e-TEFL

APA and MLA Style Citations: Brief Guidelines

2010-12-01T19:40:00.003+03:30

Prepared by: University of California Berkeley Library

Click HERE to download the APA guide.

Click HERE to download the MLA guide.

A Survey...

2010-12-01T16:04:00.005+03:30

The Weblog is now fourteen-month old! I like to thank all friends and colleagues whose fruitful suggestions and comments benefited me during this period. In the upper-right side of the page, a survey is intended to be carried out. Since the year is coming to an end, I'd like to know which sections are most visited and probably favored by the visitors so that those sections could be hopefully improved and enriched in the future.

Thank You!

Directory of Open Access Journals

2010-11-22T22:45:00.003+03:30

The aim of the Directory of Open Access Journals is to increase the visibility and ease of use of open access scientific and scholarly journals thereby promoting their increased usage and impact.
The Directory aims to be comprehensive and cover all open access scientific and scholarly journals that use a quality control system to guarantee the content. In short a one stop shop for users to Open Access Journals.

Click HERE to find journals.
Click HERE to search for articles.

How to Use ERIC?

2010-11-21T16:57:00.003+03:30

This simple guide will assist you in searching in the ERIC database.
Click HERE to download the PowerPoint slides.

The Basics of APA Style

2010-11-15T20:05:00.003+03:30

This presentation assists you in preparing you academic essays based on the APA style sheet.
Click HERE to download the PowerPoint slides.

Magic of English!

2010-11-11T20:55:00.000+03:30

Professor Ernest Brennecke of Columbia is credited with inventing a
sentence that can be made to have eight different meanings by placing
ONE WORD in all possible positions in the sentence: "I hit him in the
eye yesterday."

The Query: What is this word?

The Answer: The word is "ONLY".

The Message:

1.       ONLY I hit him in the eye yesterday. (No one else did.)
2.       I ONLY hit him in the eye yesterday. (Did not slap him.)
3.       I hit ONLY him in the eye yesterday. (I did not hit others.)
4.       I hit him ONLY in the eye yesterday. (I did not hit outside the eye.)
5.       I hit him in ONLY the eye yesterday. (Not other organs.)
6.       I hit him in the ONLY eye yesterday. (He doesn't have another eye.)
7.       I hit him in the eye ONLY yesterday. (Not today.)
8.       I hit him in the eye yesterday ONLY. (Did not wait for today.)

Sample Literature Reviews

2010-10-21T03:01:00.006+03:30

Tran, T. H. (2009). The interaction hypothesis: A literature review.  (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED507194)
     DOWNLOAD

Selami, A. (2009). Test anxiety among foreign language learners: A review of literature. Journal of Language and Linguistic Studies, 5(1). 127-137. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED511092)
   DOWNLOAD

Kim, M. (2002).  The use of the computer in developing L2 reading comprehension: Literature review and its implications. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED472671)
     DOWNLOAD

Teaching Language Skills (Handouts)

2010-10-11T20:19:00.005+03:30

The MA students can download the handouts of Richards & Renandya from HERE. The file is password-protected. Please send an e-mail to (atahriri@gmail.com) to receive the password.

Click HERE to see how you can download files from 4shared.

Seminar (Course Plan)

2010-10-02T19:38:00.009+03:30

The MA students can download the course plan from HERE or HERE. The file is password-protected. Please send an e-mail to (atahriri@gmail.com) to receive the password.

Click HERE to see how you can download files from 4shared.
Click HERE to see how you can download files from FileFactory.

WriteCheck

2010-09-28T10:32:00.003+03:30

WriteCheck (powered by Turnitin) was developed by the creators of Turnitin, the world's #1 most popular, most effective and most trusted solution for originality checking and plagiarism prevention. WriteCheck was developed at the urging of high school and college writing teachers and instructors from every discipline. They saw a large, unmet need for students to learn to check their own work for proper citations. WriteCheck can be seen as the essential "third check" for any paper - first: spelling check; second: grammar check; and, third: originality check.

Plagiarism

2010-09-28T10:20:00.001+03:30

Plagiarism.org was founded in 1996. With increased interest, Plagarism.org became one of the Internet's predominant anti-plagiarism resources for educators and students alike. Plagiarism.org is the educational arm of iParadigms LLC.

Now in its 12 th year, Plagiarism.org has once again been redesigned with the goal of providing even more resources and information. The redesign has also focused on making the website more accessible and user-friendly so that everyone can benefit from the information on Plagiarism.org.

Livemocha

2010-09-28T09:40:00.003+03:30

Livemocha is the world’s largest online language learning community, offering free and paid online language courses in 35 languages to more than 6 million members from over 200 countries around the world.

onestopenglish

2010-08-14T13:07:00.000+04:30

Onestopenglish is a teacher’s resource site published by Macmillan English Campus, part of the Macmillan Education Group, one of the world’s leading publishers of English language teaching materials.
Onestopenglish is packed with resources for English teachers. All materials are written and edited by an expert team of teachers and authors and are organized into core subject areas such as Skills, Grammar and Vocabulary, Business and ESP, Exams and Young Learners, so you’ll always find what you’re looking for.

The Teacher's Pet

2010-08-14T13:03:00.000+04:30

The Teacher's Pet toolbar is a unique add-on for your word processor that can transform any text into fun classroom activities. Created by a teacher, the toolbar can make crosswords, bingo cards, jumbles, word search puzzles, flashcards, cloze tests, pair-matching puzzles and much more.

Download the Teacher's Pet

Speaking in IELTS: Task Card

2010-07-28T20:44:00.002+04:30

150 Speaking Task Cards (2010)

Download ( PowerPoint & Word Files)

Source: http://mehrdadjafari.wordpress.com

lingonet

2010-07-22T13:41:00.000+04:30

With Lingonet Puzzle Editor, you can build multimedia vocabulary exercises in many different formats using, for example, thematic maps, picture labelling, form filling, cartoons, graphs etc. When using the Lingonet Puzzle Editor to build your own multimedia vocabulary exercises - either as a teacher or a student - your main task is to select target words or phrases to be remembered and design clues for prompting answers. Each word or phrase can have up to four clues to help you or your students to remember it.

