Roy Cross's Blog

1. ELLRA https://ellra.org/ is the Early Language Learning Research Association and it’s holding its ‘1st Anniversary Web Festival’ at 12:30 UK time each day next week, starting Monday 1^st July. Programme and registration here https://ellra.org/event/ellra-first-anniversary-web-festival

2. Here’s the first of three pieces from Lance Eaton on AI and plagiarism, AI Plagiarism Considerations Part 1: AI Plagiarism Detectors https://aiedusimplified.substack.com/p/ai-plagiarism-considerations-part

“AI plagiarism checkers – they’re not our friends,” says Lance …

3. And on the very same topic: Researchers fool university markers with AI-generated exam papers https://www.theguardian.com/education/article/2024/jun/26/researchers-fool-university-markers-with-ai-generated-exam-papers

4. I increasingly often use the AI-generated ‘Customers say’ summary reviews on Amazon, for example for earphones: Customers like the sound quality, design, and magnetic feature of the headphones. They mention they’re great at noise cancelling, feel solid, and are long-lasting. Some are happy with the great value, comfort, and great headphones. However, some customers differ on functionality. Read or listen to this one from The New York Times describing a similar approach (about which I feel less happy) to restaurant reviews, The Chef Is Human. The Reviewer Isn’t. https://tinyurl.com/2t4nwewn A new study showed people real restaurant reviews and ones produced by A.I. They couldn’t tell the difference.

5. And, finally, here’s the latestGranta podcast, with Andrew O’Hagan who’s just published his new novel, Caledonian Road https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/andrew-ohagan-the-granta-podcast/id382612249?i=1000657774876

I thought I’d already mentioned Andrew’s own podcast on the sinking of the Argentinian warship, General Belgrano, The Belgrano Diary, but it seems not! Here we go, then https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-belgrano-diary/id1736951748?i=1000650695004

From the blurb for The Belgrano Diary: It investigates the bloodiest and most controversial military action of the Falklands War: a story of government cover-ups and conspiracies; of whistleblowers, crusading politicians and journalists fighting for the story. And caught in the middle of it all, a young officer whose account of what happened contradicted (Margaret) Thatcher’s in every crucial detail.

1. Short notice, this one: from Aqueduto at 14:00 UK time tomorrow, Wednesday 26^th June, Elevate Your Online Language Teaching Training with AQUEDUTO’s Quality Framework, will be of value to everyone involved in the delivery of online language teacher education courses. More info and registration here https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZMsceygpj4uGdMcU4Vr7mpRJWAjDpfNCwhd#/registration

Not perhaps the very snappiest of titles?

2. Is the balance of HE power shifting away from the Anglosphere? Here’s a piece from University World News, Can Northeast Asian countries lead the new waves of TNE? https://www.universityworldnews.com/post.php?story=20240618104056943

3. History is written by the victors, they say. Samuel Helfont suggests that certainly could have been the case – but may not now be – in this piece for Engelsberg Ideas, The Saddam files and the battle for Iraqi history https://engelsbergideas.com/essays/the-saddam-files/

We left Iraq on the eve – unknowingly – of the First Gulf War, never to return, having had a hugely rewarding first year, both professionally and personally. I still find it hard to accept that Baghdad today is a better place for most people than it was in 1990, evil man though Saddam was: the price paid for civil liberty has been a very high one.

4. The European Centre for Modern Languages would welcome responses from Europe and beyond to this survey, A short survey on the use of AI in language teaching https://tinyurl.com/y2z4pvuz Scroll down the page a little for the link to the survey in a number of different languages (on the left-hand side).

5. And, finally, a mischievous test of English from Canguro English https://canguroenglish.com/test-your-english/

Blog version: https://roycross.blog/

A day early again today, as I’m off back to school tomorrow to meet some people for the first time since 1973 …

!. Macmillan’s Advancing Learning Fast-forward 2024 is repeated at 10:00, 14:00 and 22:30 UK time on Tuesday, 25^th June  https://www.macmillanenglish.com/training-events/events-webinars/event/advancing-learning-fast-forward-2024

Not quite sure how I’ve missed this hitherto: maybe if my name was ‘Super’, like one of the speakers, I wouldn’t have done! An extra bonus will be Emily Bryson sketch-noting live.

Recordings of the best bits from each of the previous three annual events on the same page down the bottom, and a rich archive of other recordings here https://www.macmillanenglish.com/training-events/events-webinars.

