#ELTchat Playlist for February 2018

 

This is Marisa_C, your DJ for the month of February!!!

 

 

For the next four weeks  I will be “spinning” the hottest teaching topics for #ELTchat Wednesdays – topics that’ll make you wanna dance (intellectually) and groove (reflectively) with your fellow teachers in the #ELTchat disco.

 

If you have a special request, just trot off to our  #ELTchat topics submission form and your DJ may just be able to find that special track for you!

 

For the month of November I am picking my way through some of the topics you suggested late in 2017 and which we have kept in our google drive but also asking #ELTchat followers on Twitter and on Facebook through short and sharp mini polls.

February 2

Reflective teaching

This is a  a topic suggested by Faten Romdhani  – @RomdhaniFaten on Twitter and which seems to be getting some more attention on other chats as well – and blog posts, like the guest post on Sandy Millin’s blog I saw shared on Twitter earlier today

 

• Are reflective teachers more effective teachers?
• How can we encourage reflection on training courses?
• How can we continue on our own?

 

These are just a few of the questions we will be dealing with in this our first #eltchat in February,

February 7

Academic Research and ELT

 

 

There have been quite a few recent blog posts about the lack of filtering of research to teachers and the poor mediation, or even lack of mediation, between researchers and classroom teachers found in certain publications consumed by foreign language teachers (known as ‘methodology books’).

 

Teachers are often accused of operating on the basis of partial or no evidence at all.  So, according to some, we are doing a poor job because we have not read the latest research.

 

It is obvious, even from the way I have written this very short paragraph, that teachers feel somewhat defensive about these accusations, and the ‘knowers’, the possessors of the knowledge of the latest research findings – which they can usually access for free through some university job – feel justified and, indeed, indignant that we don’t do much to educate ourselves.

 

This looks like an impasse – I hope we can find some useful solutions in this our next #ELTchat

 

 

February 14

Using a back channel in a face-to-face classroom

 

It is true! We’re having an #ELTchat on Valentines Day!  Let me play you a little song to get you in the mood for February ladies and gentle men of #ELTchat. If no one turns up for that #ELTchat, we will know why!!

 

 

The topic of back channelling was suggested by Fiona Price a while ago and was voted by more than 20 people!!!

 

 

 

Topics to be announced soon – keep suggesting please! Here #ELTchat topics submission form

February 21

Using Instagram

 

This topic was voted by more than 10 #ELTchat friends and followers in the latest poll, so I thought it was worth exploring since I don’t know much about how to use it myself!

 

The topic was suggested by  Kenneth Kuo – @mr_kuo on twitter!

 

 

Haven’t decided yet about the last topic of the month – I kind of like Sue Annan’s suggestion to talk about changes to the profession and what, if anything, has raised the standard of ELT – thinking. Let me know if you like this or if you have any other suggestions, go to the #ELTchat topics submission form 

February 28

Changes to ELT that raise the standards of the profession

This, the last topic on our playlist for February, has great universal interest to all colleagues in foreign language education. Proposed by our moderator, @SueAnnan, it promises to be an interesting review of the last decade and may be even further back!

 

 

Your DJ this month 

 

@Marisa_C

 

 

 

This February has five Wednesdays!!!! 

 

 

If you have a special request, just trot off to our  #ELTchat topics submission form and your DJ may just be able to find that special track for you!