Roy Cross's Blog

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 an invitation to share your good ideas on the Cambridge University Press blog https://www.cambridge.org/gb/education/blog/

2. I missed my deadline for a piece in the first issue of the relaunched Granta back in 1979. It was meant to be on Thomas Pynchon, I think, and was definitely the one and only chance I’ll ever get to write for Granta, which launches its 154^th issue at 19:00 UK time on 11^th February: https://granta.com/events/launch-of-granta-154-ive-been-away-for-a-while/ I know it’s time to attend when there’s only one writer (Ian Jack) I’ve heard of in the list of those reading at the launch. Registration link here: https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_h3H45jmbTwu1AYua0CnWAg

3. Two examples of British democracy in action for you to compare and contrast – should you wish to do so, of course!

The first, this week’s PMQs (Prime Minister’s Questions) from the House of Commons during which Speaker Hoyle told the Prime Minister, “Prime Minister, in fairness, I think we’ve got to be somewhere near (my emphasis) the question that was asked. I don’t want to go round the world answering every problem and issue. There’s a lot more questions who’s (sic) going to allow you to do that ..” https://youtu.be/daEpoDZ5JxA Boris Johnson and Keir Starmer continue to inhabit different universes as far as the facts are concerned. Oh, yes you did! Oh, no I didn’t! Oh, yes you jolly well did!

The second, from Handforth Parish Council in Greater Manchester defies commentary: https://youtu.be/xsBBGVi2MCw Just enjoy it! I think ‘enjoy’ is the right word …

4. Here’s Hisham Matar, who won a Pulitzer prize for his biography The Search in 2017, reading Colm Toibin’s story, One Minus One: https://www.newyorker.com/podcast/fiction/hisham-matar-reads-colm-toibin  I’ve attached a PDF of the story below.

5. And, finally, the latest Finborough Theatre production, which is being broadcast in daily instalments during February: Late Night Staring at High Res Pixels You can watch all the instalments without subtitles on YouTube here https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL6Ahow3Mr6bR7cuU8YCaanKcqdxi0Kz0F  or with subtitles on Scenesaver here https://www.scenesaver.co.uk/production/late-night-staring-subtitled/ (Worth registering for Scenesaver if you’ve not already done so.)

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 students prefer short bursts of learning, and b) learn more effectively from them: https://journal.alt.ac.uk/index.php/rlt/article/view/2405  PDF of full article (including a short abstract for those of us who are time-poor) attached below.

2. The latest Pearson-WONKHE research also looks at the world from the student end of the telescope and aims to capture student views on online learning: https://wonkhe.com/blogs/the-expectation-gap-ii-students-hopes-for-learning-and-teaching-in-the-next-normal/ The conclusion is that “the direction of travel in meeting students’ expectations for the future of learning and teaching will be towards a more purposefully flexible approach that draws on the best of both online and face to face learning”. I’ve attached a PDF of the full report below.

3. In interesting contrast, the latest THE (remember what it stands for?) survey looks through the teacher end of the telescope in a survey of university staff on ‘digital teaching’: https://www.timeshighereducation.com/features/times-higher-educations-digital-teaching-survey-results  It concludes “However fiery the online baptism may have been for universities and their staff, it seems that some aspects of working practices may have been re-forged for the long term.”

4. Last time I linked to a piece from The Daily Mail, I got told off. So, I have my tin hat on in readiness this time round. Here’s the Mail’s piece from today on the slow, sad decline of modern language learning in UK schools and universities: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/pa/article-9221669/Number-students-accepted-language-degrees-drops-third.html We’re well on our way to becoming a monoglot nation …

5. And, finally, the latest episode of the New York Times ‘5 Minutes That Will Make You Love …’ series, this one on String Quartets: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/03/arts/music/five-minutes-string-quartet-classical-music.html (Usefully, all the other episodes in the series are linked to in the first paragraph.) I’m listening to it right now.

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 always better! The course is available until 12^th February and a free certificate of completion is available.

2. IATEFL and its SIGs continue to offer a wealth of free events. Check out the programme, which includes How to ‘Grammar’ online on 6^th March and Creating ELT materials with no words (or very few) on 20^th February, here: https://www.iatefl.org/events

3. If you get chance to see the film The Dig, do take it. It’s the story of the discovery in 1939 of the Sutton Hoo Anglo-Saxon royal burial ship site by amateur archaeologists and their clash with professional, carpet-bagging archaeologists from Cambridge University.