Try the samples for free. These are only a few possible examples of the kind of vocabulary exercises you can build... when you use your imagination, the sky is the limit!

Included in the Puzzle Editor are 50 ready-to-use vocabulary exercises in English.

A fun way of creating your own interactive vocabulary exercises!

Sephonics - Learn The IPA Alphabet

2010-07-22T13:33:00.002+04:30

Sephonics 1.0 is a Windows program that will teach you the English phonetic alphabet, which is a subset of the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA, in short).
Sephonics includes seven different exercises for practising English pronounciation and the phonetic alphabet, including a phonetic memory game to relax between the lessons! There are also exercises where you learn to match a sound to a phonetic sign, transcribe from phonetic text to ordinary text, and much more! Sephonics is freeware.
Sephonics requires Windows 95 / 98 / NT / 2000 / XP or better.

Download Sephonics 1.0 (2903 kb)

English for Little Ones

2010-07-22T13:28:00.000+04:30

This project, "English for Little Ones", is an experiment in using new technology to present traditional educational materials. Verdant House Publishing is making this material available to anyone who wishes to use it, in a formal educational setting such as a classroom, or for use privately.
The English language forms in this material are based on British English, not on American English.
The material contained here was reproduced for electronic re-distribution by creating images of each page that could be transmitted over the Internet via the World Wide Web . This material is intended to be viewed using a World Wide Web browser. This material is mounted on a computer connected to the Internet and can be viewed in this way. This material is also made available as a package that can be saved to your local computer and used without being connected to the Internet.
You can download this material to your computer in the Windows .zip format by following this procedure:
Right click here

WordWeb

2010-07-22T13:15:00.000+04:30

WordWeb is a one-click English thesaurus and dictionary for Windows that can look up words in almost any program. It works off-line, but can also look up words in web references such as the Wikipedia encyclopedia. Features of the free version include:

Definitions and synonyms
Related words
5000 audio pronunciations
65 000 text pronunciations

150 000 root words
120 000 synonym sets
Look up words in almost any program

Millions of people from all over the world use this top-rated software.

NEW: Get WordWeb Pro 6.2 -full audio pronunciations and more
+ add optional Oxford and Chambers dictionaries.

Free^*. No SpyWare. No AdWare. No viruses. Works off-line.

Get the FREE download now

The software has a full dictionary and thesaurus for American, British, Canadian, Australian, Indian, and global English.

ESL Galaxy

2010-07-17T10:03:00.005+04:30

ESL Galaxy offers over 2368 free printable worksheets for ESL lesson plans and ESL Activities; and there are more additions every other day.

Downloadable MP3 Files

2010-07-16T11:30:00.001+04:30

MP3 files for your listening courses

ESL Podcasts

2010-07-16T11:24:00.000+04:30

Teach English using Podcasts

ESL Gold

2010-07-10T11:03:00.003+04:30

ESL Gold provides over a thousand pages of free information and resources for both teachers and students. All materials are organized by skill and level for quick and easy access.

ESL go

2010-07-10T11:02:00.001+04:30

ESL Go is a free English community of ESL students and ESL teachers. It helps ESL students learning English as a second language through free ESL classesand free English practice message boards. ESL go.com also provides free teaching ESL activities for TESOL, TESL, and TEFL. Read about how to use this free ESL web site for learning English or teaching ESL + EFL.

English Forum

2010-07-10T10:56:00.002+04:30

Resources for students and teachers of English (ESL/EFL)

Developing Teachers

2010-07-10T10:51:00.002+04:30

A website for the developing language teacher

Lantern Fish

2010-07-10T10:47:00.000+04:30

Jobs, Worksheets, and Flashcards for the ESL and TEFL Teacher

Lanternfish ESL is maintained by a group of ESL teachers in Asia and North America. The aim is to bring printable quality resources to teachers and parents.

Computer Assisted Assessment (CAA)

2010-06-21T13:03:00.000+04:30

The Bluepaper series was developed to focus upon a CAA related issue in more depth than previously allowed. Each paper is available for free download but should not be stored or distributed electronically as outlined within the copyright statments.

2010 TESOL Asia Convention: Cebu Convention Centre & Cebu Doctors University

2010-06-21T12:39:00.004+04:30

12th-13th August 2010

SUBMIT Abstracts
asianefl@gmail.com (250 words + 50 word bio)

Deadline July 14th
some applicants need to obtain a Visa to visit Philippines.
You may need to have your abstract in before June 25 to have enough time to process the paper work

Information for non presenters on accommodation - registration

Information for International Exhibitors

Conference Information
The Conference book contains all abstracts; all papers are published
in a Hard Cover Volume in February 2011.

Melbourne Papers in Language Testing (MPLT)

2010-06-21T12:24:00.001+04:30

Melbourne Papers in Language Testing (MPLT) are a set of peer-reviewed papers published annually by the LTRC (or biennially depending on the number of submissions). MPLT is one of only four journals dedicated exclusively to language testing and assessment and offers an opportunity for both new and more experienced researchers to publish papers, commentaries or reviews of tests or books on language testing and assessment issues. As of 2006, MPLT is published exclusively online and papers are freely downloadable as pdf files.

WELL Language Exercises

2010-06-13T20:05:00.002+04:30

The WELL Language Testing System enables students to take objective language tests on the web, with immediate feedback. The tests are created from a central database of questions by tutors at participating institutions. After a student has taken a test, tutors can access the results to read off marks or to get detailed reports on answers given.

The CAA Center Website (Computer-Assisted Assessment)

2010-06-13T20:04:00.000+04:30

This site was designed to provide information and guidance on the use of computer-assisted assessment (CAA) in higher education.

