Posted in Campaigns, Recommended Websites

Freeed: The Online Teaching Community

I’ve recently made an account and started connecting with other teachers on freeed.com a great new platform and online community for teachers. It’s completely free to create an account and it’s full of useful lesson plans and other resources created and shared by teachers all over the world. The types of content range from ready-to-use class materials to book reviews and blog posts. It’s an easy way to share materials and make connections with like-minded teachers.

Myles Klynhout is a member of the Freeed team and here he is talking about the origins of the platform and giving advice on how to get started:

“Teachers already face many challenges and pressures. Good practice now means working with efficiency, consistency and creativity. The problem is that too many teachers are working alone, adapting authentic and published materials, or developing their own.”

“Too often, these materials never see the light! If more educators shared their great ideas, everyone would benefit. Freeed’s mission is to make that happen, by ensuring that the process of sharing is as quick and easy as possible.”

“We understand the importance of teachers connecting and developing materials locally. Freeed’s first community in Finland has achieved just this and now has more than 3000 active users – primary and secondary school teachers, all sharing lesson ideas and teaching tips.”

“Since then, communities have been established in the Netherlands and Tanzania. As our number of teachers grow, what we want to do next is link these local communities to one another, creating a global network of educators.”

“The new ELT community is a great opportunity for us to understand the challenges teachers face in different contexts around the world.

“How can I join the Freeed ELT community?”

Step 1: Go to the Freeed website and Get Started.

Step 2: Quickly create your free account and join the ELT community (Freeed will always be free for teachers!).

Step 3: Start sharing ideas with other English teachers. You might even find the perfect materials for tomorrow’s lesson.

The situation Myles describes definitely resonated with me and it was that urge to share and swap materials that initially got me started with this blog. Check out the full blog post here. Then create your account and dive straight in! See you there!

https://www.freeed.com/

 

Posted in 2Ts in a Pod: Podcast, Exam Preparation Class, Listening Classes, Teacher Training

2Ts in a Pod: Cambridge First (FCE) Mini-Series

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I haven’t even had time to keep up with the posts about each episode of our podcast. Terribly neglectful of me. Towards the end of last year we did a little mini series on the Cambridge B2 First or whatever it’s called these days (Cambridge keep changing the name). We looked at most parts of the exam; have a listen by following the links below:

FCE General Tips

FCE Speaking

FCE Reading

FCE Use of English

 

Posted in Low Level Classes, Vocabulary Classes

A1: Daily Routines

I’ve recently been teaching some A1 adults as part of the Cert TESOL at TEFL Iberia in Barcelona. It’s been a while since I’ve taught really low levels and it’s been a great experience. I’ve made quite a few of my own materials for the class and I’ll try to upload them over the coming days and weeks. Let me know what you think.

This particular lesson plan was designed to help students practice using the present simple to talk about their daily routines using a loose TTT structure and then teaching from a short text. It was designed as a demo class for trainees during the first week of the course. I may have underestimated some of the timings of the tasks but students seemed to get a lot out of it.

Download the materials below:

My Morning routine LP – Teacher’s Lesson Plan

Our Daily Routines – Student Handout

PDFs: 

Posted in News

New Look = New Content

I’ve been a bit quiet for a while now due to work commitments but I want to make an effort to get back into updating the blog so I’m going to try to post as often possible. I’ve got a backlog of lesson plans that need uploading and I might also start more general teaching blog posts rather than just lesson plans and materials.

I’ve also been fiddling around with the look of the site. Thought about changing the whole theme but ended up just fiddling with the fonts and colours. Does it look horrible???

Watch

this

space…

Posted in Reading Classes, Young Learners

After School Clubs: Reading & Poster Project

after school club

This is a lesson plan for A2 young learners. Students discuss the topic of after school clubs, do some reading comprehension and then create their own after school club posters. Download the example poster/reading text below:

after school poster

Lesson Plan

Write the topic of the lesson on the board, put students in pairs and give them 2 minutes to think of as many after school activities as they can. Check their answers awarding 2 points for each unique answer (no other group has it) and 1 point if another group has it.

Show students the Theatre Club poster, ask students to predict what activities the children do at theatre club. Give out the text and have students answer the comprehension questions, have them work in pairs.

Check students’ answers. Then students work in pairs or small groups to create their own posters for their own imaginary after school clubs. Refer back to the ideas they generated in the first activity. Encourage students to use the example poster as a model substituting word:

“Do you want to be an actor/actress a famous footballer?”

Put students posters up around the class and have a gallery activity where students move around the class reading each others posters. Have students think of two questions to ask each group about their club, then decide which clubs they’d most like to join.

Posted in Campaigns

Register to Vote!

Image result for register to vote uk
I was being lazy about it, then I saw someone’s cajoling post and I just did it, took less than 20 minutes including setting up a proxy vote. Hopefully my cajoling post will give one more person that little push.
You have until the 26th November to register, only 2 days left! I don’t care who you vote for (well maybe a little bit) but at least use your vote!
 
