Conference: ‘The Asian Conference on Society, Education & Technology 2014’, Japan – October 28

[ELTWeekly Volume 6, Issue 16 | June 30, 2014 | ISSN 0975-3036]

The International Academic Forum in partnership with Waseda University (Japan), Birkbeck University of London (UK), The National Institute of Education (Singapore), The National University of Tainan (Taiwan), Lincoln University (UK), the Hong Kong Institute of Education (HKSAR), Virginia Tech (USA), Auburn University (USA), and its global partners is proud to announce the Second Annual Asian Conference on Society, Education & Technology, to be held from October 28-November 2, 2014, at the Rihga Royal Hotel & the adjoining Osaka International Conference Center, Osaka, Japan.

Professor Keith Miller

ACSET 2014 Conference Co-Chair and Featured Speaker

Professor, University of Illinois Springfield, USA
Keith W. Miller is the Schewe Professor of Liberal Arts and Science at the University of Illinois Springfield, where he is a member of the Computer Science Department, and an associate member of the Philosophy Department. Dr. Miller’s research interests are in software testing and in computer ethics, and he is currently the editor-in-chief of IEEE Technology and Society Magazine. He was awarded the 2011 Joseph Weizenbaum Award by the International Society for Ethics and Information Technology. (more…)

Continue ReadingConference: ‘The Asian Conference on Society, Education & Technology 2014’, Japan – October 28

Article: How to engage your students in online activities

[ELTWeekly Volume 6, Issue 15 | June 9, 2014 | ISSN 0975-3036]

The Cambridge English blog has published an article on engaging students in online activities.

Motivating students doesn’t suddenly become easier when learning gains an online component. In this week’s webinar, Cambridge trainer and blended learning expert Deirdre Cijffers offered some advice on how to improve students’ engagement levels when they’re involved in blended learning.

You can find all of Deirdre’s advice in the webinar recording below, but we’ve picked out five of her top suggestions as a taster…

  • To get students motivated right from the very start of the semester, take some time to find out their interests and reasons for learning English. This not only prompts them to be more self-aware in their learning, but it also allows you to tweak the content of your lessons to match those interests, and so make lessons more engaging for them. Even if you can’t change the actual content of the session, you may be able to change the perspective from which you approach the topic.
  • It’s important to keep learning goals in mind throughout the semester. When you begin a new unit, look at the learning goals with your class, and then make sure to review them at the end: that will give students a sense of their short-term progress, building their confidence.

 

(more…)

Continue ReadingArticle: How to engage your students in online activities

‘Fantastic YouTube videos for the ESL classroom’ by Eric Roth

[ELTWeekly Volume 6, Issue 16 | June 30, 2014 | ISSN 0975-3036]

CompellingConversations’ compilation of YouTube videos for ESL teachers and students alike

“We are not what we know but what we are willing to learn.”

―Mary Catherine Bateson (1939- ), American writer and cultural anthropologist
Want to make use of YouTube’s gigantic collection of ESL and language-related videos, but don’t know where to start? Every semester, I compile a diverse set of useful, relevant and interesting videos for a wide range of difficulty levels. Here’s the ten favorite this time around to share with your advanced English (or ESL) students:

1. English Pronunciation – vowel changes in stressed and unstressed syllables

This 2011 video by AccurateEnglish uses common words to highlight how to pronounce English vowels in stressed and unstressed syllables. In seven minutes, Lisa Mojsin, author of “Mastering the American Accent,” reviews common mistakes she encounters in her English classes, and uses a rubber band as a visual tool to demonstrate which vowels should be stressed.

2. Being a Good Conversationalist – Responding to Good News and Bad News

VOA Learning English, in a 19-minute Google+ Hangout session, displays the proper responses to good news and bad news in English. This video from 2013 features Guest Jane Mairs, writer of the Ask the Editor column for Merriam-Webster, who explains why certain responses are polite or impolite in conversation. (more…)

Continue Reading‘Fantastic YouTube videos for the ESL classroom’ by Eric Roth
Newer Posts
Older Posts