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(Teaching the sound "ch")

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Flippity, with its super easy ideas for short activities in your lessons

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Flippity, with its super easy ideas for short activities in your lessons

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I would use the types without spreadsheets, these are easier :)

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Flippity.net: Flashcards and Other Resources for Educators and Learners

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Create an interactive virtual breakout activity.

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The online reflective journal or diary

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Penzu is a free online diary and personal journal focused on privacy. Easily keep a secret diary or a private journal of notes and ideas securely on the web.

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Meet the Phonics - Letter Sounds (FREE) | Preschool Prep Company

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Biljana Davceva

Abstract

The workshop presents interactive in-class activities that can be used to teach students about how to give presentations and overcome the fear of presenting in public. It covers aspects such as body language, gestures, posture, voice control, animated content presentation techniques and online presenting skills. The workshop offers easy tips to master the art of giving effective presentations.

Biography

I am an English language lecturer at the University of Bahrain. I am also a coach, teacher trainer, an IIELTS speaking examiner and examiner trainer and a public speaker.

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Hnin Cherry Hlaing

Abstract

It is sure that almost all of the professionals have been experiencing the impact of pandemic crisis and those in ELT field would have difficult time in managing unexpected moves due to it. With the help of SWOT analysis, making use of newly available chance becomes more certain to be skilled and confident people than ever. This presentation would be helpful to provide more awareness of opportunities out of the hardships.

Biography

Holding first two degrees from University of Computer Studies, Yangon, the speaker has been in ELT field since 2012. After having three years of experience in teaching primary level students, a right decision was made to acquire more methodological knowledge in ELT in University of Yangon. Consecutively, M.A in English was persuaded from the same university in 2019. Now, speaker has special interests in volunteering as a language teacher and occasionally running free classes online while working as an English lecturer in MIU.

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Producing Future-Ready Students through ZOOM English Classes 

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Producing Future-Ready Students through ZOOM English Classes 

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Aung Myin Thu

Abstract

English classes can go beyond teaching English. The classes can nurture students other necessary skills for their academic and career empowerment. "Producing Future-Ready Students through ZOOM English Classes" will allow participants to reflect on top Future-Ready skills for Myanmar students. Some facilitating techniques that can enhance selected Future-Ready skills, particularly for post-COVID-19, will also be recommended interactively and engagingly.

Biography

Aung Myin Thu is the founder and lead instructor of Adhipati Education, an education enterprise, that offers quality English proficiency programs and debate classes. Based on his exposure to International education in several countries and working experience with international educators across the world, he has designed and delivered multiple training to teachers, educators and youth in Myanmar. He also went to many international education programs as a participant, trainer and coach. Currently, he is studying a Master of Education in Advanced Teaching.

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Effective Integration of Music in Primary Classroom 

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Effective Integration of Music in Primary Classroom 

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Iris Su

Abstract

My talk will demonstrate effective ways to integrate music into lower primary classrooms (aged 6-8) and the positive benefits of the use of music in the primary classroom. We will explore the What, the When, the Why, the How, the Where and with Who. Thrilled and Move? Chilled and Study? Music is the answer!

Biography

Iris Su is a Thailand-based trainer with thirteen years’ ELT experience. As well as being Cambridge CELTA and CELTYL qualified, she holds two Masters Degrees: MA International Education (Management & Policy) and MA TEFL. She has taught all age groups and various levels in different institutes and universities. She has a passion for teacher development and has delivered conference and workshops in several countries, including Thai TESOL, IATEFL webinar and Oxford Days Vietnam and Seoul. Apart from teaching/training, Iris is into gardening and yoga. She also aspires to do a Doctorate degree on Education and Women Empowerment.

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Digital Learning Tools for the Digital Learning World 

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Digital Learning Tools for the Digital Learning World 

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Myat Thinzar Tun

Abstract

This workshop will provide the best use of digital tools with simple tips and tools that can support relevant lists of search results, saving time and effort, and can make virtual teaching and learning easier to communicate through technologies.

Biography

Myat Thinzar Tun has been teaching and training for 21 years of experience and currently working as a training consultant with different organizations. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in English, Diplomas in TESOL, the Cambridge CELTA, and is a Certified Practitioner of PRISM Brain Mapping™ from the UK. She specialises in experiential learning and is actively involved in the delivery of training and volunteering with English for Sangha, Nuns and Guiding activities from Myanmar Girl Guides Association.

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Lessons Learnt from the TREE (Towards Results in Education and English) Project 

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Lessons Learnt from the TREE (Towards Results in Education and English) Project 

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Wendy Coulson

Abstract

TREE (Towards Results in Education and English) works with 25 Education Degree Colleges (EDCs) throughout Myanmar to facilitate recent education reforms. In December 2019, English language and pedagogy Facilitators were sent to EDCs to give face-to-face English language development classes, mentor English Teacher Educators and provide CPD. However, due to the pandemic, face-to-face delivery stopped. In this presentation, I would like to show how TREE has pivoted from F2F to remote delivery using Zoom and closed Facebook groups and provide some practical examples of the kinds of tasks I have used both synchronously and asynchronously to keep my learners engaged.

Biography

Wendy Coulson is an international English Language Training Consultant with the TREE Project. She has 27 years of experience in TESOL including classroom teaching, teacher training and training of trainers in 7 countries. She holds Masters in Applied Linguistics and TESOL and in K-12 Bilingual Education. She is also a Rotary Peace Fellow graduate of Peace and Conflict Resolutions Studies. Her passions are travelling and language learning. She is a US Citizen residing in Mexico.

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Teaching English Online for Myanmar Teachers: A Voluntary Initiative by HETT 

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Teaching English Online for Myanmar Teachers: A Voluntary Initiative by HETT 

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Dr. Kalyana Chakravarthi Thirunagari

Abstract

Teaching is a complex and committed job. It demands more time, energy and commitment when we try to teach as a Volunteer. It becomes even more challenging as we try to teach online using various digital platforms.
In this presentation, the presenter wishes to share his experiences and activities that he gained as a Volunteer Teacher/Trainer for Higher Education Training for Teachers (HETT) being conducted for Myanmar Teachers. He would like to talk about various experiments and techniques that he tried out with his Myanmar student (Teacher) while imparting English Language Teaching online recently.

Biography

Dr Kalyana Chakravarthi is a Visiting Professor and Life Skills Coach in India. He teaches Myanmar Teachers as a Volunteer through HETT. He has been teaching/training and guiding research for the past 2 decades in Oman, India, Maldives and Turkey. He teaches and trains students, teachers and corporate executives on various skills. He is a published author of articles and books.

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Bridging the Digital Divide in the Context of Education in Myanmar: Realities and Possibilities 

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Bridging the Digital Divide in the Context of Education in Myanmar: Realities and Possibilities 

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May May Win

Abstract

This presentation is not a report of a scholarly research, but merely an outcome of personal interests and inquiry-based learning experience. The session will start with describing the current status of digital learning in education in Myanmar in brief, which will be followed by presenting hopes and concerns conveyed by learners and teachers on preparedness for new normal classrooms. The session will end with discussion on practices from some institutions from different parts of the world to consider whether these practices would be applicable in the Myanmar context.

Biography

May May Win is an education, curriculum and training consultant working with local, international and UN organisations on pedagogy, teacher education and curriculum development projects. She has worked with the Ministry of Education and the British Council and taught teacher training courses. She is co-chair of Myanmar TESOL.

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Kyi Tha Wai

Abstract

Using pictures to help remember what we are learning by using association and the brain's power of neuroplasticity while understanding how our left and right brain works to help us remember what we are learning especially if we can integrate both parts and use our whole brain to assist us in learning and teaching.

