Idea — Controlled practice gives learners little freedom — they produce a specific form in a predictable context. It belongs right after presentation: build accuracy before you open the task. Example — After presenting reported…
Idea — Mechanical drills (simple repetition or substitution) fix form; meaningful drills make learners choose words based on real information. Move from mechanical to meaningful so practice connects to actual use. Example — After substituting…
Idea — An information gap means Learner A holds information Learner B needs, and vice versa. It creates a genuine communicative purpose — they must speak to complete the task. Example — Student A has…
Idea — Drilling rehearses pronunciation and form through repetition: choral (whole class together, low pressure) before individual (one learner, accountable). It buys confidence before learners perform alone. Example — Model "I've never been to Spain",…
Idea — Fluency means communicating meaning without interruption; accuracy means using form correctly. Every speaking and writing task sits somewhere on the scale — and you design where. Example — A five-minute conversation task with…
Idea — Open discussions often die because the question is dull, the answer is one word, or stronger voices dominate. Concrete, divisive prompts and small groups keep everyone talking. Example — "Should phones be banned…
Idea — Productive skills are speaking and writing — skills where learners generate language rather than receive it. They require learners to retrieve, organise, and produce form and meaning simultaneously. Example — A learner answers…
Idea — Role-plays put learners into situations — job interview, complaint, doctor's visit — to rehearse real language safely. Clear roles, a goal and a setting make them work; vague set-ups make them flop. Example…
Idea — This month covered the full receptive skills toolkit: top-down and bottom-up processing, gist and detail tasks, skimming and scanning, text selection, lead-ins, and the five-stage lesson frame. Example — Quick check: D155 introduced…
Idea — An information gap means each learner holds something the other needs, creating a real reason to communicate. The gap forces negotiation of meaning, the engine of fluency practice. Example — Student A has…