currently more prominent models relating to the ways that different p...

25

September 2015

Use of videos to teach topic activities in an ESL class

by James Ekins

A great benefit of being able to use the internet in the classroom is the ability to draw on it for some excellent, previously inaccessible resources for learning. Perhaps most notably, the use of videos in a class can prove to be extremely useful. But, as with all things, there is a right and a wrong way to do it. So what should the standard...

18

September 2015

Controversial Topics: How to Approach Them in the ESL Classroom

by James Ekins

Every one of us has at one time, in the classroom or outside of it, felt that sinking feeling – somebody in the group says a controversial topic, and that point is met by a wall of uncomfortable silence. Or worse, by a thunder of bristled opposition. Discussing hot-button issues can often be tricky, but it is important not to skirt away from ...

11

September 2015

Returning after the summer break!

by Rob Wylie

September has come back around again and the summer holidays are well and truly finished, so that means for most of us it´s back to work and those nice lie-ins are a thing of the past. A bout of the holiday blues is more than likely to be affecting you so how can you get rid of those feelings and make sure you are ready for the new school yea...

14

July 2015

TEFL Life Lessons

by Elena Riches

Throughout our lives we learn many lessons along the way and if you become a teacher, although you are teaching others, you are still a student - a student of life. Here are some TEFL life lessons that I learned on my road to becoming a TEFL teacher: ...

14

July 2015

Motivate and Encourage Students. Learn how!

by Rob Wylie

Whether you teach a language, an instrument, a profession or a sport all teachers have many responsibilities. One of the most important things that a teacher must be able to do is ensure that they motivate and encourage students. With some groups or classes this can be easy but with others you may find...

07

July 2015

TEFL Myths

by Elena Riches

As with a lot of professions, there are preconceived notions when it comes to TEFL (both good and bad) that aren't necessarily true. I have listed below a few TEFL myths and the reasoning behind why they are just that. FACT: Although it does help your cha...

30

June 2015

TEFL teaching experience

by Elena Riches

If teaching English as a foreign language (commonly known as TEFL) is something that appeals to you, you may want to know what it's like before taking the plunge. Here, I am going to give you an insight into a real TEFL te...

26

June 2015

ESL teaching and the Internet. The virtual classroom

by Vincent Chieppa

ESL teaching and the Internet - From Apple's iPod to Google's driver-less cars, technology is playing a massive role in the 21st century. This is not to say that it is the solution to 21st century education, but simply a tool to aid education and learning and, although it can be a great tool, any learning concerning technology should...

Contact us

01 May 2015 / by Vincent Chieppa

How to... design paperless ESL activities

04

01

25

18

11

14

14

07

30

26