Teaching English Up to Date

Animoto can be a very useful tool for teaching vocabulary to students, especially young learners. The site allows educators to easily prepare original videos and activities. Here is an example of use of the tool for teaching of numbers for A1 learners of English:

Hello again, now, I will introduce the use of Canva, which is a website that lets educators create and publish material designs in various creative ways. I introduced modals with it. Here's the link: https://www.canva.com/design/DACxZz1N57s/OFimj7VY3qOdGli7Hqfnzg/view?lightbox=

First generation virtual worlds allow educators create massive environments to facilitate learning process. In Second Life, users can create their own avatars and interact with people, places , objects as well as the other online users. My instructor Tuncer Can, and his team created an environment, "Istanbul University Erasmus" and he demonstrated the use of the application in the class. Make sure you also have a look on the application as it provides great learning environments. Here's a screenshot from the virtual world of Istanbul University:

Tests can be powerful instruments of educational policy; thus testing can be seen as a political activity entailing tactics, intrigue and maneuvering within institutions that may not be political, but rather commercial, financial or educational.  Test development is a complex project bound up with myriads of agendas and considerations. In language testing the impression given is that all we have to do is to improve tests on the technical aspects -developing better measuring instruments, design appropriate specifications, commission suitable test tasks, devise suitable procedures for piloting and analysis, train markers, and let the system get on with things. Innovation in tests is subject to exclusively technical issues not social. Given the importance of tests in society and their role in educational policy, it is not surprising that one area of concern has been the standards of testing. One common meaning of standards is that of the levels of proficiency –what LEVEL you have r...

Illustrated storybooks provide an ideal resource for helping children learn English. This is because children love listening to stories. Storybooks present language in familiar and memorable contexts, and high quality illustrations help children understand as they match what they hear to what they see. In this way, children develop their visual literacy and appreciation of art. They also discover different styles of illustration and learn about the culture of the illustrator. Why use storybooks in the classroom? Teachers can use storybooks to complement an English language course or as the main teaching resource. Storybooks can act as a springboard for a wide variety of activities to develop children’s English language skills and bring other areas of the curriculum to life, through the theme or content of the book. They are also very motivating as they exercise children’s imaginations and appeal to different interests and learning styles. Storytelling is a shared social ex...

All  researchers  agree that the earlier a child starts learning a second language, the better, for more reasons than  one.  Some researchers say that second language acquisition skills peak at or before the age of 6 or 7.  Others claim that this window extends through puberty.  But, they all agree that it’s much harder for a child beyond puberty to learn a new language. Why start at the age of 3 or 4? If you asked that question some years ago, everybody would look at you as if you were an alien. It was inconceivable for children as young as three years of age to be able to learn a second language, given that they have not yet mastered their mother tongue. Nowadays, though, research findings indicate something totally different. Studies by Harvard University confirm that the creativity, critical thinking skills, and flexibility of the mind are significantly enhanced if children learn a second language at a you...

Hello again, this time I will be trying out another application to prepare a classroom material. The name of the program is called "Powtoon", and with it, teachers are able to create dynamic animations and presentations about a subject of their choice. I just created my own Powtoon animation, so give it a check if you feel like it! Link:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7V4PEwnllTo&rel=0