In this section, you will find a number of articles, which have been written to help you develop your skills and knowledge as a teacher in the professional practice 'Understanding learners'. From primary-aged students to retired learners, the articles you will find here are practical, insightful and full of ideas to support your teaching and planning for all kinds of classrooms.

Find useful articles
The child as a learner - methodology article

The child as a learner 1

This is the first in a two-part article which explores how young children learn languages and what we as teachers can do to help them and their parents to make this process more enjoyable and positive.

Keeping teens interested - methodology article

Keeping teens interested

Many English teachers would probably agree that teenagers are the most difficult age group to teach. Sometimes our teenage students do not want to be in class in the first place and often their minds can be on other things when we are giving an English lesson.

Neuro Linguistic Programming in ELT

NLP (Neuro Linguistic Programming) has been around in language teaching longer than we may realise. Those teachers who incorporate elements of suggestopedia, community language learning, music, drama and body language into their lessons are already drawing on NLP as it stood twenty years ago.

Sociocultural awareness in ELT

The sociocultural element in learning is particularly sensitive in EFL because in acquiring a language there is, to some extent, an appropriation of a cultural identity too.

Thinking frames - methodology article - guest writers

Thinking frames

In this article I want to share with you a major thinking frame, that has been of great use to me in my teaching and that comes from the work of Antoine de la Garanderie, a major French pedagogical thinker.

Writing and elementary learners - writing article

Writing and elementary learners

This article is about bringing some energy and excitement to the process of writing in the classroom. It's about how to create a writing environment that is 'authentic' and purposeful.

Research and insight

Browse fascinating case studies, research papers, publications and books by researchers and ELT experts from around the world.

See our publications, research and insight