Other New Titles

Vocabulary Matrix

And then all this corpus research came in and vocabulary teaching seemed even less clear-cut.

Well, resources are continuing to catch up with theory - expecially in the teaching of vocabulary, and the brand new Vocabulary Matrix is one of the better ones doing this.

Backed up by "corpus-based evidence", this book gives a fantastically clear overview of the 'matrix' of vocabulary methodology, and all in such a clear format it'll leave you wondering why every book isn't like this.

Each of it's 10 chapters is split into three sections:

1. What do we know about this (aspect of vocabulary)
2. What are the problems for learners?
3. How do we teach it?

This book is perfect for:

• new teachers
• teacher traiing programs
• anyone interested in solidifying their knowledge of vocabulary methodology

At $16.95 this is one of the best books for the lowest price in our entire inventory.

So grab a copy before the publisher realizes that they could be charging at least twice as much!

Have peek inside.


Drama & Improvisation

A brand new addition to the Oxford Teacher Resouce series, Drama and Improvisation offers great drama activity ideas that go beyond scripted dialogues.

What we like:

• inclusion of both very short (5 min.) and longer (30 min. activities)
• follow up notes and activity extension ideas
• clear and detailed procedure notes
• minimum preparation required
• interesting focuses on functional language practice (e.g. dealing politely with unwanted requests)

Our only wish is that this book offered more general advice on how to avoid having a drama-based lesson turn out like this.

Still...thier loss is our gain, so check out our Teaching Tips section below to make sure your drama and improv forays sound more
like this.

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Cool Websites

Tweets? Twittering? Twitter? Twits?

No doubt most of you have heard of Twitter and many of you already tweet.

Although there is a healthy range of opinions on whether Twitter is a useful and helpful site (or not), there is no denying that some very interesting stuff can be learned there.

We've decided that ultimately it depends on how many and who you follow.

So here's our guide to ESL tweeters who you just might find interesting enough to be a Twitter convert.

The ESL 'Gurus'

Jeremy Harmer
Scott Thornbury
Jamie Keddie
Gavin Dudeney
Lindsay Clandfield

Why follow them?

Authors tweet about what they're doing, their appearances, their classes, retweet articles they've read and found interesting and general chit chat with each other.

These folks are very much in the loop and can pass on some intersting insights and links to excellent reading!

The ESL Organizations

Macmillan ELT
BCTEAL (TESL British Columbia)
Ross McBride (ESL info in Canada)
IATEFL (ESL in the UK)

Why follow them?

Organizations tweet about new titles, upcoming events and retweet articles about ESL.

And, of course, to keep informed of new titles & promotions, webinars and workshops, as well as links to video uploads, consider following us!

We'll also be doing our best to pass on any other interesting tweets we find about the industry!
English Central twitter

Confused?
Click here to better understand Twitter

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Teaching Tips

Drama without the 'DRAMA'

Whether you love the idea of incorporating drama or if you shudder at the thought, the evidence for using drama in classes stands firm.

Besides fostering creativity and imagination in our classes and shedding light on those wonderful hidden talents in our students, Alan Maley and Alan Duff assert in their book, Drama Techniques that drama-based activtiies also:

• increase positive group dynamics
• integrate language skills in a natural way, where careful listening is a key feature
• integrate verbal and non-verbal communication
• contextualize the language
• foster self-swareness, self-esteem and confidence

Although we clearly encourage you to bring more drama and improv into your classes, we want to offer a few 'DOs' and 'DON'Ts' to better ensure your lesson runs successfully.







DO...

• consider carefully how much prep time might be needed by your students
• utilize more student-created scripts
• ensure instructions are crystal clear and have been checked
• accept it gracefully if a student (or your class!) balks at the activity - ask them why and listen to what they tell you with an open mind
• highlight the learning aim of the activity
• do delayed error correction - after completing the activity and doing task feedback
• channel your inner Liza Minnelli because your students will mirror whatever attitude you have!

DON'T...

• rush the preparation stage - this can be crucial to the success of the activity
• belittle any efforts at improv or creativity - an innocent joke at a students' expense could be enough to completely shut down a student who is already a bit apprehensive
• insist that everyone 'perform' in front of the class - the main aim is often fulfilled while students are working in their pairs or groups
• act nervous, hesitant or self-conscious - for these activities you need the courage of your convictions!