Biography

Founder of Eureka Online Private Tutoring (English Language School). Received an E-Teacher Certificate from Oregon University in 2013, was chosen to attend an international conference in Seoul in 2014, framework chosen to present at 12th Annual CamTESOL Conference in Cambodia in 2016. I am also the founder of "Mentoring with WECARE" providing free mentoring training to women across Myanmar to help empower my fellow women.

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Civic Education in English Language Classrooms 

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Civic Education in English Language Classrooms 

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Kyawt Thuzar

Abstract

This presentation discusses briefly about the concept of civic education, its history, and its value in Myanmar contemporary society. The presentation will also talk over the following areas; functional role of English language itself, space of language studies (English and Myanmar) in an existing assessment system, role of teachers and parents within the assessment system, and the ultimate aim of language studies integrating to civic education. It gives examples for language teachers to employ existing digital platforms to see a bigger picture of civic education that can make sense with their own community during COVID-19 pandemic time.

Biography

Kyawt Thuzar has worked with numerous international educational and training entities including the Institute for Political and Civic Engagement (iPACE), UNESCO, and Search for Common Ground. Her focus is on writing policy briefs, designing training curriculum and participatory training, and facilitating consultative workshops. Kyawt Thuzar holds M.A (TEFL) (Yangon Institute of Education) and M.Ed. in Cultural and Educational Policy Studies (Loyola University Chicago) and is a Fulbright Scholar.

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Using PowerPoint/ Impress Creatively in the Young Learner Classroom (Online and Offline) 

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Using PowerPoint/ Impress Creatively in the Young Learner Classroom (Online and Offline) 

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Vanessa Virgiel

Abstract

How can we as teachers successfully engage primary school-age students who are still beginning their English language learner journey in virtual formats like Zoom? How can we create fun, simple English activities and other materials that can be used online—and maybe reused offline later? In this session we will look at how the common software program Microsoft PowerPoint (and its free open source alternative, LibreOffice Impress) can be creatively used to make gamified activities for online synchronous classes and in-person classrooms. Leave equipped with a variety of fun ideas (and PowerPoint game templates!) that cater to the four skills and have proven successful in motivating younger learners.

Biography

VIRGIEL Vanessa originally hails from the United States, and now resides in South Korea where she is an assistant professor at Kyungnam University in the Undergraduate English Education Division. Previously she taught EFL in multiple rural and small-city Korean public primary and secondary schools. Her professional interests include EFL for young learners, rural education, and inclusive educational practices. Email: virgielvanessa@gmail.com

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Han Seth Lu

Abstract

This workshop presents how to nurture creativity and facilitate students' creative thinking. Creativity, being one of the essential 7Cs skills for 21st Century itself, has never been more important than in the current pandemic situation. Creativity, just like any other soft skill, can be nurtured and developed. As educators, it is important to know that creativity and creative thinking take place through creative process. By integrating the creative process to our classroom lessons, students can foster their creative thinking and develop their potential to be creative thinker. In this workshop, we will discuss ways we can help our students reach their creative potential using the creative process.

Biography

Han Seth Lu is a co-founder and director of communication and programs of Noor Education and Community Center. He is a senior at University of Central Oklahoma studying Early Childhood Education with a minor in Leadership. He had presented teacher development workshops at Mandalay University International ELT Conference in 2018 and 2019. He has been teaching English language, mathematics, social studies, teacher development workshops, leadership courses, and public speaking skills for six years at Noor.

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Practical and User-Friendly Digital Tools for ELT Teachers

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Practical and User-Friendly Digital Tools for ELT Teachers

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Min Paing Moe

Abstract

Several studies reveal that most teachers in Myanmar are unprepared for remote teaching during the Pandemic. They find it difficult to select practical and user-friendly digital tools for their English lessons. The workshop covers evaluation of online digital tools and their utilisation in different lesson stages. Participatory approach will be used in this workshop.

Biography

Min Paing Moe is currently working as an Assistant Lecturer, Department of English Language Teaching (Methodology) in Pyay Education Degree College. He is a respected and enthusiastic professional with two years' experience in delivering the British Council School Core Skills Professional Development Course to teachers in Basic Education High Schools, Monastic Schools, and Ethnic Schools. He is also a dedicated and self-motivated professional with more than two years of teaching English in Basic Education Schools.

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ELT Opportunities and Challenges during and post - COVID Crisis 

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ELT Opportunities and Challenges during and post - COVID Crisis 

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Aliya Siddique

Abstract

The breakout of corona virus epidemic (COVID-19) has totally changed the education environment globally. The Covid-19 pandemic followed by the social distancing has affected all walks of society including the education. In order to overcome this situation all the countries have been compelled to revert to the lockdown system. This way the education has been badly damaged. The schools and colleges have been closed. Keeping in view these difficulties of the students the virtual learning has been put into practice. This will give a sigh of relief to the students who can save themselves from the education disastrous. Although there are so many challenges faced during Covid-19 such as unavailability of internet facilities in remote areas, technological error as well as interaction with technology, the teachers have met this challenge by displaying the practical approaches to evolve online system. They provide a real platform for students to solve different problems by uploading the recorded lessons through different assessments methods in order to check their level of learning. This way both students and teachers remain abreast with their professions.

Biography

Hi, I am Aliya Siddique. I am from Pakistan, I did my TEFL and CELTA from University of Wales, Swansea. I am computer literate and have 14 years of teaching experience at my credit. I have conducted many workshops and presentations during my teaching career. At present affiliated with iTTi.

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Developing a Personal Professional Development Plan

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Developing a Personal Professional Development Plan

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Yin Min Htun

Abstract

Professional Development is central to every teaching professional and an effective English language teacher requires a combination of professional knowledge and specialized skills. This presentation will highlight some fresh theories and reasons for English language teachers to pursue Professional Development. Participants will receive many Professional Development activities and the presentation will equip them to develop their own Professional Development plans.

Biography

Yin Min Htun is a lecturer at English Department ,Myeik University. Mr Htun received his Master in ELT from Yangon University in 2009. He has attended several courses on ELT, such as Oral Communication Skill and Professional Development for Teachers' Leaders conducted by the RELC ,Singapore and Curriculum Development in Hyderabad , E-FLU ( India) as a scholar.He is also a trainer at PCSL under Lower Mekong Initiative. He is interested in doing research and teaching ELT in interactive ways in nonthreatening environment .

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Kyaw Moe Aung

Abstract

Assessment is usually seen frustrating; something to be done at the end of a course or a year, and something separate from learning. In order for students to learn best and to promote active learning, students need to take charge in their own learning as well as assessments while the teacher facilitates their learning process. There should therefore be a clear alignment between learning objectives, learning activities and learning assessment. This workshop will highlight on learner-led, performance-based classroom assessment techniques that foster active learning in both face-to-face and online learning context.

Biography

Kyaw Moe Aung is the Academic Coordinator and the accredited PDQ Programme Leader for Cambridge PDQ Qualifications from Mandalay International Science Academy, Mandalay. He holds an MA in Education from UCL Institute of Education and a CELTA; and is a certified e-Teacher and PD Fellow from University of Oregon, USA. He is also a Chevening Alumnus. He is currently training teachers for 'Cambridge International Certificate in Teaching and Learning' qualification.

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Online Language Learning Programs - A Three -Layered Approach

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Online Language Learning Programs - A Three -Layered Approach

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German Gomez

Abstract

With so many language programs transitioning to online environments, teachers may find their work to be, at times, simply overwhelming. In this session we will discuss a three-layered approach to implementing and managing online language learning programs, which support the work teachers do and, ultimately, students’ learning. We will explore specific areas to consider in this three-layered approach including curriculum development and implementation, online program coordination, and building an online community of practice and support. Practical suggestions will be discussed based on similar experiences from practitioners around the world. Session participants will also have a chance to share and discuss their own best practices as they have adapted to online instruction. This session will touch upon points of interest for teachers and language program coordinators/managers.

