English learners in EFL contexts where grammar-based instruction is still dominant often lack opportunities to use the target language both within and outside the classroom. In 2010, we initiated a club-based approach to facilitate students' learning beyond the classroom. It focused on meaningful communication, authentic tasks, student agency,…

Five years ago in the February, 2007, issue of LLT, I wrote about developments in digital video of potential interest to language teachers. Since then, there have been major changes in options for video capture, editing, and delivery. One of the most significant has been the rise in popularity of video-based storytelling, enabled largely by…

This article looks at Year 9 (age 13) ESL learners in a secondary school in Hong Kong producing--with minimal input and support from their teachers--their own story books, these being the final task outcome in a series of lessons focusing on creativity. Over a period of two months, as an integral part of their ESL lessons, groups of students…

One of the major challenges in second and foreign language education, is to create links between formal and informal learning environments. Mobile City and Language Guides present examples of theoretical and practical reflections on such links. This paper presents and discusses the first considerations of Mobile City and Language Guides in…

A teaching method is described and illustrated that begins with the presentation of a basic dialogue containing new learning material and progresses to the group's acting out its own dialogues and discussing them with the class. The objective is to lead learners from understanding new material to using it creatively and, ultimately, for their own…

Two educators discuss the role literature plays in the English as a Second Language (ESL) classroom. One emphasizes that literary texts are a source for classroom activities that can motivate learners. The other points out that the English writings of ESL students about their travels and friends published in newsletters and journals generate…

The World Wide Web has frequently been incorporated into second/foreign language (L2 hereafter) course instruction during the past decade. However, many teaching methods essentially employed it as a reactive mode of L2 instruction. Many other methods have been designed to facilitate constructive L2 production. They are, however, limited in their…

Illustrates the use of projects to increase non-English speaking students' motivation for learning English. Appropriate projects may generate materials that teachers can use with other students. (CB)

Describes a learner-generated learning plan. The content of the program comprises two phases: student as editor/publisher in which learners create their own course text based upon selections of already-published materials; and students as author/publisher, in which learners use a publication-house simulation to develop, organize, investigate,…

Describes a technique for teaching English in Nigeria that uses folktales. In this activity, students tell each other folktales, the learners in each group discuss the stories and decide which they would like to write, the teacher helps students produce a clean copy of the stories, and then each group produces a final copy with drawings. Students…

Discusses how advanced English as a second language students' concerns about a public issue generated a student-produced curriculum on AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome). The writing project served pedagogical purposes within the framework of citizenship. (CB)

One of a group of modular courses developed for a college-level program in English as a second language (ESL) is an intermediate level course designed to help students develop their knowledge of the world through language. The course, modeled on the popular game Trivial Pursuit, requires students to learn library skills and perform research on a…

A term-project assignment for a course in phonetics for prospective teachers of English as a Second Language (ESL) is described. The project involves six steps: (1) identification of a specific pronunciation problem for study; (2) analysis of the problem; (3) development of a self-instructional program; (4) recording the program on audio-tape; (5)…

Problems of dealing with ESL students who are functionally, completely, or semi-literate, or who are not familiar with the Roman alphabet, are outlined, and some solutions to material development and class activities are proposed. Examples and a list of resources are included. (MSE)

Discusses a method to give English as a second language students preparing for postgraduate work the opportunity to practice writing in their areas of study. Students suggest questions in their subject, which the teachers reword as proper examination questions. These are then answered by the students under examination conditions. (SED)