# data[].attributes.body
http://decentralisedteachingandlearning.com/low-tech-teaching/

# data[].attributes.body
Multi-media dictionary and synchronous writing task

# data[].attributes.body
grammar

# data[].attributes.body
Whiteboard notes

# data[].attributes.body
Whiteboard notes

# data[].attributes.body
Whiteboard notes

# data[].attributes.body
Whiteboard 2

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The now-classic Metaphors We Live By changed our understanding of metaphor and its role in language and the mind. Metaphor, the authors explain, is a fundamental mechanism of mind, one that allows us to use what we know about our physical and social experience to provide understanding of countless other subjects.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
I'm fond of wordplay and linguistics. I remember reading some of Richard Lederer's books while I was in high school, and I love a good turn of phrase. I particularly love learning about origins of words and phrases, so I find books like Don't Be a Damp Squid (reviewed by Jenny Williams) appealing. From the National Geographic Society comes another fascinating language book, I'm Not Hanging Noodles on Your Ears and Other Intriguing Idioms From Around the World by Jag Bhalla. Featuring cartoons by New Yorker cartoonist Julia Suits, the book contains over a thousand idioms and proverbs from around the world, grouped into categories like love and romance, animals, numbers, time, and body parts.

Bhalla confesses in the introduction that, although he loves language, he's monolingual and has always been envious "or, as they say in Hindi, 'had a snake writhing in [his] intestines'" of people who are multilingual. For him, exploring the idioms from various cultures is the next best thing, so he put together this impressive collection. Each section has some introductory text from Bhalla about the subject at hand, combined with various bits of trivia about linguistics and language development, neurology and psychology, and other topics that he finds fascinating. After that, it's a list of idioms and their meanings, and Suits' hilarious literal interpretations of some of the more colorful phrases.

Hanging Noodles is a fun book, but I do have a few complaints about it. For one, it's mostly a book of lists, without origin stories or further explanations of the idioms. Bhalla explains that it's pretty difficult to pin down the origins of many idioms (and certainly it would have been a nearly impossible feat for such a large collection) but as any geek could tell you, origin stories are key. Also, there are many instances where an idiom is defined with another idiom-on the cover, for instance, "a fly on the nose" is Italian for "a chip on the shoulder." While this is great for readers who are already familiar with all the idioms, I think a non-idiomatic definition would make the most sense. Finally, I did come across some repeats. Again, because of the size of the collection I can see how that could occur, but I even found one idiom listed twice in the same subsection, which you'd think would be more easily avoided.

Also, all the idioms are presented only in their English translations, not their original languages. It would have made the book much longer, of course, and I wouldn't have been able to read many of the languages, but I think it would have been fun to at least have some idea of the original wordings rather than just a translation. As Bhalla puts it, though:

This book isn't intended to be a language reference. I'm assuming it's unlikely that many readers will go to places where the Russian words for "I'm not hanging noodles on your ears" would be useful. If you find yourself needing such words, I'm afraid you will need a more educationally oriented book.

Despite my gripes, though, Hanging Noodles has been a pleasure to thumb through, and it's the type of book which is perfectly suited for that. You don't have to read the text at the beginning of the chapters if you don't want to, and you can skip around in the book as much as you like. You're guaranteed to find something that will, as the Japanese say, "distort your stomach skin" (make you laugh). It might be fun to start using these with your kids, too. Instead of saying that they're making you angry, explain that they're "leaving you the way God painted the parakeet." Or if you want them to study hard, you can suggest that they "dig in their elbows."

You can visit the book's website for more information and to read a free sample. I'm Not Hanging Noodles on Your Ears retails for $12.95. For more books from National Geographic, visit their books website.

Wired: A wide variety of idioms from around the world and cartoons by Julia Suits will delight any language lover.

Tired: Readers hoping to learn more about the idioms may be disappointed by the mostly list-style format.
Disclosure: I received a free copy of the book for review.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Review: I'm Not Hanging Noodles on Your Ears -- Really!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
I'm fond of wordplay and linguistics. I remember reading some of Richard Lederer's books while I was in high school, and I love a good turn of phrase. I particularly love learning about origins of words and phrases, so I find books like Don't Be a Damp Squid (reviewed by Jenny Williams) appealing.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
If this is your first time here, then read the Teacher's Guide to Using These Pages
If you can think of a good question for any list, please send it to us.Home | Articles | Lessons | Techniques | Questions | Games | Jokes | Things for Teachers | Links | Activities for ESL Students

Would you like to help?