Biography

Mr. German Gomez works for World Learning Inc. headquartered in Washington, DC. At World Learning Mr. Gomez serves as the Director of TESOL Education and STEM Training Centers overseeing the organization´s TESOL and STEM portfolio in 28 countries. In his role as Director, Mr. Gomez conducts outreach efforts to increase partnerships for and brand recognition of World Learning and the School for international Training’s (SIT) TESOL work around the world including advertising and promotional events. Mr. Gomez's management experience at World Learning also includes work with various education programs for entities and companies such as the U.S. Department of State, the Boeing Company, Deutsche Bank and Ministries of Education with staff management in countries including Myanmar, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the United States. At World Learning, Mr. Gomez has also worked with foreign universities to develop online, blended, and face-to-face training programs and curricula for pre and in-service teachers. Mr. Gomez has also been a presenter and guest speaker at various conferences around the world and has consulted in education and management for various organizations in Asia, Europe, Latin America and the Middle East. German´s 23-years work experience in the field of ELT includes serving as Academic Director at Instituto Guatemalteco Americano-IGA in Guatemala City and as Academic and Research Director at UCC Center in Daegu, South Korea. Mr. Gomez holds a bachelor’s degree in Chemistry from Tulane University in New Orleans and an Executive MA in project management from Formato Educativo in Spain. Gomez is also a Licensed Teacher Trainer and TESOL Trainer of Trainers for the School for International Training’s TESOL Certificate.

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Little Pieces. How to use improvisation activities and collage art making to motivate and encourage students during and post COVID Crisis

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Little Pieces. How to use improvisation activities and collage art making to motivate and encourage students during and post COVID Crisis

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Francesca Mazzucato

Abstract

The pandemic has challenged our patience, balance and motivation. The workshop is composed by various activities and simple techniques to help us be more resiliant and inspiring when we speak to a class or a group. Social communication skills, drama and Improvisation together with creative writing and free mental association will be important aspects of a workshop which aim to include every body . The key part will be dedicated to art therapy and collage applied to ELT, for children and adults.

Biography

I am a free professional european English Teacher with a Degree in Humanities, TESOL , TEFL  I have worked online since 2013 with  students of all age and nationalities. I studied with Nick Billbourgh and followed Peter Dyer, Zsofia JakabI and Audrey Wessels. I ran workshop  of Creative writing, Global english in a game, We cut, paste and learn and many others. I participated to projects in Thailand, Kosovo, Serbia, Indonesia and I teach to migrants and refugees.I currently  participate to Language Linkers , HETT and Village Book Builders.

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MmTESOL International Conference 2020 Schedule

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MmTESOL International Conference 2020 Schedule

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Games to practice English for children at 3 different levels to help them with reading and writing. These can be used to give STs practical ideas for the classroom

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Each activity will help children practise at least one of the skills we test in our Cambridge English: Young Learners tests - reading and writing, listening or speaking. They also include words taken from the word lists used to create these exams.

The activities are divided into levels taken from the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). As children move through the levels in this section, the activities will start to get more difficult.

If you're not sure what level your child is at, it may be a good idea to start with the pre-A1 level activities. If these are too easy they can move up through the levels to A1 level activities and/or A2 level activities.

These activities are designed to be used on a desktop or tablet.

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english language activities for young children

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preparation for children’s english language tests

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Start exploring our free learning activities for children. These activities help children practise their reading, writing, listening and speaking skills.

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10 super tips for this teaching young learners

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10 super tips for this teaching young learners

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A good article for your STs to read to learn about the needs of this age group

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A few weeks ago, I was honoured to teach a group of Chinese primary learners (aged between 4 and 8 years of age) for the first time in a long time. The last time that I had taught primary-aged English language learners was in my initial few years of teaching in South Korea. However, it was a rewarding and highly motivating group of learners to teach. Fortunately, I had a chance to reflect much of my knowledge and awareness of primary learners from a Young Learner Extension Certificate which I undertook a number of years ago. With much reflection and consideration, I have now thought of my top ten tips for teaching primary learners.

1. Enjoy Teaching Primary Learners

It seems like common sense, but something which is often overlooked by many teachers. To be successful, you need to enjoy teaching primary-aged language learners. You need to be aware at this age that primary young learners are still learning how to hold a pencil, how to use a pair of scissors or even still learning their first language. It can be incredibly rewarding to see the immediate progress from this age range of young learners but you need to be very very patient. So my first tip would be that you need to enjoy teaching primary learners. If you have very limited experience or just feel uncomfortable, then it is likely that you will not enjoy the classroom.

2. Lesson Topics

Initially, I taught my primary-aged learners (back in South Korea) a mismatch of lessons: a bit of drawing, some vocabulary and some games. There was no consistency or topic to the lessons. I soon discovered that the best approach to deal with primary learners was to focus on themes or topics each day, with grammar and vocabulary embedded within the lesson. Something which I incorporate into all young learner and adolescent classes now.

The benefit of focusing on lesson topics would help engage learners but you need to choose topics which would interest primary-aged learners such as animals, parts of the body or food. You just need to look at the contents list of any primary-aged material and photocopiable resources to give you an idea on topics.

3. Establish a Reward System

Rewarding young learners can be a useful tool to help out with extrinsically motivating learners to complete tasks or activities. With very young learners, I would recommend all teachers to get a stock of stickers of smiley faces or the like so that you can stick them on student work to complement them. Combined with ClassDojo, this can be a very useful motivational tool. You could say, "If you get 10 points today, you can watch a cartoon!" and this aim will get the young learners keen to achieve this task. And don't forget to manage the children positively.

You will have to consistently and constantly praise the learners but you could recommend an area for them to focus on for the future: " Good effort with completing your drawing today but you could do better with the colouring", " Well done with your speaking today Jason. I'd like you to try harder with your writing ", etc. If you provide some positive feedback to the learners, they will work better at trying to achieve which they could do better. However, should you be too negative with very young learners, you are likely to encounter tears so get the tissues ready.

4. Classroom Routine

It is invaluable to establish routine in all lessons with primary learners as young learners. Children, especially very young learners, will function better if they are familiar with the routines and it is very important to highlight the daily routines with right with the very first class with your students. You could also add stickers at the bottom or top of the whiteboard to illustrate the daily routine and tasks involved. I usually do the following with a generic 50 minute lesson:

Greet children as they enter class

Take the register

Start the lesson

Instruct students what is expected

Get students into pairs or small groups

Hand out material to all

Monitor learners and help where necessary

Stop a task

Students glue their worksheets into their notebooks

Tidy up the classroom

Ending a lesson

It is difficult to describe the best routine but I personally had primary learners for the whole morning so I had to think about how best to schedule the whole day and the first day was more an experience for me to see what routine worked best for the primary learners. Do not worry if you find yourself amending the routine slightly. It is important to reflect and adjust areas of your lessons where required.

5. Supplement Lessons with Songs

One thing that I focus a lot with primary-aged learners now is with songs and nursery rhymes. If you have an opportunity to purchase additional material, I would highly recommend Primary Music Box by Cambridge University Press. I was introduced to this resource by the British Council Bucharest, Romania. It is a really really good book which includes a variety of traditional nursery rhymes and activities for very young learners. My favourite task in this book is getting students to match pictures associated with the song, 'The Wheels on the Bus' (a great song for the topic on transport).

You could also use YouTube to help you find suitable nursery rhymes to play in the background when the students are doing some activity which requires the student to focus. You just need to search using very simple terms: ' Alphabet Song Primary' or ' Farm Song Primary '. You will come across some great songs which could be used in class.

6. Flashcards & Other Cards

The use of flashcards can really help with your lesson activities. They can be used for games to review vocabulary or introduce key words as well as drilling and pronunciation work. ELT Planning has a great blog post about using flashcards in class (read idea number 1) and a previous blog post of mine includes ten ways to use flashcards in class. It is important to spend a bit of time creating and laminating the flashcards. I would recommend any teacher to try to laminate all flashcards as it helps keep the flashcards from becoming unusable.

