Whenever I teach, I do all I can to present language so that it comes to life for the students. As an English teacher, I instantly become an actor in order to convey meaning for any new language being taught. I recall the first time I was teaching in a classroom in Taiwan, where every student [...]
Posts Tagged ‘OUP’
Because teachers matter
Soon after I moved back to Japan, I had coffee with Kazu Nakamura, the new (at that time) president of Oxford University Press Japan. During our conversation, Kazu outlined his goals in regards to OUP’s educational mission. Part of the conversation, paraphrased in my memory, went like this: Kazu: I want us to provide teacher [...]
Iro Iro
Iro iro is Japanese for “this and that.” I love the sound of the word, and it sounds better than publishing a post called “miscellaneous stuff” So, here’s my iro iro: 20 years of learning and playing with Let’s Go
Lessons Learned (by Naomi Moir)
Like many native English speaking teachers of English, when I started out I’d had no real training in teaching young learners. I’d had training in teaching adults (CELTA) and happened to quite like children – but it didn’t make me qualified or prepared for the YL classroom! Looking back nearly 15 years later, I can [...]
What Every Teacher Should Know About St. Patrick (by Patrick Jackson)
The real St. Patrick is shrouded in a deep mist (like many of his followers). Legend has it that he brought Christianity to the Emerald Isle while simultaneously banishing snakes. Both these are clearly true. We still have some Christians and no snakes in Ireland. But what can language teachers learn from this Fifth Century [...]
Cat and Mouse: Reinvention of a Traditional Game (by Marco Brazil)
In the US, they call it Duck Duck Goose. In Bulgaria they call it Pesek, while in Ghana they call it Antokyire. Children across the globe call it many different names, and in the Philippines we call it Iring-Iring. Iring is a Bisaya (Filipino vernacular) word for cat.
Okayama: Wonderful teachers and my first school visit
I was in Okayama last weekend for the OUP Teaching Workshops. Okayama is famous for several things, including a story many of you know (at least in translation) and a food enjoyed by the main character in that story. Finding the name of the story and the name of the food is your webquest for [...]
Back from Sendai, with souvenirs!
Sendai was the first stop for this year’s OUP Teaching Workshop series, and what a great place to begin!
My first guest post!
I’ve written my first guest post It’s called Goldilocks and the three answers and it’s over on the OUP English Language Teaching Global Blog. The post is about the challenge of finding a balance between natural and productive language when teaching young learners. If you have a chance, please drop by and let me know [...]
PALAYOK: Reinvention of a Traditional Game for EFL Classrooms (by Marco Brazil)
Cultural Background Ask any Filipinos about Pukpuk Palayok or Hampas Palayok, and chances are they played it or saw it played at least once during their childhoods. The game is so immensely popular that any celebration or town fiesta is not complete without children (oh yes, sometimes adults) playing it. Having been colonized by the [...]
