Home Magazine News Events Advocacy Join Teach Contact Links

Do you teach adults?

Don't Give Up! Is a European Union language project that has written a book of 48 best practices for every level of language educators (schools, managers, teachers). The best practices will help improve the motivation and the results of language courses for adult learners. The project spent 2 years researching and analyzing the problems of adult learners, language educators were asked their opinions and ideas, as well. The results of the research were combined with the project team's ideas and experience. The best practices cover aspects of managing language schools and classes, enhancing lessons, engaging and motivating students and dealing with many aspects of the problems adult learners face to learn a language. This book can positively contribute to the results of your language courses.The best practices are summarized on the project website with some examples. The 138 page Don't Give Up! Book is available through the web site in English, Czech or Spanish.

UNSW 2011 Summer Institute on Language Teaching

The UNSW School of Education is proud to host the 2011 Summer Institute on Language Teaching. Headed by Professor David Nunan and Professor Chris Davison, the 2011 Summer Institute on Language Teaching offers short courses for students, teachers and researchers who are keen on updating their skills or learning new ones. The Institute provides intensive weeklong sessions, led by prominent academics in the field of second language learning and teaching, and will run from 17-24 January 2011

See the information on the website here.

The Indigenous Literacy Project for Indigenous Learners

The Indigenous Literacy Project (ILP) aims to raise literacy levels and improve the lives and opportunities of Indigenous Australians living in remote and isolated regions. This is done by providing books and literacy resources to Indigenous communities and raising broad community awareness of Indigenous literacy issues.

See the project by clicking here.

“The Educational Achievement Gap”

The ACT Legislative Assembly Standing Committee on Education, Training and Youth Affairs is currently conducting an Inquiry into “The Educational Achievement Gap”, whose terms of reference specifically include ESL students.

ATESOL ACT has made a comprehensive submission to the Inquiry and representatives appeared before it on Tuesday 27 October. The submission can be found on the Inquiry webpage at: http://www.parliament.act.gov.au/committees/index1.asp?committee=117&inquiry=822&category=14. This site also contains other submissions, which are instructive, not least in how little attention is paid to ESL issues. The Hansard record of our evidence can be accessed at http://www.hansard.act.gov.au/hansard/2009/comms/default.htm#education

The inquiry, the submission and the hearing have provided an excellent opportunity for our members to air their concerns regarding ESL provision in ACT schools, and particularly the impact of recent policy developments. We understand that the submission and our evidence before the Inquiry have not gone unnoticed, although it remains to be seen if anything substantive will follow.

New Publication Out!

CULTURALLY AND LINGUISTICALLY DIVERSE CLASSROOMS

New Dilemmas for Teachers

Edited by Jennifer Miller (Monash University), Alex Kostogriz (Deakin University) and Margaret Gearon (Monash University)

Click here for more information.

Cardiff Online: Online coverage of the 43rd Annual International IATEFL Conference

I've just checked out Cardiff On-line. This is a website set up for the IATEFL Conference in 2009 - http://iatefl.britishcouncil.org/2009/

It will be active for a year, apparently, and I just caught a 45 minute lecture from Penny Ur (video + powerpoint+ handout) about making boring exercises interesting -
http://iatefl.britishcouncil.org/2009/sessions/63/creating-interesting-language-exercises-and-making-language-exercises-interesting

Other things include a Scott Thornbury session, and one about testing.

There are discussions, recordings with David Crystal ( of "How does English Work?" fame); Marc Prensky, and a range of interviews.

It's almost like going to a conference...

Jakki Cashman, ATESOL ACT Secretary

Papers from 'Pedagogies of Connection' 2008 ACTA Conference in Alice Springs now available online

TESOL in Context Special Edition S2 (May 2009) Pedagogies of Connection Edited by Kate Cadman, Jenny Barnett & Cally Guerin Released 2009 http://www.tesol.org.au/Publications/Pedagogies-of-Connection

Non-refereed conference papers 2008 Pedagogies of Connection - Alice Springs 2008.
http://www.tesol.org.au/Conferences/Non-refereed-conference-papers-2008

2009-2010 new WATESOL Committee

The WATESOL Committee for 2010 was elected at the Annual General Meeting on 17 September 2009.

See our Contacts page for your Committee Members and their contact details.