Idea — Schema is prior knowledge — everything a learner already knows about a topic, text type, and situation. Activating it before reading speeds up comprehension and reduces cognitive load. Example — Before reading a…
Idea — Intensive reading asks learners to process a short text very carefully: every word, every grammatical signal, every implication. It is the opposite of skimming. Use it with short, rich texts where the detail…
Idea — Scanning means moving across a text quickly to locate a specific piece of information, ignoring everything else. It is what we do reading a menu or a train timetable. It needs a clear…
Idea — Skimming is reading quickly to identify the general topic or main point. It is a skill, not a natural behaviour — learners need to practise ignoring detail to get the overview. Example —…
Idea — A B2 authentic text can be used with A2 learners if the task asks only for top-level gist. The text provides exposure; the task sets the achievable challenge. This distinction frees up your…
Idea — Authentic audio (podcasts, broadcasts, real conversations) exposes learners to natural speech rate and connected speech. Graded recordings control input for clarity. Neither is always right. Example — A1 learners need graded input to…
Idea — After checking answers, a post-listening stage connects the text to learners’ language use. Without it, the lesson ends at comprehension — a passive skill. The post stage is where the language moves. Example…
Idea — Good while-listening tasks focus attention without demanding so much cognitive load that learners stop listening. Multiple-choice with four options, long-form note-taking, and reading dense text while listening all compete for processing. Example —…
Idea — In a jigsaw task, different learners hear different parts of a recording. They then share information to complete the whole picture. The information gap creates a real communicative need. Example — Group A…
Idea — Bottom-up processing is the decoding work: recognising phonemes, words, and chunks in the stream of speech. Learners who struggle with connected speech need bottom-up practice, not just more listens. Example — Dictation and…