Posted in Listening Classes

Off Menu Podcast: Listening – Sindhu Vee

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Image credit: https://play.acast.com/s/offmenu/

This is a lesson plan for B2+ students based around a clip from the brilliant Off Menu Podcast presented by Ed Gamble and James Acaster. The idea is to use the listening exercise as a way to encourage students to listen to podcasts for pleasure outside class. Download the student handout and answer key below:

Off Menu Podcast

The Off Menu Podcast is hosted by comedians Ed Gamble and James Acaster. Every week a different guest comes onto the show and talks about their ultimate dream meal. The meal must include a starter, main course, side dish, dessert and drink. There are no limits to what each dish could be, some guests have chosen things as varied as McDonald’s fries and Pizza Hut pizza or their mum’s Christmas dinner or a traditional Indian curry.

This week’s guest is the Indian comedian Sindhu Vee. Sindhu was born in India and has also lived in the Philippines; she now lives in London with her Danish husband.

Predict with your partner: You’re going to listen to the part where Sindhu chooses her dream main course. What do you think she chooses?

Link to the episode. Timing: 29:49-32:50

Listen for Gist

First listen: What was the dish?

Listen for Detail

2nd listen:

  1. Where did she try the dish?
  2. Who made the dish?
  3. How did the different members of her family react to the chef’s driving?
  4. What surprised her about Sicilian food?
  5. What was her husband’s reaction to the dish?
  6. What really impressed her about the dish?

Language focus

Look at the expressions Sindhu uses, what do you think they mean?

“Maniacal driving”

“I had to keep face”

“Not cognisant of the world around him.”

“You have a fight and flight response.”

“You’re gonna fight through to the taste.”

Follow up

Listen to the rest of the episode for homework, what does Sindhu choose for the other parts of her dream menu?

Answer Key

Listen for Gist

First listen: What was the dish? Pasta arrabbiata with angel hair pasta

Listen for Detail

2nd listen:

  1. Where did she try the dish? Near Florence
  2. Who made the dish? Mr Mancini the boss of the hotel
  3. How did the different members of her family react to the chef’s driving? She was fine, her husband was scared, her kids loved it
  4. What surprised her about Sicilian food? How spicy it was
  5. What was her husband’s reaction to the dish? He went blind
  6. What really impressed her about the dish? How it maintained its flavour despite being so spicy

Language focus

Look at the expressions Sindhu uses, what do you think they mean?

“Maniacal driving” – driving like a crazy person

“I had to keep face” – to maintain one’s reputation

“Not cognisant of the world around him.” – Not aware/unconscious

“You have a fight and flight response.” – Instinctive reaction, stand and fight or run away

“You’re gonna fight through to the taste.” – Battle against the spiciness to the flavour

Posted in 2Ts in a Pod: Podcast, Listening Classes

2Ts in a Pod: Episode 3 – Food – Listening Activity

 

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Image credit: Mark Wilding

Anna Balquin, one of the listeners to our podcast made this fantastic listening activity based around a section of episode 3 about food. The extract you’ll need is 10.57 – 15.09, download the student handout and answer key below:

2Ts in a Pod Food listening

Student Handout

Pre-listening

1. Discuss these questions with your partner:
• What’s your favourite comfort food?
• What do you think a ‘supper club’ is?
• What do you know about food from the USA? What are some traditional American dishes?

2. First listen

We’re going to listen to Nicole talk about her supper club. What kind of food does she serve?

3. Second listen: listen again and answer the following questions.

1. How long has Nicole been living in Barcelona?
2. What did Nicole serve with the brisket?
3. Do the supper club guests usually know each other?
4. Where did gumbo come from?
5. Which cultures does the dish gumbo mix?
6. What’s the first thing you do when making gumbo?
7. What is the holy trinity?
8. What were the main ingredients of the gumbo that Nicole made?
9. How does Katy express that she likes the sound of Nicole’s gumbo?

4. Look at this quote from the audio and discuss its meaning with your partner.

“I love to gather people around the table that are from different walks of life”

Answer key:

2. First listen

We’re going to listen to Nicole talk about her supper club. What kind of food does she serve? Southern US soul food

3. Second listen: listen again and answer the following questions.

1. How long has Nicole been living in Barcelona? over a decade
2. What did Nicole serve with the brisket? collard greens, sweet potato mash, green beans, crispy shallots
3. Do the supper club guests usually know each other? no
4. Where did gumbo come from? Louisiana New Orleans
5. Which cultures does the dish gumbo mix? West African with French
6. What’s the first thing you do when making gumbo? Make a roux (butter, flour)
7. What is the holy trinity? Onion, celery, bell peppers
8. What were the main ingredients of the gumbo that Nicole made? prawn chicken sausage and bacon
9. How does Katy express that she likes the sound of Nicole’s gumbo? “Oh my gosh, my mouth is watering!”