Sunday, October 17, 2010

New in this forum: the new books section

We have just added a new section to our forum to inform our readers about new publications in the field of ELT in Tunisia. We encourage the forum's members to send us an email including a snapshot of their book cover pages and a few words about it and we will spread the word by posting the information here.

We will inaugurate this section by talking about two books which have been published recently:


English Is The Key for 9th year Basic Education:
By Neji NECIBI
This is a workbook for 9th Year Basic Education pupils with more than 90 activities covering vocabulary, language and writing. The book helps students to feel comfortable with reading comprehension, to boost their writing skills, and to review their vocabulary and grammar.
The book has more than 110 pages with an answers section.
The book's author may be contacted via email here: nejincibi@gmail.com

You may have a look at some pages of the book here.

Mother Sissi And The Cozy Cat:
By Mohamed Salah ABIDI & Tarak BRAHMI
This is a short story for readers aged 10 to 15 years old (8th Year Basic Education, 9th Year Basic education, 1st year Secondary Education, and 2nd Year Secondary Education). The book is part of a new series of short books ( Smart Reader Book Series) in English targeting beginner, intermediate and upper-intermediate pupils.
The idea behind this series stems from the authors' conviction that reading stories should be part and parcel of the curriculum if we want our pupils to shine in the English language. This goes hand in hand with the general trend and conviction in Tunisia that the English language should have a prominent role in our students' education.
Teachers may use the books to foster the learners' reading skills and to enhance their appreciation of the English language both inside and outside the classroom. 
The book authors may be contacted via email here: medsaha@gmail.com and tarakbrahmi@gmail.com
You may have a look at some pages of the book here.
 Comments:

"The story is deeply seated in our cultural make- up.It is part and parcel of our collective memory .It has been beautifully revisited   because it carries along noble values.
Mother Sissi  and The Cozy cat is everybody’s book for  Mother Sissi  is everybody’s  story.
The title of  the story  pleases  the ears of both old and young  because it calls to mind ,for many, a  special  far off scent. The language is simple and the values triggered are universal .The content is framed in an easy to understand way
The authors’ use of Mother  Sissi  ‘s tale  is brilliantly  thoughtful and considerate.
In a word , Mother Sissi  and  her  Cozy Cat is worth reading because it teaches simple human values."
                                                                        Hamdi Hechmi
EFL teacher/Ibn Rochd School ,Maknassy

 "I personally appreciated Mother Sissy and the Cozy Cat for a number of reasons. First, the topic is very interesting (hard-working people are rewarded and wrong doers are punished). Second, many positive values have been highlighted (such as solidarity, maintaining family ties, importance of serious work, etc.). Third, the style of narration (particularly the language) has been very successful."
Mohamed Amri
English Language Inspector, Kasserine
“Mother Sissi and the Cozy Cat” is what we should recommend to our young sons and daughters. For beyond being a pleasure to read with three short songs throughout, the short story includes a three-page glossary at the end to round out information and an exercise section to test comprehension. It is a short story that our children will not be able to put down before coming to the last full stop."
Read the complete review here


Abdelhamid RHAIEM is currently teaching in the English department at l’Institut Supérieur des Langues de Gabes, University of Gabes. He is also a PhD student at the University of Manouba. His field of interest mainly includes Modern British Novel and feminist writings.





A Précis of Current English Grammar: grammar in context for upper-intermediate & advanced learners
By Neji CHAKROUN

This book is intended to learners of English who are in need to brush-up their English grammar knowledge, to review outside of class or to acquire new grammatical devices. It also presents information which can be consulted for reference. The book is also recommended for first & second year university students, CAPES candidates, candidates sitting for the TOEFL and TOIC exams.
The book's author can be contacted via email here: nejilam@yahoo.fr

The difficulties of language processing facing intermediate Tunisian learners of English in a CLT classroom

Article by Adnen Mansouri


Adnen Mansouri graduated from the College of Letters and Human Sciences of Sfax, Tunisia (FLSHS). He is undertaking an MA research on "The difficulties of language processing facing intermediate Tunisian learners of English in a CLT classroom".
Adnen Mansouri believes that his research "could be a good way to bring attention to a specific issue in the domain of TEFL. " He thinks that "intermediate Tunisian learners of English have problems with their oral proficiency and [...] that there is interference between L1 and TL (English) and there is appearance of an interlanguage."
Mr. Mansouri is sharing the introduction to his MA research on this forum. We thank him for allowing our blog members and readers to have a look at this interesting introduction and we will be glad to see your comments and reactions.  

Tuesday, October 5, 2010

The fourth issue of the The Tunisian English Teaching Forum

We are pleased to inform you that the fourth issue of the The Tunisian English Teaching Forum is out.
In this issue you can read:

Teaching, Learning, and Fairness by Steve PEHA
Meeting the needs of all learners in a diverse society through reading.

Classroom Management for Young Learners by Noamen AMARA
How to create a positive learning environment through good classroom management.