Also, you don't have to make the flashcards all the time. You could get students to contribute. For example, I got students to paint selected animals. These were left to dry, then cut, stuck on card and then finally laminated. I used them in the following lesson to review vocabulary from the previous day. You can also make other cards which can be used in class. For example, in some of the other primary material (see below), there are a lot of material related to domino cards which can be used in small groups to play games. Keep a stock of your own flashcards or purchase some from a primary related shop which specialises in the education of children.

7. Have a Break

It is important for primary learners to have regular short breaks during the lesson due to their limited patience to devote to one task. If you are expecting your primary-aged learners to complete quite a complicated project, then it is best to stage it appropriate throughout the day rather than focus on this tasks solidly for most of the morning. Therefore, I would recommend teachers of primary English learners to allow their children to have a regular break after the completion of one task. This is directly related to tip number four (Classroom Routines). Try to devote a 15-20 minute block of time every hour for learners to rest from their study if you are teaching them for a morning. However, if you have a primary class for an hour, you could use the final 10-15 minutes for them to relax before finishing the class. Anyhow, I used the following tasks each morning to allow primary learners to have a break from their study:

Playing with some toys

Watching a cartoon (I got my learners to watch the "Lego Ninjago" cartoon mini-series at the end of the day)

Playing some sports outside the classroom (it is important to let students out of the class if they are there for the rest of the day)

Quiet reading

Playing boardgames

The tasks above did not have any language focus itself but it motivated learners and also got the learners ready for the next task. Actually, one benefit of engaging primary learners with one activity which they do is it enabled me to prepare the classroom for the next activity. For example, while the children were watching a cartoon, I took that opportunity to prepare the classroom for painting. I placed all the materials at one side of the classroom, placed paint and paintbrushes around for them to use and had them all ready before the end of the short cartoon.

8. Creative Tasks

It is important to remember that primary learners respond better to more creative tasks such as painting and drawing. Each day, I focused on thematic vocabulary but there was always a creative task involved. There was lots of gluing, lots of painting, lots of drawing and lots of colouring. We also used a lot of tissue paper and the alphabet cards were made with coloured pencils and tissue paper. The very element of of cutting out or sticking can be really rewarding for the children and different to the traditional method that they might be used to in their own classrooms (sitting down and listening to the teacher talk).

When ever there are any creative tasks involved always think about materials you will need. I would urge teachers to ask their school whether they could purchase a stock of tissue paper, glue sticks, PVA glue, paint, paintbrushes, scissors, etc. If you don't use all the material, you could always reuse it again in future classes. It would also help if one teacher is responsible for the replenishment of new material required.

9. Take Time

Primary learners are very young. It is natural to remember that students at this age will have difficulty communicating (as mentioned above) in their first language, let alone their second language. Therefore, I would remind all young learner teachers, especially primary-aged teachers, to not expect their students to be communicating naturally in English. They may know some very basic forms and functions of English and be able to use them effectively but any form of communication or interaction could be quite limited. Don't forget this. If they are having difficulty communicating, be patient. Let them take their time and you will be quite surprised by their progress. Students will be very happy and will be keen to please you which leads on to Tip 10.

10. Foster Relationships

The final tip I would recommend teachers is to establish a good relationship with all students in the classroom. We are all told that it is vital to develop rapport with adult and adolescent learners. Much of this remains the same with primary-aged learners but more emphasis should be placed on fostering this relationship. This will help you win over students and show that you care about them. As such, they would be more willing and supportive in class. I have a few ideas to help you foster positive relationships with the primary learners including:

Learning all the names of primary learners

Listen to what children have to say

Avoid having favourite students

Incorporate humour in class

Be firm but fair with all students

Do not shout or lose your temper with the students

So here are my ten top tips for teaching primary learners? What are you favourite tips and advice for teaching primary learners? Many thanks for reading and apologies if this is a long post. To finish this post, I would recommend the following books for primary English teachers to supplement your lessons.

Suggested Materials for Primary English Classes

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Top Ten Tips for Teaching English to Primary Learners

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A few weeks ago, I was honoured to teach a group of Chinese primary learners (aged between 4 and 8 years of age) for the first time in a long time. The last time that I had taught primary-aged Engl...

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Principles of co-operative and student-centred teaching

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Principles of co-operative and student-centred teaching

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A 4-minute animated video about cooperation, grouping students, think-pair-share, etc.

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Cooperative Learning Model: Strategies & Examples

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Success criteria for "Cultural Lesson"

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Wordhippo - online dictionary online or as an app on your phone

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Wordhippo - online dictionary online or as an app on your phone

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super easy to use to learn the meaning of words, pronunciation, synonyms, antonyms, example sentences, etc.

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Thesaurus and word tools for your creative needs. Find the word you’re looking for!

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A great app to help you (and your STs) with pronunciation

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A great app to help you (and your STs) with pronunciation

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Part 1: Culture - the 5th language skill, Part 2 (click on the "next article" sign at the bottom ):

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What do we mean by 'culture'?
Many teachers quote the Dutch psychologist Geert Hofstede's maxim 'Software of the Mind', the subtitle of his 2005 book 'Cultures and Organisations'. What culture covers is the commonly held traditions, values and ways of behaving of a particular community. It includes what we used to call 'British and American life and institutions', 'daily life' and also cultural artefacts, such as the arts or sports. This is all interesting and sometimes useful knowledge and it is often included in textbooks.

However, there is also another level of understanding, of culture. This is how you develop cultural sensitivity and cultural skill. This covers how you build cultural awareness, what qualities you need to deal successfully with other cultures, and how to operate successfully with people from other cultures. This is often considered to be a business skill for adults, such as international sales managers or explorers. But if you think about it there is a set of skills also needed by refugee kids, 'third culture kids' following their parents as they are posted around the world, and students going abroad on gap years before university or overseas study grants. Therefore we could argue that the teaching of culture in ELT should include these things:

Cultural knowledge
The knowledge of the culture's institutions, the Big C, as it's described by Tomalin and Stempleski in their 1995 book 'Cultural Awareness'.

Cultural values
The 'psyche' of the country, what people think is important, it includes things like family, hospitality, patriotism, fairness etc.

Cultural behaviour
The knowledge of daily routines and behaviour, the little c, as Tomalin and Stempleski describe it.

Cultural skills
The development of intercultural sensitivity and awareness, using the English language as the medium of interaction.

Culture - the fifth language skill

Why should we consider the teaching of a cultural skills set as part of language teaching and why should we consider it a fifth language skill, in addition to listening, speaking, reading and writing? I think there are two reasons. One is the international role of the English language and the other is globalisation.

Many now argue that the role of the English language in the curriculum is a life skill and should be taught as a core curriculum subject like maths, and the mother tongue. The reason for this is globalisation and the fact that to operate internationally people will need to be able to use a lingua franca. For the next twenty to thirty years at least, that language is likely to be English. That means that English will be a core communicative skill and will need to be taught early in the school curriculum. Many countries now introduce English at eight years old and many parents introduce their children to English at an even younger age, using 'early advantage' programmes.

The second argument is globalisation itself. You could say, 'We are all internationalists now'. We are or will be dealing with foreigners in our community, going abroad more, dealing at a distance with foreigners through outsourcing or email, phone and video-conferencing. And this isn't just for adults. Kids are interchanging experience and information through travel, keypal schemes and networks like Facebook. This is the time to develop the intercultural skills that will serve them in adult life.

Up until recently, I assumed that if you learned the language, you learned the culture but actually it isn't true. You can learn a lot of cultural features but it doesn't teach you sensitivity and awareness or even how to behave in certain situations. What the fifth language skill teaches you is the mindset and techniques to adapt your use of English to learn about, understand and appreciate the values, ways of doing things and unique qualities of other cultures. It involves understanding how to use language to accept difference, to be flexible and tolerant of ways of doing things which might be different to yours. It is an attitudinal change that is expressed through the use of language.

