21 November 2015

On Grammar 01: Present Simple and Present Continuous

This the first of ten 5-minute videos to help you practise English grammar:



Over to you
Please suggest some ways in which we can incorporate such resources in what we provide as part of the BELFAST Programme.

On the history of English in 10 minutes

Clive Anderson guides our thinking through many of the influences on the language.



Over to you
How useful might such short videos be for Learners on the BELFAST Programme?

20 November 2015

On my watching

I am a considerable fan of the BBC iPlayer and similar more resources that give access to broadcast media.
I have just been watching 3 x 60 minute programmes about modern Scotland - How Scotland Works.

On listening

Ian Badger's app for listening costs £3.99 but was very well received when it first appeared a few years ago.



Over to you
Are there any other apps that are worth paying for?

On Be My Interviewer

Be My Interviewer provides its users with opportunities to practise responses to a range of interview questions.

On listening to podcasts

Explore the British Council podcasts, with the worksheets, to find activities to help you to improve your listening skills.

Over to you
Tell us about the items of greatest interest and value you have found her.

On apps for learning English

Explore this site to find some no cost and low cost apps for smartphones and tablets.

Then use your web searching skills to find others of particular interest for yourself.

Over to you

REPLY to give a  comment on what you have found.

On ESOL Nexus

The British Council has provided a substantial amount of material on this site for people living in Britain who want to develop their language skills as well as their knowledge of life in the UK.

On jokes

What is your favourite joke?
Here is one that I like; and I am prepared to accept losing friends as a result of presenting this here:
Chelsea have set up a call centre for fans who are troubled by their current form.
The number is 0800 10 10 10
Once again the number is … 0800 won nothing won nothing won nothing.
(You can of course simply cut the name of this team and replace it with that of another ...)

Over to you
Have you got a joke you can share here?

On classics

Latin and Greek, and related subjects such as ancient history, once had a more prominent place in Western education.



Over to you
Should people still learn some Latin and Greek?

On Pronuciation

Adrian Underhill, guru of English pronunciation, has recently contributed this as the first in a series of short videos.



Over to you
How important is pronunciation for you and your use of English?

On GET THAT JOB

This part of the BBC website will help you to practise important language you need for job-hunting.


Over to you
What advice and help is MOST useful here?

On my bike ride

... and you think this is really me ... SAD! ... I thought you knew me better ...



Over to you
Can you see any places you recognise in Belfast and beyond?

On my reading

Alex de Waal, 2015  The Real Politics of the Horn of Africa, Polity Press, Cambridge


On Looking for work

Looking for work is part of the government services website in Northern Ireland.

Over to you
Identify the areas of greatest use and interest.

On NIJobs

NIjobs.com is merely one of several online resources that can be helpful in the job-hunting process.

Over to you

Please post a short message in which you identify its principal features and likely benefits.

On answering machines

This YouTube item on the role of the teacher and school is doing the rounds ...

I make use of it when it is being watched in class to draw attention to the errors in spelling, punctuation and grammar before students of my own embark on writing up assignments.

19 November 2015

On Yes (Prime) Minister

Yes (Prime) Minister  was a major success on television three decades ago.
Many of the episodes are available on YouTube;  and I reckon some of the clips to be exploited for use with our English language learners.
I got several considerable mileage from their use when I was teaching diplomats when the various series were first broadcast.



Over to you
Have you any suggestions for how such clips can be used?