2. Prompted by a LinkedIn post on unemployment benefit around the world which came in for a fair bit of criticism, I thought I’d check what the OECD had to say on the topic. This is what I found on unemployment benefit (and its adequacy), child care costs, etc. within OECD member countries, and it seems to a) vary hugely between countries, and b) be actually quite a complicated area. The UK is right at the bottom of the chart on benefits paid but almost at the other end of the chart for ‘adequacy of minimum income benefits’ https://data.oecd.org/benwage/benefits-in-unemployment-share-of-previous-income.htm#indicator-chart

I had thought this might have provided the raw material for an IELTS-style chart interpretation lesson for an advanced class, but now I’m not so sure!

3. Ample notice of a free hybrid online/f2f event starting at 09:30 UK time on Wednesday 26^th June from the Manchester Centre for Research in Linguistics, Linguistics in Action: Celebrating 10 years of Linguistics Research at Manchester Metropolitan University https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/linguistics-in-action-celebrating-10-years-of-linguistics-research-at-mmu-tickets-911381846637

Two ‘research showcases’: one in the morning, Linguistics in Action: Affecting Change, and a second in the afternoon, Linguistics in Action: Leading Social Justice.

4. The June issue of HLT (Humanising Language Teaching) came out last week https://www.hltmag.co.uk/jun24/ It includes in memoriam pieces by Pilgrims trainers who are no longer with us:

Is it Reigning Cats and Dogs? Or Are You Just Pleased to Cliché? by Paul Davis https://www.hltmag.co.uk/jun24/is-it-reigning-cats-and-dogs

Who Moved My Cheese: An Adaptation by Bonnie Tsai https://www.hltmag.co.uk/jun24/who-moved-my-cheese

And I’m sure Alan Maley would want me to mention the Eco Issues feature https://www.hltmag.co.uk/jun24/eco-issues

5. And, finally, two TED talks about sustainable food:

* from Karnataka, A snack’s journey from the farm to your mouth with Aruna Rangachar Pohl https://www.ted.com/talks/aruna_rangachar_pohl_a_snack_s_journey_from_the_farm_to_your_mouth?subtitle=en

* from Arkansas on the other side of the world and with differently accented English, A cleaner world could start in a rice field with Jim & Jessica Whitaker https://www.ted.com/talks/jim_whitaker_and_jessica_whitaker_allen_a_cleaner_world_could_start_in_a_rice_field?subtitle=en

Earlier than usual this week, to give you chance to catch the first item below at 09:00 UK time tomorrow, Tuesday morning …

1. Scroll down (a fair way) to June in the ‘Live Webinars’ section of the LanguageCert webinars for teachers page, where you’ll find information and Zoom links for a series of four free webinars on developing the four skills which starts with Listening Skills at 09:00 UK time tomorrow, Tuesday 18^th June https://www.languagecert.org/en/preparation/webinars/webinars-for-teachers

Reading, writing and speaking skills at the same time each day this Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.

2. If you’re not a language teacher, the title of this Trinity webinar with Emily Bryson at 16:00 UK time this Wednesday, 19^th June, may well cause some confusion – Scaffolding Success: Visual Tools to Supercharge Self-Evaluation and Progression https://www.trinitycollege.com/qualifications/teaching-english/transformative-teachers/scaffolding-success-visual-tools

If you are a language teacher, you’ll probably be fine, but here’s the Wikipedia page on scaffolding, just in case https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Instructional_scaffolding

3. The latest free-to-download (for a week or ten days, usually) Cambridge Element in Language Teaching is Language Learning beyond English: Learner Motivation in the Twenty-First Century by Ursula Lanvers from York University https://www.cambridge.org/core/elements/language-learning-beyond-english/E08DD5F982E17F239B42435302F6ED02

Here’s the blurb: This book addresses three questions:

a) Can Global English unequivocally be framed as a ‘killer’ language for learning LOTEs (languages other than English)? If so, under what premises?

b) What are the rationales and justifications for learning LOTE in the age of Global English?

c) What are the pedagogical and policy implications for learning LOTE in the age of Global English? What can we learn from current (best and less good) practice?

Attempts to engage learners in learning a variety of languages – rather than just English – often fail to achieve desired results, both in Anglophone and non-Anglophone contexts. Can English be blamed? What can policymakers and educators do to address the crisis? A new matrix of rationales for language learning is proposed, advocating an interconnected, socially embedded justification for language learning.

Existential questions for LOTE teachers? I promised Jim and Heath I wouldn’t make the PDFs too easily available ….

