Lyrics Training

I haven't posted anything in a while so you all might be well familiar with the website I'm going to recommend today!

Lyrics Training is a perfect site for both teachers and students who can practise listening while enjoying their favourite songs. And it's not just karaoke!

First, there as many as seven different languages to choose from, which means it's not only for EFL/ ESL students.

Once you decide on a song, you'll also be told what kind of, in this case, English that song is sung in - British, Canadian, Australian etc.

The next stage is choosing the level - beginner, intermediate or expert (not recommended as you'll have to fill up all the words!) and... off you go!

What I absolutely love about that site is that while you're supposed to fill the gaps, the song stops automatically and waits for you to do the job. And in case you feel the need to listen to a particular line again, no problem!

Just click the help button at the bottom and learn how to do it.

Simple and easy and totally free!

I used Lyrics Training as a warmer and at the end of my class with teenagers as a reward :)
We have overhead projectors and IWBs in every classroom so it was possible to enjoy it together in class. You may want to, however, set listening to a particular song as homework.

Now, we all know that gap filling is outdated and mechanical but if you listen to a song you like and learn something at the same time, things can't go wrong!

My students loved the site and I hope yours will find it useful too!

Have fun!

ELT Spain

I began looking for events or teachers' associations the moment I started living in Spain.
The problem is... it's all kind of chaotic in here!

There's TESOL Spain that organizes a conference once a year but unless you live in Madrid or Barcelona, your chances of being close to any form of professional development are rather slim. If you don't specifically look for an event, there is no way you'll find it.

That is why I've decided to create a ELT Spain page on Facebook. It's a site for any enthusiastic EFL teachers based in Spain (and not only!). I created it as a meeting place - hopefully, it'll become a great sharing and developing centre in the future.
Anyone can post on the ELT Spain wall, as long as you're going to tell us something related to ELT of course :)

Do you want to share an interesting idea?
Have you heard of an ELT event organized in your area?

Feel free to contribute and join in!

Where have you been?

Dear all,

I’ve been planning to blog again and/or explain my absence so many times, that, to be honest, I lost count. 

Having a blog IS like having a baby and, I ‘m very sorry for my readers and my blog – I HAVE neglected you.

The thing is – I was never planning to do so. But... it happened. Somehow.

New country, new city, new job, new working hours, new people… and a language I didn’t know (and still struggle with).

So suddenly it was either, or…

It’s a cliché to say I didn’t have time but that’s exactly what it was like. Coming home around 8 or 9 p.m. (lucky me!) definitely didn’t contribute to the success of this blog.  And at the weekend – there was so much to read and so much to catch up with that after a few weeks, I had to give up. Either do your job well or don’t do it at all.

The consequences have been grave indeed.

Apart from feeling completely left out and pretty much clueless about the most recent events and scandals of ELT, my blog has disappeared from quite a few blogrolls.

A few days ago, my Twitter account has been hacked and had it not been for Vicky Loras, I wouldn’t have even realized. That was a shock.

And me?

I’ve read, travelled a bit, tried teaching myself Spanish, made friends.

Am I happy?

Very much indeed :) But I miss Istanbul terribly.

So now what?

Having spent a year in Pamplona working for the local IH, I have recently moved to Zaragoza where I’ll also work for IH.  

Will I have time to blog?

I do hope so!

Keep your fingers crossed for me (again)!