If you can think of a good question for any list, please send it to us.

If you would like to suggest another topic, please send it and a set of questions to begin the topic.

Copyright © 1997-2010 by The Internet TESL Journal Pages from this site should not be put online elsewhere.

Permission is not required to link directly to any page on our site as long as you do not trap the page inside a frame. Once we upload a page, the page remains online and the URL will not be changed.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Conversation Questions for the ESL/EFL Classroom (I-TESL-J)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Interesting questions for discussions in Engish lessons.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
the round is an independent collective of creative individuals in English language teaching.

It was founded by Lindsay Clandfield and Luke Meddings in spring 2011 and arose from a series of conversations about bridging the gap between blogs and books - and about the difficulty of placing innovative, niche or critical materials with the big ELT publishers.

Our mission is threefold:

to provide great material for educators (fairly priced and readily accessible)

to give a fair deal to authors (who sell and retain the copyright on their own work)

to be a learning environment (where we share expertise and ideas)

The website, designed and developed by Mark Bain, is a shared space for marketing products by round authors and disseminating round news and ideas.

You can also find us on Twitter and Facebook.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
the round is an independent collective of creative individuals in English language teaching. It was founded by Lindsay Clandfield and Luke Meddings in spring 2011 and arose from a series of conversations about bridging the gap between blogs and books - and about the difficulty of placing innovative, niche or critical materials with the big ELT publishers.

# data[].attributes.body
Resources and activities

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Get a daily email featuring the latest talk, plus a quick mix of trending content.

By subscribing, you understand and agree that we will store, process and manage your personal information according to our Privacy Policy

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Sir Ken Robinson: Do schools kill creativity?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Sir Ken Robinson makes an entertaining and profoundly moving case for creating an education system that nurtures (rather than undermines) creativity.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Country comparison

Select one or several countries in the menu below to see the values for the 6 dimensions.
To compare your personal preferences to the scores of a country get the Culture Compass™ from our store.

Become an expert in Organisational Culture!
Join the Organisational Culture Certification in Prague April 9-12 2018.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Select one or several countries in the menu below to see the values for the 6 dimensions. To compare your personal preferences to the scores of a country get the Culture Compass™ from our store. Join the Organisational Culture Certification in Prague April 9-12 2018.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
This post is largely about different types of mind maps and their value to both their creator and reader. Mind mapping has played a large part in the diploma journey for me this past year, and I'd like to just outline some of what I understand mind maps to be, and their value for learners.
Revision Mapping
At their simplest, mind maps are a means of organising information, and I first started using them solely for this purpose, during my pre-course reading for my diploma course.

Initially I used them to summarise and organise what I was reading into a more visual form to enable me to refer back and quickly locate information. What I found was that the process of organising the information also served as a form of revision, both in re-presenting the information, and in that the tie spent colouring/shading allowed me to further process and consider the information in a relaxed state. Let's call this form of mind mapping ' revision mapping '.
Reflective Mapping
Taking this a step further, as opposed to just summarising and organising what other people were writing, I then started using mind maps as a means of answering questions and brainstorming.

This is a particularly interesting process for me, in that the nature of writing in this medium seems to allow more of a stream of consciousness than formatted text, which I believe places a (subconscious?) pressure the writer to craft the text into something more clearly (and traditionally) structured.

Mind mapping, on the other hand seems to express an internal dialogue, and the writing within it is very much a process, one thought leading to another. As this form of mind mapping begins with a question or a point for consideration / exploration, and is very much concerned with one's own reflections, let's call it ' reflective mapping '.

This approach is something that I found particularly suited me in reflecting on my observed lessons during my diploma course. The format allowed me the freedom to explore my thoughts in response to the lesson at the same time as illustrate the connections and relationships between various aspects of what I was discussing.

But the freedom from traditional structural restraints that this medium allows, raises important questions about the relationship between writer (or creator) and reader. How lucid are reflective mind maps for the reader? Is the written text less opaque?