The British Museum is now home to the Sutton Hoo treasure and they’ve just issued a really well-illustrated blog post, with photos from the time and stills from the film, about the film of the find and the reality of the find: https://blog.britishmuseum.org/inside-the-dig-how-star-studded-film-squares-with-reality-of-sutton-hoo/ Less gap between film and reality than is often the case!

The Sutton Hoo site is now managed by the National Trust: https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/sutton-hoo I love that helmet on the first page!

4. And, finally, normal Wednesday phobia service is resumed with cynophobia, prompted by a horrific story I read last night involving two Rottweilers and a postman in the lane just round the corner from us which provoked a brief bout of cynophobia in me …

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 called ‘Language Teaching for the Planet’.

Through this strand of the global programme, we are working with experts in the field to develop high quality resources to help build the capacity of national ELT teacher associations, schools and teachers to integrate environmental issues in English language curricula – raise awareness of these issues; equip learners with the language skills to understand, discuss and engage critically with climate change issues, and promote solutions to local and global environmental problems.

As part of this global programme, we have commissioned research into the current practice of English language teachers regarding the integration of climate change issues in teaching practice, as well as highlight initiatives being taken by the English language teaching sector, including schools and universities, to promote and facilitate environmental responsibility, reduce environmental impact, and incentivise sustainability.

We would highly appreciate your support in sharing our two global surveys with members of your national teacher associations. There are two surveys – both now open until Friday 12 Feb. The first survey is open to all English teachers, whilst the second survey is for ELT institutions (private language schools, universities, etc) and should only be completed by one person from each education institution.

Please feel free to send the PDF of Language Teaching for the Planet and the surveys to anyone you think may be interested.

For more information on the British Council’s ‘Language Teaching for the Planet’ programme, please contact Colm Downes, Technical Lead: colm.downes@britishcouncil.org.

PLEASE CUT, PASTE AND FORWARD THE TWO SURVEYS BELOW AS YOU FEEL APPROPRIATE

Language Teaching for the Planet – A British Council Global Survey for English Teachers

Do you incorporate climate change themes into your lessons? Do your coursebooks have enough environmental content? Do you ever experience resistance from students?

Please take a few minutes to complete if relevant for you – and/or share with English teachers you know.

This survey will help us understand more about how English Teachers are integrating climate change issues into their teaching practice. Your responses will help us raise awareness of good practice and help support the development of new initiatives to tackle the growing climate crisis.

Link: https://bit.ly/Survey_Teachers

Background: 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 action. As part of this global programme, we have commissioned research into the current practice of English language teachers regarding the integration of climate change issues in teaching practice, as well as highlight initiatives being taken by the English Language Teaching (ELT) sector to promote and facilitate environmental responsibility, reduce environmental impact, and incentivise sustainability.

This global survey is open to all English language teachers around the world and can be completed anonymously. The survey takes about 5-10 mins to complete.

Language Teaching for the Planet – A British Council Global Survey for Schools and Universities

This survey will help us understand more about initiatives being taken by ELT institutions (schools and universities) to promote and facilitate environmental responsibility, reduce environmental impact, and incentivise sustainability. Survey responses will help us raise awareness of good practice and help support the development of new initiatives to tackle the growing climate crisis across the global ELT sector.

Link: https://bit.ly/Survey_Institutions

This global survey is open to all schools, universities around the world. This global survey cannot be completed anonymously and should only be completed by one person from each institution.

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 institutions, with the dissemination of which he’d welcome your support, separately after this message. (I’ll also add them to the blog.)

2. A friend in Thailand sent me this BBC film of the Thai state visit to the UK in 1960. A good lesson in the hands of a skilled teacher and a fun watch, come what may. My, 1960 seems a long time ago, a different, more deferential world, I was thinking – and then realised that sixty years is a long time ago and it was a different, more deferential world! https://youtu.be/0Njzh0LeEc Look out for Major Jeffreys of the Grenadier Guards in his splendid bearskin welcoming King Bhumibol and Queen Sirikit in Thai. Here’s a bit more material from The Royal Watcher blog (to which I have yet to subscribe) https://royalwatcherblog.com/2020/07/19/thai-state-visit-to-britain-1960/

3. It’s Safer Internet Day on 9^th February, and I thought you might like a little time to think through how and if you might use these materials from LearnEnglish Kids and LearnEnglish Teens: https://learnenglishkids.britishcouncil.org/video-zone/get-involved-safer-internet-day https://learnenglishteens.britishcouncil.org/study-break/video-zone/did-you-ever-post-mean-comments-online

4. And, finally, The Selector: http://music.britishcouncil.org/selector-radio Don’t take offence where none is intended,  but this is possibly more for our children and students?

