The English teachers voice

Reading in Online Classes: 10 Free Reading Websites for Elementary Level Students Today, in 2020, with an estimated 1.3 billion students in the world studying in one form or another online, teachers, schools, institutes and universities are scrambling to find materials that could be considered appropriate for use by their students.  One of the most important skills that students always need to develop and maintain is reading.  It is impossible for anyone to deny that a child’s reading skills are important to their success in school, work, and life in general. The majority of the world's most successful leaders, educators and business people have all read enormous amounts of books in their lives.  A child who grows up with a love of reading, a love that they nurture and expand upon throughout their lives undoubtedly, in the majority of cases, experiences greater success in life. Reading allows students to be transported from our own world to another. Between the pages of a...

During the 2020 quarantine, I have been asked many times my opinion about the benefits of reading in online classes. Many questions have been posed to me such as "How do we monitor our students?", "Does it really help?" or "Wouldnt teachers be better off worrying about the more important subjects?" Well, firstly we must remember that reading can take various forms for school students, these could include a "Reading out aloud" program where the teacher reads out aloud to pre-school or young primary level students, or autonomous reading where students read alone and complete activities.  There is no skill more important for students to practice than reading, every subject can be taught through the use of books with the majority of subjects requiring varying degrees of reading skills. For this reason alone, it is obvious that when students become accustomed to reading, and it becomes a part of their daily lives, that their ability to study will be h...

40 Practice Topics for Question 1 of the TOEFL iBT Speaking Section. Directions:  You will be asked to give your opinion about a familiar topic. Give yourself 15 seconds to prepare your response. Then record yourself speaking for 45 seconds. What is your favorite way of getting around? Describe it and explain why it is your favorite means of transportation. Preparation Time:  15 seconds Response Time:  45 seconds Response Tips for the Independent Speaking Practice. To respond to this particular question, you should clearly state what your opinion is. Then you should give reasons to support your opinion.  The example should have good details, and the relationship between the example and your opinion should be clear. If you take the position that it is better to walk, you might give an example of a situation where or why walking is beneficial. You might continue to develop the response by contrasting what the difference would be to driving a car, or maybe taking a bus....

Speaking fluently in English is not always as easy as some people may lead us to believe. Whilst it is true that some people have the skills and ability to learn a new language quickly and easily, it is not the case for most people who really do have to work hard not only learning, but achieving a satisfactory level of fluency. As an advanced level English teacher, when trying to improve the speaking fluency of my students, I have often found that by setting them the most rudimentary tasks, such as answering a list of the simplest, most common questions, that their abilities improve quite rapidly.  In addition, it is my experience that when we have a simple activity such as these simple, common questions, plus we remove the stress from the activity, and they know that they are not going to be judged, or criticized, that they seem to develop an air of freedom that develops their confidence, and as a result, they gradually improve their level of fluency. Below is a list of 40 of the ...

Sequencing is an essential reading skill that students must develop if they are to fully understand all reading material. Luckily, sequencing comes naturally to most children as the concept of chronological order is reinforced from very early on through the practice of the routines of daily life. From the very first days of kindergarten, children are taught the importance of doing things in order. Each daily task contains its own inherent sequence. From tying their shoelaces to getting ready for school, children pick up an understanding of the importance of performing tasks step-by-step. The importance of a defined beginning, middle, and end is further emphasized from the first fairy tales students encounter through to the later classics of English literature. While it is clear our students have a sense of what sequence is right from the start, understanding how a sequence comes together, and developing the necessary skills to identify its component parts, is another matter and it is t...