ELT365 · Day 192 — Discussion tasks: build in a clear outcome
Idea — Discussion without a clear outcome trails off. Give learners a decision to reach, a list to rank, or a recommendation to make — something…
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ELT365 · Day 188 — Error correction in fluency tasks: the delayed rule
Idea — During fluency tasks, correct errors after the task, not during. Immediate correction interrupts communication, raises anxiety, and trains learners to speak in short, safe…
ReadELT365 · Day 190 — From mechanical to meaningful drills
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…
ReadELT365 · Day 189 — Drilling: choral then individual
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…
ReadELT365 · Day 183 — Fluency vs accuracy: the tension at the heart of production
Idea — Fluency means communicating meaning without interruption; accuracy means using form correctly. Every speaking and writing task sits somewhere on the scale — and you…
ReadELT365 · Day 186 — Information-gap activities
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…
ReadELT365 · Day 185 — Transactional and interactional speaking
Idea — Speaking serves two broad purposes: transactional (getting something done — buying, asking directions) and interactional (building rapport — chat, small talk). Learners need practice…
ReadELT365 · Day 184 — Controlled to freer practice
Idea — Practice moves along a cline: controlled (drills, gap-fills) builds accuracy with heavy support; freer (role-play, discussion) builds fluency with little. Most lessons should travel…
ReadELT365 · Day 183 — Fluency versus accuracy
Idea — Accuracy work prioritises getting form right; fluency work prioritises keeping going. Mixing the two — correcting hard during a fluency task — usually kills…
ReadELT365 · Day 182 — Productive skills: getting language out
Idea — Speaking and writing are productive skills — learners generate language rather than receive it. Both need accuracy (correct form) and fluency (smooth flow), and…
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