Conclusion
These are some of the big picture issues I would be delighted to exchange ideas on with you. In the next article we can look in more detail at some of the 'nitty gritty' operational issues that teachers and materials developers have to deal with in their daily lives.

I look forward to meeting you on the Net.

Next article > Making culture happen in the English classroom

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What do we mean by 'culture'? Many teachers quote the Dutch psychologist Geert Hofstede's maxim 'Software of the Mind', the subtitle of his 2005 book 'Cultures and Organisations'. What culture covers is the commonly held traditions, values and ways of behaving of a particular community.

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Same or Different?

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Longish but very interesting with useful practical ideas by a college teacher in Mexico

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Longish but very interesting with useful practical ideas by a college teacher in Mexico

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Video (3:20 mins) showing a teacher with her class and the principles behind it 

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Video (3:20 mins) showing a teacher with her class and the principles behind it 

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Could this be sent to your STs with a set of questions to answer as self study?

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A 2-minute animation to explain what culture means

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Another short video about the components of culture

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 Cultural differences and similarities around the world

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 Cultural differences and similarities around the world

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A nice poem from a story book for young learners

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ℂ𝕒𝕟𝕕𝕪𝕊𝕖𝕖𝕕 𝕊𝕥𝕠𝕣𝕚𝕖𝕤

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The World's Family (An Embracing Culture Story) kid's /children's podcast

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These ideas can be useful during the semester and in the Practicum

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Writing without a pen and paper

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Learning to Write | Early Writing Activities

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... and the sounds they make

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youtube letter formation in English - Bing video

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English Alphabet ABC English English Letter Songs Learn English Letters R and Y Sesame English the Letter J Writing in English Most Used Letters in English 5 Letter Words English Show English Letters to Taiwan Letters English Handwriting English Silent Letters YouTube Letter P YouTube Letter Z Song Letters and

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in a classroom

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Learning Letter Formation in Jolly Phonics

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fun with practising letters

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Put students into teams (no more than eight or so in each team) and get each team to line up facing the board.

The student at the front of each line needs chalk or a board pen. Show a word or a picture to all the students who are at the back of each line. Use a word you've studied in class that all the students should know.

The students at the back of the line should 'write' each letter of the word with their finger, on the back of the student in front of them in the line. That student then does the same on the back of the student who's in front of them in the line, and so on. Students should pause between letters, writing the next letter only when they can see that the student in front of them has already passed on the previous one.

The students at the front of the lines write the letters on the board to make the word. The first team with the word written correctly on the board wins.

A few words of warning with this activity; it's a good idea to start with short words and short lines of students as it can take a while to pass the letters down the line. Also, if your students aren't used to this type of 'touchy' activity, you may want to change the game to students whispering the letters rather than writing on backs.
First published 2008

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Put students into teams (no more than eight or so in each team) and get each team to line up facing the board. The student at the front of each line needs chalk or a board pen. Show a word or a picture to all the students who are at the back of each line.

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Alphabet Line-up: Give each student an alphabet flashcard. Play the ABC song and have the students skip around in a circle singing along to the song. Stop the tape at random points and the students have to line up in the correct alphabetical order according to their cards.

Alphabet Sentences: One student says a letter (for example 'A') and his/her teammate says a word that starts with that letter (like 'Ant'). Then you go on to a sentence that uses the letter A word ('or example 'A nice person would not smash an ant'). This way the children will learn their letters and words that start with the letter. (Submitted by Sierra)

Alphabet Soup: Place plastic letters in a bowl. Divide flashcards by their beginning letters. Each student draws a letter from the bowl and then finds the flashcards associated with that letter. (Submitted by Lori Supernaw)

Alphabet Wave: Divide the a-z flashcards among all your students. Put students in a line and play the ABC song. As it plays each student must hold up their corresponding alphabet flashcard.

Alphabet whispers: The children split up into groups of three, one is at the blackboard, one is sitting down and one is running between the two. The student sitting down has a sheet with the alphabet printed out in a disordered manner - s/he whispers the first letter to their team mate who in their turn runs to the board and whispers the letter to their other team member. If the letter is understood s/he writes it on the board. The first team to write it correctly gets a point. This can also be adapted to spelling words. The teams can change positions and get maximum benefit from this game. (Submitted by Katie McCarthy).

Balloon Alphabet: This is a great game that everyone loves. You need a balloon, this is your timing device evoking the alphabet from the students unpredictably. This game can get a bit out of hand if the teacher isn't careful in his/her method of control. Teacher starts and is A, next S is B, then C and so on. Each S touches the balloon and says their letter - this goes round and round until Z. This can be random or in a circle or line, but the balloon goes anywhere, control is essential so the littlies don't trample each other. This can also be used for subject review such as colors, or animals. I usually touch it a few times to gain control e.g. "B B B B" and then pass it on to C. (Submitted by Laura Gravity).

Bingo: Make bingo cards with letters instead of numbers. The winner is the first to either get a line or full house.

Board Scramble: Teacher puts the whole alphabet on the blackboard in a scramble of letters here and there, but low enough that the students can reach it. Have two teams and call out a letter. The person that is able to find and circle it first wins a point for their team. To make things harder have capitol and small letters. Even more challenging- have four teams all looking for the same letter. The kids just love it. You can do it with numbers and also words. (Submitted by Susie).

Chalkboard Fun: Give each student a small chalkboard, rag and a piece of chalk (chalkboards can be purchased at a discount store). Call out a letter and have students draw that letter and then hold up the chalkboard when finished. This makes writing practice more fun! Small whiteboards can also be used. (Submitted by Tania Bibbo).

Concentration: You need 2 sets of alphabet flashcards for this game. Place both sets face down on the floor. Students take turns in turning over 2 cards (saying the letters aloud). If the cards match then the S keeps the cards. If the cards are different the cards are turned back over again in their original places. The S with the most pairs at the end of the game is the winner. This game works well for upper and lower case letters (e.g. match the 'a' flashcard to the 'A' flashcard).

Dominoes: You need a large piece of Tag board & one permanent Black magic marker.
Cut the tag board into 1" by 2" pieces. On each Piece print 2 letters, make the pieces look like dominos, but with letters. Use all upper case, or lower case. If the children are ready for a challenge use both upper and lower. Play as you would with regular dominos!!! Have fun. You can also make these using shapes, colors, animals, etc.

Find It: Teacher holds up a letter flashcard and the students search around the room for an object beginning with that letter. (e.g. A - arm, B - book, C - clock). You can also do this activity by spreading picture flashcards around the classroom and having students find the picture that has the correct first letter.

First Letter: Give students various picture flashcards. Run through the alphabet and have students hold up the flashcard that begins with that letter.

Hot Potato: Write up a letter of the alphabet on the blackboard. Get a soft ball and throw it to a S. They must say a word beginning with that letter and then throw the ball back to the teacher, or to another S. (Submitted by Simone Francis)

I spy: Teacher says "I spy with my little eye something that begins with B". Students try to guess the object (e.g. "book").

Last Letter, First Letter: (A popular Japanese game called Shiri Tori). Have the students sit in a circle with you. Teacher starts by saying a word, then the S to the T's right must make a word that starts with the last letter of the word that the teacher said (e.g. bu s --- stea k --- ke y --- yello w --- etc.). Continue around the circle until someone makes a mistake.

Letter Sculptures: Either print the alphabet on the board or use alphabet flashcards. Divide the class into teams of 3. Model that each team must work together and use their bodies to make a letter. Then start with: "Make the letter (H) ... Go!" Students can make the letter shape either by standing or lying on the floor. A points can be allocated for: (1) the team that is the first to make the letter shape, or (2) the team that makes the best letter shape.