4. Scroll down the Green ELT events page until you get to Vicky Saumell’s webinar at 16:00 UK time this coming Friday, 21^st June, AI and climate change: friends or foes? https://green-action-elt.uk/events/

Here’s Vicky’s abstract: So-called Artificial Intelligence is taking the world by storm and people are finding ways to use it in every field. But when it comes to environmental education in general and climate change in particular, can we be sure it is a good fit? We’ll look at ways in which AI can help teachers who are addressing climate change education, but we will also look at current issues that may prove controversial.

5. And, finally, how not to spill your coffee from the Oxford Sparks series https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=clXv-UFE_Vs

More Oxford Sparks videos here https://www.oxfordsparks.ox.ac.uk/

including The magic of mangroves: defending the defenders https://www.oxfordsparks.ox.ac.uk/videos/the-magic-of-mangroves/

1. Thanks to Artur Taevere for this one: I mentioned to him that I wasn’t quite sure what instructional coaching was last week, and he suggested this introduction, A Beginner’s Guide to Instructional Coaching by Peps Mccrea https://steplab.co/resources/papers/BP6w3bcs/A-Beginners-Guide-to-Instructional-Coaching PDF below.

2. Here’s Die Zeit’s English language podcast, English, please! The titles of the episodes are largely in German, but the contents are reassuringly clearly enunciated English https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/zeit-sprachen-english-please/id1735517072

I reckon most people will be able to work out what episodes such as ‘Is football coming home? Über die Hoffnung englischer Fußballfans’, ‘Im Zug nach London mit einem irischen Krimi im Gepäck’ or ‘Geraubte Kunst – Wem gehört das koloniale Erbe des britischen Empires?’ are about!

3. There’s a TeachingEnglish mini-event next Wednesday, June 19^th – Breaking down barriers, three practical webinars and a panel discussion from educators specialising in equality, diversity and inclusion in ELT to help you make your classroom more inclusive.

Registration and more info here https://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/news-and-events/webinars/webinars-teachers/breaking-down-barriers-mini-event

4. What are the highest paying degrees? is a blog post from FutureLearn which tells you which degrees give you the best chance of earning a high salary once you’ve graduated in the UK https://www.futurelearn.com/info/blog/highest-paying-degrees

Before you take a look, which degree comes out top of the pile, do you think?

5. And, finally and very embarrassingly for some, a recent piece from Retraction Watch, How a widely used ranking system ended up with three fake journals in its top 10 philosophy list https://retractionwatch.com/2024/06/12/how-a-widely-used-ranking-system-ended-up-with-three-fake-journals-in-its-top-10-philosophy-list/

1. The first of three on politics this evening, Trust hits new low: 45% of people think politicians put party before country by polling superstar Professor John Curtice https://theconversation.com/trust-hits-new-low-45-of-people-think-politicians-put-party-before-country-232187

I wonder what the comparable figure would be in countries around the world? Maybe not so very much lower than 45%?

2. The second, A Report Card on 14 Years of Tory Rule: Bloomberg Opinion columnists assess what the Conservatives have delivered for the economy, society and Britain’s standing in the world. The challenges awaiting the next government are numerous https://www.bloomberg.com/report-card-14-years-of-tory-rule

Perhaps surprisingly, the one relative bright spot for the Tories according to Bloomberg, would seem to be education.

3. And the third, the Ipsos General Election 2024 site https://www.ipsos.com/en-uk/uk-opinion-polls Well worth popping in to the site every now and then over the next three weeks.

And, no, there won’t be three items on the UK General Election every day!

4. The motion at this year’s ELTJ debate at the IATEFL conference in Brighton was ‘This house believes that AI can make language learning more personalised and inclusive for everyone’ https://youtu.be/4SvoWJUy8og?feature=shared

Joanna Szoke proposed the motion, Laura Patsko opposed it, and Alessia Cogo refereed (curious choice of word!) the debate.

5. And, finally, we’ve all heard of Venn diagrams. Not many of us will have heard of the Venn bowling machine, invented by the same man, Dr John Venn, though. https://www.theguardian.com/technology/article/2024/jun/10/wooden-bowling-arm-john-venn-machine-rebuilt-cambridge-australia-1909-cricket-team

1. The claim that “children use five times more words when playing outdoors compared to indoors” caught my attention when I read it in the leaflet in our weekly vegetable box a few weeks back https://wickedleeks.riverford.co.uk/features/weathering-lifes-storms/

Which research, though? The claim is repeated endlessly all across the web – for example, in this CBeebies piece which is quoted as ‘evidence’ in several other places: if the BBC said it, it must be true! https://www.bbc.co.uk/cbeebies/grownups/why-should-children-play-outside I can’t find the specific piece of research that underpins this claim.