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 programme attached below.

As a bonus, here’s Russell’s home page: https://www.teachertrainingvideos.com/ and here’s Nik’s: https://peacheypublications.com/ I could imagine that a number of you already have both bookmarked!

2. Curious Kids Live: join us to learn about rainforests is a webinar from The Conversation at 14:00 UK time on Thursday, 4^th February. You can watch the webinar live on Facebook, YouTube, or Twitter, and they’ll be aiming to answer as many questions from children about rainforests as they can. https://theconversation.com/curious-kids-live-join-us-to-learn-about-rainforests-154217

Might be nice to have one or two children with first-hand knowledge of rainforests take part?

3. Here’s one to move some of us a little out of our comfort zone? Swansea University are hosting a webinar by Sin Wang Chong of Queen’s University Belfast on The role of feedback literacy in written corrective feedback research: An ecological and sociomaterial turn at 13:00 on Wednesday. Click here by 9am on Wednesday, Feb 3 to request the Zoom link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScDiHlbj9KZZvfUHTuJR1VV3IOdSmwJV_1JnqOmCn8uF8Mzyw/viewform

The abstract says: Feedback literacy is a vibrant field of research in higher education. Underpinning feedback literacy is the shift of conceptualisation of feedback from a product to a process in which learner engagement is key. In this talk, I will provide an overview on the development of feedback literacy research and discuss how feedback literacy can open up new avenues for written corrective feedback research, especially from ecological and sociomaterial perspectives.

Puzzles me slightly that there are people out there who haven’t yet worked out that learner engagement in the feedback process is key, though!

4. And, finally, this sounds fun: the ENACT web app “helps you to learn languages through cultural activities around the world and explain to people how to carry out your favourite cultural activity in your own language. Example cultural activities can be Origami in Japanese or how to carve pumpkins for Halloween in English”. https://enacteuropa.com/

1. I’ve had good feedback on the OECD’s webinars. Their next one is at 10:00 UK time next Tuesday, 2^nd February and seeks to offer an answer to the question, What can schools do to develop positive, high-achieving students? More info and a registration link here https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_XhcRw8MNQKCqYi-aAeAVfA

2. This next site I’ve not yet had chance to explore fully, but at first glance it looks a very rich resource: https://wideopenschool.org/ Scroll down the page for an introductory video. Does anyone know it? What it says on the tin is that “Wide Open School helps families and educators find trusted resources to enrich and support distance learning. Every day students can access free, high-quality learning activities across subjects, all in one place.” Here’s the current English language resources: https://wideopenschool.org/student-activities/english-language-learners/#all/

3. This one’s a bit niche, a generous PhD scholarship offer from Coventry University that will change someone’s life: https://www.coventry.ac.uk/research/research-opportunities/research-students/research-studentships/the-impact-of-feedback-practices-modes-and-student-background-voicing-the-student-perspective/

4. And, finally, exemplification of the caveat emptor – buyer, beware! – principle: https://www.theartnewspaper.com/news/disarming-new-findings-on-leonardos-salvator-mundi There’s an interesting ‘heat map’ of the bits Leonardo did paint …

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 cheating cases reported by universities since the switch to online examinations makes the need for a solution urgent.”

b) another on an (unavoidably slightly dodgy and subjective?) league table of the world’s most international universities: https://www.timeshighereducation.com/student/best-universities/most-international-universities-world The top five, in order, are the University of Hong Kong, the ETH in Zurich, the Chinese University of Hong Kong, the University of Oxford and Imperial College London.

You may need to register to read those two.

2. Not sure we’ve had a Collins webinar before. Using readers to engage young learners of English across different learning settings is the title of the event that Rebecca Adlard is presenting on Tuesday, 9^th February. Two ‘sittings’:

one at 10:00 UK time UK time https://zoom.us/webinar/register/6216113245910/WN_QaxpFPVKTSGl9iMfjZGGiQ

and another at 16:00 UK time https://zoom.us/webinar/register/6216113245910/WN_QaxpFPVKTSGl9iMfjZGGiQ

3. A piece from the WONKHE team on teaching climate change at university, including ‘Seven principles for teaching climate change’: https://wonkhe.com/blogs/responding-to-climate-change-in-teaching/ “It’s about more than bins and bulbs”, says the article.