Expert and Novice Teachers Talking Technology: Precepts, Concepts, & Misconcepts: C. Meskill, J. Mossop, S. DiAngelo, & R. K. Pasquale

2010-06-07T10:19:00.001+04:30

When new teachers, teacher trainers, and administrators consider the ways in which technologies can best serve practice, they are wise to turn to experienced teachers and veteran technology users. It is the voices and experiences of these professionals who have worked through the complex processes of adapting curricula, classroom design, dynamics, and teaching approaches that can best inform those new to teaching and learning in general, and teaching with technologies in particular. This study compares and contrasts the "technology talk" of novice and expert teachers of K-8 language and literacy (ESOL). Interview data with eight teachers - two expert (experienced teachers and technologies users), five novice (limited experience in teaching and teaching with computers) and one transitional expert (experienced teacher and non-technology user) serve to illustrate the conceptual and practical differences between those who have adapted technologies as powerful teaching and learning tools and teachers who, in spite of specific formal training in instructional technology, speak about it and its application in starkly contrasting ways. These contrasts are presented as a set of four conceptual continua that can help in explicating novice starting points, transitional issues, and the expertise of computer-using language professionals.

Blogging for ELT

2010-06-07T10:04:00.002+04:30

This article takes a look at blogging, which is becoming increasingly popular as a language learning tool. It gives an overview of blogging websites, suggests why you might want to use them, and gives some practical advice on setting up blogs for use with your own classes.

Pics4Learning

2010-06-07T09:58:00.006+04:30

This resource can help teachers and students create print, multimedia or video productions. All material on Pics4Learing is copyright-free. Images have been donated by teachers, students and amateur photographers with the goal of enhancing student learning.

Copyright Issues on the Web: Kristina Pfaff-Harris

2010-06-07T09:56:00.000+04:30

The WorldWide Web is filled with resources for teaching and learning English, as well as for finding those resources. Much of this information is in the Public Domain, and may be copied freely. Unfortunately, the line between Copyright and Plagiarism issues is often loosely defined, and many teachers and students are unsure of the limits. This article discusses some of those issues so that teachers can keep themselves and their students from unethical use of web resources.

Everything you need to know about Podcasting!

2010-06-07T09:52:00.001+04:30

Podcasting is the process of creating an audio show of some sort available in MP3 format via an RSS 2.0 feed that supports enclosures. Podcasts are designed to include talk shows, tutorials, music, or other audio content. Users select the podcasts (audio feeds) they wish to subscribe. Click on the post title, please!

Conference on Translation and Interpretation in a Multilingual Context

2010-05-30T10:21:00.000+04:30

The Chalermprakiat Centre of Translation and Interpretation (CCTI), Faculty of Arts, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok is pleased to announce its first international conference on translation and interpretation, to be held at the Imperial Queen’s Park Hotel on 1-3 November, 2010.

The conference aims to promote translation and interpretation as an emerging field in Thailand, and to encourage an exchange of ideas among translation and interpretation scholars as well as practitioners from across the world. Papers are invited on all aspects of translation and interpretation.

Classroom Management

2010-05-30T09:59:00.002+04:30

Click HERE to download the PowerPoint Presentation on 'classroom management'.

Lesson Planning

2010-05-30T09:56:00.000+04:30

Click HERE to download the PowerPoint Presentation on 'lesson planning'.

Bloom’s Critical Thinking

2010-05-13T13:26:00.003+04:30

A Guide to Higher Level Thinking

Presented by: Ruth Sunda

Click HERE to download the Powerpoint Presentation.

Critical Thinking in Education

2010-05-13T10:58:00.000+04:30

Integrating Critical Thinking
Into Learning Activities Across the Curriculum

Eric Rusten & Susan Schuman – USAID/PAEM & MoE

Click HERE to download the Powerpoint presentation.

Brief Critique on Critical Thinking

2010-05-13T10:55:00.001+04:30

Yocam Publishing LLC

Presented By Eric Yocam, DBA, MS

Click HERE to download the Powerpoint presentation.

Canadian English Language Assessment (CAEL)

2010-05-06T18:18:00.005+04:30

CAEL - Official Site	Canadian English Language Assessment Information Test Centres
CAEL Preparation	How to prepare Sample Test
Universities & Test Centres	List of Universities accepting CAEL List of Test Centres in several countries
Test Preparation from Ohio University	CAEL TOEFL TWE IELTS Cambridge Exams

Source: English Study Direct

TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) & TOEIC (Test of English for International Communication)

2010-05-06T18:15:00.000+04:30

Official TOEFL website	comprehensive information on the Test sample exercises
Official TOEIC website	test information
Free TOEIC Test Preparation from English Test Net	practice exercises
Free TOEFL Test Preparation from Learn4good	11 practice tests grammar tests
Free TOEFL Test Preparation from ESL Home.org	Listening Tutorial and test Structure Tutorial and test Reading Tutorial and test Writing practice
TOEFL TWE Essay scoring from Get TOEFL	get your essay automatically scored
Free TOEFL practice from English Test net	vocabulary and other exercises
Randall's Cyber Lab	helpful listening exercises pronunciation practice
Test Practice	exercises and activities
Computer-based TOEFL test practice from Jim Duber	material is a little out of date but still good practice

Source: English Study Direct

IELTS

2010-05-06T18:06:00.005+04:30

Official IELTS website	information on the Test information on Test Centres
Randall's Cyber Lab	helpful listening exercises (although not designed specifically for IELTS preparation) pronunciation practice
Test Practice	exercises and activities
IELTS Academic Reading from Self Access.com	free lesson from Self Access.com
IELTS free downloads from AIPPG.com	speaking writing listening reading
IELTS free tutorials from IELTS Help now	for both Academic and General Training tests - guidelines, not activities
Conversation questions - from the Internet Tesl Journal	These questions are designed for use in classrooms but they are also useful to practice answering on general topics that might come up in the IELTS interview.

