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      Articles on literature

      Ideas on how to use literature in your classes with all ages.

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      4

      Using Dickens in class

      Charles Dickens was born in 1812 and the British Council has been helping to celebrate his 200th birthday. One way that we have done this is by making teaching materials which can help teachers introduce Dickens into their lessons.  If you go to http://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/dickens you will find a lot of material.  There is a performance of readings from Dickens with music.  This is 1 hour 27 minutes, and you could use it all, or sections.  There is a series of short (up to 5 minutes) videos about some of the characters from Dickens’ novels, the ‘Heroes and Villains’, and there are 14 lesson plans with materials to use in your classes.

      Some English teachers teach English language only, and some teach English literature only, but many (for example in secondary schools around the world) probably have to cover both.  Why would

      4.02247

      Using poems to develop productive skills

      You and your students might already enjoy reading and listening to poetry in your own language and perhaps in English too. Poems are, after all, authentic texts.

      3

      Writing picture books

      Following on from Sandie Mourão’s article referring us to the importance of picture books, and their application across a variety of age groups, we a

      4.421685

      A Spice Island

      Our guest walked down the aircraft steps onto the tarmac and was greeted by a small band and a few dancers dressed in traditional costume.  I wondered if I should tell him that we hadn’t arranged the reception and that it wasn't for him. I mumbled an explanation, but I don't think I was heard.

      4.32353

      Get lit up: literature as a teacher's best friend

      Literature. Quite a divisive word, that. Throw it through an open window into a room full of language teachers and most will dive behind furniture, fingers in their ears and looks of horror on their faces.

      3.965515

      Complete poetry resuscitation

       A lot of teachers get the same look - the sigh, the rolling eye, the slump. "We're going to be doing poetry in the next few classes". You cringe through it, they cringe through it.

      3.673915

      Using poems to develop receptive skills

      I like to bring poetry into the classroom because I believe that it is important and motivating for students to work with authentic texts.

      4.09091

      Creating a class play

      In this article a teacher reflects on his experiences of creating plays and using them to help motivate students to develop their English.

      A to Z list

      4.421685

      A Spice Island

      Our guest walked down the aircraft steps onto the tarmac and was greeted by a small band and a few dancers dressed in traditional costume.  I wondered if I should tell him that we hadn’t arranged the reception and that it wasn't for him. I mumbled an explanation, but I don't think I was heard.

      3.965515

      Complete poetry resuscitation

       A lot of teachers get the same look - the sigh, the rolling eye, the slump. "We're going to be doing poetry in the next few classes". You cringe through it, they cringe through it.

      4.09091

      Creating a class play

      In this article a teacher reflects on his experiences of creating plays and using them to help motivate students to develop their English.

      4.32353

      Get lit up: literature as a teacher's best friend

      Literature. Quite a divisive word, that. Throw it through an open window into a room full of language teachers and most will dive behind furniture, fingers in their ears and looks of horror on their faces.

      3.827585

      Learning English through children's literature

      This article is about the British Council's Young Learners Centre in Paris and how they use children's literature in their teaching of English

      Most popular

      4.421685

      A Spice Island

      Our guest walked down the aircraft steps onto the tarmac and was greeted by a small band and a few dancers dressed in traditional costume.  I wondered if I should tell him that we hadn’t arranged the reception and that it wasn't for him. I mumbled an explanation, but I don't think I was heard.

      4.32353

      Get lit up: literature as a teacher's best friend

      Literature. Quite a divisive word, that. Throw it through an open window into a room full of language teachers and most will dive behind furniture, fingers in their ears and looks of horror on their faces.

      4.09091

      Creating a class play

      In this article a teacher reflects on his experiences of creating plays and using them to help motivate students to develop their English.

      4.02247

      Using poems to develop productive skills

      You and your students might already enjoy reading and listening to poetry in your own language and perhaps in English too. Poems are, after all, authentic texts.

      4

      Storytelling - benefits and tips

      We often give stories to our students to read, but how often do we tell them a story? This article looks at the benefits of storytelling and gives advice on performance skills

      Your comments

      JacklineSmith's picture

      JacklineSmith
      United States of America

      In addition to skills and ability, English level matters a lot. That's the first impression on...
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      chuaxadanho97's picture

      chuaxadanho97
      Vietnam

      There are quite a lot of teaching materials on pronunciation. I often surf the internet and...
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      matbury's picture

      matbury
      Spain
      This is a nice summary with the pros and cons but I think those who are unfamiliar with TBLL would...
      read comment