Here you can download the handout from the session I gave on spaced repetition and interleaved practice at Innovate ELT 2024.
While you’re here, why not check out some of my other content, or subscribe to our podcast 2Ts in a Pod.
Handout:
2Ts in a Pod Episode 63 – Expressions from Different Cultures
This time on the podcast Katy and Tim discuss various expressions and words in English that come from other cultures and languages.
2Ts in a Pod Episode 62 – Dumb Ways to Die
This time on 2Ts in a Pod Katy & Tim look at some stories of people who have won a Darwin Award for dying in the most stupid way possible.
If you want to read more Darwin Award stories, follow this link: darwinawards.com/
Webinar – Atomic Classroom Habits: Wednesday 8th May 2024
I’m doing a slightly shorter version of my Atomic Classroom Habits webinar on Wednesday 8th May 2024 in collaboration with Learn Your English.
The session will take place at 12:00 EST, that’s 18:00 in Spain. It will last around 35-40 minutes with time after for a Q&A.
Here’s the blurb:
In James Clear’s 2018 book “Atomic Habits” the writer discusses the power of making small 1% improvements to our daily habits and how these incremental changes can have long-lasting compounding effects.
This talk will look at ways we can apply this principle and theories of habit formation in general to a classroom setting.
Attendees will leave this talk with practical ideas and tweaks they can make in their own classes, as well as a longer-term framework for putting their students on a path to more effective and rewarding language acquisition.
Register for the session by following this link. Hope to see you there!
2Ts in a Pod Episode 61 – AITA? (Am I the A**hole?) #2
We’re back with another episode of 2Ts in a Pod. This time we’re delving back into the deepest darkest depths of Reddit to answer the question AITA (am I the asshole?) We examine 3 situations in which people are unsure whether or not they are in the wrong. Check out the episode right now!
If you want to read more AITA situations, or, if you’re a teacher, you want to use them in your classes, check them out here.
Macmillan Academy Day – Barcelona 27th April 2024
Next Saturday 27th April 2024 I will be speaking at the Macmillan Academy Day in Barcelona. The sessions run from 10:00-13:30 and there will be two sessions in total.
The first session, entitled “Challenging Students at C2” will be presented by the excellent teacher trainer and author Ethan Mansur. He will be presenting his new book “Ready for C2 Proficiency” and giving loads of great tips on how to help students bridge the gap from C1 to C2.
Then, the title of my session is “Teen Tactics: Engaging and Encouraging Adolescent Learners.” We will explore practical techniques, strategies and activities to tackle teens classes and make them more engaging and thus more effective.
Register now at this link or by scanning this QR code:
Download the programme below:
C1 Advanced: Making Formal Recommendations
This is a PowerPoint I made a while ago to help C1 students practise making the kind of formal recommendations they often need to include in the formal writing tasks in the Cambridge C1 Advanced exam. Download the PowerPoint below:
C1 Advanced: A Mascot’s Life
This is a quick activity I made to revise some emergent language from a C1 Advanced listening task we did in class. I took the interesting expressions from the transcript and got Chat GPT to incorporate them into a new text.
Students read a text about professional sports mascots and then examine some expressions from the text. There is a complete version or a more challenging gapped version. I’ve also included an AI generated recording of the text from play.ht.
Download the handouts below:
C1 Advanced: A Mascot’s Life – Student Handout
Pre-Reading
- What do you think the life of a sports mascot is like?
- What are the pros and cons?
- What skills, abilities or characteristics do you need to do the job?
Reading
- Read the text and see if it mentions any of your ideas from part 1.
“Hi everyone! I’m Jake, and I’ve recently started an exciting new job that I never imagined I’d be doing – I’m the mascot for our city’s professional soccer team! It’s a world full of energy, enthusiasm, and a few surprises along the way.
One major perk of this job is the thrill of entertaining thousands of fans. I seriously get a kick out of seeing their smiles and hearing their cheers. It’s not every day you get to be the heart and soul of a game!
Now, you might think being in such a huge crowd would be nerve-wracking. And you’re right! Initially, I used to get stage fright. The thought of performing in front of so many people would play on my mind for days before a match. But, believe it or not, once I’m in my mascot costume, all that anxiety just melts away.
Let’s talk about the financial side. While I’m not making megabucks, the salary is decent enough, and the joy I experience is worth more than any paycheck.
However, being a mascot isn’t always easy. There are times when the heat inside the costume can really put me off, especially on sunny days. It’s a challenge to stay focused and not get distracted by the discomfort.
