A useful simplification and generalisation for Beginner to Lower Intermediate level students is that uncountable nouns cannot be counted. Sadly, this is not absolute; they are not exceptions to the rule. Many, if not most, "uncountables" can in fact be counted. Waters, fishes and two lagers all exist, and many "uncountable" plurals are actually quite common. Advanced learners should know this, which and when and why.
This session covers the Report and Review options of Cambridge English's Advanced C1 Writing examination. (We call it CAE because that is how it is known, although its official name has changed to "C1 Advanced".) This section of the examination focusses on genre, audience, purpose, Use of English and on assessing the candidate's range.
Click on the event title(s) below for more information. Leave your questions or comments below, or contact us for registration information. The events below are open group sessions from our Seminars, Advanced Use of English and Professional Conversation programmes; contact us to ask about scheduling open on demand or closed private programmes.
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Research* shows that "round the class" reading (or round robin reading or reading in turns) is ineffective. So what works? This one-hour session reviews four highly-effective, teacher-friendly communicative approaches to unlocking a text and promoting reading comprehension, both explicit and implicit. The prompt is a G4 text on Volcanoes and activities are targetted at that level, although the model and approaches can be used all levels. For EFL, immersion and bilingual teachers, including teachers of subjects other than English.
This session covers the Writing section of Cambridge English's C1 Advanced examination. (Formerly CAE, its official name has changed to "C1 Advanced".) This section of the examination focusses on genre, audience, purpose, Use of English and on assessing the candidate's range.
Applying for a new position will often include an interview, or several, and just like an athlete prepares for a competition or an actor for a performance, teachers should prepare for an interview. Please scroll down for session feedback.
Lower Primary is all about gaining, inculculating and developing the skills and attitudes for success in Middle School and beyond. These sessions focus on both and are also applicable to Early Years and Middle School teachig and learning.
"New treatment destroys head and neck cancer tumours in trial"- a plug-and-play lesson involving Reading Comprehension, Use of English, vocabulary acquisition and development, speaking and listening and writing. For use with High School, college and adult learners at B2 and above levels in an EFL programme, or for Middle School and above in an E2L or bilingual programme. Based on a 60-minute lesson.
The third pair of modes (after oral and written language) is visual language, and with the same productive and receptive aspects. One of the significant differences between EFL and E2L / E1L is that the latter increasingly include the acquisition, development, analysis and response of visual language.
Student speaking often needs direction and guidance and of course speaking in one language can be quite different from speaking in another. While spontaneous, authentic speaking is of course among the teacher's goals, formal prepared speaking is also important. This session reviews a quck-and-easy, reliable, teacher-friendly method for assessing an oral presentation.
A selection of essays suitable for Advanced English users, students and teachers, and for literature teachers, teachers of Cambridge and IB literature or lang & lit programmes. Texts or text-links are sent to participants the day prior to the session(s) to allow for pre-reading. These sessions provide introductory overviews to the essays rather than in-depth literary analyses or methodology programmes.
Writing is hard. Very hard. There is a very good reason why we have one Shakespeare, one Orwell, one Cortazar and one Neruda. The most important time in developing a writer is during his/her Primary years; these sessions explore how to develop and implement an effective writing programme with successful plug-and-play teacher-friendly approaches.
A selection of short stories suitable for literature teachers, teachers of Cambridge and IB literature or lang & lit programmes, or advanced EFL high school and adult students. Sessions consider works chosen from Cambridge's IGCSE English Literature text lists*, many have also previously featured on IB prescribed book lists, and so are among the works studied worldwide by students at that level.
Early Years (aka Early Childhood or PK - K) teaching and learning is critical to Lower Primary success, and sets the student up for his/her entire academic career, so adopting and implementing appropriate philosophies and practices is essential. Each session in this selection of our most popular Early Years sessions include both ready-to-use strategies and a framework which can be applied to the rest of your Early Years programme.
Although the sessions and examples are in English, the approaches are suitable for programmes in other languages. Lower Primary and/or Infant teachers will also find these sessions useful.
A selection of practical sessions for current and prospective Heads of Department, Co-ordinators. Heads of Section and Academic Directors using real-world examples and applications. Sessions are not specific to any particular programme, or to leading an English Department
These sessions review tasks from recent Cambridge English "C1 Advanced" examinations. (We use "CAE", the examination's former name, because it is the more widely-known term in Chile.) They are not General English or Language acquisition and development sessions, but Exam Preparation : Practice; while we review possible responses, we do not explore the language behind correct and incorrect responses.
Texts or text-links are sent to participants before each session for prior review. This is a "Knowledge and Understanding" programme, with the addition of Language acquisition and development; participants are asked about the text's "explicit meaning" and any Language questions they may have. The Guided Discussion format also allows for Advanced Speaking Practice.
A plug-and-play lesson involving Reading Comprehension, Use of English, vocabulary acquisition and development, speaking and listening and writing. For use with High School, college and adult learners at B2 and above levels in an EFL programme, or for Middle School and above in an E2L or bilingual programme. Based on a 90-minute lesson.
Cambridge Primary Science should not be a subject, but a student's exploration of the world around him/her while s/he develops scientific inquiry and learns how to follow scientific practice. Science should be incorporated into daily activities and into the regular classroom; a laboratory and specialist equipment are not required; this science can be done on the top of a table.
Play for young(er) chidren is seen as "a good thing". It is often described as the child's "work" and "play-based" programmes abound. However play is frequently misunderstood and mis-applied, and it can have no educational value which is where purposeful play comes in. This session considers one view of Developmentally Appropriate play and how it can appear as an effective learning and teaching strategy.