Source: English Study Direct

GLoCALL 2010: International Conference on Computer-Assisted Language Learning

2010-05-04T20:11:00.000+04:30

Globalization and Localization in CALL 2010

1 – 3 December 2010, Le Meridian Hotel, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia

The Globalization and Localization in Computer-Assisted Language Learning (GLoCALL) Conference aims to share knowledge, research and experience on how to use computer technology to make language learning more effective and pleasant; to explore how the technology can be adapted to better meet the local needs of students and teachers, while at the same time providing global perspectives on computer-assisted language learning (CALL); and to bring the technology within the reach of local teachers who wish to develop their professionalism in CALL. GLoCALL is jointly organised by APACALL (Asia-Pacific Association for Computer-Assisted Language Learning), PacCALL.(Pacific Association for Computer-Assisted Language Learning) and a local host.

GLoCALL 2010 is the fourth in the series of GLoCaLL Conferences held. The inaugural GLoCALL 2007 Conference was first held in Vietnam, followed by GLoCALL 2008 Conference in Indonesia and GLoCALL 2009 Conference in Thailand. This year GLoCALL 2010 is held in Malaysia. Working collaboratively with The School of Education & Social Development, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, we are proud to welcome you to GLoCALL 2010 Malaysia.

The GLoCALL 2010 organising committee cordially invites proposals for presentations that are related to computer-assisted language learning (CALL). Paper Presenters or Participants from Malaysia should submit proposals (abstract) for ‘Papers’, ‘Workshops’, ‘Symposia’ and ‘Posters’ sessions via the online submissions form at http://glocall2010ums.my by 15th June 2010.

Idioms-Today

2010-05-04T20:06:00.000+04:30

Hundreds of free English idioms, idiomatic expressions, proverbs and sayings
used in everyday conversation, with their meaning and an example.
Every day a new idiom is added.

learn-english-today

2010-05-04T19:58:00.002+04:30

This is a website set up by Kathleen, an experienced EFL teacher living and working in France. The website was set up in 2003 and includes some exercises and word games, a list of phrasal verbs, vocabulary pages, a page of useful links, a Business English section and, last but not least, an idiom section.

Major Proficieny Examinations

2010-04-24T18:02:00.005+04:30

TOEFL - Official site of the Test of English as a Foreign Language. Includes tutorials, practice questions, downloads, and information on both the computer-based and paper-based versions of the test. Also markets test preparation materials.
Cambridge EFL OnLine - Provides information for students, teachers, and prospective teachers, about the range examinations and schemes offered throughout the world.
IELTS: International English Language Testing System - Handbook, test explanations and information about obtaining practice material.
TOEIC - Official site of the Test of English for International Communication. Provides information about the test, tips from the test developers, and a list of test sites around the world.
Validated and Certified Proficiency Testing - Corporate and proficiency testing in many languages, including English. Certified by ACTFL and the test is transferable for 3 college credits by ACE.

Volume 13 of TESL-EJ: Special Issue on English Education in Iran

2010-04-21T23:09:00.006+04:30

Editor: A. Mehdi Riazi

Overview

Hossein Farhady, Fattaneh Sajadi Hezaveh, and Hora Hedayati,Reflections on Foreign Language Education in Iran, (pdf)

Teachers and Teaching
Ramin Akbari and Nabi Karimi Allvar, L2 Teacher Characteristics as Predictors of Students’ Academic Achievement,  (pdf)
Sepideh Fotovatian, Surviving as an English Teacher in the West: A Case Study of Iranian English Teachers in Australia,  (pdf)
Bahman Gorjian, Seyyed Rahim Moosavinia, and Azadeh Jabripour, Dramatic Performance in Teaching Drama in EFL Contexts,  (pdf)

Instructional Materials
A. Mehdi Riazi and Narjes Mosalanejad, Evaluation of Learning Objectives in Iranian High-school and Pre-university English Textbooks Using Bloom’s Taxonomy, (pdf)

Learners
F. Behjat and F. Sadighi, Iranian English Majors’ L2 Grammar Development: Linguistic Threshold Hypothesis, (pdf)
Hossein Shokouhi and Gholam-Ali Mirsalari., Collocational Knowledge versus General Linguistic Knowledge among Iranian EFL Learners, (pdf)

Context
P. Maftoon, M. Yazdani Moghaddam, H. Gholebostan, and S. R. Beh-Afarin, Privatization of English Education in Iran: A Feasibility Study, (pdf)

Writing and Written Texts
Vahid Aryadoust, Investigating Writing Sub-skills in Testing English as a Foreign Language: A Structural Equation Modeling Study, (pdf)
Nasser Rashidi and Marzieh Souzandehfar, Text-Organizing Metatext in Research Articles: An English-Persian Contrastive Analysis, (pdf)

Language Testing Resources Website

2010-04-21T18:52:00.000+04:30

This site designed and maintained by Dr Glenn Fulcher.

Since 1995 the purpose of the Language Testing Resources web site has always been to act as a reference guide to language testing related resources on the Internet by providing a history of, and links to, language testing related information, including publications that are freely available on other domains. However, it's purpose has broadened over the years. Now, resources on language testing, such as articles, features, videos and audio, are made freely available for language teachers, language testers, and students of language testing, applied linguistics, and languages. Teachers of language testing are encouraged use the resources on this site in their own courses, but are requested to establish links to this site and not copy materials onto other domains.

The April 2010 issue of the English Language Gazette Digital

2010-04-21T01:37:00.000+04:30

If you are already registered please log in as usual using your email address. If you have not yet registered you can REGISTER FOR FREE!

Simply fill out your details and get the world of ELT at your fingertips each month.

In the April issue (IATEFL conference special, with 12 extra pages!):

NEWS: UK schools in visa meltdown, 'profitable' Geos Australia schools collapse, EFL boom on Pacific island of Vanuatu, Arizona 'English Language Learner' parents in revolt

HIGHER EDUCATION NEWS: EFL teachers owed £87 million by Italian universities - David Petrie of the Italian foreign lecturers' union on their 30-year struggle for justice

ACCREDITATION: Centres of excellence - the British Council inspectors' top institutions revealed

PROSPECTS: Our 'secret shopper' investigates summer school Director of Studies jobs.