The gravity of the answers to these questions entirely depends upon who the mind maps are created for. Are they created for the reader in order to communicate and/or explain a concept? Or are they solely for the purpose of the creator, as a process in themselves, and/or to serve as a visual and written record of an experience?

I would say that the reflective mind maps I've created during the course - especially those that follow observed lessons - are for both myself and the reader. They are simultaneously a means of reflecting on a process and experience for my own development, and a means of communicating those reflections to the observer. My identification of the reader - the observer - is an important point. While primarily my reflections are to support and record my own development (be they in the form of mind maps or solely written text), there is always some awareness - no matter how small - that they will be read by one of my tutors. Thus, my reflective mind maps for my observed lessons assume that the reader, having observed that lesson, has more understanding of the points I discuss than an outsider might.

Reflection is about consideration; it's about thinking deeply; it's about revealing the nature of something. My reflective blog in its entirety is both a record of my journey and a part of the journey itself.
Thought Mapping
Returning to mind mapping, the third type I want to identify are created for the creator - not as a finished product (although the aesthetic can often be quite pleasing), but as a practice in themselves. A journey of discovery.

Nick Sousanis (2015:70) said 'we draw not to transcribe ideas from our heads but to generate them in search of greater understanding'. This, for me, has perhaps been the most poignant element of the diploma course. Beginning with my investigations into the impact of metaphors on elements of teaching, and moving on to the use of graphic frameworks in the classroom, my journey has largely been concerned with how metaphors (text based or visual) can trigger, influence and reveal concepts and ideas in learning.

For the materials module I decided to keep a 'map', as opposed to a notebook, and as the module went on my notes became more and more visual. The space that the paper allowed enabled me to illustrate connections and links between different areas and aspects of what I was thinking. The note making process in itself is interesting - different people choose to record different words for different reasons. But more interesting, for me, is the visual element.

Parts of this (I call it my 'materials map') began with a doodle, an unfocused, diffuse thinking, pen to paper activity. But the doodles in themselves then triggered further thoughts, or questions, in relation to the topic.

As a mind map this may be interesting for a reader, but is arguably far less transparent than written text. It presents options about where to begin, and thoughts often articulated so briefly that they may be open to interpretation. But for me this is far more representative of the inner workings of my mind than the more readable reflective mind maps above - and certainly more representative that the revision mind maps. Let's call this type ' thought mapping '. Despite the potential lack of lucidity in thinking maps, I include this one here in more detail, for a number of reasons.

Parts of it may be of interest to the reader - and more comprehensible to those that know me.

Some of the detail demonstrates more clearly the point I make about doodles and drawing serving to reveal and trigger further thought.

It's a part of my process, and thus a part of my blog

Each of the three types of mind maps I've identified: revision, reflective and thought mapping - has a value to the creator and the reader, in varying ways.

The use of visuals in ELT is something I've been interested in for a long time, and at the beginning of the diploma course was an area I identified as wanting to explore further. I couldn't have predicted the direction my thoughts and explorations would take, and it's both exciting and rewarding to observe how my own learning processes have informed my specialised interests in teaching methodologies and techniques.

The most exciting thing that's emerged for me during this process has been my interest in the use of learner generated visuals as a means of exploration and discovery, and thought mapping plays a large part in this. Learner generated visuals and ways in which we can support learners in conceptualising language is an area I'm keen to explore further.

Encouraging learners to create their own, personalised, visual representations can be a powerful way to explore and evaluate language, enhancing interest and motivation as well as aiding retention, processing and comprehension. I'm in the process of putting together a workshop session on this topic, which will explore a variety of practical activities for helping learners to conceptualise language through visual representations, from graphic frameworks to visual metaphors, using a range of media. I also want the session to address learner inhibitions, demonstrating that artistic skill is not a prerequisite for exploring the non-verbal background of language.

Sousanis, N. (2015) Unflattening. London: Harvard University Press. p70.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
This post is largely about different types of mind maps and their value to both their creator and reader. Mind mapping has played a large part in the diploma journey for me this past year, and I'd like to just outline some of what I understand mind maps to be, and their value for learners.