Letter Shapes Race: Alphabet blocks or shapes are great for this activity. Scatter all the alphabet shapes randomly around the classroom floor. Line up all the students against the front wall and have them race to find the first letter: 'a'. The first S to find it stamps on it and shouts "A". The S then wins the 'a' flashcard. Students then have to race to find 'b' and once again the first S to stamp on it and shout "B" wins the 'b' flashcard. Continue until 'z' is reached. The S with the most flashcards is the winner.

Magic Finger: This is a good activity to use before going on to printing practice. Go through your routine of teaching a letter using an alphabet flashcard. Then hold the flashcard letter up in front of each S and let them trace the letter on the card with their 'magic' finger. Then the T, using his/her magic finger, traces the letter in the air and the students follow suit. The teacher and the students can then use their magic fingers to trace the letter on all sorts of fun places. E.g. Teacher: "Draw 'P' on your hand. Now on the floor. Now on your partner's back. Now on your cheek. Now on the wall. Now on your foot" etc. Finally, if you have posters on the walls get the students to find examples of the letter in the posters.

Make an Alphabet Book: For this you need: Ring binder folder, white paper & old magazines. Each week we choose a new letter to work on. Write the upper and lower case letter on a piece of white paper, then go through old magazines with your students to find pictures that begin with that letter. Let them cut them out and glue them on the paper, which helps them improve their cutting skills too! Use a hole punch and put it into a folder to make a book. The students love to look at it over and over.

Musical Chair Alphabet: Place chairs in the form of musical chairs with alphabet flashcards placed on them. Start the music when the music stops the students pick up their flashcards and have to read the sound on the flashcard. The child who is unable to read is out of the game. (Submitted by Farah Najam)

Pass: Sit with your students in a circle. Teacher holds up a flashcard letter and says the letter (e.g. "A"). Teacher passes it on to the next S who also says it and passes it on to the next S. Variations: change directions, speed rounds, have many flashcard letters going round at the same time.

Printing: Alphabet printing exercises are an important first step in learning to write. Printing exercises don't have to be boring - they can be really fun! They should also help students to internalize the letters. Before the students begin printing model each letter print showing the directions of the letter strokes. When printing letters get students to call out each letter as they write it. If writing lower and upper case have them say "big 'A', small 'a'" as they write. Let students write letter sets in different colors and allow students to draw little pictures on their printing sheets. Continuously monitor the students while they print helping with letter strokes, spaces between each letter, letter size, etc. Also, while monitoring, point to letters the students have already printed and ask them what they are. Encourage students to circle their best printing effort for each letter set. Finish by holding up each student's sheet, asking questions ("what is this letter?") pointing out any mistakes, etc., but above all give lots of praise and encouragement.

Rubbings: You need sand paper, scissors, crayons & paper. Cut shapes, letters or numbers out of sand paper at least 3 inches tall. Put the shapes under the paper and let the children rub over the top with the crayons. Have them rub their name, etc.

Scrapbook: You need an old scrapbook or photo album, old magazines & scissors. Take a scrapbook or photo album and on each page write a letter of the alphabet starting at A through to Z. Then with your students look through magazines for pictures of things and put them on the pages with the same first letter. An example would be a picture of an airplane for A, etc. Use photo albums with the cling plastic covering so no gluing is involved. Afterward your students have their very own class alphabet book that they helped to make.

Slow motion: Teacher holds a pack of alphabet flashcards with the letters facing towards him/her. The last card should be turned around so the letter is facing the students but is hidden as it is behind the pack. Slowly pull the flashcard up inch by inch so the students can only see part of the letter. As the letter is slowly revealed students try to guess what it is. The first S to guess correctly keeps the card (for 1 point). Variation: To make it a little more difficult turn each letter flashcard upside down.

Up and Down: You need 2 sets of letter flashcards for this game (or one set of upper-case "A, B, C ..." and one set of lower-case "a, b, c ..."). Give each of your students a letter flashcard from one set. Teacher keeps the other set. Arrange the students so that they are all sitting down. Teacher holds up one flashcard letter and the S with the same flashcard letter stands up and says the letter and then sits down again. Play the game at a fast pace so that students are standing up and sitting down rapidly. Variation: Give each S 2 or 3 flashcards.

Vanishing Alphabet Flashcards: place a number of flashcard letters in front of the students. Give them a few moments to memorize the letters and then tell them to close their eyes. Take away one of the flashcards and then tell the students to open their eyes again. The first S to guess the missing letter flashcard can win that flashcard (for 1 point) and take away a flashcard in the next round.

Window Game: You can only do this if your classroom has a window that you can stand outside of and look into the classroom (don't try this on the 10th floor!). Model first: stand the students in front of the window and go out of the room. Wave to them through the window and silently mouth some words (so it seems like they can't hear you through the glass). Look at an alphabet flashcard and then mouth the letter a few times. Go back in and the S who first tells you the letter you were saying can have a turn.

Yell it: Have your students close their eyes and turn their backs so they can't see what you are doing. Take a letter flashcard, letter block or letter shape and hide it somewhere in the classroom (behind a curtain, on a chair seat, under a book, etc). Then shout "Go!" and students race around the classroom looking for that letter. The S that finds it yells it out and wins a point. This can be done a letter at a time, or with a number of letters at the same time".

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ESL Kids Teaching the Alphabet Tip & Ideas

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Alphabet Line-up: Give each student an alphabet flashcard. Play the ABC song and have the students skip around in a circle singing along to the song. Stop the tape at random points and the students have to line up in the correct alphabetical order according to their cards.

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Your collection of alternative ideas for teaching the alphabet

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Your collection of alternative ideas for teaching the alphabet

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Scenes from 3 primary lessons (14 mins)

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Teachers TV- Primary English - Writing Activities

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A guide for parents to explain phonics and to help their children practise reading

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A guide for parents to explain phonics and to help their children practise reading

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Simple explanations, some good videos - good extra resource for your STs

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Phonics Videos Phonics Song 2 Phonics Song 1 English Phonics Phonics for Kids ABC Song YouTube Phonics Part 1 Free Phonics Video Fun Phonics Kids TV Phonics Phonics Lessons Phonics Phase 2 Phonics Song 2 New Phonics Rap Phonics Story Teaching Phonics Phonics Sounds Phonics Live Show Phonics Song 10

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An introduction to phonics - videos, sound maps and readings

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An introduction to phonics - videos, sound maps and readings

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not for primary learners but your STs will find this useful

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Welcome to our Interactive Phonemic Chart Zone. We've made two versions so everyone can practise and learn the 44 sounds of English. If you are on a computer (it will only be visible if you have Flash installed), use the top chart. For our mobile-friendly version, please scroll down the page.
Check out the Phonetics Focus Zone with lots more pronunciation & phonetics resources .
Try our award-winning Phonetics Focus iPad & iPhone apps . (Free & Full versions available)

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Interactive Phonemic Chart: The 44 sounds & symbols of English

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Welcome to our Interactive Phonemic Chart Zone. We've made two versions so everyone can practise and learn the 44 sounds of English. If you are on a computer (it will only be visible if you have Flash installed), use the top chart. For our mobile-friendly version, please scroll down the page.

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Welcome message PPT for STs made by the "SuWinKhin team" - 8 slides with voice message

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Welcome message PPT for STs made by the "SuWinKhin team" - 8 slides with voice message

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Throughout the world English is often taught in 'low-resource' classrooms, but there are few training materials which are derived from and which reflect this reality. The materials presented here are intended to help fill this gap.

Diversity: Groups of teachers from Bangladesh, India, Nepal and Pakistan look at different aspects of diversity, including multilingual and multicultural contexts.

Managing: Groups of teachers from Bangladesh, India, Nepal and Pakistan look at different aspects of classroom management in large classes.

