Roy Cross's Blog

1. A mesmerising speech by Mia Mottley, the Prime Minister of Barbados, at the opening of COP 26 that a friend in Thailand has just brought to my attention: https://youtu.be/PN6THYZ4ngM

2. Here’s a piece from the BBC website on the naming of storms https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/34581210 which is a much more recent practice than I’d realised: the first was Abigail, just over six years ago, on 10^th November 2015.

3. The Brookings Initiative on Climate Research and Action (BICRA), in its own words, “brings together experts who are shaping workable solutions for local, national, and global leaders to meet the climate challenge and seize opportunities for climate-resilient growth around the world”.

Here’s their website https://www.brookings.edu/initiative/brookings-initiative-on-climate-research-and-action/

and here’s a blog post from the BICRA site by Homi Kharas, ‘Missing from COP26: Lifestyle choices of middle-class and rich consumers’ https://www.brookings.edu/blog/future-development/2021/11/23/missing-from-cop26-lifestyle-choices-of-middle-class-and-rich-consumers/

‘Avoid, Shift, Improve!’ is Homi’s mantra.

 4. And, finally, here’s another three-word mantra, ‘Think, Pair, Share!’, from Kate Jones and Dylan Wiliam: https://www.ascd.org/blogs/getting-the-think-pair-share-technique-right

1. Try to find a little time tomorrow between 08:30 and 16:15 UK time to pop in to the live stream of the European Centre for Modern Languages (ECML) annual colloquium on The future of language education in the light of Covid – lessons learned and ways forward: https://vimeo.com/event/1634631

Programme here https://www.ecml.at/Portals/1/6MTP/future-of-language-education/ECML-Colloquium-programme-2021-EN.pdf

and more background info here https://www.ecml.at/ECML-Programme/Programme2020-2023/Thefutureoflanguageeducation/tabid/5491/Default.aspx

Maybe try the ‘Expert Panel’ at 15:05 UK time on ‘Where to from here?’, where all the panellists in my experience talk good sense in their different ways!

Also below, PDFs of the ECML publication A Guide to Language Education in Pandemic situations – and beyond and the colloquium programme below.

2. Lynda Taylor is giving the next UCL online seminar on Wednesday, 15^th December at 12:00 UK time on Reframing the discourse and rhetoric of testing and assessment for the public square. Testing and assessment became very hot political potatoes in the UK (and many other countries) during the pandemic. PDF of Lynda’s abstract below and registration here https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf8syJjiCoQHGJ5iTAcFN-BOUTnRXUcOMOfOAfMfzqTD3SB4w/viewform

3. See what your older students – and you! – make of this speech at Chatham House in London by Liz Truss, the UK Foreign Secretary (Minister) last Wednesday on the UK’s foreign policy priorities https://www.chathamhouse.org/events/all/members-event/foreign-secretary-liz-truss-and-uks-foreign-policy-priorities

Transcript here https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/foreign-secretary-liz-truss-building-the-network-of-liberty

(Does anyone else find the earrings distracting?)

4. And, finally, listen to this https://youtu.be/KRyLw1aK5oA while looking at this https://www.nationalgalleries.org/art-and-artists/5531

And if you get really interested, try this https://youtu.be/VLPDeUiZ_Rk

1. Today is/was United Nations Human Rights Day, something I could usefully have reminded you of earlier in the week, to give you time to prepare a lesson. Here’s a useful page on What are human rights? https://www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/Pages/WhatareHumanRights.aspx and here’s a page with a lovely photo and a wide range of resources https://www.un.org/en/observances/human-rights-day/resources#campaignmaterials

2. Below is a PDF copy of a wonderful spoof from Michael Swan at the expense of ‘predatory journals’ (Michael’s spot-on term), as reported on the BAAL list today.

3. My colleague, Steve Copeland, sent me this message today in response to my comment yesterday about the likely size of audience for books that cost £85.50: “Those not wanting to spend £85.50 could always look at the original ELTRA report https://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/article/settveo-evidence-based-reflection-teacher-development and the webinar Steve Walsh did for us last year: https://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/article/evidence-based-reflection-teacher-development PDF of ELTRA report below.