4. And, finally, The New European is a new(ish), well-written UK newspaper that many of you may not have heard of yet: https://www.theneweuropean.co.uk/

Its political stance will be clear from today’s lead story: https://www.theneweuropean.co.uk/brexit-news/westminster-news/boris-johnson-reported-to-scottish-police-7079444

1. First up today, two for teacher educators (but not only for teacher educators):

a) the silver jubilee issue of the English Language Teacher Education and Development (ELTED) Journal http://www.elted.net/latest-volume.html – Richard Smith’s celebratory foreword includes the contents of all twenty-three issues to date, and you’ll be pleased to note that back in 1995 we were already/still researching the gap between what teachers preach (or have preached to them) and what they do in the classroom.

b) the latest issue of the British Council Teacher Educator newsletter http://createsend.com/t/y-4248DF5FB867F97E2540EF23F30FEDED also explores, twenty-five years on from the first issue of ELTED, very similar territory https://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/article/teacher-educators-how-approach-teachers-beliefs-about-teaching

2. Here – PDF below – is the latest from my colleague Andrew Skinner, the Special Educational Needs Coordinator in our Bahrain office, this time focussing on teaching learners with dyslexia in online classes.

3. I’m pretty sure this will work outside the UK – please let me know if it doesn’t. Mark Carney, until recently the Governor of the Bank of England, gave this year’s BBC Reith Lectures, How We Get What We Value https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00729d9 They’re good listening, with my only reservation being why didn’t he feel able to express these views more strongly when he was at the heart of the system, as Governor?

4. And, finally, the Hay Festival in Cartagena, Colombia has just started: https://www.hayfestival.com/cartagena/inicio You can toggle from English to Spanish in the top right-hand corner. Don’t get confused by the times being all in GMT, and don’t miss the ChocQuibTown event at 16:30 UK time tomorrow. Who says I’m not hip? (is it still hip to say hip, I wonder?)

1. Very short notice of no fewer than three webinars tomorrow – sorry!

First, the third in the New Directions in Language Assessment series: Putting theory into practice: Language Assessment in Latin America at 15:00 UK time, Wednesday 27^th January https://americas.britishcouncil.org/new-directions/webinars You’ll also find links to recordings of the first two webinars on the same page.

Second, the next in the British Council Spain ‘bilingual’ series: Creating motivating learning opportunities from topic webs at 17:30 UK time, Wednesday 27^th January. Registration link here https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/3602472194629196300 and more info in the PDF attached below. I’m not entirely sure I know what a ‘topic web’ is but I’m sure many of you do!

Third, and slightly off the beaten track, a joint International Alert, British Council and Cambridge Peace and Education Research Group event, Peace education in formal schools: Why is it important and how can it be done? At 15:30 UK time, Wednesday 27^th January. Registration link and link to paper under discussion here https://zoom.us/webinar/register/9316100429673/WN_wc3_-UeURcSUdzw3YqEDCQ PDF of paper also attached below.

2. Two good resources for use with older students on the pandemic: first, a website “dedicated to debunking common Covid Sceptic arguments, and highlighting the track record of some of the most influential and consistently-wrong Covid Sceptics” https://www.covidfaq.co/ and second, a lively OECD podcast, How can we help young people tackle misinformation during COVID? https://soundcloud.com/oecdtopclasspodcast/episode-26-how-can-we-help-young-people-tackle-misinformation-during-covid

3. Also from the OECD, a webinar at 15:00 UK time, Thursday 28^th January What will education look like in the future? https://meetoecd1.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_SlcNd0LKRdCmt3UrZ3lWCQ An easier question to ask than answer ….

4. The A. S. Hornby Educational Trust (ASHET) is pleased to announce a call for research proposals under the A. S. Hornby Dictionary Research Awards scheme (ASHDRA). The aim of the scheme is to encourage research into the development of reference materials that will feed into practical benefits for learners of English – something of which we’d all approve, I’m sure. Please share this announcement with anyone you think might be interested in the award scheme.  More information and details of previous awards are available on the ASHET website: https://www.hornby-trust.org.uk/projects#ASHDRADictionaryResearchAwards

5. And, finally, the latest funky foot-tapping playlist from Marsm UK https://marsm.co.uk/about/  Libyan music this time https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLlA3v8gHbQc3mn_UXgiu74K3DbAw9Svom