TEFL All Inclusive

  Photo by Austin Distel on Unsplash As part of my MAPDLE MA Trainer Development module, I have to complete 3 assignments. One of them is a really interesting option that has been recently added. It involved recording and transcribing one of your own training sessions and then analyzing your trainer talk for supportive features. If you're a trainer, have you ever thought about the impact your talk has on your participants? The session I chose to record was about how to use authentic materials in your lessons, and it was an online session with four participants. I recorded it on zoom and then used the transcription software, Otter.ai. If you're ever looking for a free transcription tool, I would recommend Otter.ai. Overall, it's pretty accurate, although, of course, you have to go over it carefully and check. There were some ridiculously funny errors! It includes the identification of individual speakers and a time stamp. It's about 80% accurate in my opinion.  There...

Photo by Choong Deng Xiang on Unsplash  In many cultures, it is traditional to make resolutions at the beginning of a new year, in January. Many people believe that the custom of making resolutions goes back for centuries and was started in Chinese antiquity. Some researchers believe that the reason we are more likely to make resolutions at the beginning of a new year is that people tend to think of their lives as a series of different chapters. The new year is the beginning of one of these chapters, and it symbolizes a new start and a chance to begin again. Maybe you are sceptical and feel that it is not possible to keep your new year’s resolutions. However, research has suggested that 35% of people succeeded in keeping all their resolutions and achieved all the goals they had set for themselves and that a further 50% of people managed to achieve some of the goals. Do you ever make new year’s resolutions and find it impossible to keep them? Many kinds of goals are avoidance...

Photo by Jason Goodman on Unsplash I've now come to the end of the input on the MAPDLE Trainer Development module. There were 8 units in total, although the final one was a revision and reflection on our learning throughout the course. Towards the end of the course, the level of expected autonomy increased and the workload became heavier. I absolutely loved the course. I know that I love every course that I do - and that's why I continue learning- but this course was quite unique. My fellow participants and I formed a strong bond, and we really worked together as a team. The level of interaction on our forums and our Zoom meetings made this feel very unlike the typical online course, where people can feel anonymous and isolated. We all came from extremely different contexts, and we were able to share our experiences with each other. This made a very rich and productive learning environment. In the second part of the course, we focused on principles of session design and evalua...

Facebook Live IELTS Q and A (1)           4/11/21   The IELTS exam Facebook Live IELTS Q and A   (2)          18/11/21  The IELTS Speaking Exam

  Photo by Leon on Unsplash   MAPDLE (Part 1) Trainer Development module   Many people have been asking me if I’m going to blog about my MAPDLE module. Well, others have done this recently. However, on the other hand, I can’t resist documenting my exciting journey on this new MA. I don’t want just to copy them, so I’m going to focus my blog on, not so much the content but my progress on this course, and my own personal development. For the MAPDLE, I have to complete two modules and a dissertation. Due to the fact that I have completed the DipTESOL, I am exempt from the core module, but unfortunately, my previous PG study does not closely enough align with any of the NILE modules to allow me a further exemption in credit transfer. At first, I was disappointed to hear this, but now I’m glad, as it gives me the opportunity to complete two modules here. I know that I will benefit immensely from this, and I’m just so glad that I get the chance to be part of a course lik...

  Kolk, Melinda.  earthdrawn.jpg . Oct-00. Pics4Learning For a number of months now I have been taking groups of students on virtual tours to all corners of the world, and beyond! We have been learning about different countries, increasing vocabulary, improving  communication and cooperation skills and growing in autonomy. In this lesson, I wanted the learners to reflect that, although enriching, there is always an environmental price to pay when travelling. Like many others, I have recently been commenting on the continued patchy cover of environmental issues in tefl materials. As well as this, I have noticed that interest in this topic is not continued over time by many teachers. They will address some small aspect of the environment in one or two lessons, then that's it! There also seems to be a general lack of ideas about how to incorporate resources into interesting and motivating lessons. I feel that it is important to do what you can to remedy this – no matter ho...

Photo by Free Birds on Unsplash If you have students who are interested in art and culture, this is the perfect virtual tour for them! It is suitable for all, as the resources I made are all easily adaptable for all levels. As always, these virtual tours have a strong focus on learner autonomy and group participation and communication. In particular, this session will help the students to develop listening skills in a variety of ways. They will use Total Physical Response (TPR), Higher Order Thinking Skills (HOTS), and collaborative and cooperative learning throughout. To lead in and create interest in the topic, I created a simple Zoom poll to get the group talking about art galleries in their countries. After this, they are asked for their ideas about the location of the virtual tour. I elicited that it was France and that it was The Louvre and one of the students was able to guess the Mona Lisa.  The students then take part in a sensory activity, designed to stimulate the...