120-hour Course | Unit 17

ITTT 017

Unit 17 Equipment and teaching aids

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International TEFL and TESOL Training Where the world is your classroom

Unit 17 Equipment and teaching aids Teaching equipment

Many different teaching aids can be used to make lessons more interesting, effective and less dependent on the textbook. Different schools, of course, have different resources available to teachers.

Language academies and schools in less developed countries may still use old equipment that works just fine, without the need for the latest technology.

On the following pages we look at some of the resources often found in TEFL classrooms: White/black board Interactive whiteboard (IWB) n Overhead projector (OHP) n Visual aids n Worksheets and work cards n Cassette recorder n CD player n Videos and DVDs n Video camera n Dictionaries n Course books n Resource books n Photocopier n Computers n Online resources n

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Following are some of the resources often found in classrooms and study centers around the world. If you are not familiar with some of the older equipment and technology listed, it may be worth looking for YouTube-type videos about their use.

An example is at www.youtube.com/watch?v=23TVV-X0WCE. 1 The board All classrooms should have a board of some kind, or flipchart. It is important for all board work to be planned and organised.

It can be a very useful idea to make a board plan on a piece of paper beforehand, to show what you intend to have on the board and when.

Boards can be used for many things; writing, drawing, sticking things on, projecting overhead transparencies etc. Boards draw and hold the attention of the students very effectively. Most teachers prefer whiteboards to the traditional chalk blackboards, as they are cleaner and easier to use.

International TEFL and TESOL Training

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Where the world is your classroom

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Unit 17 Equipment and teaching aids

Basic principles for board-work: Start with a clean board.

Write legibly and neatly. n Use the correct writing tool for the board. n Keep the board clear and easy to read. n Try to section off the board, to give areas for vocabulary, grammar and notes. Many teachers use columns to achieve this. n Use different colours and/or underlining or circling to highlight particular language points to focus on, or to show irregularities, differences in language etc. n Adjust the size of your writing to the size of the board, and make sure that it can always be seen and read from the back of the class. n Only put essential or requested information on the board. n Erase what is no longer needed. n Avoid unnecessary capitalisation, as all text on the board should reflect natural writing. Additionally, studies show that CAPITALISED TEXT IS MORE DIFFICULT TO READ than lower case text. n Bear in mind that students will often note down everything they see on the board, so accuracy is essential. n Involve the students in the writing process. n Clean the board at the end of the lesson. n

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2 Interactive whiteboards Interactive whiteboards, often referred to as IWBs or smart boards, are increasingly being used in both state funded and private classrooms world-wide. However, their expense inevitably delays the introduction of IWBs in many schools, especially in less developed regions.

There are many different types of IWBs on the market, ranging in both price and complexity, working on a number of different technologies. Some are based around specially-made whiteboards that are touch sensitive or have wires inlaid so as to detect the movement of the mouse-pen across the surface. Other systems, often much cheaper, use an Infra-red (IR) scan to detect the movement of a mouse-pen across a normal whiteboard or other flat surface. All require their own software and many manufacturers produce interactive classroom lessons and activities to accompany their own product.

Whether you are faced with a top-of-the-range wall-mounted IWB with a self contained light projector/sensor box, or a smaller IR detector sitting on top of a normal light projector, all IWBs require to be connected to some form of computer or laptop. Incidentally, most manufacturers warn against the use of normal whiteboard markers on the IWB. Please bear in mind the following: Test and have a back-up plan

International TEFL and TESOL Training

When planning an IWB lesson remember it's a computer, and like anything else electronic may well let you down at the most embarrassing moment. Test your lesson works prior to the class and have a back up plan ready.

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Unit 17 Equipment and teaching aids

System selection and location

Even some renowned educational facilities place their IWBs in poor locations; often in a flagship classroom where it can be seen by prospective fee-paying students! Background lighting and/or poor positioning of the IWB can make life difficult for the teacher.

IWB training regime

When newly installed, most schools will run training sessions to introduce the new equipment to the teachers. However, don't rely on this being a given, especially if the equipment has been there for a while and the initial interest has waned. IWBs are generally easy to get to grips with, but training is essential for effective use. Even IWBcompetent teachers often don't use the equipment to its full potential, preferring to use it merely as a normal whiteboard.

Teachers need to take the time to get to understand the quirks of the operating system and the lesson software provided.

Lesson planning with an IWB

There is no doubt that it is possible to produce some visually stunning lessons using the IWB software available. However, even experienced IWB users will, if they are honest, say that it is a timeconsuming labour of love. Some schools will have purchased IWB lesson plans, which drastically cuts down the time teachers need to prepare a lesson. As the use of IWB has become more common place, teachers and companies are putting their lesson plans online, often free of charge.

