This paper explains why and how thinking skills should be included in the teaching of second languages and other subjects. The authors provide examples from their lessons in four thinking skills: being careful in the use of absolute words, avoiding unsupported generalizations, using counterexamples, and identifying assumptions. Also, the authors…

This article argues that language students and teachers are changemakers and that, in keeping with progressivist philosophy and the bottom-up social paradigm, they can play a powerful role in creating a better world. As our understanding of the world continues to increase, both students and teachers can use this increased understanding to initiate…

This chapter first looks at Extensive Reading and Extensive Listening separately, highlighting the language learning benefits of the two approaches to language learning. It then discusses ways of implementing the two together in input-poor L2 contexts where the quantity and quality of the target language input tends to be severely limited. In…

Education materials can be analysed in many ways. The current study analysed EAL (English as an Additional Language) coursebooks as to the presentation of nonhuman animals in the books. The study examined 22 EAL coursebooks. The research looked at the percentage of activities that contained animals in the coursebooks, what types of animals were…

The present paper begins by situating learner autonomy and collaborative learning as part of a larger paradigm shift towards student-centred learning. Next are brief discussions of learner autonomy and how learner autonomy links with collaborative learning. In the main part of the paper, four central principles of collaborative learning are…

Compiles references and abstracts for works related to extensive reading in a second or foreign language. Offers a classification that may be of value to the teacher or researcher in reading as a foreign language, and they may be useful in course development. (Author/VWL)

Language learning materials frequently include group activities, and many books and journals for language teachers recommend that groups be an important part of teachers' instructional repertoire. Unfortunately, group activities sometimes fail because students lack the skills necessary to function effectively in groups. For instance, teachers…

This conference paper discusses the use of cooperative learning (CL) in second language (L2) instruction. After two brief definitions of CL, key areas discussed in the paper are: a) how CL relates to theories of L2 acquisition, b) CL principles, and c) some CL techniques and lesson plan considerations when using CL in L2 instruction. An appendix…

Change seems to be a constant in education. We can better understand and implement change in second language education if we look for connections between changes. The concept of paradigm shift offers one means of making such connections. This article describes eight changes that fit with the paradigm shift in second language education toward what…

Describes eight changes that fit the paradigm shift in second language education toward what is often called communicative language teaching: learner autonomy, cooperative learning, curricular integration, focus on meaning, diversity, thinking skills, alternative assessment, and teachers as co-learners. The paradigm shift is examined as an element…

This article reports a study examining the use of group activities in English language coursebooks published since 1990. Ten coursebooks were randomly selected for examination. The number and percentage of group activities and of group activities rated as fostering cooperation were calculated. The results are discussed in light of theory and…

This article reports a study examining the presence of environmental issues in ELT coursebooks published since 1990. Seventeen randomly-selected coursebooks were analysed in order to find the percentage of activities related to environmental issues. Such activities were then examined to establish whether they involved participation in…

The call to change seems to be a constant in education. In second language education, a constellation of changes have been proposed and, to some extent, implemented. This constellation of interconnected changes can perhaps best be termed a paradigm shift, with this paradigm fitting under the general umbrella of Communicative Language Teaching…

Extensive reading (ER) programs involve students in silently reading large quantities of material. Research suggests that extensive reading is associated with gains in first and second language proficiency. Further, extensive reading can help learners develop a reading habit and increase their level of autonomy. This paper begins with a discussion…

This article paints an optimistic picture of the role we second language teachers can play not only in improving our students' language proficiency but also in infusing global education into our classes as we join with our students to address global concerns, such as peace, prosperity, environmental protection, and human rights. The article is…