4. And, finally, a piece on why mobile phones and driving do NOT belong together. I speak as an occasional driver who’s just completed a four-and-a half-hour drive home from Yorkshire, keenly aware that I am no longer – if I ever was – “above average at driving”! https://theconversation.com/drivers-and-hand-held-mobile-phones-extending-the-ban-wont-solve-the-problem-heres-why-172327

No ‘multilingual’ today as my multilingual larder is bare …

1. This webinar on Friday 17^th December, Exploring teacher agency and identity through the Tree of Life approach, from the perspective of ten early career English teachers from Armenia, Brazil, Morocco, Nigeria and Palestine looks really interesting. More info and registration here  https://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/article/exploring-teacher-agency-identity-through-tree-life-approach-0

and here’s a short video to whet your appetite https://youtu.be/QKEDgHbjsb8

PDF of report below.

2. This one’s a bit of a shaggy dog story. Years ago, a university vice-chancellor in Iraq asked me if the Chinese take-away restaurant near the Faculty of Chemical Engineering in Manchester was still there. I said I was sorry, but I didn’t know. He said he hoped it was, as it used to serve the best chop suey in Manchester, to which I replied in which case I’d better try it next time I’m in Manchester – to which he replied it won’t be as good now, as I used to be the cook!

Here’s the history of the rise and fall (due to the offal it contains, which most of us just don’t eat any more) of chop suey globally https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/chop-suey-history with a recipe at the end of the article.

3. Next Thursday, 15^th December, the VEO team at Newcastle University are launching their new book, Video Enhanced Observation for Language Teaching: Reflection and Professional Development More info here and registration here https://veo.co.uk/register-your-place-for-the-video-enhanced-observation-veo-research-event/ Welcome drinks and canapés only for those attending in person, alas!

Here’s Bloomsbury’s page on the book where you can read a decent length extract for free https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/video-enhanced-observation-for-language-teaching-9781350085039/ I don’t suppose very many of us will be buying it at £85.50, though.

4. And, finally, an interesting new kind of company, to which a British Council colleague has just moved https://founderspledge.com/ I don’t pretend to understand how it works yet but I’m going to explore.

1. Two videos from different parts of the Cambridge University Press and Assessment website: one with lots of bad jokes https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9-5oT15dxc81MI-pUui3Ww and another with the recordings of this year’s Cambridge Academic English Conference https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-oYKB0D9-E1h_pS8HguC3aVLWyzYHahn

2. Out this week, the second episode of the TeachingEnglish podcast from Chris Sowton and Kris Dyer, How can I make my teaching gender fair? https://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/article/british-council-teachingenglish-episode-2-how-can-i-make-my-teaching-gender-fair

PDFs of transcript and episode notes below, plus – experimentally, as I’m not sure how well it will travel – the audio file of the podcast itself.

3. Here’s the recording of Susan Dawson and Gary Motteram’s webinar last year on Teacher professional development through WhatsApp-based communities of practice in challenging contexts https://africa.teachingenglish.org.uk/skills/webinars/professional-development-whatsapp-challenging-contexts PDF of slides below. One of the big learning points from the PRELIM 1 project was just how much you can do with WhatsApp compared to other delivery options such as Zoom.

4. Thanks to colleagues in South Asia for this one from the Brookings Institution, Using classroom simulators to transform teacher preparation https://www.brookings.edu/blog/brown-center-chalkboard/2021/11/17/using-classroom-simulators-to-transform-teacher-preparation/

“One of the few clear implications from existing teacher education research is that new teachers need chances to practice key skills; they also need feedback on how to improve.” This article describes how the University of Virginia has developed a range of digital simulations that provide new teachers with that extra practice and feedback.

5. And, finally, this week’s phobia: athazagoraphobia. I nearly forgot!

1. Here’s a conundrum from The Conversation, If we all choose the fastest mode of travel in a city, the whole city gets slower – and more congested https://theconversation.com/if-we-all-choose-the-fastest-mode-of-travel-in-a-city-the-whole-city-gets-slower-and-more-congested-170740

The authors ask, “What if Google Maps told you not only where congestion is in real-time and what would be the quickest transport mode to choose for you as an individual, but which transport mode would offer the best results for your neighbourhood, your family, your colleagues, or your city?” What if, indeed …

2. Measuring and auditing your school’s environmental impact is the topic of ELT Footprint UK’s next event, at 14:00 UK time this Friday, 10^th December. More info and registration here https://eltfootprint.uk/events/ As I’ve said before, I don’t think the UK focus of these events overly diminishes their value for non-UK participants.