Interview
With our special guest for this issue, Patricia Donaghy.

Tutorial by Tarak BRAHMI
Creating interactive activities with JClic author.

Ten great online resources for teachers
Review of 10 websites that provide videos, photos and audio files for free.

The lighter side
Riddles, puns,and jokes.

To download your copy of the magazine, use the "download" button on issuu. You can also email us and we will send you your own copy.
You can send your feedback and comments here or on issuu.

Thursday, September 9, 2010

The website of the month: New Brunswick

By Tarak Brahmi

This website is a complete toolkit for the teacher who wants to be a tech-savvy. What is more, it has what we really need: video tutorials that show you exactly where to start and how to finish.
The video tutorials clearly and subtly show you how to unzip or compress files,  move files to and from your laptop,  research the internet,  manipulate and edit photos,  work with sound,  use the print screen, use PowerPoint, Photostory, MS Paint., etc.. It also has a handy list of keyboard shortcuts to help you save precious time. If you have ever thought about how to create a website from scratch, this site has excellent video tutorials to guide you through this process.
Check some of the site's content here:
Photostory 3 PowerPoint Working with sound Web Design


Everything is minutely organised and there are activities and quizzes with every tutorial.

Monday, September 6, 2010

Fun Ways for Foreign Students to Learn English

By Amira Anuar (*)

With the right games and activities, learning can turn into a lot of unexpected fun! A successful way of teaching English to foreign students is to teach them through games, allowing them to learn and reinforce lessons of grammar, vocabulary, and pronunciation. There are many different kinds, ranging from simple to complicated, active to quiet, individual-based and group-based. Here are some of the most engaging games and activities for students of various ages and levels.

• AgameAday: Agameaday.com has thousands of games and puzzles for use both online and in print, with two different learning levels. They entertain and encourage learning, problem solving, and creative thinking.
• Easy Vocabulary Quizzes with Pictures: Located here are interactive vocabulary quizzes that ask learners to match the pictures with the corresponding noun, verb, or adjective.
• English4Kids: Here are a number of fun and interactive games that can be used in the classroom. There are printable board and card games, as well as interactive games similar to Wheel of Fortune, Billionaire, Show Down, and Quiz shows.
• English Educational Games for Kids: Here you’ll find two fun games for children. There are two versions of hangman, one with colors and one with fruits and vegetables. There are two versions of the game called Memory Squares that asks you to match a word with each corresponding picture.
• English Ladder: Take a few minutes to register (for free) and then take English quizzes that can be for ESL learners of all levels. The website will remember your score and allow users to see their progress as they take harder quizzes.
• ESL Kids World: As the site states, these interactive games and quizzes will help kids do a lot of self-education. With over 40 games, there’s no end to the fun!
• ESL Online Learning Games: For the beginner, located here are number of online games that teach the basics, such as the alphabet, learning simple vocabulary, and matching words to their appropriate picture.
• Flash Quizzes: Here you can take interactive online quizzes nonstop, on topics including grammar, vocabulary, culture, and even random trivia.
• I'm Reading!: This website has many colorful and interesting stories that students can read on the screen. Stories include myths, comics, folk tales, and Chinese fables. For those who cannot read all the words, you can click on individual words in the stories and a voice will read them out to you.
• Interactive ESL Crossword Puzzles: These fun and interactive online crosswords are sure to reinforce your vocabulary skills. There are three different levels, as well as links to even more fun grammar games and interactive exercises.
• iT's for Teachers: On this page are classroom activities from the quarterly magazine, iT’s for Teachers, a resource for teachers and learners of the English language. Here you can find a variety of fun games on topics ranging from Robin Hood to Toy Story 3.
• LearnEnglish Kids: This colorful and attractive website is geared towards kids and teaching them to learn English. Young ESL students can take advantage of these games too!
• Printable ESL Crossword Puzzle Worksheets: Here are a large amount of fun and attractive crosswords, for your printing pleasure!
• Skillswise: On this website are a number of word games that teach grammar rules, spelling, reading, and writing. For example, a fun reading game is called “Can you find out who killed Angela Spelling?” which tests reading speed and accuracy.
• SpellBinder: This cool game lets kids practice their spelling and writing skills by first selecting a topic to write on, selecting the words to practice writing with, attempt to spell them, and then use them in a story.
• TeachingEnglish - Activities: Here you will find a wide variety of classroom activities in many areas. The activities are detailed, simple to understand, and easily duplicated. There are sections on reading, vocabulary, writing, revision, and many others.

(*) Amira Anuar is a guest blogger for My Dog Ate My Blog and a writer on online schools for Guide to Online Schools.

Best wishes for the new school year!

With the holidays in the rear-view mirror, teachers are now busy getting ready for a new and exciting school year. On the occasion of the beginning of the school year 2010-2011, we would like to express our best wishes  for teachers in Tunisia and all over the world.

Contents

Loading...
Gadget by The Blog Doctor.