Making your own IWB lesson plans

Lesson planning on paper and lesson planning electronically are really no different. The thought process and flow remain unchanged, though teachers need to avoid over-complicating an IWB lesson plan to the point it loses the focus of the grammar point or target language. This is often due to the fact that the teacher is still experimenting with the equipment to see what it is capable of.

Using the IWB as a screen

It is possible with most IWBs to show a pre-existing Microsoft PowerPoint presentation, movie or sound file from the attached computer. When using non-IWB applications the pen supplied normally reverts to being a simple remote mouse. The teacher will need to be familiar with functions such as switching between applications smoothly.

International TEFL and TESOL Training

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Where the world is your classroom

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Unit 17 Equipment and teaching aids

3 Overhead projector (OHP) Although with the advent of computers their use is diminishing, overhead projectors are useful for showing pre-prepared overhead transparencies (OHTs), or as an alternative to the board.

Advantages of the OHP Focuses students attention OHTs can be prepared in advance and help the teacher avoid having his/her back to the students while doing board work. Obviously OHTs also cut down on the time necessary for writing on the board n Teachers can put OHTs one on top of the other to show emerging or developing patterns n Putting one OHT on top of another allows the teacher to write on top of a text without writing on the original OHT (which is underneath). This can be particularly useful for correcting writing and showing different layout patterns, as well as for highlighting language points n Sheets of paper or card can be used to cover parts of the OHT, allowing the teacher to reveal information gradually n OHTs can model grammar, and present vocabulary n They can be used for timed reading, gap fill exercises, etc n They are a perfect tool for feedback after written exercises, as the students' worksheets can be copied on to an OHT, and the answers filled in together in front of the class n OHTs can be kept in a file and reused time and time again n Teachers can take their time over writing OHTs ensuring legibility n

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Disadvantages of the OHP Classrooms need a surface (board, wall, screen) that is not bleached out by direct sunlight Some OHPs can be rather complicated or troublesome to set up effectively n The classroom needs to be of a sufficient size to allow for effective projection n The classroom may need reorganizing to allow for an uninterrupted projection path n

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4 Visual aids Many different types of visual aids can be used in the classroom, but the most common are real objects, pictures and photos.

They are often used to illustrate meaning more quickly and effectively than through verbal explanation – thus reducing teacher talking time n They can bring the outside world into the classroom and add variety and interest n They attract attention and help with the memory process n They can stimulate discussion and elicit language n They can be used for prompts in communication games – prompts for story building etc n Visual aids can set the context – a picture of a market, town centre, clothing on the board, etc. n They can be used in hand for presenting new vocab items, and used in drills etc. n

International TEFL and TESOL Training

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Where the world is your classroom

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Unit 17 Equipment and teaching aids

In order to make the visuals effective, it is important to make sure that they are big enough to be seen and unambiguous. n They can be produced by the teacher. You don't need to be able to draw – stick figures and pictures cut out of magazines are fine. n Some are used for a small part of the lesson, and others can be left up for students to see throughout the lesson. Some visuals, such as wall-charts and maps, can even be put up on permanent display. n

5 Worksheets and work cards These can be bought from a publisher, or made by the teacher, and are particularly useful in the following situations: To adapt published materials To act as prompt / cue materials n To write your own exercises with authentic material n To make cards (role-play) for communication activities n They can be used for reading and grammar exercises, and cards for presenting new vocabulary, etc. n Please note that if you wish to re-use cards it may be worth covering them in plastic to keep them clean/undamaged. n

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6 The cassette recorder This was one of the most useful tools for the EFL teacher for many years, though today more modern technology has overtaken completely. Cassettes used to accompany many course books, and some schools still use them. In some ways, they are easier to use than CDs. Blank cassettes can be used to record authentic materials, record the students' communication, or for teachers to make their own dialogues for use in the classroom. Though cassettes are relatively simple to use, practice and preparation are essential. Therefore: Before you start the lesson make sure that you are familiar with the machine. Which way round do you insert the tape?

Where are the pause, rewind and volume buttons? Is there a counter? What is the sound quality like? n Rewind the tape to the beginning of the piece and “zero” the counter if it has one. Bear in mind that you're likely to need to rewind the tape at least once, and that it will be done in front of the class! n Make sure it is set to the appropriate volume level, bearing in mind the size of the classroom, the distance the students are from the speakers, and external noise n Listen in advance to the whole of the excerpt you want to use. Is it clear and complete? n Make sure it works in the classroom! n During the discussion of what the students heard on the first listening, rewind to the right place for the second listening n

7 CD player The CD has taken over from cassettes in most parts of the world and are now widely used as a primary audio source in the classroom. Many of the guidelines in the section above apply equally to CDs in terms of preparation and use. Make sure you make a note of the exact track number you intend to use, as pressing ‘stop’ instead of ‘pause’ may mean that you will need to find the right point on the CD again very quickly in front of a waiting class of students.