MANAGEMENT: A school manager's guide to marketing exam courses, how to make teachers more productive, Central American boom in EFL for call centre training

EAP: 'Streamline' author Peter Viney says students from 'non-Roman' alphabet cultures aren't getting enough help to master written English, EAP flourishes in Australia, 'mysterious' new rules hit UK private sector

IATEFL CONFERENCE SPECIAL: Interviews with chairs of IATEFL affiliates in five very different countries. (IATEFL conference, 7-11 April, Harrogate, UK)

TEACHING MATTERS: Being bilingual keeps dementia at bay, common misunderstandings by Arabic-speakers learning English, teacher training in Central America and Australia.

REVIEWS: 'Ready for Ielts', 'English for Legal Professionals', 'Networking in English'.

The March 2010 issue of the English Language Gazette Digital

2010-04-21T01:31:00.002+04:30

If you are already registered please log in as usual using your email address. If you have not yet registered you can REGISTER FOR FREE!

Simply fill out your details and get the world of ELT at your fingertips each month.

In the March issue:

NEWS: Are New York’s ‘charter schools’ failing English language learners? Dog learns English; chaos as UK Borders Agency suspends over 100 schools; recession bites in Thai EFL sector, national shame at Miss Singapore’s poor English; SAT test fraudsters cross time zones

HIGHER EDUCATION NEWS: English-medium university courses boom in Israel

ASSOCIATION NEWS: UK Esol teacher’s association Natecla on training and lobbying

PROSPECTS: Thailand: Tefl training hotspot.

MANAGEMENT: Cooperate with your competition to provide free teacher training? Yes, that’s what Sussex Director of Studies Association have successfully done.

As governments insist would-be migrants gain English before they arrive, could local language schools cash in by preparing emigrating students?

EAP: US university foundation courses special – UK-style foundation courses are on the rise in the US, but are they suited to American higher education? And why are some American universities so upset by this development?

TEACHING MATTERS: We look at the theory of multiple intelligences in EFL, and ask whether the evidence supports this and other new teaching methods.

REVIEWS: Must-have books for teachers and learners

The January 2010 issue of the English Language Gazette Digital

2010-04-21T01:23:00.001+04:30

If you are already registered, please log in as usual using your email address. If you have not yet registered you can REGISTER FOR FREE! Simply fill out your details and get the world of ELT at your fingertips each month.

In the January issue:

NEWS: Geos Japan denies bankruptcy rumours; Wall street closes in Valencia, UK suspends visa applications from students in some Chinese provinces as backlog on visas in Britain builds up ; Ontario clamps down on private colleges.

HIGHER EDUCATION NEWS: European universities use English medium degrees to target international market

EL MARKET REPORT: Thailand rolls out EFL reforms, South Africa waits on World Cup boom.

ACCREDITATION: UK foundation year programmes - the hole in the UK accrediation system?

MANAGEMENT: The value of diversification

TEACHING MATTERS: The most comprehensive guide to Masters in the UK and Ireland

REVIEWS: Must have DVDs for teacher trainers and trainees

Exam English

2010-04-12T19:29:00.000+04:30

This web site is for people studying for an English language exam.These pages contain free online practice tests for the most important international ESL/EFL exams: IELTS, TOEFL, TOEIC, and the Cambridge ESOL exams such as CPE, CAE, FCE, and PET. You can also find out information about the different exams.

How to write a critical article review

2010-04-12T11:50:00.003+04:30

The guideline that can be downloaded from HERE can help you summarize and review a paper critically. This can be of use to all researchers who might be involved with reviewing an acaedemic paper and may not know how to manage it in a comprehensive manner. The guideline begins with some advice on how to read the articles and what elements to focus on. Then, a tentative format is presented that can be used by reviewers.

LSP2010: 7th International Language for Specific Purposes Seminar

2010-04-07T19:09:00.001+04:30

May 4, 2010: Malaysia

The 7th international conference is an extension of the previous six conferences which were successfully organised – two at national level and four at international level. The previous conference, LSP 2008 attracted about 100 papers from Malaysia and all over the world with presenters from 20 different countries. LSP 2010 hopes to bring together language practitioners from the industry, institutions of higher learning, and all other institutions to share both their knowledge and skills to enhance human capital development through good language practices and effective communication skills.

Click on the title of this post to enter the conference site.

Free Access to SAGE Reference Online

2010-04-03T10:37:00.004+04:30

Free Access from April 1 – May 15, 2010

SAGE Reference is currently offering free access to its award-winning content on SAGE Reference Online.
The SAGE Reference Online platform now hosts more than 160 authoritative, interdisciplinary handbooks and encyclopedias across the social sciences.

Click HERE to register for your free access.

3rd International ELT Conference, Telling ELT Tales out of School

2010-04-03T00:03:00.000+04:30

The Eastern Mediterranean University, Cyprus: May 5, 2010

The organizing committee of the 3rd International ELT conference "Telling ELT Tales out of School" would like to invite practicing teachers, teacher educators and teacher researchers to share their tales about learners, learning, teachers, teaching, and innovative practices in their contexts.

Themes:

Maximizing Learning:
-Learner-centered Instruction
-Learning Process
-Learning Outcomes
-Individual Learner Differences
-Learner Autonomy/Independence
-Learner Language/Interlanguage
-Learner strategies

Empowering Teachers:
-Teaching Strategies
-Teacher Training
-Professional Development
-Teacher Talk
-Teacher Motivation

Exploiting Resources:
-Curriculum/Syllabus Design
-ELT Management
-Materials/Aids/Realia
-Information and Communication
-Technology (ICT)
-Common European Framework
-Corpora in Language Education

Fostering Cultural Awareness:
-English and Englishes
-English as a Lingua Franca
-Cross-cultural Awareness
-Critical Thinking Skills
-Multiple Literacies

Genre Variation in English Academic Communication: Emerging Trends and Disciplinary Insights

2010-03-27T00:02:00.002+04:30

University of Bergamo, Italy

23-25 June 2011

The aim of this conference is to bring together the latest research of scholars engaged in the analysis of academic discourse from a genre-oriented perspective. Contributions representing different analytical approaches and disciplinary areas are welcome, including synchronic as well as diachronic studies.

