Informed Language Teacher

The Informed Language Teacher is a free educational resource aimed at helping language teachers, particularly trainees, gain deeper insights into the principles and research underpinning effective language teaching. Curated by Steve Smith, a former teacher and educator, the site is structured into several thematic sections, each featuring articles, videos, and podcasts on topics like motivation, cognitive science, input and output theories, communicative language teaching, and vocabulary development.

The site provides accessible links to high-quality research and pedagogical materials without promoting any specific teaching approach, making it a valuable tool for language teachers seeking evidence-based strategies to improve classroom practice. It covers both foundational concepts and new findings, appealing to educators wanting to stay informed and critically engaged with language acquisition research.

For more details, visit:

https://www.informedlanguageteacher.com/

The Presidential Ham by @bijijoo (Thanks to @NaoCasanova)

The Presidential Ham is a satirical website that humorously critiques American political figures and events. The site uses the concept of "The Presidential Ham" as a fictional, slightly absurd award to comment on U.S. politics with wit and humor. 

By embracing the quirky idea of a "presidential ham," the site playfully examines the actions, statements, and controversies of the presidents of the United States.

Given the current U.S. elections, this resource could be useful in English class to work on physical and character descriptions.

You can find it here:

https://presidentialham.com/

https://bijijoo.com/

The Georgian Theatre Royal Education Pack

This resource is an educational pack about Georgian theatre, provided by the University of York. It offers background on 18th-century theatre history, focusing on aspects like playhouses, actors, and the role of theatre in society. 

The pack includes practical activities, discussion questions, and resources aimed at students and teachers to enhance their understanding of Georgian theatre, its development, and its cultural significance.

https://www.york.ac.uk/media/english/images/thelifeoftheplayhouse/Georgian%20Theatre%20Education%20Pack.pdf

CommonLit library

The CommonLit library is a free online resource that provides a vast collection of high-quality reading materials for students and educators. It includes a diverse range of texts, such as short stories, poems, articles, and historical documents, designed to help students from grades 3 to 12 improve their reading, writing, and critical thinking skills. The library offers texts that cover various genres, themes, and reading levels, making it adaptable for different educational needs.

Each text in the CommonLit library is accompanied by comprehension questions, discussion prompts, and sometimes paired texts to support literacy instruction. Teachers can create accounts to assign readings to their students and track progress. The platform is used widely in classrooms to support reading development and align with academic standards like Common Core.

You can explore the library here:

https://www.commonlit.org/en/library?initiatedFrom=library

Jane the Brain: A cerebral adventure for our little ones

The recent World Mental Health Day reminded us of the importance of taking care of our minds, especially from a young age. And for our little ones, learning about the brain in a fun and educational way is essential. That's where Video Series Jane the Brain comes in!

What is Jane the Brain?

Jane the Brain is an animated video series that takes kids on a fascinating journey through the human brain. Through colorful animations and endearing characters, Jane explains complex neuroscience concepts in a simple and entertaining way. From how we learn and remember to how we feel emotions, Jane makes it all understandable.

Why is it important for children's mental health?

Normalizing emotions: Jane the Brain helps children understand that their emotions are normal and that everyone experiences them.

Fostering curiosity: By presenting the brain as a fascinating organ, the series sparks children's curiosity to learn more about themselves.

Developing social skills: The videos promote empathy and understanding of others' perspectives.

Reducing stigma: By openly discussing the brain and mental health, it helps to reduce the stigma associated with these topics.

How to use Jane the Brain at home or in the classroom?

Viewing sessions: Dedicate some time each week to watch Jane the Brain episodes with your family or in the classroom.

Complementary activities: Create fun and educational activities based on the video topics, such as drawings, role-playing, or simple experiments.

Open dialogue: Use the videos as a starting point for conversations about emotions, thoughts, and behaviors.

Find this amazing resource on:

https://www.nimh.nih.gov/get-involved/science-education/video-series-jane-the-brain

SoBrief: #ArtificialIntelligence to generate book summaries

SoBrief is an innovative AI-powered tool that provides concise and accurate summaries of a wide variety of books. Language teachers can leverage this platform to:

• Expand their reading horizons: Discover new works and literary genres quickly and easily.
• Enrich their classes: Use the summaries as a starting point for class discussions, literary analysis, or as a supplement to your teaching materials.
• Encourage reading among their students: Recommend books to students based on their interests and language proficiency levels.
• Save time: Avoid the tedious task of summarizing books yourself and devote more time to preparing more creative activities.

With SoBrief, teachers have access to summaries in multiple languages, which facilitates the integration of literature from different cultures into their classes and promotes the learning of foreign languages in a more engaging and meaningful way.

Find it on:

https://sobrief.com/

TalkEnglish.com

TalkEnglish.com is a free online platform designed to help users improve their English speaking, listening, and comprehension skills. It offers a wide range of resources, including:

Speaking lessons: focused on improving conversational skills for various contexts such as business, travel, and daily life.

Listening lessons: helps users improve their listening comprehension by providing audio conversations with transcripts.

Grammar lessons: covers essential English grammar rules and structures.

Vocabulary resources: provides lists of commonly used English words and phrases.

Interactive exercises: offers quizzes and practice exercises to reinforce learning.

The website is aimed at both beginners and advanced learners looking to enhance their English fluency, with structured lessons and practical tools.

https://www.talkenglish.com/

A Way with Words. Radio show and podcast

A Way with Words is a radio show and podcast that focuses on language, linguistics, and communication. Hosted by Martha Barnette and Grant Barrett, the program explores a wide range of topics related to words, grammar, slang, idioms, and the origins of phrases. It features listener questions about language usage, as well as discussions on how language evolves, its quirks, and its role in culture.

Listeners can call in or write with questions, making the show interactive and engaging for language enthusiasts. The podcast appeals to anyone curious about the intricacies of words and language in everyday life.

You can find the show on popular podcast platforms like: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts...

Some episodes are available on their YouTube channel:

https://www.youtube.com/@waywordradio

Episodes are available for streaming or download at:

https://waywordradio.org/