´óÏó´«Ã½
World Service and British Council launch website for English teachers
Teachers
of English as a foreign language around the world will have a new
online resource from Thursday 5 December.
The
result of a joint initiative between the ´óÏó´«Ã½ World Service and the
British Council, the free site -
– will provide a practical resource for materials, activities
and tips for teaching.
Downloadable
audio files and photocopiable documents will provide a rich resource
for English teachers.
It
will build a valuable archive of articles on teaching theory and
techniques.
Described
as 'for teachers...by teachers', it also aims to act as a forum
to help teachers of English exchange thoughts, ideas and materials.
The
site has been specifically designed for non-native speaker teachers
of English working in state schools around the world and will be
particularly useful where classroom resources are scarce and class
sizes are large.
About
5,000 people have joined the mailing list and were the first to
try out the new website.
"The
strength of the site is that much of the content is created by teachers
for teachers," says online producer Callum Robertson.
"We
are delighted by teachers' enthusiasm and with the quality of their
contributions."
Positive
feedback has already arrived from places as diverse as Algeria,
Russia and China. Many teachers comment on the clarity of the layout
and relevance of the content.
Raquel
in Brazil, for example, is at the beginning of her career. She considers
the site "outstanding" and says, "I will be here
everyday to learn."
Patrick,
a more experienced teacher, writes, "Your one-page quizzes
have proved a useful change in the routine".
He
is one of many who are pleased with the download and printable elements
on the site that allow teachers to take quick tips, audio clips
or more complex lesson plans straight to the classroom.
A discussion
of the use of translation in the classroom has generated a lot of
material from teachers, and the editors look forward to more tips,
ideas and suggestions which can be shared.
The
new website is the latest example of some excellent collaboration
between the British Council and the ´óÏó´«Ã½ World Service.
By
joining forces, both organisations hope to provide a useful resource
to help improve the quality of English language teaching in schools
around the world.
Notes
to Editors
Both
the British Council and ´óÏó´«Ã½ World Service receive funding from the
UK government for their work.
The
project is non-commercial and as such all content and material on
the site is and will always be free to access.
´óÏó´«Ã½
English is the production department that provides World Service
radio and online materials to learners and teachers of English around
the world.
Since
1996 it has run an extensive website for learners at .
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