Learning a new language can be an exciting journey filled with ups and downs. Whether you’re just starting out with a new language or aiming for mastery, setting clear goals can be the key to success. Incorporating SMART goals into your language learning strategy can provide direction, motivation and a clear path to improvement for all learning levels, from beginners to advanced students. Let’s get started! Continue reading
Finding ways to engage your child in learning the alphabet can be challenging at times. Their attention can easily turn to something more fun and interesting, especially if they are finding the task a little bit too much like hard work. If your child is feeling bored, the chances are you will be too. Studies have proved time and time again that a human’s ability to learn something is greatly improved if they are having fun. So we have put together five ways for you and your child to have fun while they learn the alphabet. Continue reading
The 2018 FIFA World Cup kicked off in Russia on Thursday 14th June. This is the first World Cup held in Europe since 2006 and the first ever to be held in Eastern Europe. It’s time for football vocabulary to enter the EFL classroom again and as the World Cup also coincides with Wimbledon, it’s going to be a sporty month! Continue reading
The gamification of language learning is an important topic in the EFL teaching world. There is an increasing number of apps and learning technology that use games as a way of motivating and engaging with students.
Gamification of learning in general has brought education and games together to create a fun hybrid – but is this a successful strategy for long term educational development?
Read on to explore the concept of gamification in education, its potential benefits, the concerns of critics and how the gamification of language learning could help to boost student motivation and engagement. Continue reading
American software company GITCS has developed a brand new learning app focused on helping students of English as a second language. The Beginner ESL app provides engaging content using a range of innovative features to help students with their reading comprehension. With beginner, intermediate and advanced levels of ESL lessons, this app can be used by all students to improve their learning experience. Continue reading
In a startling result, the UK has voted for a ‘Brexit’. This means the wheels have been set in motion for the UK to leave the European Union. Some people are thrilled, while others are worried about the future of the UK and the EU. The possibility of a No-Deal Brexit has raised even more concerns.
Apart from the concern over economic stability, international trade, European travel, residency rights for expats and much more, there is also a growing concern about the role of the English language in Europe and the future of language learning in the UK.
Will the English language become less important internationally? Will British people stop learning foreign languages altogether? We explore the consequences of Brexit for English and how Brexit could affect language learning… Continue reading
British academics have programmed a child-sized robot to teach languages to children. The design has been piloted in the UK and is now being tried out across Europe. The Nao robot teachers are designed to look friendly and approachable and react to children’s moods and facial expressions.
Originally designed to teach History and Maths, the dwarf robots are currently being used in Germany to teach language skills to refugee children as part of the L2TOR language project.
Experts believe that robot teachers will soon become a regular part of the general school education system. Read more to find out about the robot teachers currently being used in Europe’s language classrooms – and how robots could revolutionise education and language learning. Continue reading
Researchers have found that children who learn an instrument find learning languages much easier, even as adults. It has been proven that music training improves language learning, however, it is not only the ability to learn foreign languages that is boosted. Children who study music before the age of seven also develop better linguistic abilities in their mother tongue. Musicians have bigger vocabularies, better pronunciation and a stronger awareness of grammar than their non-musical friends. Read on to find out more about how music is linked with language learning. Continue reading
Halloween EFL lesson plans at the ready – it’s that spooky time of year again! The ghosts and ghouls come out to play on 31st October and pumpkins with scary faces will adorn many a doorstep. Halloween is that one night a year when it’s OK to frighten your neighbours. You might even get sweets!
Halloween is about to be unleashed and this is one of those celebrations that has its own vocabulary. This is therefore the perfect time to think about Halloween EFL lesson plans and inject some fun Halloween vocabulary games into your EFL class. Continue reading
Learning a second language will be compulsory in junior schools from September 2014. The education secretary, Michael Gove has announced that changes to the curriculum means that all children will begin learning a second language from the age of seven. Languages on offer will include French, German, Spanish, Italian, Mandarin, Latin and Greek. But should second language learning start even earlier? Continue reading
