Volume 10 Issue 2

Why good language teachers should take collocations seriously

Post author:Tarun Patel
Post published:January 9, 2018
Post category:ELTWeekly Volume 10 Volume 10 Issue 2

Michael McCarthy has published an article on using collocations on the Cambridge University ELT blog.

McCarthy says, “Collocations are pairs of words that occur regularly together, with a high degree of probability. They don’t have to be used next to one another; they just have to occur in the same environment. Here are some examples:

She has blond hair. His hair is dyed blond.

She drives a beige car. His car is a sort of light beige.

The internet has played a crucial role in globalisation. The role played by the internet in globalisation has been crucial.

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Drawing Phrasal Verbs

Post author:Tarun Patel
Post published:January 9, 2018
Post category:ELTWeekly Volume 10 Volume 10 Issue 2

Mike Astbury has published an article on phrasal verbs on the Cambridge University ELT blog.

Astbury says, “This low preparation game is designed to help students practise a language structure with micro-writing, and create memorable sentences and pictures that reinforce its meaning. In this example I’m looking at phrasal verbs with an upper-intermediate (B2) class but it’s highly adaptable and could be used with a variety of vocabulary or grammar. (more…)

Developing Reading and Writing Skills | Q&A

Post author:Tarun Patel
Post published:January 9, 2018
Post category:Volume 10 Volume 10 Issue 2

Thinking back on the Developing Reading and Writing Skills webinars, it was wonderful to see so many teachers participating from all around the world. Thank you all for your participation, sharing your own ideas, and all your wonderful questions. While we managed to discuss a number of your questions during the sessions, this blog post is here to answer some of those that we did not manage to get through.

Webinar Activities

Could the activities we looked at be used with other age groups?

The content of the webinar was focused on young learners, however all the activities we looked at work just as well with teens and even adults. The ‘Who? What? Why?’ activity where students analyse the writer’s purpose, for example, can be used in exactly the same way with all age groups, the only thing that would change is the text you use in class. (more…)