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,…

This article discusses how to overcome the language and cultural issues of using existing online videos in classroom discussions with nonnative English-speaking groups of students, through student-produced videos given as an authentic educational assignment. Implementation of the assignment and the use of student-produced videos in classroom…

This article advocates that students and teachers create some of their own extensive reading materials. Learning communities act as a means of motivating and sustaining student and teacher production of extensive reading materials. The article begins by explaining learning communities. The bulk of the article has two parts. The first part focuses…

Student-produced materials are a powerful tool for promoting learner autonomy. They challenge the traditional paradigm of education because the very concept of learner-produced materials is based on trust in the student-centered learning process; when developing materials, learners do not rely on the teacher to make every decision. In this…

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…

Describes five principles that guide learner involvement in English-as-a-foreign-language materials adaptation, including: (1) learner commitment; (2) learner as collaborator; (3) learner as problem solver; (4) learner as knower; and (5) learner as evaluator and assessor. Specific examples of how learners might productively engage in adapting or…

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…

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…

The practice of supplementing language textbooks with input from students is recommended as a way to increase learner understanding and motivation. Several general language learning activities adapted to contain an environmental theme are described. It is suggested that the environmental theme helps promote lifelong learning. (Contains 15…

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…

Argues that a truly learner-centered approach in second language teaching should be concerned with allowing learners a greater role in the management of their learning by providing opportunities for learner choice in the method and scope of study. Reports on experiments in this approach at the University College of Bahrain. (SED)

Uses of pre-recorded and student-generated videotape recordings in the foreign language (FL) classroom are described and discussed from the perspective of their utility in helping students achieve target language communicative competence. It is suggested that viewing authentic video materials provides an opportunity to observe extralinguistic…