The 6th International ELT Research Conference in Turkey

2010-03-26T23:39:00.003+04:30

CURRENT TRENDS IN SLA RESEARCH & LANGUAGE TEACHING

Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University in collaboration with Educational Research Association, Turkey

14-16 May 2010

1st International Conference on Language, Literature and Cultural Studies: The Said and the Unsaid

2010-03-25T17:05:00.004+04:30

University of Vlora, Albania

11-13 September 2010

Click HERE to download the call for papers.

password: tahriri

Malaysia International Conference on Foreign Languages

2010-03-25T16:55:00.001+04:30

Conference Theme: Languages and the Construction of Identities

Language and identity is a current focus of research in a broad range of academic disciplines. Current studies favour the social construction of self and society in view of specific time and place of the exchange which is in constant construction and renegotiation. In addition, the Internet has provided a new context for identity exploration, as the virtual world provides a venue to explore a complex set of relationships that is flexible and potentially anonymous.

Consequently, research in the dynamics of these discourses coupled with the multiplicity and flexibility of identities would be an enriching and rewarding endeavour, not only for researchers and scholars but the comprehension of these identities coming into play creates tolerance and results in effective transmission of messages and communication.

Educational Measurement and Assessment Journals

2010-03-21T21:47:00.000+03:30

[Assessment in Education: Principles, Policy & Practice]
[Assessment and Evaluation in Higher Education]
[Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis]
[Educational Measurement: Issues and Practice]
[Educational and Psychological Measurement]
[Journal of Educational Measurement]
[Practical Assessment, Research and Evaluation]
[Psychometrika]

How to download from 2shared

2010-03-21T10:36:00.001+03:30

Some of the files of the weblog are uploaded in the 2shared virtual drive. To download theses files, click on the download link. When the new page opens, at the bottom of the page you can see the file URL. Below this URL is 'Save file to your PC.' Following that, 'click here' is written in blue. Click it to start downloading the file.

Book Review: Language Testing and Assessment: An Advanced Resource Book

2010-03-20T15:19:00.001+03:30

Language Testing and Assessment: An Advanced Resource Book

(Routledge Applied Linguistics Series)
Glenn Fulcher & Fred Davidson. (2007)
Abingdon, Oxfordshire, UK & New York, NY, USA:
Routledge (Taylor & Francis Group), Pp. xx + 403

Click HERE to download the article.

Password: tahriri

Language Testing Resources Website

2010-03-20T14:24:00.000+03:30

Since 1995 the purpose of the Language Testing Resources web site has always been to act as a reference guide to language testing related resources on the Internet by providing a history of, and links to, language testing related information, including publications that are freely available on other domains. However, it's purpose has broadened over the years. Now, resources on language testing, such as articles, features, videos and audio, are made freely available for language teachers, language testers, and students of language testing, applied linguistics, and languages.

Click HERE to enter the website.

Happy New Year!

2010-03-16T23:47:00.002+03:30

With the hope of merriness and prosperity, let's celebrate the rebirth of nature.

Congratulation for the coming of the New Year!

Agenda Web

2010-03-16T10:18:00.000+03:30

Hundreds of free exercises to learn English online: grammar, verbs, vocabulary, listening, songs and videos.

Click HERE to enter the website.

Technology In Standardized Language Assessments

2010-03-11T12:36:00.002+03:30

By: Vera Una

Click HERE to download the PowerPoint presentation.

Handouts Online: The web's best source of printable handouts

2010-03-09T10:35:00.003+03:30

Ready-to-print ESL Worksheets for overworked teachers

Handouts Online has hundreds of English worksheets
for EFL / ESL teachers.

Conversation and grammar builders
Communicative-based activities
Crosswords, flashcards, games and more
Perfect for photocopying for your classes
Everything written by qualified teachers

Click HERE to enter the website.

Web-based Language Testing

2010-03-08T00:56:00.000+03:30

An article by Carsten Roever (University of Hawai'i at Manoa)

Language Learning & Technology
Vol. 5, No. 2, May 2001, pp. 84-94

Click HERE to read the article.

Book Review: Washback in Language Testing: Research Contexts and Methods

2010-03-05T20:09:00.002+03:30

Washback in Language Testing: Research Contexts and Methods Edited by Liying Cheng & Yoshinori Watanabe, with Andy Curtis (2004)
Mahwah, N.J.: Laurence Erlbaum & Associates (237 + xxi pages)

Shiken: JALT Testing & Evaluation SIG Newsletter
Vol. 9 No. 1. Spring. 2005. (p. 8 - 10) [ISSN 1881-5537]

Reviewed by Tim Newfields
Toyo University

Click HERE to read the review.

Prepare yours students for IELTS: Resources for teachers

2010-03-05T11:30:00.001+03:30

IELTS is the world’s leading test of English for higher education and migration. Over 1.4 million people take IELTS every year, and this number is growing rapidly. More than 6,000 universities, government bodies and professional organisations accept IELTS scores, and there is a growing demand for IELTS preparation services and courses. IELTS is owned and managed by the British Council, IDP: IELTS Australiaand University of Cambridge ESOL Examinations.

Click HERE to enter the site.

TOEIC® - Test of English for International Communication

2010-03-05T11:22:00.001+03:30

More than 5 million TOEIC tests were administered in 2008. And, for 30 years, TOEIC test scores have helped thousands of corporations, educational institutions and governments throughout the world recruit, hire and promote the most qualified candidates.
The new TOEIC® Speaking and Writing Tests have been added to the TOEIC English-language learning product line. They complement the TOEIC® Listening and Reading Test for a full assessment of a person's ability to communicate in English across all four language skills.

Click HERE to enter the website.

ESL Listening Cyber Lab

2010-03-05T00:20:00.000+03:30

The lab is mainly designed for self-directed study, that is, you choose what topic and level you want to study and then begin. Teachers can also use it as part of their classes. You don't have to log-in, and you don't need to subscribe to use the listening lab. The listening lab is free to use online.

Click HERE to enter the website.