Materials and methodology: Groups of teachers from Bangladesh, India, Nepal and Pakistan look at different aspects of materials and methodology in low-resource contexts.

Primary success stories: Teachers from Bangladesh, India, Nepal and Pakistan share their stories of successes in low-resource primary classrooms.

Secondary success stories: Teachers from Bangladesh, India, Nepal and Pakistan share their stories of successes in low-resource secondary classrooms

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Throughout the world English is often taught in 'low-resource' classrooms, but there are few training materials which are derived from and which reflect this reality. The materials presented here are intended to help fill this gap. Diversity: Groups of teachers from Bangladesh, India, Nepal and Pakistan look at different aspects of diversity, including multilingual and multicultural contexts.

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Using games with online, hybrid and classroom learning

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Teaching Methods for Inspiring the Students of the Future | Joe Ruhl | TEDxLafayette

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A New Way to Learn to Read English | Narda Pitkethly | TEDxSunValley

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Join the Peartember celebration for giveaways, exclusive templates, and more! Learn more >

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Pear Deck for Google Slides is the #1 Slides Add-on, making it effortless for educators to add interactive questions and formative assessments to their presentations.

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Success criteria for "Cultural Lesson"

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You can decide which direction the words can go and get the solution, too

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Free Word Search Puzzle Generator - Custom Word Search Maker

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Make your own customized puzzle with our free word search generator tool. Enter your own word list and our tool will create an easy-to-read, printable word search.

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This site has over 10 activity templates where you can write your own words, ideas. Try them out and think what you can use these for :) 

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This site has over 10 activity templates where you can write your own words, ideas. Try them out and think what you can use these for :) 

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Flippity.net: Flashcards and Other Resources for Educators and Learners

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Create an interactive virtual breakout activity.

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good to decide who will give the answer

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This is the wheel from the TV game show Wheel of Fortune. Go for it, solve the puzzle.

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good to decide which group of STs will give the answer

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Full Screen Online Dice! Great for Classrooms when you need a random number. Pick 1 to 100 Dice for a great random result!

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Carol Dweck - A Study on Praise and Mindsets

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A 6-minute video from an online course for teachers at university or college level. You can also find the script of the video at the bottom :)

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This Course Video Transcript

University Teaching is an introductory course in teaching and learning in tertiary education, designed by staff at the Centre for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning at the University of Hong Kong. With input from instructors, guests and interviewees, including teaching award winners, students, and experts in the fields, you will be exposed to research evidence in relation to effective university teaching and practical instructional design strategies. You will also be exposed to multiple examples of effective teaching, and hear the views of teachers whose teaching has been judged to be excellent. More specifically, University Teaching will help you to address the following questions: - What does teaching in higher education involve? - What does research evidence tell us about effective teaching in higher education? - How can we ensure that our instructional design will help our students achieve their intended learning outcomes? - What pedagogic options do we have to make our teaching successful? - What assessment and feedback practices can help our students learn more effectively? After completing the learning tasks in this course, you will be able to: - Discuss the teaching and learning context in higher education and reflect on the potential challenges and opportunities you might encounter. - Explain key teaching and learning concepts and relevant evidence in relation to effective university teaching. - Analyse the relationships between various aspects of teaching and student learning. - Identify a range of instructional strategies to support effective student learning. - Apply key concepts to the structuring of course outlines and lesson plans in order to create learning experiences to support successful student learning. Course trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZJu-dViz3NE Course outline: http://www.cetl.hku.hk/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/CETL-MOOC-course-outline.pdf

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Skills You'll Learn

Teaching, Management, Instructional Design, Teaching Method

How to provide constructive and high-impact feedback?

This module will offer advice and strategies on providing constructive and high-impact feedback to students. We will show examples supported by evidence and theories. We will also look at some common concerns among teachers on giving feedback and discuss possible solutions to make feedback manageable and sustainable.

Taught By

Dr. Lily Min Zeng

Assistant Professor (course designer)

In this week, we have showed a number of scenarios of providing feedback and shared some strategies and tips. In this final session of the week, I will highlight a number of key principles of good feedback practices. The discussion will be partially based on the framework of Nicol, Macfarlane-Dick (2006), and partially on those scenarios that we have previously presented. The first principle is that good feedback practices help clarify what good performance is. We have discussed that there are often some gaps between our standing and students' standing of the performance standards. Feedback is actually a great opportunity to address the gaps. For instance, you could show examples of good and not-so-good work to students. You could also explain the assessment criteria and seek students' opinions about where they were struggling. Secondly, good feedback practices help facilitate the development of self-assessment and reflection. We as teachers have responsibilities to provide feedback to students but we don't want our students to rely too much on us. It is important for them to take ownership of their learning. Encouraging them to have self-assessment and reflection can be helpful in this aspect. The related practices and benefits are also discussed in the 'sustainable feedback' early this week. Thirdly, good feedback practices deliver high quality information to students about their learning and encourage them to take actions. What do we mean by high quality? It means that students could comprehend the feedback and take actions based on it. So the contents of the feedback need to be relevant and well-constructed in a way that allows students to understand in what areas they have done well and in what areas they need to improve. The feedback sandwich model we introduced might be helpful here. Then we have to use the language that could be comprehended by our students. Furthermore, it would also be very helpful to include some actionable recommendations so that students could form a plan to make improvements. Fourthly, good feedback practices encourage meaningful dialogue about learning. We often say 'provide' feedback or 'deliver' feedback to students. These words could sometimes be misleading. In fact, good feedback practices involve two-way communications, more precisely, it involves conversations about learning. This practice has also been discussed in the dialogic feedback model early this week. The fifth principle is that good feedback practices encourage positive motivational beliefs. This again could be achieved through the feedback sandwich model that we have discussed. As suggested early, we don't need to make up any positive words to praise students; instead, we could try to point out, according to the assessment criteria, what the students have done really well. In this case, they will be more likely to feel encouraged. Next, good feedback practices provide opportunities to close the gap between current and the desired performance. I hope you still recall the concept 'feedfoward', which means that students can make use of the feedback to enhance their future work. Specific strategies include providing feedback in time and on work-in-progress rather than when the work is completed. In this way, students could still have opportunities to address your comments and feedback in order to reach a desired level of performance. Otherwise, they might not treasure your feedback so much if they cannot see the actual benefits on their future work. Finally, good feedback practices inform the teacher of students' learning progress. This information can then be used by the teacher to adjust or improve teaching. Feedback not only benefits students but also the teacher. Through feedback, especially informal feedback in class, teachers could obtain first-hand information about students' learning progress. For example, what are the concepts that students are struggling with? Have they defined the problem properly? Are they ready to start the investigation in a specific area? This kind of information would be very useful for teachers to adjust their teaching plan or class design. In this week, we have discussed opportunities and challenges associated with feedback in higher education as well as possible strategies and tips that can be used to generate high-impact and sustainable feedback. Before the end of the discussion, I would like to highlight that feedback is an integral part of the entire teaching and learning process. Because of its importance, we have spent a whole week's time on feedback. However, please also bear in mind that feedback needs to be embedded in our daily teaching and learning practices. It is not something added-on or extra. In fact, all our efforts have to be coherent so as to ensure that our students are well supported in their learning journey. In addition, if you are interested to know more about feedback strategies and practices, please refer to our online teaching and learning resources through the link on the screen.

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Principles of good feedback - How to provide constructive and high-impact feedback? | Coursera

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This Course Video Transcript University Teaching is an introductory course in teaching and learning in tertiary education, designed by staff at the Centre for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning at the University of Hong Kong.

