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Academic life

95 articles
13 ways to use a voice recorder in class
4 min read 4 min

Previously only carried by reporters in press hats, thanks to smartphones, voice recorders are now in everybody’s pocket. Whether you choose to use yo...

20 simple questions to evaluate your lesson
3 min read 3 min

Teachers usually have a gut feeling about their lessons. (Which may swing between commiserating over ice cream and Netflix, or singing to the skies ab...

10 tips for bigger, better productivity
4 min read 4 min

A teacher’s work is never complete: New lessons, students, semesters, years, and subjects continually roll along  unphased by how busy you already are...

Three in-class approaches to increasing student confidence
5 min read 5 min

Another day. You walk into the classroom.Students have occupied the back seats, but the front ones are practically empty.Some students speak so quietl...

How personality frameworks improve your teaching
5 min read 5 min

Personality frameworks have been around for several decades, though personalities since the dawn of time. Developed by psychologists, thinkers, and wr...

Academics answer: What is task-based learning?
4 min read 4 min

Education is constantly evolving and introducing teachers to new or different techniques to employ in class. Here, Giorgio Iemmolo explains one of the...

How to teach mixed conditionals
5 min read 5 min

Mixed conditionals are one of the more difficult and confusing grammar points to teach. Those of us who have tried have most certainly encountered bew...

How to write award-winning ELT materials
3 min read 3 min

Our academic team is no stranger to innovation – and now, our course book Fast Track 5 has been nominated for an ELTon award. When creating materials ...

Here’s how to get out of a teaching rut
4 min read 4 min

Sometimes, despite the best intentions, our teaching becomes a little lacklustre. The causes are varied (maybe you’re tired, uninspired, or summer is ...

Nail that job: how to prepare for an interview over Skype
4 min read 4 min

Conducting job interviews over Skype is fast becoming more standard, especially for large companies who have multiple interview rounds, or in professi...

18 ways to ace your parent-teacher conferences
4 min read 4 min

Parent-teacher conference season is usually nervewracking for everyone. After all, in these short time slots you’re representing both your school and ...

13 fail-safe icebreakers to use in class today
6 min read 6 min

At the start of a new semester, teachers around the world turn their attention to the very first class. With a new group of students to integrate and ...