Blogs in ELT

[Т А Кузнецова]

Using blogs to get ideas for teaching.

Have you got your own blog? As for me I haven’t got the one still, but I am planning to have one in the nearest future.

While searching the net I came across some useful and interesting blog by methodologists and educators.

I’d like to recommend one of the most inspiring blog by Lindsay Clansfield

http://sixthings.net

Here is an example of one of the entries on teaching young learners:

Here are Anita’s six misconceptions about teaching young learners (YLs) of English.

 

1. Teachers of YLs should be paid less money because the only thing they do is playing games and singing songs

2. Teachers of YLs have lower qualifications that’s why they teach kids (or – They teach kids because their qualifications are not enough to deal with more serious teaching)

3. Teaching children is not REAL teaching (Can’t remember how often I was given a look saying ‘Now what do YOU know about the difference between Present Perfect and Present Perfect Continuous???’) . You also don’t speak REAL English, because if you teach YLs (and are not a native speaker) most probably your level of English is equal to the one of your students’.

4. Teachers of YLs cannot/should not/ are not able to teach adults (This one is interesting – it seems like anyone can get a job teaching kids but if a teacher of kids wants to get a job teaching adults, he or she is immediately rejected)

5. Teaching YLs is a very easy/difficult job (it actually is not, once you get the idea how to do it properly)

6. Teachers of YLs like children (hmm… how to say that… I guess not all of them

[spring2008]

Using blogs to get ideas for teaching.

Have you got your own blog?

Blogs are very useful for teachers and students. I like the site www.ning.com