3. Here’s Eco in the ELT classroom from Oxford University Press, described as “everything you need to teach environmental topics in your classroom” https://elt.oup.com/feature/global/eco-in-the-classroom/?cc=us&selLanguage=en

Here’s a short introductory video to the site https://youtu.be/IWAyAKtEO0g

and here’s a longer recording of How to teach eco in the ELT classroom with Zarina Subhan and Patrick Jackson https://youtu.be/n8blgsaEzx4

4. And, finally and non-climatically and a bit short notice, Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria? is the question that Dr Beverley Daniel Tatum asks and answers tomorrow, Wednesday 8th December, at 14:00 UK time, in discussion with Minouche Shafik, the Director of the London School of Economics. More info and registration here https://www.lse.ac.uk/Events/2021/12/202112081400/tatum

And why has her book, Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria? And Other Conversations About Race, been a best-seller for over twenty years in the States but has only just been published in the UK?

1. Now, here’s a title! Assessment Through the Lens of the Action-oriented Approach of the CEFR: Answering the Wh- Questions is the title of Randi Harlev’s ‘practical and theoretical’ workshop – you’ll have to do some discussion work, I think – for NATESOL at 10:00 UK time next Saturday, 11^th December.

More info and registration here https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdzeSBGq5cFxNpLWnvcRTTZ2oPdagHWHx06oa65rYnDydj8eg/viewform PDF of abstract below.

NB! You need to register by 17:00 UK time on Friday.

2. Here’s a chance to win £250 or the equivalent in your currency (unless you live in Italy or Russia: something to do with local legislation) by answering a short Cambridge University Press survey on what you expect of academic publishers https://wh1.snapsurveys.com/s.asp?k=163759377680&id.name=1&utm_source=SFMC&utm_medium=email&utm_content=+survey&utm_campaign=BJR_AcademicBrandeSurvey_1121&WT.mc_id=BJR_AcademicBrandeSurvey_1121

3. This Wednesday, 8^th December, at 12:00 UK time, Bernadette O’Rourke will be giving the next Leiden University Centre for Linguistics talk, on New speakers and language policy: New geographies of language in minority language sociolinguistics More info in the PDF below and registration here https://universiteitleiden.zoom.us/meeting/register/u5Atf-CrrDIpHtTalMQ7CV6Kbm9DRFJtOmPh

I suspect that this might be one of those talks where we should NOT be put off by the density of the blurb …

4. Here’s the latest Pearson English Podcast, on The Importance of Professional Development https://www.english.com/blog/professional-development-pearson-english-podcast/

The presenters claim that “There are two types of teacher with 20 years of teaching experience: the first are those with 20 years of experience and the second are those with one year’s experience repeated 20 times” – I reckon that might be a bit black and white!

5. And, finally, this Asia Scotland Institute event at 12:00 UK time this Thursday, 9^th December, looks likely to be interesting: Asia: Through the Lens of John Thomsonhttps://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/asia-through-the-lens-of-john-thomson-tickets-190296179997

1. Two apps to explore over the weekend with the help of the team at Educational Technology and Mobile Learning:

Kahoot https://www.educatorstechnology.com/2021/11/kahoot-guide-to-creating-engaging-and.html

and Padlet https://www.educatorstechnology.com/2021/11/what-is-padlet-teachers-step-by-step.html

I’ve seen (and heard about) both being used very effectively, but my own understanding remains limited.

2. Initial teacher training politics here in the UK: a piece from the Department for Education website https://www.gov.uk/government/news/plans-to-develop-world-class-teachers-through-high-quality-training-and-support

plus commentary from Schools Week https://schoolsweek.co.uk/itt-market-review-what-you-need-to-know-about-new-reforms/

The government wants “to drive up standards and ensure every child and young person can be taught by a brilliant teacher”, which is a fair enough aspiration, and it will also “require training providers to ensure that all courses have an evidence-based curriculum”, which rather begs the question of what those curricula have been based on hitherto.

