The many benefits of online teaching

I must confess that since teaching students via Skype or Google hangout, I am having a lot of fun! I have also noticed the many benefits of online instruction.

New photo by alice ayel / Google Photos

First of all,

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Finding input which will engage English learners.

One of my online Spanish student has an advanced level of English and she wants to practise her speaking skills but she lacks confidence. I have noticed that most language learners often lack confidence when it comes to having a conversation. They can comprehend a lot but they fear of speaking because they think people will not understand them or they will make too many errors.

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document1 Education20 engage186 esl2 ethnic1 fluency107 fluent57 food156 free13 input47 inspire13 inspiring7 interesting23 international2 output44 practise2 practising1 questions74 quizlet9 resource106 speak85 speaking73 talk107 talking24 teacherspayteachers11 TEDx1 Thai1 topic24 video351 vocabulary256 world3 youtube67

Resources for English learners: shopping and the issue of being a shopaholic.

Last week, I was writing about my new “job” which is to teach online private lessons to Spanish students who want to improve their English. (via Google hangout or Skype). For now, it is going very well and I am receiving positive feedback from my students which is always good!

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Resources for English learners: superstitions.

Although I am taking a break from my school and “formal” teaching, I have not really quit and I have now started to teach online (via Google hangout or Skype) private lessons to Spanish students who want to improve their English. It is actually very different from teaching a whole class and my students have a good level of English but they are not confident enough.

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activity13 comprehensible100 comprehension286 culture246 Education20 engage186 fluency107 fluent57 language45 learning15 personal13 practice33 questions74 reading288 teacherspayteachers11

Cultural input: the prisons in Bolivia (or how to engage Spanish learners)

How to get students engaged and producing a lot of language???? Well…. I recommend purchasing Martina Bex 7-day lesson plans about Los niños prisioneros de Bolivia as it is truly worth the investment! Not only did it save me a lot of prep-time, it also made my students had a meaningful discussion in the target language!

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a favor1 Bolivia1 comprehend52 comprehensible100 comprehension286 culture246 debate11 debe2 discuss30 discussion39 Education20 effort1 en contra1 engage186 family168 high interest7 input47 interest10 interesting23 issues3 key structures8 listen319 listening52 lo que hace1 Martina Bex11 meaningful15 output44 performance2 prison2 read40 reading288 reflect37 reflection40 skills26 social relationships7 South American3 Spanish33 speaking73 story46 storytelling40 structures7 target9 target language12 TPRS71

Reviewing holidays with IGCSE students

We are now reviewing for the IGCSE speaking examination in less than two weeks time! As I mentioned in an earlier post, I created different boards on Audioboo related to the different topics my students will be asked about. I posted samples of questions and answers which my students recorded in groups so that they can review at home or in the bus or wherever and whenever they want!

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answers24 audio file10 audioboo3 board4 brainstorming1 converse36 difusionELE1 Education20 examination5 file1 grade 108 holidays10 IGCSE12 oral12 questions74 record3 review26 reviewing5 revise1 revision2 Spanish33 speaking73 theme3 topic24 video351 youtube67

How to practice and review the general conversation for the IGCSE oral exam?

My students in grade 10 have a speaking examination in 5 weeks time and I believe this is the most stressful part of their IGCSEs. In order to prepare them well for the general conversation (which consists of asking a series of linked questions on two or three topics which students have covered in grade 9 and 10) I asked my students to get in pairs,

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