Editorial
Methodologies come and go – and then more often than not, they come back again, sometimes with modifications, sometimes in other guises. In this issue, we have a combination of traditional and modern. Jeremy Harmer starts us off in the main feature by considering why reading aloud in class gets such a bad press these days. Once the staple of language and literature classes, it is now rarely seen, and yet would seem to have some value. He concludes that it can be highly beneficial to students, but only if it is done in the right way. Angela Noble argues that simply designating a column on the board for new vocabulary can lead to a range of useful revision exercises. And for Dede Wilson, something as traditional as a wall poster can open up a world of self-examination, self-expression and reflection, leading even shy students and teacher trainees to share their thoughts on language learning.
Myrian Casamassima recognises the excitement of discovering new techniques, but urges us not to get carried away by the glamour of a new activity that we want to try out. She recommends that we first consider where it fits within a sequence of activities and what its linguistic and cognitive demands will be on our students.
And it isn’t just fashions in teaching methods that come and go, but language, too. Peter Wells makes a plea for equipping students with the sort of language that will make them intelligible in all situations, rather than training them to parrot the current speech patterns and slang of different sections of the native-speaker community.

Helena Gomm
Editor

MAIN FEATURE
IS READING ALOUD ALLOWED?

Jeremy Harmer rehabilitates round-the-class reading

FEATURES
CLASS-CENTRED TEACHING
Rose Senior finds group dynamics are key to establishing a good classroom climate
WALKING STICKS
Ji Lingzhu arms her students with supportive listening strategies
ACTIVITIES UNDER ANALYSIS
Myrian Casamassima explains why we need to make a close assessment of the tasks we assign
REVISING NEW WORDS
Angela Noble demonstrates that a vocabulary column on the board has many benefits
LANGUAGE LEARNING IS LIKE ...
Dede Wilson’s wall posters provide insights for students and teachers alike
PHRASAL VERBS? THEY’RE EASY! 4
John Ryan finishes up his look at up
OVER THE WALL
Alan Maley recommends books that inspire creative writing
ELUSIVE ESSAY WRITING SKILLS
Cheryl Morris finds innovative ways to teach academic writing
A VOYAGE OF ADVENTURE
James Porcaro sets goals and objectives for students and teachers
WHAT DO FOREIGNERS NEED TO SAY?
Peter Wells believes in teaching language that students actually need to use
LITERACY IN TWO LANGUAGES
Lois Spitzer sees success in skills transference between L1 and L2

TEACHING YOUNG LEARNERS
READY TO READ
Ana Lado examines criteria for choosing books for children

BUSINESS ENGLISH PROFESSIONAL
NOT ‘THEM’ BUT ‘US’
Monica Hoogstad uses humour to break down cultural barriers

TEACHER DEVELOPMENT
ALONE TOGETHER
Deniz Kurtoglu Eken feels personal development is a fundamental factor in professional development

TECHNOLOGY
CHOOSING ONLINE MATERIALS
Rafael Sabio puts forward some suggestions for selecting texts and videos
FIVE THINGS YOU ALWAYS WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT: MOODLE
Nicky Hockly looks at a virtual learning environment
WEBWATCHER
Russell Stannard has all his questions answered

REGULAR FEATURES
ACTIVITY CORNER:
PHONICS FUN
Jon Marks
PREPARING TO TEACH ...Colourful language 2
John Potts
LET’S GET ENGAGED
Rose Senior
IT WORKS IN PRACTICE
REVIEWS
SCRAPBOOK
COMPETITIONS