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Where the world is your classroom

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Unit 17 Equipment and teaching aids

8 Videos and DVDs The basic principles behind using audio cassettes in the classroom can also apply to video cassettes and DVDs. For effective use of video in the classroom, the monitor (usually TV screen) needs to be big enough and located in the correct place so that all students can see it clearly.

Videos can be used for many things; presenting information, giving background to a topic, various forms of dialogues and interactions, building listening comprehension skills etc. Many course books have videos to support the content.

Materials for these purposes can be recorded directly from TV or set up and filmed using a video camera.

Many teachers have found that showing modern video films in short instalments over a period of time can be very motivational for the students. It is important that films are not just shown for the sake of it. They must still have some purpose and task. That could be to analyze/present new language, predict what will happen in the next instalment, write a brief summary/review, etc.

Videos can often be used to stimulate discussion and also for communicative activities. One particularly effective activity is to put the students in pairs, sitting back to back so that only one of each pair can see the screen. With the volume turned off, one of each pair watches a short extract from a film, series, documentary, etc and describes what he/she can see to the other student, who then uses this information to complete a questionnaire that the teacher has prepared in advance. After the clip the students who haven't seen the video can ask questions to their partners to complete the questionnaire. The pairs then swap roles and continue with the video.

There are a couple of advantages over audio only: n n

Students can see as well as hear. Video is therefore much easier to understand.

Video holds the students’ attention more.

9 Video camera

Video cameras can be extremely useful in the classroom. One of their major uses is to record the students during an activity, and then play it back to them for analysis and discussion. The camera can also be used by the students to record a film as part of an activity or project. They may wish to record their own news broadcast, play, soap opera episode etc.

They might also want to take the camera onto the streets to record interviews as part of a survey.

More recently, most smartphones are capable of HD quality video recording, so the need to purchase expensive and often complicated video camera systems has now become a thing of the past for many people.

The main thing to watch out for when using any camera to record video is correct usage of the equipment. Some training for the teacher and students may be necessary to ensure effective usage. After all there is not much point in recording an activity if the picture isn't clear or the sound cannot be heard!

International TEFL and TESOL Training

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Where the world is your classroom

ITTT 017 Copyright © 2011 International TEFL and TESOL Training. All rights reserved.

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Unit 17 Equipment and teaching aids

10 Dictionaries Whether a dictionary is in book or computer form, it is probably the single most useful tool available to students. A good dictionary will not only help students look up meaning, pronunciation and usage, but should also help students produce language. Many students rely too heavily on dictionaries that translate between English and their own language. This is certainly necessary at lower levels but we should encourage the use of English – English dictionaries that are clearly presented, have example sentences and definitions written in simple English so that students can understand them.

There are many good English – English dictionaries on the market which were specially written for English language students. Good examples are the “Learner's” dictionaries produced by Oxford University Press (OUP), available at Elementary, Intermediate and Advanced levels.

All classrooms should have a stock of dictionaries available for use and students should be given some instructions on how to get the most from them.

11 Course books The advantages and disadvantages of course books were discussed in a previous unit.

12 Resource books Resource books range from grammar exercise books, through to communication games books. There are literally thousands of these on the market and most good schools will have a reasonable selection. Resource books are useful for adapting, supplementing and replacing material from a course book. Many of these books give permission for photocopying and are extremely popular with teachers, as they give a host of ideas and activities to help make classes more interesting and stimulating. Every teacher has his/her own favourites. In a short while you will too! When you start a new job, one of the first things you should do is to have a look around the resource room and familiarize yourself with some of the materials and books contained there.

Here are some common resource books that many schools will have (in no particular order): Grammar Practice Activities, by Penny Ur (CUP) Elementary Communication Games, by by Jill Hadfield (Longman) Intermediate Communication Games, by Jill Hadfield (Longman) Essential Grammar in Use, by Raymond Murphy (CUP) English Grammar in Use, by Raymond Murphy (CUP) (known as “The Blue Murphy”!)

Grammar Games and Activities, by Peter Watcyn-Jones (Penguin) Grammar in Action, by Mario Rinvolucri (Prentice Hall) Grammar Games, by Mario Rinvolucri (CUP) Five Minute Activities, by Penny Ur and Andrew Wright (CUP) Keep Talking, by Friederike Klippel (CUP) Discussions that Work, by Penny Ur (CUP)

International TEFL and TESOL Training

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Where the world is your classroom

ITTT 017 Copyright © 2011 International TEFL and TESOL Training. All rights reserved.

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Unit 17 Equipment and teaching aids

13 Photocopiers Almost every school will either have a photocopier, or have access to one. These are particularly necessary for copying materials that aren't contained within the students' course books.

Teachers should try to make sure copies are clear and attractively presented and to avoid wasting paper unnecessarily.

Each photocopier is different in its use, and staff at the school or institute at which you're working should be able to provide some basic training in its operation.

