7+7: A February blog roundup of great ELT posts

TweetSo, here’s the deal: For every blog post I write during the month, I’ll feature one more from my favorites from around the Blogosphere. I started this last month and people seemed to like it, so I plan to keep this going throughout 2013! This month I posted seven times, so I get to focus on seven posts from other great ELT bloggers.

Posts for February

1. ELT Global Issues

This is a cheeky way of getting you to read more posts! This is the latest series from the wonderful iTDi, this time – I wrote my first post for the last series – looking at ELT from a Global perspective. We have 6 posts; Ann Loseva discusses ELT in Russia; Vladimira Michalkova tells us about teaching in Slovakia; Mike Griffin gives us the lowdown on Korea; Arjana Blazic focuses on Croatia; Barbi Bujitas reports from Hungary, and; Esther Ariesta describes teaching in Indonesia.

2. Academic assholes and the circle of niceness

I loved this because it is exactly the kind of post I used to enjoy writing (what happened to my poor blog?). The post focuses on the asshole attitude that many of those in academia develop once they reach PhD level. This is a cracking read, as are the 100+ comments that accompany the post.

3. Speaking a language rather than our own

Rose Bard’s lovely post looks at the issue of power and how it’s effect on relationships between the teacher and the learners influences the use of English in class. What’s more, Rose makes the interesting point that lack of communication is sometimes misinterpreted as the learner not being a ‘good’ student.

4. Responding to students’ writing

Rachael Roberts has written an excellent post, crammed with useful tips and ideas about error correction and its role in the way respond to written work. There are also plenty of things to consider in the comments.

5. My Blue Valentine

Adam Beale’s long awaited return to blogging sees him in a reflective mood, so drop by and leave him an encouraging comment!

6. Conferences, Workshops and Swapshops – PD in Focus 1

Vicky Loras marks a return to fine blogging form with the first post in what promises to be a great series on professional development. The title gives an unbelievably accurate idea of what the post is about, so all you have to do is enjoy reading it.

7. Do no testing (DNT)

I was introduced to Kevin Giddens’ blog only last night (big thank you to Thomas Ewens for that) and it’s fantastic. This one takes a dig at assessment with some lovely big quotes to bask it all up. This blog is on the soon to be defunct posterous, so here’s hoping it moves successfully to a new home: I’ll keep you posted.

My posts from February

1. Great games for the language classroom: Blockbusters

We did an #EAPchat about the role of games and gaming in academic English, at the end of which a blog challenge was set to write a post on a game format we use in class. This was my contribution.

2. Nominated for the Teaching English post of the month

Blatant self-indulgent twaddle: nothing of interest for you here.

3. Reflections on #sswebcon: The 1st British Council Turkey Story Sharing Web Conference

I had my first full-on experience of an online conference this month and it was really great. This post gives my reflections not just on the event itself but also on the very notion of online conferencing.

4. 6 online activities for developing knowledge of subject-verb agreement

Does what it says on the tin, or rather, in the title.

5. British Council Teaching English featured blog for February 2013

More blatant self-indulgent twaddle: nothing of interest for you here, either.

6. Using images to stimulate learner interest in their course books

This post details a pretty good idea that I – somewhat – stole from Ken Wilson about how to use images in a motivating and thought-provoking way.

7. A grammar question I’d like you to answer: When do you teach the third form of the verb?

I asked a question about grammar. Many people answered it. I’ll include the data in an upcoming conference. Lovely jubbly!

Here’s my January round up, in case you missed it.