Why the music festival should have been unplugged

Note: This post is not an anti-technology piece as it may appear. I’m simply suggesting, as I have before, that tech should be employed only when it is necessary and adds something to the student learning experience. I’m also aware that I previously argued that we should put this discussion to bed, but this experience was too perfect a representation of my beliefs to ignore. Yes, I’m a hypocrite... In May I was lucky enough to attend an amazing event in Barcelona with loads of like-minded, interesting people. I was entertained, enriched and absorbed in a wonderful occasion, and...

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ELT Blog Challenge - An Interview With Beth Cagnol

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How Would You Teach Carlos Tevez?

For you non-football fans, Carlos Tevez is an Argentinian footballer who currently plays for Manchester City in England. He has lived in the UK since September 2006, playing for West Ham and Manchester United before he joined their bitter city rivals. He has never seemed entirely settled in the country, and now his family are living back in Argentina, including his two daughters. He often talks about leaving to be closer to them. On May 19th @MundoAlbicelest tweeted the following: I couldn’t help but imagine what Tevez has been like in the classroom. What kind of learning experiences...

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From Morrissey to Marmite - Why You Need To Help Your Students Find Their Passion

Morrissey, the British singer best known as the singer of the Smiths, is one of those decisive characters that is ever loved or hated in roughly equal measure. We have a phrase for that in British English, the Marmite effect, named after the particularly pungent yeast-based spread that seems to divide the public in two. This is something that Marmite themselves haven't been afraid to exploit, as you can see below: Anyway, back to Morrissey. It seems that he's an extreme example of the Marmite effect, as the people who dislike him appear to loathe him. He has been accused of racism on...

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