Technology can be a very effective learning aid for teaching English – helping to improve class engagement, getting students working together and most important of all, making English lessons more fun!

Most locations we teach from have Wifi these days, which opens up a lot of opportunities for web based software and internet sites that can be a real benefit for learners.

Here we will discuss some brilliant ways to use technology, to help develop classroom techniques.

 

• Video Streaming

 

 

Videos can truly bring a subject to life and engage students in a way that a picture can not. A topic can be introduced with a video that will help grab the student’s attention from the beginning. It is also a useful way to build vocabulary comprehension, providing a list of keywords to listen out to during the video can be a good introduction. YouTube is a great resource of free video covering every topic imaginable. So get creating and start thinking visually!

 

• Online games

 

All younger learners love games. They can be an essential part of teaching English to really engage students and make lessons fun. Adult learners like games to, but make sure they are appropriate to the students level and do not come across as patronising.

Luckily there are 100’s on online games that can make teaching English more fun. https://www.gamestolearnenglish.com/ provide a range of games that you can use in the classroom or for one to one lessons. If you have a projector then it can be a good idea to project your laptop onto a white board to make the game accessible to all. http://www.eslgamesplus.com/ is another good site aimed more for younger learners.

 

• Social media

 

 

It’s no secret that social media will be popular among your students, instead of banning students using it in the lesson, it can be encouraged. Facebook, Twitter and WhatsApp can all be used to stay in contact with a group, posting homework and discussion topics and encouraging students to share with each other between the lessons to build relationships and learning.

 

• Blogging

 

Having a teaching blog accessible for your students is a great way of building a dialogue. By updating your blog after each lesson with related topics, students can use it as a way of consolidating what they have learnt in a lesson. Encourage students to comment on your blog so that they are contributing and giving you useful access to feedback. Blogging also lets you develop themes, maybe posting links to videos and articles the students can locate for further learning.

 

• Podcasts

 

Podcasts can be a great way to encourage passive learning techniques. Students can become hooked on a really interesting podcast and find it easy to pick up vocabulary. Also many ESL podcasts provide a written dialogue to follow along with. Try making a podcast topic part of your lesson, encourage students to listen for homework and then incorporate the topic into a classroom discussion.

 

Here are 5 great Podcasts for learning English

The English We Speak

All Ears English

Listen to English

6-Minute Grammar

ESL Pod

English lessons by Skype

 

IELTS lessons by Skype

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Exam preparation by Skype. How effective are IELTS Skype lessons?

 

IELTS is a demanding exam that requires a degree of professional tuition if you want to succeed with a high score.

 

You can learn many aspects of the exam yourself but there are certain elements that really do benefit from having a personal English teacher on hand to help.

 

Speaking :

The speaking test needs a partner to practice with. English lessons by Skype can help you to develop your ability to present information to the examiner. Having someone asking the correct questions and making notes of your answers means at the end of the lesson the teacher will be able to tell you where you are making mistakes and which areas you are stronger or weaker in.

 

Typically students lose marks in IELTS speaking in the following areas.

• Not answering the question correctly
• Not demonstrating a broad range of vocabulary
• Making mistakes in grammar

 

The best way to improve is to practice as many questions as possible with your teacher from the speaking test.

Below : some typical questions used in the exam.

 

Click here >> IELTS Speaking ‘cue cards‘

 

When taking IELTS lessons by Skype, ask your teacher to go through each questions with you. Practice listening carefully to the question, try to avoid asking them to repeat – this way you learn to focus on hearing the questions clearly!

 

When answering the question the teacher will make notes. At the end of the Skype lesson the teacher will explain to you how to improve your mark and go through each answer with you. You can get a higher score by adding more complex vocabulary and expressions, fixing little mistakes you might make in grammar and pronunciation and making sure that you have kept on topic.

 

Why not try learning some key vocabulary and expressions that can be injected into a range of answers. These expressions are know as ‘functional expressions’ and can really help you if you are stuck for something to say and to add extra weight to your answers. Remember expressions demonstrate an advanced knowledge of English and will gain you a higher score in the exam.

 

 

 

Starting the Speaking Part Two presentation

 

“I think I’m ready.”

“Can I start?”

“Shall I start?”

“Is that one minute?”

“I’d like to speak about…”

“I’m going to talk about…”

“I’ve chosen to present…”

“I’m really glad I got this topic because…”

“There were many things I could have spoken about but…”

“It’s a strange coincidence that I got this topic because just yesterday…”

“The only thing I could think of to speak about is…”

“This doesn’t exactly match the question, but…”

“There were many things I could have talked about, but I chose…”

 

Thinking aloud/ Filling silence

 

“What’s the next question?”

“Have I covered everything? Oh, no…”

“I can’t remember the name in English, but…”

“What else can I say? Well, I suppose…”

 

Vague answers

 

“…something like…”

“around/ about/ approximately/ more or less”

 

Getting back on topic

 

“Anyway,…”

“Where was I? Oh yes,…”

“Getting back to the questions on the sheet,…”

“I think I’m going off topic.”

 

Talking about things you can’t remember

 

“I can’t remember… exactly, but…”

“I can’t recall whether… or… not, but probably…”

“I’ve forgotten…, but…”

 

Ending the Speaking Part Two presentation

 

“That’s all I can think of to say.”

“That’s it” “

“I think I’ve covered everything.”

“Umm, that’s it.”

“I can’t think of anything else to say.”

“Can I stop there?”

“Is that enough?”

“Is that more than one minute?”