14 Computer technology Computers and electronic devices have become as much a part of the English language classroom as they already have in most other areas of life. The major problem with students using computers in the classroom is having enough of them to allow class members access at the same time. Obviously the cost is high and many schools simply cannot afford the quantity that the teacher would like, so they are often only available to the teacher, if at all. As with video, computers shouldn't be overused or they will lose their impact and effectiveness in the classroom. Students using a computer too often can also become rather uncommunicative, which is clearly not what the teacher wants. Computer-aided language learning (CALL) is widespread, as the use of computers has increased throughout the world.

The main uses for computer technology in English language teaching include: Text and picture editors

A text-editing program such as Microsoft Word or the free Open Office enables a teacher to put text and/or images together in a more legible and professional format than anything handwritten, or photocopied then cut and pasted. Computer-generated worksheets and activities also allows the teacher to store materials electronically to adapt or use again at a later date. PowerPoint is another useful option, though teachers should avoid the slides taking over the lesson and stifling interaction and spontaneity from the students.

EFL CDs and websites

Many course books also have a CD and/or a website to support the content, which contain anything from games and tests to other classroom activities.

Reference tools

Computers and devices can be useful reference tools, via dictionaries, searches and locally stored resources. If the device has Internet access then any materials that can be searched and found online can become live teaching aids in an EFL classroom.

Email

Email can allow students from all over the world to communicate together in English, or for students to communicate electronically with others as part of a project or exercise.

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Where the world is your classroom

ITTT 017 Copyright © 2011 International TEFL and TESOL Training. All rights reserved.

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Unit 17 Equipment and teaching aids

Videos/video clips

VHS video cassettes and videos on VCD or DVD have been largely superseded nowadays with videos stored electronically, either on a computer or external storage device. With so much content online, there is more available now than ever to supplement an EFL lesson, or even to base a lesson around.

YouTube ®

YouTube (www.youtube.com) is an excellent source of videos and audio for use in the classroom. Do a search for a subject or song in YouTube and the likelihood is that you’ll find what you need. There are add-ons for YouTube (found via the ‘add-ons’ option within your browser) that will allow you to download either video with audio or the sound only so that you can use it offline later if you prefer.

Podcasts/MP3s/audio clips

The Merriam-Webster Tenth International Collegiate defines a podcast as a program (as of music or talk) made available in digital format for automatic download over the Internet. Podcasts are now widely available from a variety of sources, such as broadcasters, publishers and private websites, and are an excellent form of authentic listening materials for a TEFL classroom.

An online search for ‘TEFL audio clips’ or ‘TEFL MP3s’ will yield many results for created materials, but perhaps the best are created by the BBC, specifically for English language learners. They are available at www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english, with a search facility at the top of the page which should produce the language point you’re looking for.

Should you prefer American English, VOA (Voice of America) has an audio section on its website designed for students of English. You can find these resources at https://learningenglish.voanews.com/.

Social media

Social media is now gaining in popularity as a teaching resource in the EFL classroom. Two examples of the use of social media are: 1. Blogs: Create classroom and individual blog accounts where students can share ideas and learn how to communicate online by posting and replying to comments.

2. Social Media accounts: Set up social media account for the class on spaces such as X (formerly Twitter), Instagram or Facebook.

Students are encouraged to interact with each other (in English) outside classroom hours and updates can be discussed in class.

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Where the world is your classroom

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Unit 17 Equipment and teaching aids

15 New technology This information is taken from an ITTT blog post at www.teflcourse.net/blog/the-benefits-and-risks-of-new-technologyin-the-classroom-ittt-tefl-blog/ by ITTT graduate Hannah P.

Touch-screen TVs

Touch screen TVs can really benefit the teacher in the language classroom. It makes creating interactive materials a lot simpler, as well as allowing for students interaction during the class. Interactive games and PPTs can make the materials more fun and help to increase motivation in the learners.

iPads and tablets

The use of individual iPads and tablets by students can help the teacher in a number of different ways. For examples, it is possible to level differentiate PPTs so that students can work at their own pace.

As well as this, students can annotate and complete worksheets online, helping to save paper. It also allows the teacher to assign various different tasks during the class. For example, some students can use the iPads to complete a listening task, whilst others are completing a reading task. This allows for much more flexibility when it comes to planning lessons, as well as increasing the range of materials the students have access to.

VR systems

VR systems in the classroom can allow students the ability to experience language-use situations, which they might never have had access to otherwise. For example, meeting an English speaking foreigner on the street, ordering in a restaurant or buying a ticket in a foreign country. It is essentially an elevated style of role-playing, however with the inclusion of VR, it helps to make the scenario much more realistic and therefore, potentially more useful to the learner.

This kind of new technology in the classroom can give students, who might not be otherwise able to practice what they have learned, an opportunity to practice their language skills in a realistic way.

