The ELT Daily Journal - Book Preview

Hall Houston, Taiwan

Hall Houston has many years of teaching experience at universities in Taiwan and Hong Kong. His first book, The Creative Classroom, was published in 2007 by Lynx Publishing , (www.lynxpublishing.com). His second book, Provoking Thought, will be published in 2009 (www.hallhouston.com). His professional interests include task-based teaching and learning, discourse analysis, group dynamics, creativity and critical thinking. E-mail: hallhouston@yahoo.com

The ELT Daily Journal is a handy little book for teachers taking a training course or starting a new ESL or EFL job. While there are already a number of excellent titles for new teachers, this unique book gives teachers space to write down their thoughts and experiences, and pick up some basic tips and activities, gradually gaining confidence through reflection and practice. It allows teachers to develop at their own pace, writing daily entries or just writing a few notes once or twice a week.

The pages of this personal journal contain the following:

Icebreakers (Getting to Know You Activities) - Activities that help students learn names and learn more about each other.

Warmers - Activities for the beginning of a lesson.

Closers - Activities for the end of a lesson.

Classic activities - Well-known ELT standards that every teacher should know about.

Something to ponder - Questions to help new teachers examine their own teaching.

Top tips - Suggestions for the main areas of teaching (listening, speaking, reading, writing, grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation).

Stop it! - Common mistakes new teachers make and how to avoid them.

One highlight of this book is a collection of teaching tips from some famous ELT experts, ranging from legendary authors to up-and-coming bloggers. Another feature worth mentioning is a resource section that points the reader towards additional helpful information, both in print and online.

The ELT Daily Journal is intended for new teachers, but would also be suitable for teachers who have already started teaching, or teachers who are coming back to ELT after many years of work in another field.

The ELT Daily Journal will be available at Amazon.com in early 2013.

Please check the How to be a Teacher Trainer course at Pilgrims website.