I did find this, which is an account of a ‘systematic review protocol’ to conduct a systematic review of the topic rather than completed research https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9566327/ PDF below.

2. I had a bit of a Kafka-surf on Sunday. I can’t now remember what started me off, but it must have been some subliminal sense of the centenary of his death on Monday. Here’s some of what I found.

Kafka Online (run by someone called Gregor!)  https://www.kafka-online.info/

An Oxford University research project, Kafka’s Transformative Communities https://www.kafka-research.ox.ac.uk/

Author Franz Kafka’s life was far from kafkaesque, biopic shows from The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/books/article/2024/may/03/author-franz-kafka-life-kafkaesque-biopic

From The Guardian, ‘Where to start with’ – A handy guide to the authors you’ve always wanted to read https://www.theguardian.com/books/article/2024/may/04/where-to-start-with-franz-kafka Lots of other authors here https://www.theguardian.com/books/series/where-to-start-with

BBC Radio 4’s Words and Music series: Prague and Kafka https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m001znxg

five essays, In the Shadow of Kafka https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/brand/b05vsz4y

In Our Time on ‘The Trial’ https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b04pv8j1

‘Orwell vs Kafka’, a series of programmes in which Ian Hislop and Helen Lewis explore the extent to which the works of George Orwell and Franz Kafka continue to express the reality and frustration of life in the 21st century https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m00201sm/broadcasts/upcoming

A series of programmes on Drama on 4 over the next fortnight https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b04xxp0g/broadcasts/upcoming

You can either read or listen to this one by Nicholas Lezard, The wry humour of Franz Kafka https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/the-wry-humour-of-franz-kafka/

3. I’m not completely sure what ‘instructional leadership’ is, which is I guess one good reason for signing up for this FutureLearn course from the British Council, Exploring Instructional Leadership in Education https://www.futurelearn.com/courses/exploring-instructional-leadership You’ll need to open a Future Learn account, which is free and easy. Not only for those of you who are already school principals!

Topics covered include:

• Overview of instructional leadership
• Understanding and practising instructional leadership
• Leadership practice and its impact
• Defining a school vision
• Engaging school staff
• School leaders role in raising standards
• Monitoring, evaluating and reviewing school and classroom practice

Here’s the Wikipedia entry on instructional leadership https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Instructional_leadership

4. The winners of the Pink Lady – the apple, I think! – Food Photographer of the Year for 2024 competition have just been announced https://www.pinkladyfoodphotographeroftheyear.com/finalists-gallery-2024/

5. And, finally, Colm Tóibín’s latest novel, ‘Long Island’, his sequel to ‘Brooklyn’, is the current Book of the Week on BBC Radio 4 https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001zlzs (I’m not completely sure that they call it Book of the Week any longer.) ‘Brooklyn’ is also available, here https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/series/b00k87g8

1. My first car was a Triumph Herald. Although some of my friends might now be surprised to hear this, I re-built the entire car – engine, gearbox, suspension, the lot – with a little help from the garage across the road. I knew exactly how it worked. My next car was a Volkswagen Golf GTI and I still remember lifting up the bonnet for the first time and thinking, “This looks a bit different!” The only thing I can do on my current car, a Ford Puma, is top up the windscreen wash and pump up the tyres – and that’s a long-winded introduction to this item on three tools that Ethan Mollick has developed to help us get more out of ChatGPT. I’ve no idea what’s under the bonnet of ChatGPT, but I’m determined to keep renewing my driving licence! You’ll need a ChatGPT account to access the tools.

Innovator – helps generate good ideas https://chatgpt.com/g/g-JaiQEuHRU-innovator

AI Intern – helps you with a task https://chatgpt.com/g/g-hGcvnaT7R-ai-intern

Framework Finder – helps locate and apply frameworks to your problem https://chatgpt.com/g/g-vZ7SgKBOh-framework-finder

2. I’ve just discovered Jason Anderson’s blog https://jasonanderson.blog/ Lots to explore! His latest post, which Jason describes as a “working blog post”, i.e. one on which he welcomes comments and contributions, is On the Origins, History and Understanding of Test-Teach-Test in English Language Teaching – where did the idea come from?

Stacks of stuff on Jason’s website, too https://www.jasonanderson.org.uk/index.html

3. This New Yorker film, Swift Justice: A Taliban Courtroom in Session, may not fully meet your expectations https://www.newyorker.com/video/watch/the-new-yorker-documentary-swift-justice-a-taliban-courtroom-in-session I’m pretty sure it’s free to view; please let me know if that’s not the case.