Staying in shape is crucial in this line of work. You need a lot of stamina to perform energetically throughout the game. It’s not just about the costume; it’s about being fit enough to bring life to the character. For this reason, I keep trim by exercising at the gym at least 3 times a week.
At times, I can get hung up on small mistakes during a performance. Maybe I didn’t land a dance move perfectly, or I tripped over my giant mascot feet. It’s easy to get flustered in those moments, but I’ve learned to laugh it off and keep going.
The team I work with is a tight-knit group. They’re incredibly supportive and we all get a buzz from creating memorable experiences for the fans. I was taken aback by how welcoming and friendly everyone was from my very first day.
In conclusion, being a sports team mascot is an extraordinary experience. It’s a job that requires energy, dedication, and a love for the game and its fans. If you’re someone who loves to entertain and stay active, this might just be the perfect role for you!”
- Look at the expressions in bold and try to guess their meaning.
Conversation
- Would you ever like to be a mascot?
- How important is it for you to earn megabucks in your job?
- What do you get a kick out of/a buzz from in your job/studies/personal life?
- How well do you deal with stress and pressure? Do you get flustered easily?
- Do you get stage fright when you have to speak in public?
- What can people do to reduce stage fright?
- Do you get hung up on mistakes that you make? Or are you good at forgetting/letting go of past mistakes?
- If you’ve got an important event or deadline on the horizon, does it play on your mind? Or are you good at keeping things in perspective?
- How important do you think perks are when choosing a job?
- Would you choose to work for an unscrupulous company if they offered you a lot of perks?
- company car
- private health insurance
- stock options
- employee discounts
- etc.
- Would you choose to work for an unscrupulous company if they offered you a lot of perks?
- What do you do to stay in shape or keep trim?
- How important is it for you to keep fit?
- Have you ever tripped over in a really embarrassing way? What happened?
2Ts in a Pod Episode 60: Expressions & Their Origins
We’re back baby! We’ve finally managed to find time in our busy schedules to get back into the studio and record more episodes of 2Ts in a Pod. We’re aiming for shorter episodes and a more consistent release schedule.
In this episode we discuss six different expressions and their interesting origins…. check it out!
Twenix: Online English Teaching Without a Degree
If you’re looking for online English teaching work, either as a full time position or a side hustle, Twenix could be a good option for you. I work for the company as a content creator making the lesson plans used in class and the reading, listening and grammar activities that students have access to for self-study. I also teach on the platform a couple of times a week to get a better understanding of the experience both for teachers and students. Here are some of the things that make the platform stand out.
Overview
Twenix classes are 26-minute (Twenix = twenty-six) video or audio-only conversation classes carried out on the company’s platform. All of the students are adults based in Spain or Italy, the vast majority of whom are professionals taking classes as part of company training programmes. For the student, they simply log onto the platform and choose a time when they want to take a class, something they can do with just 2 hour’s notice. The platform then matches the student with a teacher who is available at that time. What this means is that each class the student will have a different teacher. The feedback that the teacher gives through the chat box during the class is saved on the student’s profile so that the next teacher can immediately get a feel for their strengths and weaknesses.
The student decides exactly what they want to study; they can choose from an extensive list of topics they would like to discuss, ranging from specialist subjects such as consulting and auditing, logistics or legal English, to more general topics.
Ultra-Flexible
For Twenix teachers, or tweachers, you’re not required to work a minimum number of hours a week; you can work as little or as much as you like. It’s great for combining with another job or studying as you can adapt your schedule to busy periods in your life. Another benefit is the class transfer system. Many other platforms have strict cancellations policies, however, due to Twenix’s teacher rotation system, teachers can transfer their classes to other available teachers at short notice for whatever reason. This is a feature that teachers really value due to the flexibility it offers them.
Simple & Fun
As I mentioned, all of the class materials are pre-prepared, teachers only need 2-3 minutes to read over the class content before teaching the class. What’s more, there’s no homework to mark, meaning that our focus is solely on teaching and providing feedback to the students. Also, the classes are short, 100% conversation based and with keen adult students who work in a wide range of sectors. I’ve learned loads from talking to students working in diverse fields such as renewable energy, logistics, computer game design and many more.
Hiring Policies
Twenix hires teachers from all over the world*, not just English speaking countries, like some other platforms. You don’t need to hold a degree and non-native speakers are more than welcome. The most important qualities needed are being able to think on your feet, maintain an engaging conversation and provide relevant and constructive feedback to students on their English skills.
*Please note that Twenix is not currently hiring teachers based in Spain.
If I were looking for online teaching work, Twenix would certainly be one of my top choices. So, why not give it a try?