The English teachers voice

  Despite its obvious importance to language proficiency, listening can be one of the hardest skills for teachers to teach their students, especially children during the era of COVID-19 virtual classes. Why is this you ask? Well, in many cases, teachers are relying wholly on the simple, short listening activities which are a part of the book which they teach in class. These activities whilst being quite efficient in normal classes are quite ineffective in online classes.  For students to enjoy participating in listening activities then they need to be creative, fun, and they need to grab students' attention and enthusiasm. Below is a selection of games that are very successful in both online, and normal classes, and are a must for inclusion in any teacher's methodology. Listen and draw a story The teacher reads or makes up a story and as the students listen they draw the different scenes.  You can help them by explaining which scene to draw.  This can be done individ...

Making the switch to online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic has been a huge adjustment for every teacher who has found themselves in that position. This new reality, just like in-person school, can’t be all work and no play!  So, for those brave teachers who are required to navigate the world of virtual education on a daily basis, here are 15 fun Zoom games for kids that you can use to take a break from the traditional curriculum and keep kids engaged.  Dance, Stop and Freeze. This is a fun activity that gets kids up and moving. It’s perfect for after a class of normal academic activities. Put on some fun music and encourage students to stand up and show off their best dance moves. When the music stops, everyone must stop and freeze. Anyone still dancing is out and sits down to watch their classmates. The last student standing is the winner. Follow on letters This is a fun word game that helps reinforce spelling and vocabulary skills . Choose a category—for instance,...

  A solid knowledge of academic vocabulary is the key to attaining a high score in the TOEFL or IELTS tests.  Below is a list of 320 essential words for passing the TOEFL or IELTS test including definitions and sample sentences . Whilst learning huge volumes of vocabulary may seem daunting to most people if you leave yourself plenty of time, enough to learn say 5 to 10 words per day correctly, then the process should be easier, and less stressful. Also, reading a wide variety of materials, specifically academic ones that are related to the subjects covered in the tests will help a considerable amount. Articles can be found in magazines or websites and help to put the words into an understandable context. I hope that this list of vocabulary helps you with your test preparation. Good luck and good studying. The 320 Words That You Need to Know in Order To Maximize Your Score In The TOEFL Test. Word Definition Sample Sentence Abundant Present in large quantities. Living close t...