I’m less confident, though, that non-subscribers will be able to access this, the story behind the film, “Swift Justice” Looks Inside a Sharia Courtroom; Cross fingers crossed you can! https://www.newyorker.com/culture/the-new-yorker-documentary/swift-justice-looks-inside-a-sharia-courtroom

4. Shadow World from BBC Radio 4 is the story of brazen theft over a prolonged period by a senior member of staff at The British Museum https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/brand/m001zlz0

5. And, finally, ‘Night Train’ – see if you recognise the drummer! https://youtu.be/aaeaFMXLDfs?feature=shared

1. Clint Eastwood is an astonishing 94 – ninety-four! – years old today. Here’s The Guardian’s list of his twenty best films https://www.theguardian.com/film/article/2024/may/30/happy-94th-birthday-clint-eastwood-his-best-films-ranked

Thirty-two years on, I need to get round to watching Unforgiven!

2. Free to download until 6^th June from Cambridge University Press, Sociocultural Theory and Second Language Developmental Education by Matthew E. Poehner & James P. Lantolf https://www.cambridge.org/core/elements/sociocultural-theory-and-second-language-developmental-education/0E29C88DDF3A3FE95F1FCDEAAC9153A8

Sociocultural Theory (SCT), as formulated by Russian psychologist L. S. Vygotsky nearly a century ago, is distinct among traditions in the field of second language (L2) studies in its commitment to praxis. According to this view, theory and research provide the orienting basis for practice, which in turn serves as a testing ground for theory (Vygotsky, 1997). This Element offers a synthesis of foundational concepts and principles of SCT and an overview of two important areas of praxis in L2 education: Concept-Based Language Instruction, which organizes language curricula around linguistic concepts, and Dynamic Assessment, a framework that integrates teaching and diagnosing learner L2 abilities. Leading approaches to L2 teacher education informed by SCT are also discussed. Examples from studies with L2 teachers and learners showcase praxis in action, and emerging questions and directions are considered.

3. Tobias Carroll’s monthly The Watchlist of novels in translation for Words Without Borders is always wonderfully eclectic. Here’s this month’s https://wordswithoutborders.org/read/article/2024-05/the-watchlist-may-2024-tobias-carroll/

4. Something of a paradox here? Gaelic schools thrive while native language declines https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c722dewd93vo

5. And, finally, semi-colons from Toby Litt this time [colon] https://awritersdiary.substack.com/p/on-semi-colons

1. It’s too late to offer to present but it’s certainly not too late to attend the Trinity-Regent online conference, The Future of English Language Teaching, on Saturday 15^th June. A wide range of speakers from all around the world: full programme and registration here https://resources.trinitycollege.com/foelt/events

2. What worries me about all the cover-ups we’ve uncovered in the UK recently is how many have we not yet uncovered. Here’s a piece from The Conversation by Anthony Montgomery from Northumbria University https://theconversation.com/why-are-organisational-cover-ups-so-common-230998

Anthony’s piece includes the YouTube video of Paula Vennels being questioned interrogated by the inquiry lawyers.

3. You can read and/or listen to Why AI Can’t Replace Teachers by John Spencer here https://spencerauthor.com/ai-wont-replace-teachers/

For all the hype about AI replacing teachers, the reality is that teachers are irreplaceable. It is a deeply human endeavor. The teachers who can leverage this human element through authentic learning will ultimately prepare students for an unpredictable world forged by AI.

Lots more stuff from John on his YouTube channel here https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRmWJULBr4CIP5xUucVgOvw

4. Scroll down the page a little for details of the next Green Action ELT event at 14:00 UK time this coming Friday, 31^st May, Green classroom projects https://green-action-elt.uk/events/

In this session, Cynthia Mann will talk about how you can use project-based learning to introduce climate action into your classroom. It will include the key features of PBL and strategies to develop engaging climate action projects which can achieve greater learning outcomes for your students, whether it’s a primary, secondary or adult classroom. She will showcase a number of projects to inspire you, as well as look at some of the challenges of PBL/climate action and, of course, some solutions. There will be plenty of practical ideas to help you design an engaging project for your classroom, whether it is based within or outside of the curriculum.

5. And, finally, I’ve resolved to make better use of my New York Times ‘gift article’ quota – the subscription costs me enough! Here’s The Essential Don DeLillo https://tinyurl.com/mseuac2a

More ‘Essentials’ here https://tinyurl.com/25c3xrkt Let me know if you’d like me to gift you one.