The Free Library

2010-03-04T21:23:00.002+03:30

Since 2003, The Free Library has offered free, full-text versions of classic literary works from hundreds of celebrated authors, whose biographies, images, and famous quotations can also be found on the site. Recently, The Free Library has been expanded to include a massive collection of periodicals from hundreds of leading publications covering Business and Industry, Communications, Entertainment, Health, Humanities, Law, Government, Politics, Recreation and Leisure, Science and Technology, and Social Sciences. This collection includes millions of articles dating back to 1984 as well as newly-published articles that are added to the site daily.
The Free Library is an invaluable research tool and the fastest, easiest way to locate useful information on virtually any topic. Explore the site through a keyword search, or simply browse the enormous collection of literary classics and up-to-date periodicals to find exactly what you need.

Click HERE to see the publications in 'Languages and linguistics.'

Vocabulary.co.il

2010-03-04T20:48:00.001+03:30

Vocabulary.co.il is a great vocabulary builder. This word game website is a fun way to build English vocabulary.
Vocabulary is Fun is a leading vocabulary website worldwide with the best flash online word games. The vocabulary games include an online word search, an online crossword puzzle, and hangman online (our version is called HangMouse). Users choose the vocabulary list that the online word game will use in the word game. The vocabulary games are popular for use on smart boards for word games to build vocabulary skills in classrooms.

Click HERE to enter the website.

Readers, Readability, and the Grading of Text

2010-02-27T17:53:00.002+03:30

Thanks to Bill Templer who informed me about it, this is a book by one of the major experts on readability in the US, Bill DuBay.

Click HERE to download the book.

Arts & Humanities Citation Index (2009)

2010-02-26T00:33:00.001+03:30

Source publication list for Web of science®
Arts & Humanities Citation Index®

Click HERE to download the list.

Zozanga

2010-02-24T19:42:00.001+03:30

Learn English, the free and easy web site for EFL/ESL learners, students and teachers.
(Online since 23 December 2004)

Click HERE to enter the site.

UsingEnglish.com

2010-02-24T00:48:00.000+03:30

UsingEnglish.com provides a large collection of ESL tools & resources for students, teachers, learners and academics. Browse our grammar glossary and references of irregular verbs, phrasal verbs and idioms, ESL forums, articles, teacher handouts and printables, and find useful links and information on English. Topics cover the spectrum of ESL, EFL, ESOL, and EAP subject areas.

Click HERE to enter the site.

Handbook of Research in Second Language Teaching and Learning: Eli Hinkel

2010-02-17T21:42:00.001+03:30

The Handbook of Research in Second Language Teaching and Learning is intended for researchers, practitioners, graduate students, and faculty in teacher education and applied linguistics programs; teachers; teacher trainers;teacher trainees; curriculum and material developers; and all other professionals in the field of second language teaching and learning.

This landmark volume provides a broad-based, state-of-the-art overview of current knowledge and research into second language teaching and learning. Fifty-seven chapters are organized in eight thematic sections:

*social contexts of second language learning;
*research methodologies in second-language learning, acquisition, and teaching;
*contributions of applied linguistics to the teaching and learning of second language skills;
*second language processes and development;
*teaching methods and curricula;
*issues in second or foreign language testing and assessment;
*identity, culture, and critical pedagogy in second language teaching and learning; and
*important considerations in language planning and policies.

ESL ALL!

2010-02-17T21:32:00.000+03:30

ESL All is a division of ESL International. ESL All is a leading online directory of English as a Second Language (ESL) resources and a key online destination for those who desire to improve their English. It is free and totally independent and unaffiliated to any other language organization.

Click HERE to enter the site.

A Sample Review in Language Testing

2010-02-14T20:14:00.002+03:30

Review of Splosky (2007) in Language Testing Reconsidered

October 8, 2008 by robbmccollum

I have begun reading Language Testing Reconsidered (2007) edited by Fox et al (including Carolyn Turner who I met in person at LRTC 2008 this summer). I’m enjoying this volume of testing issues written by many leading Language Testers whom I also met at LTRC this summer. Their articles take on more meaning now that I have a face and a personality to pair with the research. Rather than review the book as a whole, I decided to post about each chapter individually, starting with Bernard Spolsky’s “On Second Thoughts.”

Spolsky, B. (2007). On second thoughts. In J. Fox, M. Wesche, D. Bayliss, L. Cheng, and C. E. Turner (eds.), Language testing reconsidered (pp. 9-18). Ottawa, ON: University of Ottawa Press.

In this chapter, Spolsky summarizes what he feels are the most important language testing issues that emerged during his career. The overarching theme of this chapter (and the couple proceeding it) is “What does it mean to know a language?” Spolsky offers no simple definition for this term, but asserts that this is a question that language assessment researcher need to constantly be asking. As I consider my dissertation research, I now ask myself, “What does it mean to complete an integrated reading-writing task?” In other words, what skills, knowledge, or abilities are accessed by that task, and what inferences can we make about an examinees level of performance on that task. What do integrated tasks have to do with other tasks that students do, and what do these tasks reveal about language acquisition?

My tentative answer to those questions is that reading-writing tasks appear to be about more than simply reading and writing. They require students to use advanced literacy skills including synthesis and paraphrase. Through my research design, I hope to shed some light on what it means to do these tasks. And although my study will not directly assess this idea, it’s my hope that further research can show a relationship between ability on integrated tasks and ability to complete advanced literacy assignments in university such as writing a research paper or a case synthesis. I also hope that my research will help present a model of advanced literacy skill development, perhaps a hierarchy of reading and writing sub-skills.

One last note on Spolsky: he describes the challenge of revising an existing high-stakes exam as “steering a tanker” (p. 14). I have only even revised much smaller-tasks, local exams. Even my current plans to revise the university’s ESL placement exam is small peanuts to working with a government or commercially-distributed test. If I feel trepidation at the thought of improving our local exams, I would certainly want plenty of evidence (and a whole lot of help) if I were to take on a larger project.

