Teachers often complain, not without reason,  about teaching large classes.  These unlucky teachers not only suffer from the pedagogical shortcomings of large classes, but also from the stress these classes produce. This post will try to answer the following questions:

What are large classes?
What makes large classes difficult to teach?
What techniques make it possible for students to learn in these classes?

Large classes
It is difficult to set a definition of what a large class is. In  some countries, a class with 30 students is not considered at all problematic. In other countries, …

In the dogme approach new metaphors are used to describe English language learning. Two of these metaphors are called affordance and emergence.
Affordance
Traditionally  input was seen as all words, contexts, and other forms of language to which a learner is exposed. Input in this sense is said to provide a basis for acquiring proficiency in first or second languages. The problem with input in the context of language acquisition is that it should be slightly above the level of the learner. Krachen in his Input Hypothesis noticed that providing comprehensible input …

Learner centeredness  is a key element in Dogme approach. The learner is taken into account, freeing him from the dictatorship of the published textbooks. The focus is on conversational communication between learner and teacher and any material introduced must be relevant.
The following presentation, by Nick Robinson, introduces the principles upon which Scott Thornbury builds the Dogme Approach. It also tries to answer the question of the relevance of the Web in the classroom:

Making it relevant: Dogme, the Web and business English materials from Nick Robinson

Because teaching has become too lightweight, too frivolous and not rigorous enough, High Demand Teachers call on for a tweak in the current methods of teaching. They contend that we should ask more from our students, push them further and ask them to work harder. Demand High Teaching is just probing a bit more and exploiting opportunities for deeper learning and language acquisition. It is not a method or approach; it’s about demanding a better quality no matter what approach or method teachers choose.
In the following presentation, Jim Scrivener explains …

What are some cultural shifts in our fast changing world, that have an impact on our own learning as educators? How can we start thinking differently about learning?

Learning2learn from Silvia Rosenthal Tolisano

Teacher Talk
One of the most important requirements for optimal language learning is to provide the appropriate environment for learners to develop language skills. Such environment must include appropriate (and necessary) language input for learners. Teacher talk in the classroom constitutes one major source of this input. There is, however, an ongoing debate on how much of this talk is necessary and on whether students be given enough room for reflection on and use of language.
The evil part of  a high TTT
Why are some teachers talking too much?
Let’s look at some …

Comprehensible input
Suppose you are an EFL learner, would you learn anything with a teacher who uses a language you don’t understand at all?
The answer is straight forward learning takes place when we have enough clues about the message being intended by the speaker! It would be a waste of time or worse a demotivating factor if a teacher is reluctant to help learners by providing a language slightly above his level, a language that  is comprehensible but at the same time provides new learning possibilities.
This is a video in which …

What is 21st century-learning. What will be our priorities? How shall we deal with learning and teaching? Will the methods have to change? What about technology?

21st Century Classroom from ISU Workforce Training

Traditionally, grammar is taught first; it has primacy over vocabulary. Vocabulary items were just vehicles to explain grammatical structures. In other words this kind of teaching gives primacy to form and uses lexical items simply as a way to give examples of the structures taught previously.  That’s why, in most traditional textbooks, grammar comes first and it is only later that reading and vocabulary are introduced.
Recently, however, meaning has become of paramount importance in language teaching (or shall I say learning) process. As Widdowson, H. G. (1990: p. 95) points out:
Teaching …

Wallwisher is a web 2.0 application that enables users to share brief notes, pictures and videos in the digital classroom. It is a really easy way to connect your classroom with  Web 2.0. Wallwisher is located at wallwisher.com.
Wallwisher can be used to teach in different ways:

Ask a question and let students provide answers.
Let students discuss a topic. Make the wall a free zone where they can argue about a topic, convince their peers, or simply have their say.