There are, however, some potential drawbacks of new technology in the classroom. Although they bring a lot of new opportunities to the learners, they can cause stressful situations for the teacher if they break or malfunction. In addition, teachers can start to rely too heavily on the technology, which can cause them to lose touch with their students, or become unable to react to a situation when the technology fails.

New technology is definitely an advantage in the language classroom, but we must approach it with some care, and teachers cannot just rely on the technology to teach. There should therefore be a good balance between traditional teaching methods and the use of new technology.

International TEFL and TESOL Training

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Where the world is your classroom

ITTT 017 Copyright © 2011 International TEFL and TESOL Training. All rights reserved.

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Unit 17 Equipment and teaching aids

16 Artificial Intelligence (AI) Artificial Intelligence (AI) is rapidly becoming an accessible and useful tool for teachers, including those working in the field of Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL). From generating lesson plans to creating tailored student exercises, AI can be a valuable time-saver and resource enhancer. However, its use must be approached thoughtfully and with a critical eye.

One of the most immediate benefits of AI in TEFL is its ability to assist teachers with planning. AI tools like ChatGPT and others can generate lesson plans in seconds, often based on specific topics, student levels, or grammar points. These tools can also produce worksheets, discussion questions, gap-fill exercises, vocabulary lists, and even reading comprehension texts. For teachers working with large classes or under time pressure, this can be extremely helpful.

AI can also support personalized learning. For example, AI-powered platforms can create practice materials tailored to individual student needs, based on their language level and learning progress. This opens up opportunities for more targeted instruction and can help reinforce learning outside the classroom. AI chatbots can also be used to simulate conversation practice, offering students a low-pressure way to build fluency and confidence.

Despite these advantages, AI should never replace the professional judgement or experience of a qualified TEFL teacher.

All AI-generated content must be carefully reviewed for accuracy, cultural appropriateness, and pedagogical relevance.

AI sometimes produces errors in grammar, usage, or fact, and it may suggest activities that are impractical or unsuitable for your teaching context.

Another important concern is that AI lacks the nuance and empathy of human interaction. It cannot read a classroom, adapt spontaneously to student reactions, or offer encouragement in a meaningful way. The role of a teacher is not only to deliver content, but to guide, motivate, and build relationships with students—roles that AI cannot fulfill.

Interestingly, AI may appear to offer the most help to highly experienced teachers, who already know how to prompt it effectively, evaluate its suggestions, and adapt its outputs to their learners. Less experienced teachers, who may need the most support, may struggle to use AI well or may over-rely on it, leading to less effective teaching. It is crucial that novice teachers understand that AI is a tool, not a shortcut to professional expertise.

There are also ethical considerations. Overuse of AI-generated materials may limit exposure to authentic language, and there is a risk of undermining the development of teachers' own planning and resource-creation skills. Teachers must also be cautious about student data privacy when using AI platforms.

In summary, AI can be a valuable supplement to the TEFL classroom when used wisely. It can reduce prep time and offer creative ideas, but it is no replacement for a well-trained, reflective teacher. Like any tool, it must be used with care, judgement, and a deep understanding of your students’ needs.

Caveat: The text above was written via AI. This does not mean that it created itself; on the contrary, it was given the correct prompts by the writers of this course who have the experience to tell ChatGPT what they are looking for.

This is the text we used: “I am training new teachers of English as a foreign language. Create 500 words of text to add to the course that outlines using AI in TEFL. Mention that AI can be used to write lesson plans for the teacher as well as materials for students and anything else that AI can be used for in the TEFL classroom.

Mention that AI text or materials will always need to be checked for accuracy. AI is not a substitute for real teacher experience and shouldn’t be relied on. Mention any other pitfalls of using AI in a TEFL classroom. There is the possibility that it may appear to be most useful for the teachers that least need it, and vice versa.”

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Where the world is your classroom

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Unit 17 Equipment and teaching aids

17 Online sources There are literally thousands of websites that a TEFL teacher can use as resources. The following resources, taken from CALL@Hull, compiled by Fred Riley at the University of Hull in the UK, are just a few. Please note that as websites are by no means permanent, some of the sites listed may no longer be available.

Dictionaries

Online dictionaries, thesauruses, etymologies, grammar references and British Council resources .

Cambridge International Dictionaries Online (https://dictionary.cambridge.org/) Search online Cambridge dictionaries of English, American English, Phrasal Verbs, and Idioms. Very useful.

The DICT Development Group (www.dict.org) A project to develop a protocol and tools to develop and query online natural language databases. The site currently features an interface to several online English dictionaries, allowing the user to query all or any of them at one time using advanced search criteria.

Dictionary.com (www.dictionary.com) Online searchable English dictionary, including links to other English and non-English online dictionaries and a glossary of English jargon terms.

Oxford Learner’s Dictionaries (www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com) An excellent dictionary resource for both teachers and students, with practical dictionary exercises that teachers can use in the classroom. Students will find definitions of words that they are more likely to understand than dictionaries designed for native speakers of English.

