Category Archives: Uncategorized

1. The shortest notice ever, sorry – this Hay Festival event with Francis Spufford starts at 19:00 UK time today, Tuesday: https://www.hayfestival.com/p-17398-francis-spufford-in-conversation-with-rebecca-watson.aspx Here’s a review of his book to whet your appetite: https://www.theguardian.com/books/2021/jan/24/light-perpetual-by-francis-spufford-review-a-brilliant-capacious-experiment-with-fiction And I very much hope there will … Continue reading →

1. Several pieces from last Friday’s weekly Learnit newsletter, these first three a bit sombre: Gangs in Latin America: https://www.americasquarterly.org/article/schools-out-in-latin-america-gangs-are-thrilled/  Covid management in France: https://www.connexionfrance.com/French-news/France-sets-stricter-Covid-protocol-for-schools-including-masks-and-distancing Private schools in Ghana: https://www.africanews.com/2021/01/31/ghana-s-private-school-sector-hit-hard-by-the-covid-19-pandemic/ Less sombre, though, is the thought of an exam-free future: … Continue reading →

1. First up today, at least a weekend’s worth of resources to explore for learners and teachers from Cambridge Assessment and Cambridge University Press: https://www.cambridgeassessment.org.uk/blogs/online-resources-for-teachers-and-students-2021/ Try Kahoot! if you’ve haven’t already done so https://www.cambridgeenglish.org/teaching-english/resources-for-teachers/kahoot/ or scroll down this page for … Continue reading →

1. Simply put, this research paper in the Research in Learning Technology journal by Brendan Humphries and Damien Clark, An examination of student preference for traditional didactic or chunking teaching strategies in an online learning environment, is about a) whether … Continue reading →

1. You’re still in time to sign up for this free three-hour course on Teaching with minimal resources, which started this Monday: https://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/article/language-resilience-teaching-minimal-resources There’s a puritan streak in me that thinks that – within reason, of course – minimal is … Continue reading →

The British Council is supporting the UK’s role in the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP 26) through a global programme centred on climate change, including a specific strand focussing on environmental sustainability in English language teaching and learning … Continue reading →

1. My colleague Colm Downes is leading on the British Council’s Language Teaching for the Planet programme in support of COP 26 later this year. I’ll forward a message from him and two surveys, one for teachers and one for … Continue reading →

1. This LanguageCert event with Russell Stannard and Nik Peachey looks promising, and there are two chances to catch it: Wednesday 3 February 2021 at 07:30 UK time and Wednesday 10 February 2021 at 15:00 UK time: https://cm.languagecert.org/en/about-us/events/2020/languagecert-teachers-seminar PDF of … Continue reading →

1. I’ve had good feedback on the OECD’s webinars. Their next one is at 10:00 UK time next Tuesday, 2nd February and seeks to offer an answer to the question, What can schools do to develop positive, high-achieving students? More … Continue reading →

1. Two bits from the Times Higher Education Supplement (which doesn’t call itself that anymore but I’m not sure we all know what the THE is): a) one on the challenges online assessment poses: https://www.timeshighereducation.com/news/online-exams-technology-or-authentic-assessment-theanswer “ … the surge in … Continue reading →