School is a safe haven for children where vast worlds of learning open up to them. They learn and play surrounded by friends and with the example and guidance of teachers. The rituals and routines of the school day give children a sense of order, belonging, and common experience with their peers. Students connect with the values, rituals,…

This article, by Tomoyuki Kawashima, presents two listening activities, using nonnative speakers as models, that "broaden … students' perspectives on English and enhance their self-perception as future English users." The activities help students understand that everyone, even native speakers, has an accent, and that sounding…

Some historians still hold back from assigning literature out of concern for historical accuracy, but using fiction and popular culture is no longer unusual and, if anything, using novels may be seen as outdated in some circles. The author suggests that one way to reinvigorate the use of the novel when teaching history is to center a class on only…

What kind of knowledge informs the practice of English teachers? Recent policy developments, in England and elsewhere, have sought to specify a knowledge base for teachers. Drawing on case studies produced by pre-service English teachers, this essay explores the complex, multifaceted and situated character of the knowledge that teachers develop in…

This essay considers the relative merits of critical writing and writing in role as a means of enabling and assessing students' responses to literary texts. Drawing largely on the author's experience of teaching "Frankenstein," it argues that the distinction between critical and creative writing is not as absolute as is sometimes…