3. The website of the UNESCO International Forum on Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Education is now live https://aiedforum.org/#/home in preparation for the Forum itself next Tuesday and Wednesday, 7^th & 8^th December.

To pick out two sessions, not quite at random:

Session 4 at 10:00 UK time on Wednesday, 8^th December is on Promoting gender equality and empowering girls and women with AI competencies

and Session 5 at 12:00 UK time the same day is on Promoting the use of AI in Africa.

You can sign up for as many sessions as you want on the website.

4. Sign up here for the British Council course on Gender in language education https://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/article/gender-language-education

The course rubric says “In this practical four-week course, you will learn to recognise the different kinds of gender bias and stereotypes which exist in language education, some of the barriers people face in terms of gender equality and equity, and how these can be overcome”.

5. And, finally, just in case some of you have not contributed to the 59.6m views this video had clocked up when I last looked (up by 3m since the weekend)  https://youtu.be/MwHHErfX9hI

1. The next event in Universitas Negeri Jakarta’s monthly Zoominar series is at 09:00 UK time next Thursday,  9^th December: Tony Capstick from Reading University on Using case studies to understand language and migration.

In Tony’s words, “In this talk, I explore the relationship between language and migration by drawing on real-world case studies from across the globe. I focus on how we can use examples from different multilingual settings to explain language use and language learning and I end the talk with opportunities for participants to reflect on their own language use in an era of global interconnectedness”.

The Zoom meeting ID [945 7096 2427] and password [PASCAUNJ] are all you need – I was sceptical last time, but it worked!

2. Three different ways of joining the Hornby Trust’s sixtieth anniversary conference in collaboration with the Association of English Teachers India (AINET – not so much an acronym as an anagram!)  and the Centre for English Language Education at Dr B. R. Ambedkar University, Delhi, Decentring ELT: Opportunities and Challenges, at 13:00 UK time tomorrow:

the most informative is this Eventbrite link, which also has the programme https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/decentring-elt-opportunities-and-challenges-tickets-181412739387

but you can also join via the AINET YouTube page https://www.youtube.com/c/AINETIndia  or their Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/ainetindia

3. What is rapport? If you’d like to find out, there’s a ‘multidisciplinary core concept paper’ by Helen Spencer-Oatey free to download here https://globalpeopleconsulting.com/what-is-rapport PDFs of Helen’s explanatory note and the paper itself below.

4. And, finally, a chance to join the remote virtual audience for BBC Radio 3’s The Verb https://www.bbc.co.uk/showsandtours/shows/the-verb-16dec21 I hope it hasn’t booked up already!

1. Straight question: Should education leaders be listening to children? That’s the title of this OECD blog post https://oecdedutoday.com/should-education-leaders-be-listening-to-children/ that reports that children are overwhelmingly positive about their early learning experience. So what goes wrong later, then?

2. Here’s the latest issue of The Teacher Trainer https://pilgrimsttj.com/ which remains free to read for this issue. I’d like to think – as does Phil Dexter, no doubt! – that reading this issue will encourage you to subscribe. “Our different realities in this edition are situated in a number of countries – Venezuela, Sri Lanka, Italy, Spain, Cyprus, Poland, Hungary, France and the UK.”

3. My own (admittedly limited) experience of teaching in a mainstream school definitely endorses the conclusions of the research reported on in this piece in The Guardian, Children harmed by school streaming into lower ability groups, UK study shows https://www.theguardian.com/education/2021/nov/26/children-harmed-by-school-streaming-into-lower-ability-groups-uk-study-shows

“Primary school children who are placed in the bottom ability group in their class go on to show increased levels of hyperactivity and emotional problems throughout childhood and early adolescence, ground-breaking new research shows.”

4. I’m not sure whether this week’s phobia is good enough: atelophobia.

5. And, finally, Does Your Sense of Authority Fluctuate Throughout the Day? Here’s a ‘tip of the day’  from the Harvard Business Review – PDF below.