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some useful ideas for structuring and phrasing your feedback

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Jolly Phonics Letter Sounds (British English)

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Phonics Videos Phonics Song 2 Phonics Song 1 English Phonics Phonics for Kids ABC Song YouTube Phonics Part 1 Free Phonics Video Fun Phonics Kids TV Phonics Phonics Lessons Phonics Phase 2 Phonics Song 2 New Phonics Rap Phonics Story Teaching Phonics Phonics Sounds Phonics Live Show Phonics Song 10

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'An estimated 122 million youth globally are illiterate, of which young women represent 60.7% .. 67.4 million children are out of school ... deficient or non-existent basic education is the root cause of illiteracy'. (UNESCO)

Imagine what your life would be like if you didn't know how to read. Approximately only 80% of the world's population is reported to be able to read (Grabe & Stoller, 2002).

Reading is a fundamental skill for learners, not just for learning but for life (Traves 1994) with reading being defined as "...the ability to draw meaning from the printed page and interpret this information appropriately" (Grabe & Stoller, 2002, p. 9).
Why we need to develop reading skills
L1 literacy leads to L2 literacy development awareness. Reading itself builds on oral language levels and key factors that influence (L2) reading skill development include the ability to comprehend and use both listening and speaking skills because you need to:

What this tells us is that young learners need a firm foundation in auditory and oracy skills before they can become proficient readers and writers of ANY language. Learning to read and then to write means the young learner has to link what they have heard or spoken to what they can see (read) and produce (write).
How to explore reading with young learners Early literacy strategies Phonemic awareness (graphophonics)
Young learners of English need explicit instruction on the link between the symbols (letters) in English and the sounds they make. They need to be taught that there is a direct link between the phonemes (sounds) and graphemes (letters) in order to be able to start 'blending' or sounding out simple words, e.g. vowel consonant (VC), followed by consonant vowel consonant (VC). The UK National Literacy strategy 'Letters and Sounds' is a good place to start for ideas on not only the order of letters and sounds to be taught but also the methodology to be used. Once a young learner has mastered blending sounds together, they can be taught how to 'segment' the sounds in words they can say. These skills of putting together and separating sounds will help them with both 'decoding' and spelling.

The whole point of human beings inventing symbols is to pass on information to each other. They have done this in many different ways, consider the Ancient Egyptians with their hieroglyphics, Chinese pictographs, Arabic text and Roman text to name a few. There are not just differences in symbols but also in directionality. These all have to be taught explicitly because they are man-made and not intuitive.

Being able to 'decode' or read aloud is not useful on its own. The symbols carry meaning and so young learners need to be taught how to 'encode' the symbols and visuals in order to find out the message being shared.
Syntactics
In the same way that every language has differences in symbols, so they have in the 'nuts and bolts' or arrangement of their symbols. The grammar or syntax of language is best 'acquired' in the Krashen sense, rather than 'learnt' explicitly. Acquisition will occur through multiple exposures to language usage in different contexts. Dissecting language is not very useful to a young learner, however, some simple metalanguage from the age of 10 years old upwards can be helpful, e.g. identifying nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, articles, pronouns and word order. The reason being that there may be differences between the L1 and English and being helped to 'notice' these differences can help. A helpful publication to find out differences between 22 languages and English is edited by Swan and Smith (2001).
Developing literacy
You do not need access to a vast library or online literature to explore reading in your classroom. Techniques we have used, and ones learners have enjoyed are shared for you below. It is important to remember that activating background knowledge when needed may be key to a comprehensible reading activity as;
"Our background knowledge is like a lens through which we understand what we read" and it "allows teachers to unlock vocabulary before reading" (Anderson, 1999, p. 11).
Cameron (2001) gives a very useful list of ideas for creating a 'literate environment in the classroom' as this may be the only place young learners see print in the foreign language. This list includes:

Labels - labelling children's trays, desks, coat hooks, as well as furniture and objects around the classroom and school.

Posters - colourful posters are especially eye-catching which could include a rhyme that is being learnt, advertising something, e.g. reading, cleaning teeth

Messages - for homework or 'Don't forget to bring ...'

Reading aloud - by teacher or older child

Some other activities that will help to make reading 'pleasurable' (Arnold 2009) which is crucial for success in literacy, include:

Focusing on reading fluency may include timed repeated reading (Nation, 2009).

Running dictation (in pairs, so all learners are involved in reading).

Learners making their own story books (or comics) to share with each other (Wright, 1997, p.114-130).

Creating backstories for character in a puppet family and creating a class binder to refer back to when reading peers stories about the family. This can be developed over a semester with learners taking in turns in small groups to create dramas to share with the class in written form, so peers read, and can be followed through with role plays.

Motivation - ask your learners to bring in materials they enjoy reading - whether it is football results, recipes or song lyrics, use these as a springboard for discussion and reading.

Make it purposeful - if learning food lexis, bring in packets / tins of food, read where different kinds of food originate from, and classify them by country or by noun basis (countable/ uncountable). (Ellis & Brewster, 1991, p.57).

Extensive reading is where learners read a lot of easy material in the new language. They choose their own material and read it independently from the teacher. (Krashen, 1988). This develops confidence in their abilities and promotes an enjoyment of reading for pleasure.

Conclusion
Reading is a rewarding process and can be enjoyed by learners and the teacher alike. Our last note is simply this, approach reading with the intention of having fun in the learning process and your intention will be mirrored by your learners. Happy reading!
References
Anderson, N. (1999). Exploring second language reading: Issues and strategies. Boston: Heinle & Heinle.

Arnold W.H. (2009) 'Ensuring reading is pleasurable for YL' in Spring 2009 Children and Teenagers CATS. UK: IATEFL YLT SIG

Cameron, L (2001) Teaching Languages to Young Learners. UK:Cambridge University Press

Carrell, P., Pharis, B., & Liberto, J. (1989). Metacognitive strategy training for ESL reading. TESOL Quarterly, 23, 647-678.

Ellis. G & Brewster. J. (1991). The storytelling handbook for Primary Teachers. UK:Penguin, p.57.

Grabe, W. (2009). Reading in a second language: Moving from theory to practice. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Grabe, W., & Stoller, F. L. (2002). Teaching and researching reading. Harlow, UK:Pearson Education.

Krashen, S. (1988). Do we learn to read by reading? The relationship between free reading and reading ability. In D. Tannen (Ed.) Linguistics in context: Connecting observation and understanding (pp. 269-298). Norwood, NJ: Ablex.

Linse, C.T (2005) Young Learners. USA:McGraw Hill

Nation, I. S. P. (2009). Teaching ESL/EFL reading and writing. New York:Routledge.

Paris, S. G., Wasik, B. A., & Turner, J. C. (1991). The development of strategic readers. In R. Barr, M. L. Kamil, P. Mosenthal, & P. D. Pearson (Eds.), Handbook of reading research (pp. 609-640). White Plains, NY: Longman.

Swan, M and Smith, B (2001) (eds) Learner English. UK: Cambridge University Press

Traves, P. (1994) Reading In S Brindley (Ed.) Teaching English. London: Routledge.

UK National Literacy Strategy 'Letters and Sounds'. Accessed 151015: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/190599/Letters_and_Sounds_-_DFES-00281-2007.pdf

UNESCO. Accessed 151015: http://www.unesco.org/new/en/education/themes/education-building-blocks/literacy/resources/statistics

Wimmer, H. & Goswami, U. (1994). The influence of orthographic consistency on reading development: Word recognition in English and German children. Cognition, 51, 91-103.

Wright, A. (1997) Creating Stories with Children. Oxford:Oxford University Press.
Biodata
Wendy Arnold and Fiona Malcolm are both consultants with ELT Consultants. They have spent many years in the field of teaching English to young learners as teachers, teacher/trainer trainers, material developers and consultants to Ministries of Education.

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'An estimated 122 million youth globally are illiterate, of which young women represent 60.7% .. 67.4 million children are out of school ... deficient or non-existent basic education is the root cause of illiteracy'. (UNESCO) Imagine what your life would be like if you didn't know how to read.

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