FreeDictionary.org (www.freedictionary.org) A meta search engine, which searches one or more online Englishlanguage dictionaries (e.g. Webster's, Free Online Dictionary of Computing). You can search for words, prefixes, substrings, or even Unix-style regular expressions. There's also an anagram word game, although it's not entirely obvious how to play it.

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Unit 17 Equipment and teaching aids

Geordie Dictionary (https://libguides.ncl.ac.uk/c.php?g=130223&p=850959) A dictionary of one of the most impenetrable regional dialects of the north-east of the UK. Thesaurus (www.thesaurus.com) Roget’s Thesaurus doesn’t seem to be available online any more, but this link is a good online search version of the familiar English thesaurus.

WordNet - a Lexical Database for English (https://wordnet.princeton.edu/) A searchable online English dictionary organised semantically rather than alphabetically, with full hypertext-annotated definitions, and including slang terms. You can also download your own copy from the site.

Wordsmythe English Dictionary-Thesaurus (www.wordsmyth.net) An English dictionary with a difference, as the search produces related words and phrases as well as definitions.

World Wide Words: exploring the English language (www.worldwidewords.org) A fascinating and highly 'browseable' site containing the derivation and history of hundreds of English words and phrases, including very recent terms. Indexed and searchable. Highly recommended.

Online Etymology Dictionary (www.etymonline.com) This site describes itself as the internet's go-to source for quick and reliable accounts of the origin and history of English words.

Etymologies are not definitions; they're explanations of what our words meant and how they sounded 600 or 2,000 years ago.

The Amazing Cognate Poems Homepage (www.rajeun.net/tcw/amazing.html) Laugh and learn. A few French and English lessons based on funny poems.

Dave's ESL Café (www.eslcafe.com) A friendly website for students and teachers of ESL, with forums, language resources and online chat rooms.

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Unit 17 Equipment and teaching aids

British Council skills resources

Online lessons, exercises, and learning materials for students of English.

Listening Exercises (https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/skills/listening) The self-study lessons here are written and organised according to the levels of the Common European Framework of Reference for languages (CEFR). There are recordings of different situations and interactive exercises that practise the listening skills students need and to communicate in English. The speakers are of different nationalities and the recordings are designed to show how English is being used in the world today.

Reading Exercises (https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/skills/reading) Here you can find activities to give to your students so that they can practice their reading skills. These exercises are designed to help them improve their understanding of the English language and build their vocabulary.

Writing Exercises (https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/skills/writing) Activities for your students to practise their writing skills. They can improve their writing by understanding model texts and how they're structured.

Speaking Exercises (https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/skills/speaking) This section has some useful activities that encourage your students to practise their speaking skills. The activities encourage students to improve their speaking by noticing the language we use in different situations and practising useful phrases.

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Unit 17 Equipment and teaching aids

ESL Lessons and Links (http://cs.clark-ip.com/eslessonsonline/index.html) Lessons, grammar info, and interactive exercises which give meaningful responses, rather than just right/wrong. The authors also publish an interesting online Internet journal (which is at http://news.journalmaker.com/esljournal/) written by and for ESL students.

English@home (www.english-at-home.com) A large compendium of resources for people learning English at home, including grammar and vocabulary, "Real lifeEnglish", a "Radio Room" where you can listen to English radio stations online, online forums, and a free email newsletter.

EnglishClub.net (www.englishclub.net) Lots of resources, including reference materials, study aids, and quizzes, for teachers and learners of English.

English School on the net (www.study.com) Free online English classes for beginners to advanced students.

ESL Internet Group (http://www.reocities.com/CollegePark/campus/4233/) A project using the Internet as an aid to English learning. Students in the ESL Internet Group produce personal Web pages as a learning activity. There are also links to resources for EFL and for creating your own Web pages.

Infotech online learning activities (http://www.cambridge.org/gb/elt/catalogue/subject/project custom/item2489380/) Some EFL exercises online and to print out from the Cambridge University Press (http://uk.cambridge.org/elt/).

Interactive Listening Comprehension Practice (www.iei.illinois.edu/current/studyresources) Interactive listening comprehension exercises using RealAudio clips recorded from American radio stations.

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Unit 17 Equipment and teaching aids

Interesting Things for ESL Students (www.manythings.org) Interactive activities using Flash, Javascript, and Java, for students of English, including quizzes, sentence generators, and Hangman.

The focus is on American English.

Internet Grammar of English (www.ucl.ac.uk/internet-grammar) An online course in English grammar written primarily for university undergraduates, including Javascript exercises and a glossary of grammatical terms.

Learn English (www.britishcouncil.org/learnenglish) The British Council website for learners of English. The site has a range of literacy materials, information about courses and links to other websites. Learners can enter the site using their first language and identify the learning zone appropriate to their learning level.

Languages currently available are Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish.

