All content by Mark is listed below:
I got my first teaching job in 1984, working at a large boy's secondary school in El Obeid, Sudan. This experience made it very clear to me that there's a lot more to teaching English than just being able to speak the language!
Event date:
Saturday, March 10, 2018 - 15:30
"If it weren't for the hands, the clock would be useless" (Polish proverb). A detailed description of the phonology of English is of no use in pronunciation teaching if it is not combined with a consideration of learners' needs, especially in a world where English is a global lingua franca. In this talk, we will explore the implications of this idea. Download the slides below - 2 PDF files.
Tuesday - February 6th, 2018
This simple activity always gets the class deeply involved in thinking about grammar in a colloborative and enjoyable way. It is based on an idea in Grammar Games by Mario Rinvolucri and has long been one of our favourites!
Tuesday - February 6th, 2018
In this simple activity, students write a poem using only a limited number of given words. The limited words are important - first of all, they oblige the students to use the target grammar form, and secondly, the constraint of having a limit actually helps their creativity.
Tuesday - February 6th, 2018
1. The game is played in small groups. Each group has a board and dice and each player has a counter, which they place on the START square.
Wednesday - January 31st, 2018
This activity is especially good for young learners, who can sing along and mime the actions in the song.
Saturday - January 27th, 2018
Motvation Island is a map of ideas that teachers can explore when looking for new strategies to motivate their classes. Download a copy of the map below, a colour slide for powerpoints, and a two-page article explaining the map.
Event date:
Saturday, February 17, 2018 - 16:00
Venue:
Pronunciation: The Missing Link
Location:
University of Chester, Parkgate Campus
Tonic stress is a speaker’s use of emphasis to focus a listener’s attention. It’s an aspect of the speaking skill which is often neglected, but is crucial signalling the connections between ideas in both monologues and dialogues. Here’s a quick example:
To be // or not to be
Wednesday - January 17th, 2018
Event date:
Saturday, February 17, 2018 - 10:00
IATEFL PronSIG is holding an event in the beautiful city of Chester on February 17th. Only 2 hours by train from London, Chester is a place steeped in layers of history, and the event will take place at the city's University. 'Pronunciation: the Missing Link'.
Tuesday - January 16th, 2018
Event date:
Tuesday, January 16, 2018 - 10:30
The PronPack Sound Chart isfeatured on the cover Modern English Teacher Volume 27 Issue 1, January 2018. Inside, there is my article on the hexagon vowel chart entitled 'Putting Vowels on the Map'. Plus, there is a review of PronPack by Brian Brennan in Ih Barcelona, including the following comments:
“Hancock’s approach is strikingly innovative”
Saturday - December 2nd, 2017
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