TESOLers in Tampa had a myriad of sessions on AI to choose from. Presenters approached the subject from different angles and explained how they had been using ChatGPT and other AI tools in their classrooms over the past year or so. In the context of academic writing, the consensus is that both teachers and students…
Opening the Door to AI in Language Learning
As I continue to share TESOL 2024 highlights, the door will now open to ChatGPT and other AI-powered tools. More than one post will be needed to pass along my AI-related takeaway from the convention. Let’s just dip our toes in right now, okay? You might know that I began to experiment with ChatGPT in…
Free and Practical Tools for Vocabulary Practice
I went to a few Teaching Tip sessions at TESOL 2024, and I was amazed how much the presenters were able to pack into twenty minutes. The truth is that having double the time would have been better, especially for Q&A and sharing, but that’s for the event organizers to take into consideration. (When filling…
Mindfulness and Positivity in Our Teaching Practice
I hadn’t been to an in-person TESOL event since 2019, and my experience in Tampa was celebration of sorts. I could once again see old colleagues and meet new ones. I gave and received hugs and handshakes. Smiles, business cards, and stories were also exchanged. I was very grateful to immerse myself in the convention…
Pondering Translingualism
In 2009, I posed the question, “Is it all right for the teacher to use the student’s native language?” (See post.) In that post, I recalled a work experience early in my teaching career when I caved in to the school’s request that I hide my knowledge of Russian. I’d be surprised by this request…
The Impact of a TESOL Convention
I’m still running from conference room to conference room (and sometimes from the TCC to the Marriott). It’s the last day of TESOL 2024. I wish there were three of me so that I could attend all the sessions I’m interested in, but sadly I have to make my final selections. I’m happy to say…
TESOL 2024 – Tampa, Florida
I’ll be attending the TESOL Convention this week. I hope to meet new and old colleagues in Tampa, Florida. Teachers, please come to my presentation on Thursday, 21 March, 13:00-13:45 US EST in Room 411. Let’s talk about Leveraging Instagram to Engage, Teach, and Inspire Activation. I’m excited to return to this in-person event, and…
Reducing Repetition in Writing
Some of my students are discovering how ChatGPT can assist them, but I’m pleased to see they are still keeping themselves in the driver’s seat, so to speak, generating their own writing and having the final say in what wording captures their meaning and desired tone best. For example, a student might feed an email…
The Benefits of Learning (and Teaching!) Grammar
Here’s a simple truth. Some people like grammar, and other’s don’t. Also, grammar can be learned directly or indirectly. So, should we teach it? Should students watch a grammar video or study a chart in a textbook? I’m all for learning a language through through conversation and authentic sources, including movies and books. They provide…
What We Gain from Digging Deeper
In my previous post, I explored different ways we create emphasis, and I included cleft sentences. The effort I put into making that list will pay off even more as I move forward to create a new YouTube lesson, which will offer students more examples to illustrate the patterns used for stressing words and highlighting…
10 Ways to Emphasize Ideas
Language is truly amazing because we often have multiple tools at our disposal. Think of all the ways we can ask a question. Imagine our friend had a job interview.– We might ask about it directly: How did the interview go?– We could use a tag question to broach the subject: The interview was today,…
12 Captivating Questions for Conversation
Sometimes what we need is a set of engaging discussion questions. An online search will bear fruit. I found a robust list of 95 Funny Hypothetical Questions compiled by Susan Box Mann. Some are intriguing though outlandish, for example (#2), “What would you do if you found out you could stop time?” Others wouldn’t be…
English with Jennifer 