The blog post discusses using Chat GPT in English language teaching. It outlines pros such as time-saving and material generation, but highlights concerns around accuracy and ethical use. Guidance on refining prompts is also provided.
Having given a few teacher training workshops on the topic of AI in ELT, I thought it was about time I shared my thoughts on it here. Is it really the way forward? In the first of a series of blog posts on AI in teaching, let’s take a look at one of the basics – Chat GPT.
The author traditionally uses Christmas adverts as a basis for themed lessons, but was not inspired by John Lewis’ ad this year. Instead, the content for the current year’s lesson is centered on Aldi’s 2023 Christmas advertisement. The lesson, prepared on Google Slides, can be freely used and adapted by the readers.
As in previous years, I would like to share a Christmas lesson with you all. Anyone who has been a subscriber for a while will know how much I love to use the Christmas adverts to create a lesson which I can use with all my different classes in the lead up to Christmas. Unfortunately, unlike in previous years, I wasn’t inspired by the John Lewis Advertisement this year so have looked elsewhere to find something to get us into the holiday spirit.
The post discusses the importance of appropriate questioning techniques in CELTA courses to meet Cambridge’s criteria. Key distinctions between eliciting questions and Instruction Checking Questions (ICQs) are highlighted, emphasizing that eliciting questions uncover students’ prior knowledge, while ICQs verify students’ understanding of newly presented content. The common mistake of attempting to elicit unfamiliar subject matter is also addressed.
If you are currently doing a CELTA course or have already completed one, you may already be familiar with criteria reference number 5g:
5g using a range of questions effectively for the purpose of elicitation and checking of understanding
use questions for:
Source: Cambridge Assessment English, CELTA 5
Continue reading “CCQs vs Eliciting questions- what’s the difference?”An idea and some tips for planning a listening skills lesson using authentic materials.
Planning a listening skills lesson using authentic materials can be quite daunting. However, such a lesson will be so much more rewarding than one which relies on coursebook materials which, let’s face it, tend to offer nothing more than some dodgy acting in unrealistic situations.
Read more: A Listening Skills Lesson PlanTo choose your audio, you need to ask yourself similar questions to those you ask when planning a reading skills lesson.
I have chosen this TedTalk to use with my B2 level business English students.
Will my students enjoy listening to/watching it?
Yes, it is relevant to their current work situation and a topic which often comes up in our classes.
Is the length suitable?
This recording is around 4 minutes long, which is manageable. Any longer, I would have to consider either breaking it down into smaller chunks or just using an excerpt.
Is the level of English suitable?
Yes, my B2 students will find it challenging enough but I don’t expect any major problems.
Does it have a particular language focus I could exploit before or after the listening skills practice?
There are some useful words which students may regularly hear/read in their international work environment.
My Lesson Plan
Give the students the following words and ask them, in small groups, to predict what they think the recording will be about.
2. Feedback on pre-listening task
Gather students ideas of what the recording will be about and put their ideas on the board (giving them something to focus on while watching/listening)
3. Provide the students with practice in listening for gist.
Simply ask the students to watch/listen and see if their predictions were right.
4. Provide the students with practice in listening for detail.
Ask the students to watch/listen again and make notes on the “four things which work well” in hybrid working. You can provide the students with some clues if you like as I have below but this might not be necessary (think about what your students can handle).
| Key Point | What she says – add to the notes below |
| Anchor Days | – overlap with …….. – watercooler….. |
| Plan spontaneity | – structuring unstructured time – 6-7 minutes – one word |
| Use the right tools to communicate | – video ….. – email …. – take a break – one-to-one ….. |
| Commit to the new culture | – who? – mixed messages… |
5. Post-listening fluency task
As a round-up to the lesson I would suggest having the students discuss the pros and cons of hybrid working.
6. Alternative post-listening task or something for the next lesson
It could be a good idea to get students to write a summary to give to their manager based on what they have learned from the video.
Have you got any good listening skills lesson ideas that you can share?
CELTA Online or CELTA face-to-face, which one should you do?
Before the pandemic I was very much against the idea of the online environment for language learning. I felt that an online classroom would not provide the active participation opportunities the physical classroom offers. I freely admit that I was wrong as you can also read in one of my earlier blog posts. Even now that my school has gone back to classroom teaching, I continue to deliver some of my lessons online but what about delivering a CELTA course fully online?
Looking for ideas for a reading skills lesson?
I want to provide my students with practice in the reading subskills, what do I need to do to start planning?
Whether you are teaching solely online or managing to combine your online lessons with some socially distanced, face to face teaching as I am, technology is where it’s at. My top five ELT tools change regularly depending on what I’ve read/ heard about recently but in no particular order here are my top 5 at the time of writing …
The Ultimate Guide to CELTA 