I often receive requests for guidance on how to create a syllabus from scratch, particularly for literature-based courses. Most of my courses are tailored to specific contexts—for business students or individual learners—but designing syllabi centered around literature is especially rewarding. The complex worlds that novels offer open up endless opportunities for exploration, making the learning experience far more engaging. Read more
Reading aloud in class is a topic that sparks plenty of debate among language teachers. While some see it as a cornerstone of developing fluency, others view it as unnecessary or even counterproductive for many learners. Personally, I believe reading aloud can be a valuable tool when used purposefully and with the right students, particularly those who will need to speak or present publicly in English. For other learners, while occasional practice can still be beneficial, it may not always be a central focus of your lessons. Here’s a closer look at the pros and cons of reading aloud, along with suggestions for how to use it effectively in your classroom. Read more
For B1-level students, the challenge lies in striking the right balance: ensuring the vocabulary is accessible but still engaging and new. Vocabulary activities should help students make connections between the text and their own language use, while also deepening their understanding of the story. Here are some ideas I’ve used to build vocabulary activities for B1 learners in my Harry Potter course. Read more
My students are all private clients with busy lives, so I prefer to make homework optional. This way, when it is completed, it’s a pleasant surprise. For this course, since students are already tasked with reading chapters and occasionally writing summaries, it’s even more important to keep additional homework optional. Read more
When studying a text, it can be challenging to decide which grammatical structures to focus on. This often depends on the level of the course. Some teachers I’ve spoken to feel it’s reductionist to tackle grammar in texts, arguing for a more ‘Language Arts’ approach. I disagree. The beauty of using texts with students lies in studying language in context—all aspects of language, including grammar. Also, it’s important to work with students’ (and parents) expectations. Read more
Key to working with chapter books as a class is ensuring that everyone keeps up with the reading. It sounds simple, but in practice, it’s not! However enthusiastic students might be, there’s always someone who hasn’t managed to do the homework or has missed a class. Read more
I’ve twice been asked to design a short online course based on Harry Potter for B1 and A2 teenage learners. However, with no graded reader available and parental expectations focused on the “real book,” I’m unsure how advisable a course would be. Read more
We usually have at least one film night during a homestay course. It can really take the pressure off having to entertain for the evening, especially good with children and teens. But it can be difficult finding films that will suit family and students. Read more
When you’re hosting homestay students, it can be difficult to engage the whole household in conversation, especially if your students are lower levels, particularly in the first few days. I tend to find there’s some dead time after dinner, rainy days and long journeys when everyone is gathered together and conversation can be difficult.
Here are some games we’ve used. The title of each game links to instructions. The language areas specified give an indication of lexical and grammatical areas practiced in the games, but these aren’t classes – the aim should be communication and fun, rather than accuracy. Read more