Learning English with the BBC (www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish) Learn or improve your English with this interactive multimedia website run by the BBC, which uses authentic audio and video clips.

Beginners lessons are available in an eclectic selection of source languages, including Mandarin, Russian, and Ukrainian.

La Mansion del Ingles (www.mansioningles.com) A free multimedia beginners English course for Spanish speakers, comprising 12 lessons, interactive exercises, and useful additional resources (grammar, vocabulary, song lyrics). The audio clips are in .wma format and require the Winamp player (www.winamp.com) (full version), and unfortunately the site is currently only usable in Internet Explorer. Site text in Spanish.

The Many Roads to Japan (http://www2.gol.com/users/norris/roadsdownload.html) A downloadable interactive hypermedia book (PDF) by Robert W Norris which tells the story of a Vietnam War war resister's journey of self discovery. Aimed at ESL students and teachers (intermediate and above levels), the book includes hyperlinks, essay and comprehension questions, and exercises. The website also has a reading by the author in Real format.

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Unit 17 Equipment and teaching aids

Randall's ESL Cyber Listening Lab (www.esl-lab.com/) Lots of English listening quizzes using audio and video materials.

Each quiz has Pre-listening, Listening, and Post-Listening activities, and the transcript of each clip is available with popup definitions of target words. There's also a Bulletin Board and Chat Centre.

Tom Robb's page (http://tomrobb.com/tomspage/) Email projects of Japanese students learning English (in English and Japanese), publications by Prof. Robb, and a few links. Hosted by the Dept of English, Kyoto Sangyo University, Japan.

Wicked stuff for English learners (www.stuff.co.uk/wicked.htm) Interactive multimedia activities, most of which require browser plug-ins (Shockwave, RealAudio).

Literature & Poetry

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The On-Line Books Page (http://digital.library.upenn.edu/books/) A searchable database of links to over 12,000 books online, the vast majority English-language. There's also a page of links to online libraries of non-English-language texts.

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Unit 17 Equipment and teaching aids

Media

English-language newspapers, TV & radio stations, and journals.

British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) (www.bbc.co.uk) Information on all BBC radio and TV channels, including RealAudio files of broadcasts on Radio 1, 4, and 5.

BBC English Radio (www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish) The English Language Teaching department of the BBC World Service. The server contains radio schedules, programme information, and teaching resources.

BBC World Service (www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice) A website packed with features, including all World Service output in RealAudio, and educational material for English based on selected broadcasts. Recommended.

Capital Radio (www.capitalradio.co.uk) London's main commercial radio station online, with live RealAudio broadcasts.

CNN (www.cnn.com) The world-famous US news service online, including a live RealAudio feed. Broadcasts in Spanish and English.

Daily Mirror (www.mirror.co.uk) The online edition of the popular English tabloid newspaper.

Electronic Telegraph (www.telegraph.co.uk) The online version of the English daily broadsheet. For registered users only, although you can register online for free.

The Guardian (www.guardian.co.uk) The English daily broadsheet newspaper online.

The Independent Online (www.independent.co.uk) Full news stories and articles from the UK broadsheet.

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The New Internationalist in Easier English (http://www2.gol.com/users/bobkeim/contents.html) Selected articles from the liberal world affairs magazine New Internationalist, re-written to be more accessible to learners of English as a second or foreign language.

The Scotsman (www.scotsman.com) The Scottish daily online, including a Java-powered interactive crossword.

Reuters (www.reuters.com) The international news service.

London: Evening Standard Online (www.standard.co.uk/news/london) The London daily evening newspaper online.

The Times (www.timesonline.co.uk) The online version of the English broadsheet newspaper, including online access to back issues.

UK Newspapers and International Newspapers with English Versions (www.thebigproject.co.uk/news) A compendium of links to websites of newspapers in the Englishspeaking world, and to non-English language papers which publish English versions. There are also selected links to non-English papers, and to other sites listing papers and periodicals.

Resources

General resources for anyone interested in English in general, or TEFL in particular.

Business English Special Interest Group (BESIG) (www.besig.org) A SIG for the international business English teaching community.

The website has back issues of BESIG publications and a discussion forum.

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EFL resources (https://www.tewtjournal.org/) A collection of annotated links to EFL resources for students and teachers which Barbara Dieu, EFL teacher at a school in Sao Paulo, Brazil, has found useful in her teaching.

Centre for Applied English Studies at The University of Hong Kong (https://caes.hku.hk/) Information about the Centre and links to other EFL/ESL resources.

Online Resources and Journals related to ELT and Linguistics (www.ling.lancs.ac.uk/staff/visitors/kenji/onlin.htm) A comprehensive list of Internet and offline resources.

TESL/TEFL/TESOL/ESL/EFL/ESOL Links (http://iteslj.org/ESL3.html) A categorised and searchable collection of over 3000 links for teachers and students of ESL. By using HTML code provided on the site you can use the site's search engine on your own TEFL website.

