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Listen to BBc radio stations live. Radio on the Internet about different issues, podcasts, radio blogs, etc.



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Or try the NEWS, Sport, TV, the weather or the QUIZZES for your exams:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/apps/ifl/worldservice/quiznet/quizengine?ContentType=text/html;quiz=157_mobiles


you can also find very useful this link to EXAM SKILLS:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/radio/specials/1143_exams/



and all these interesting sections:Preparing Building vocabulary Writing exams
Listening exams Speaking exams Reading exams Advice from IATEFL Insider guides
Useful Links

"It's easy to waste time worrying about exams - even when they're still months away! But there's a great deal you can do to help yourself prepare thoroughly and perform well... We've created resources for every move you need to make - from choosing the right course in the first place and planning your revision, to improving your exam technique. Each unit contains a handy list of tips from teachers, examiners and students. You can also listen to short programmes and download transcripts. There are glossaries to help you understand the audio. You'll also find a unit of tried-and-tested advice from English language experts who took part in the 2006 International Annual IATEFL conference. And to help you choose the right exam for you, we begin a series of Insider guides to different exams. These are written by the institutions which create the exams. Read up on the Cambridge ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) exams and the Trinity College London Examinations. Coming soon ... there'll be a chance to put your questions to an English language revision expert and an English language examiner in a live web chat! And if you e-mail us with your strategies for revising, we'll pass on the best of your advice! You can send all your comments and recommendations to us at: mailto:learningenglish@bbc.co.uk?subject=Exam. "

TEACHING TODAY

MANY OF YOU WILL END UP BEING A TEACHER.
What kind of teacher do you want to be?
I've recently read that most of the teaching generation today are teaching in XXI c. have learnt how to do it in XX c. using XIX methodology. What do you have to say? Do you agree?
This will be the century of e-learning, all kind of technology in our hands
Let's have a look at what has come to stay...

A Vision of K-12 Students Today
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_A-ZVCjfWf8&feature=player_embedded



21st century Pedagogy
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l72UFXqa8ZU&NR=1




Learning to Change-Changing to Learn
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tahTKdEUAPk&feature=related




What Kind Of Teacher Do You Want To Be?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iBLempPVKVY&feature=related

http://vox-nova.com/2007/06/

Teaching English as a ‘global’ language?

Posted by Kati Sule here:

http://www.macmillandictionaryblog.com/teaching-english-as-a-global-language?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+macmillandictionaryblog+%28Macmillan+Dictionary+Blog%29

Do you remember one of our very fisrt posts, back in February "Teaching a Foreing Language? Best Teach in the accent of the Listener" ??

Now the question is Should English be taught as a ‘global’ language.??

A new video by David Crystal , answers the question:

Now it is up to you: do you agree with Mr. Crystal?

Should English be taught as a ‘global’ language?

Share your opinions with us.

--David Crystal is a writer, editor, lecturer, and broadcaster. Born in Lisburn, Northern Ireland in 1941, he spent his early years in Holyhead. He read English at University College London (1959-62), specialised in English language studies, did some research there at the Survey of English Usage under Randolph Quirk (1962-3), then joined academic life as a lecturer in linguistics, first at Bangor, then at Reading. He published the first of his 100 or so books in 1964, and became known chiefly for his research work in English language studies, in such fields as

intonation and stylistics, and in the application of linguistics to religious, educational and clinical contexts, notably in the development of a range of linguistic profiling techniques for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes.

More: http://www.davidcrystal.com/

PRACTICE: English Central.com videos.

http://www.englishcentral.com/en/videos

Our unique speech recognition platform allows you to practice SPEAKING with any video you choose and then get INSTANT FEEDBACK on how well you are doing.

TRY THE DEMO
Apple: Making a Difference
This Apple commercial pays tribute to people who make a difference.

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Beannachtaí na Féile Pádraig

thegreenroombar.wordpress.com/2009/03/
thelands.wordpress.com/.../
http://www.st-patricks-day.com/

"Welcome to St-Patricks-Day.com for 2010!Dedicated to the Irish & Irish at Heart all around the World. St. Patrick's Day is celebrated by the Irish and Irish at Heart in big cities and small towns alike with parades, "wearing of the green," music and songs, Irish food and drink, and activities for kids such as crafts, coloring and games. Its a time for fun. Some communities even go so far as to dye rivers or streams green! See all the Parades & Events going on around the World to celebrate St Patricks Day 2010 http://www.st-patricks-day.com/

Well now St. Patrick's Day wouldn't exist if not for the man himself! But how much do we know about him? Did you know that he spent six years of slavery in Ireland until he escaped and undertook religious training abroad? Read more about this great man!

Beannachtaí na Féile Pádraig is the Gaelic way of expressing a wish that you have all the blessings of St Patrick's Day and the "luck of the Irish" to go with it. There are many humorous explanations for this expression. One comes from the legend of the 'Little People' of the land, know as leprechauns. Finding or catching a leprechaun (who would then give you gold) was a lucky event that could only take place in Ireland ! The Irish are descendants of great Celtic and Viking fighters and invaders. Their natural fighting skills often ensured survival & hence they became known as the 'lucky' people .a classic case of making your own luck ! But then "The Luck of the Irish" may all be legend.Saint Patricks Day Parades Worldwide, Irish Pubs all around the globe, Fun Runs, Irish Associations, Irish Music Festivals, Irish Names, Irish Dancing Schools,Irish Music Irish Roots, Irish Festivals,Scottish Highland Games USA & Canada, as well as, Scottish Pipes & Drum Bands.St Patricks Day is for thinking about our Saint as well as a time to think of loved ones across the water.So, why is it celebrated on March 17th? One theory is that that is the day that St. Patrick died. Since the holiday began in Ireland, it is believed that as the Irish spread out around the world, they took with them their history and celebrations. The biggest observance of all is, of course, in Ireland. With the exception of restaurants and pubs, almost all businesses close on March 17th. Being a religious holiday as well, many Irish attend mass, where March 17th is the traditional day for offering prayers for missionaries worldwide before the serious celebrating begins".

May be some of the readers of this blog have attended some time St. Patrick's celebration and is eager to tell us!! You are all welcome, take a virtual"green pen" and start telling us. Happy St. Patrick's! Beannachtaí na Féile Pádraig!!

And some practice for your ears: do not miss these great videos on St. Patrick's Day: history, traditions, parades...

********* http://www.history.com/topics/st-patricks-day

Teaching a Foreign Language? Best Teach in the Accent of the Listener

ScienceDaily (Feb. 17, 2010) — Perception of second language speech is easier when it is spoken in the accent of the listener and not in the 'original' accent of that language, shows a new study from the University of Haifa. The study was published in the Journal of Psycholinguistic Research.

Many adult schools teaching second languages insist on exposing their students to the languages in their 'original' accents. However, this new study, carried out by Dr. Raphiq Ibrahim and Dr. Mark Leikin of the University of Haifa's Edmond J. Safra Brain Research Center for the Study of Learning Disabilities, Prof. Zohar Eviatar of the Department of Psychology and Prof. Shimon Sapir of the Department of Learning Disabilities, found that this system is not necessarily the best and certainly not the most expeditious.

The present study set out to reveal the level of phonological information that the adult learner requires in order to identify words in a second language that had been learned at a later age, and whether the level of phonological information that they require varies when the words are pronounced in different accents.

Read more:
Source:http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100216101326.htm

Do you agree with this?
Do you think you would then understand the natives' accent when talking to them?
Why does this seem to work better for adults?
Would you like to tell us about how this works for you?