Teaching Pronunciation

Listen to this short podcast about teaching pronunciation by Jonathan Marks. Take notes on the main points he makes.
http://www.macmillanglobal.com/?powerpress_embed=2874-podcast&powerpress_player=default

Learning English Pronunciation

Funny clip with Steve Martin from The Pink Panther.
Whoever thought that saying "I'd like to buy a hamburger" could be so difficult.
http://youtu.be/iUCDhvbQFmU

Rod Ellis TESOL Seminar: Written Corrective Feedback

Rod Ellis is a very well known efl professional.  Watch this lecture he gave in Korea and then post a comment below sharing your thoughts - how does this influence you as a learner and as a teacher?  Do you prefer direct or indirect feedback?
If you want to watch the rest of the lecture, then click here: http://www.anaheim.edu/content/view/645/110/

Study: Languages International

Great school, good people, fantastic location

Rugby Lectures

The Rugby World Cup behemoth is approaching.  Check out these lectures on NZ and the sport of rugby.  A good chance to learn about what rugby means to NZ'ers and to get some great listening practice (higher level).

Advanced: National Schools Poetry Prize

The winning poem.
Great achievement for a 13 year old. At that age I was still trying to find words that rhymed.

Nan
At the funeral
we sang beneath
high-beamed ceilings
in yellow light filtered
through a stained glass jesus.
I whispered to a bent microphone
of fish bones and sick days
of hot cocoa rice and
early morning mutterings of prayer
and of you.
But when I stood above you
eyes cast down
fixed on your cold cheek
I couldn't bring myself to
touch you.

Or you could watch an animated version here:
http://vimeo.com/26752033

TESOL: Teacher Gabriel

Here is Gabriel.  What would you be thinking as a student? What if you were observing him as a teacher?

Advanced: Great podcast

Occasionally you hear something that just cries out "Turn me into a lesson!". Usually it's something quirky that in the end is probably left on my iPod because it's only of interest to me and 6% of the students I teach.

But this podcast from NPR All Songs Considered has real people choosing the songs that make them cry and telling their stories.  It is riveting, emotional stuff.  Great language.  Real language and great music.  If I was a student I would lap this up.  Highly recommended to anyone with a heart and a soul.

I must turn part of it into a lesson.  I must.

http://www.npr.org/2011/07/19/138511911/cry-baby-cry-songs-that-make-you-weep

Can I count my experiences?

Have noticed of late that students are asking me many more questions than they used to about vocab/language during or after class.  I can only put this down to the fact that I have stopped dictating which vocabulary they should focus on in a text, started asking more "do you have any questions about the vocabulary" questions and taking more time to explain/clarify vocab with personal examples of my own to reaffirm my self-importance. And I enjoy doing this.  I can't prepare for it and it gets me thinking on my feet.

Today Akari Nhkahara from Japan approached me after class and told me that his dictionary says "experiences" can be both a countable and uncountable noun.  What is the difference?  I told him that:

• If all the experiences were different (eg. eating in a Thai restaurant, bunjee jumping etc) then go with the countable, if it's all focused under the same bracket (I've had lots of experience with Apple computers, my work experience etc) then go uncountable ... but neither is wrong ... depending on the meaning you wish to express.

It would seem Mr Macmillan thinks slightly differently.