Using Images in the Primary Classroom

Images are powerful tools for learning. In this series of blog posts written for National Geographic Learning, you will find different ideas for how to use images in the young learner classroom. https://infocus.eltngl.com/author/anna-hasper/

Can we motivate our learners or should they motivate themselves?

We all have learners that come to class but just don’t seem to be that motivated to be there. Don’t worry, it’s got most of the time nothing to do with you. In general, making learners stay focused and motivated is one of the biggest challenges (Healey, 2021). According to Scheidecker and Freeman (cited in […]

Can you hear me?

Complimentary article from the latest issue of MET 31.2: Can you hear me? In this article, Anna Hasper explores some of the challenges of teaching listening to young learners online, and provides some useful ideas to help you further develop listening skills in the YL classroom. Read the full article: https://www.modernenglishteacher.com/can-you-hear-me#TeachingEnglish#YoungLearners#MET#TeachingOnline

Problems-solving for future-proofing

Problem-solving is essential in our ever-changing world. In this interactive session, Anna explored what competences learners need to successfully solve problems and introduced how ‘Get Involved’ uses project-based learning to engage learners and integrate these key competences into English lessons. Watch the webinar here.

Motivation learning online for all

While most teachers are now more confident teaching with technology and online, many teachers are still reporting that student motivation remains a challenge. In this interactive webinar, Anna Hasper explores the concept of motivation and highlights the importance of shifting away from teachers motivating learners to student-generated motivation and finding ways to ignite the fire […]

Focusing on Engagement

I’m obsessed with the brain. How it works and maybe even more so by how it doesn’t work. Whilst brain research has made headway in the past 15-20 years, there is still a lot we do not know about the brain. However, one thing we can say for sure is that our students’ brain certainly […]

Every cloud has a silver lining: professional learning from teacher educators

If COVID-19 has a silver lining, it undoubtedly is the learning opportunities the shift online has provided. Even though there have been challenges, most ELT teachers and teacher educators have developed digital knowledge and skills, pedagogic beliefs and confidence with technology which would not necessarily have happened without the forced transition online. This blog post below, […]

How to choose from a PD smorgasbord?

As a practicing teacher and teacher training, I very much believe that our learning should never stop. English language teachers have continued to develop their own practice, formally but mostly informally for generations (Richardson & Maggioli, 2018). And the recent shift online has reinforced the importance of this: the pandemic became a huge learning opportunity, […]

Young Learners and grammar: how can we make it work?

Telling your young learners that they are going to learn all about the ‘past simple’ this morning, will be met with absent-minded stares and is unlikely to fill them with excitement. However, most schools and parents do expect young learners’ teachers to enable learners to get their ‘head around’ grammar rules. In this webinar, we […]

Managing Mixed-level classes in the YL classroom

Walk into almost any English-language classroom and you’ll encounter a mix of students with a range of abilities, interests, learning styles and English levels. It can be very challenging, then, for teachers to provide their students with the individualized support and instruction they need to learn best while also moving the whole class and curriculum […]