TESOL Software Database (www.eltexpert.com/softlist/) A searchable, and alphabetically browsable, database of TESOL software for all levels. Maintained by Deborah Healey of the English Language Institute (http://osu.orst.edu/Dept/eli/index.html) at Oregon State University, USA. Tower of English (http://towerofenglish.com/) Lots of links to ESL sites, sorted by category on different 'floors' of the Tower.

Wisconsin Online Resource Center (www.wisc-online.com/) This large repository of Reusable Learning Objects (RLOs) has 18 RLOs, at the time of writing, in a ABE/ESL section, with titles such as Essay Writing and Leaving a Telephone Message. The RLOs, and indeed the site as a whole, are implemented in Flash.

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Teaching

Teaching resources for teachers of English.

1-language.com (www.1-language.com) A free resource site for EFL teachers and learners, including grammar quizzes, a teacher job centre, worksheets, a library of texts, games, chat and forums, online TOIEC tests, and more. Some parts of the site require the Macromedia Flash plugin. Site text in English and Korean.

5000 SAT preparation words (http://freevocabulary.com/) An alphabetical list of 5000 English words with brief definitions.

Boggle's World: ESL activities for adults (http://bogglesworldesl.com/) Stacks of free printable (MS Word format) teaching materials and activities for teachers of ESL to adults. The site also has a site directory for ESL teachers.

Education Guardian: TEFL (http://education.guardian.co.uk/tefl/) Hosted on the website of The Guardian, this site has lots of resources for EFL teachers and students, including a directory of annotated links, lesson plans based on news stories, and a teacher's forum.

ELT Calendar (www.eltcalendar.com) A calendar of forthcoming events of interest to English teachers in Japan, viewable by date and location, and including a Call for Papers section.

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Unit 17 Equipment and teaching aids

Flo-Joe for Cambridge exam preparation (www.flo-joe.co.uk) A resource for teachers and students preparing for the Cambridge First Certificate in English (FCE) and the Certificate in Advanced English (CAE). Includes exam information, interactive practice tests, strategy training, a Writing class and forums.

Guide to Grammar and Writing (www.cybergrammar.co.uk) Lots of English grammar references and interactive exercises (written in Javascript and CGI). An excellent resource for both teachers and learners of English. Recommended.

Sarah and John's TEFL Pitstop (www.lingolex.com/jstefl.htm) Free EFL teaching materials and CALL software. There's also a Spanish version of the site.

Teaching Materials (www.tesol.net/teslmat.html) A list of teaching materials links submitted by individuals with brief descriptions of content.

About.com (http://esl.about.com/) About.com's resource on ESL. TEFL Games (www.teflgames.com/index.html) Provides a link for free games to download and print.

ESL Resources (www.esl-galaxy.com/index.htm) Free ESL Resources for Teachers & Students.

Teaching Ideas (www.jason-ism.com/reasonforthisproject.html) Quirky website that has some creative teaching ideas and general teaching guidance by a travelling teacher.

Songs with worksheets (www.letslets.com/teach_english.htm) Provides songs on-line with worksheets (fill-in-the-blank). Can also purchase songs.

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Unit 17 Equipment and teaching aids

Miscellaneous

EFL-related sites that don't really fit into any other category.

Foreignborn.com (http://foreignborn.com/) Detailed practical information for foreigners coming to the USA, which could be of particular use to EFL students wishing to study English in the USA.

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Unit 17 Equipment and teaching aids Task sheet

Check your knowledge before attempting the unit test.

Please note that this task sheet is solely for checking that you have understood the course unit content. You do not need to submit this task sheet – just use it to check you have understood the major points.

Task 1 – How can the teacher use the board to maximum effect?

Task 2 – Choose a video or DVD containing several scenes or comedy sketches (i.e. not a video designed for use in the classroom). You intend to use one of the scenes/sketches in an intermediate lesson. a) Give an overview of the video you have in mind, and your reasons for choosing it.

b) Explain what you would do in preparation for the lesson and how you would use the excerpt:

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Unit 17 Equipment and teaching aids

c) Using a blank lesson plan similar in format to the lesson plan form on pages 5 and 6 of unit 9, devise an intermediate ESA lesson plan that revolves around the scene or sketch you chose for task 2 here. As always, include all aspects of the lesson in the lesson plan.

Task 3 – Describe how you would use the following items of equipment and teaching aids in the classroom: a) OHP

b) Visuals

c)Worksheets

d) Cassette player/recorder

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Unit 17 Equipment and teaching aids

e) Video camera

f) Computer

g) Dictionary

h) Coursebook

I)Resource book

j) Photocopier

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Unit 17 Equipment and teaching aids

Task 4 – If you could have only five items of equipment from Task 3 available, which five would you choose?

Give reasons for your choices.

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