Source: http://robblogva.wordpress.com

State-of-the-Art-Review: Language Testing and Assessment: J. Charles Alderson & Jayanti Banerjee

2010-02-14T20:03:00.002+03:30

In Part 1 of this two-part review article, issues of washback, ethics, politics and standards were addresssed. After a discussion of trends in testing on a national level and in testing for specific purposes, developments in computer-based testing were surveyed and then finally self-assessment, alternative assessment and the assessment of young learners were examined.
In the second part, the authors began by discussing recent theories of construct validity and the theories of language use that help define the constructs that we wish to measure through language tests. The main sections of the second part concentrate on summarising recent research into the constructs themselves, in turn addressing reading, listening, grammatical and lexical abilities, speaking and writing. Finally, a number of outstanding issues in the field were discussed.

PART ONE

PART TWO

Questionnaires in Second Language Research: Construction, Administration, and Processing: Zoltan Dornyei

2010-02-14T14:09:00.003+03:30

One of the most common methods of data collection in second language research is using questionnaires of various kinds. In spite of the wide application of questionnaires in the second language field, there does not seem to be sufficient awareness in the profession about the theory of questionnaire design and processing. The usual--and in most cases false--perception is that anybody with a bit of common sense can design good questionnaires, and the practice of questionnaire design and use has remained largely uninformed by theory. As a consequence, it is all too common to see that studies which start out with exciting research questions are spoiled by the application of badly designed questionnaires and/or a lack of reliable and valid results due to faulty processing. One reason for the lack of sufficient awareness of questionnaire theory among language researchers is the absence of relevant summaries and training materials in the second language literature. The purpose of the current book is to fill this gap.

The book is motivated by very practical purposes, namely to help researchers to increase the efficiency of their questionnaires and to avoid possible pitfalls. Accordingly, special care has been taken to avoid unnecesary jargon, to make the text accessible, and to relate everything to real-life situations. Illustrated by concrete examples, the book offers a thorough but accessible overview of the theory of questionnaire design, and administration and processing, with a special view on second language research applications. The conclusion summarizes the main points of questionnaire theory in a straightforward checklist that offers an easy-to-use tool for researchers. Researchers and students in TESOL and second-language programs and applied linguistics, with secondary markets in other language research (e.g., child language) will find this book useful.

ESL Magazine

2010-02-10T21:08:00.002+03:30

ESL Magazine is the leading magazine for teachers of American English and ESL/EFL professionals worldwide. Each issue contains relevant and timely features and department articles relating to the K-12, college and adult levels.

Click HERE to enter the homepage of the journal.

IJFLT:Vol.5 No.2, Winter 2009-2010 (Released February 10, 2010)

2010-02-10T10:24:00.002+03:30

The International Journal of Foreign Language Teaching (IJFLT) is a free, on-line quarterly journal dedicated to communicating research, articles and helpful information regarding language acquisition to support teachers as they endeavor to create fluent, multilingual students.

Click HERE to download the latest issue of the journal.

Topics for Research in SLA: Vivian Cook

2010-02-09T22:06:00.006+03:30

Click HERE to see a list of suggested topics for research in the realm of SLA.

Linguistics Glossary

2010-02-09T21:54:00.007+03:30

Quick glosses of some terms used in linguistics, language studies, language teaching and SLA research Based on V.J. Cook (1997), Inside Language, Arnold & V.J. Cook (2004) The English Writing System (Arnold)

Click HERE to see the glossory.

The 8th Asia TEFL International Conference

2010-02-08T21:15:00.004+03:30

6 to 8 August 2010
Hanoi, Viet Nam

The goals of 8th Asia TEFL conference are to promote scholarship, disseminate information, and facilitate cross-cultural understanding among persons concerned with the teaching and learning of English in Asia and other parts of the world.

Organized by: Asia TEFL / British Council

Deadline for abstracts/proposals: 1 March 2010

Check the event website for latest details.

6th International Conference in Teacher Education: Celebrating diversity and transformative innovations in teacher education

2010-02-08T21:12:00.005+03:30

29 to 31 July 2010
Quezon City, Philippines

The International Conference on Teacher Education is a biennial event sponsored by the University of the Philippines – College of Education. The conference serves as a venue for sharing ideas on global trends and issues in teacher education

Organized by: University of the Philippines - College of Education

Deadline for abstracts/proposals: 15 March 2010

Check the event website for latest details.

The Fifth Lancaster University Conference in Linguistics and English Language

2010-02-08T21:08:00.007+03:30

5 July 2010
Lancaster, Lancashire, United Kingdom

This 1 day conference is designed to give linguistics postgraduates from all research areas an opportunity to present and discuss their research in an informal and intellectually stimulating setting.

Organized by: Lancaster University

Deadline for abstracts/proposals: 21 March 2010

Check the event website for latest details.

Cutting Edges: Creativity in language teaching and teacher training

2010-02-08T21:05:00.008+03:30

2 to 3 July 2010
Canterbury, Kent, United Kingdom

English and Language Studies Annual Conference For more information, please see the conference website.

Organized by: Canterbury Christ Church University

Check the event website for latest details.

Task-based syllabus design: Selecting, grading and sequencing tasks: Wilson Burgos Aroca

2010-02-06T17:41:00.000+03:30

Click HERE to download the PowerPoint presentation.

Effective Use of Internet Resources in Languages Teaching and Learning

2010-02-02T21:41:00.001+03:30

Warwick Group MFL Meeting
Wednesday, 10th June 2009
Presented by: José Picardo

I " New technologies and the new seconday curriculum
II " Young people and the Internet
III " A look at the best internet resources
IV " Evaluation

Click HERE to download the presentation.

Developing Research Skills in the Language Arts Classroom

2010-02-02T21:10:00.000+03:30

UC Irvine Libraries SPIRIT Program
Instructor: Melanie Sellar

Click HERE to download the presentation.

Web 2.0 and Language Learning: Victor González Guzmán

2010-02-02T20:20:00.000+03:30

The main aim of this presentation is to give the best online resources for language teachers in order to create their own materials and activities. Its practical objectives are structured into 50 sections. Each section contains the most representative websites to use in 2009/10.

Click HERE to download the presentation handout.