Language

 

School Readers

Dr. Ochan Kusuma Powell

Consililum Education library specialist, Sal Flint continues her column – School Readers – in which she talks to educators about their favourite books. This month’s Reader is Ochan Kusuma Powell.

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School Readers

Jennifer Bray

Consililum Education library specialist, Sal Flint continues her column – School Readers – in which she talks to educators about their favourite books. This month’s Reader is Jennifer Bray.

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Written work

 The International Writing Project

The International Writing Project (IWP) has been encouraging teachers to develop their own skills and write for enjoyment for nearly 30 years. Apart from being fun, there is an underlying pedagogical rationale: the research suggests that better writers become better teachers of writing. Co-founder and Co-Director, Elly Tobin looks back.

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Inspire reading

Transforming libraries

Since being knee high to a grasshopper Sally Flint has been reading books. Writing and education have been her passions. It was inevitable that she would become an English teacher and librarian! Here she offers six tips for transforming a good library into a great learning hub.

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Mind the gap!

Bridging a divide through lifelong learning

Tony Dickenson believes the relationship between teacher and student is evolving. Today, a more holistic approach, centred on inquiry requires a “collective approach,” with teacher and student exploring these concepts side by side.

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Write now

The importance of practising essential writing skills for EAL learners

As an adult or as a student, becoming competent in a language means being able to listen and understand, to speak and make meaning while using it to read and write.  Elly Tobin reflects on implications for those learning in a range of subjects using English, as a second language.

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Language rich

Supporting EAL learners

According to Elly Tobin. the needs of learners in international schools have changed dramatically over recent years and at Consilium we have seen a shift from school populations being largely English speaking expats to host national students with limited inital English proficiency seeking an international education through the medium of English.

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A journey worth taking

It will not be long before the number of British schools franchised for overseas campuses reaches the 100 mark. According to Nick Chaddock the explosion of British schools throughout the world shows no sign of slowing, and this phenomenon raises some important issues for EAL learners, as they master ‘academic’ English. 

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Read aloud!

The importance of listening to stories

Children and students retain more information, and also gain greater understanding, when they hear someone read to them, argues Stephen Murgatroyd, Head of Libraries at Bangkok Patana School.

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Proofreading

Proofreading as a skill to improve writing.

Proofreading is generally considered the last part of the editing process during which students check for errors in grammar, punctuation and spelling. Chris Jay believes it can be so much more. 

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Teaching equality

An authentic East meets West approach in the classroom

International schools in China, especially Preschools or Kindergartens, have, over the past couple of years, began to rethink their approach to delivering their curriculum.  Stephen Walshe emphasises the importance of a school structure in which school leaders and teachers are visible models of cross-cultural understanding, cooperation and communication.

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It’s in the text

Using the Field-Tenor-Mode matrix to support EAL writing and textual analysis

Language curricula in international education place increasing significance on student ability to produce and analyse a range of text types. The Language Acquisition and Language B Courses of the International Baccalaureate Middle Years and Diploma Programmes are good examples of this trend. 

Chris Jay reports how the “Field-Tenor-Mode” analytical approach can build understanding of English texts.

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The IB Diploma and IELTs

How to avoid under-performance in IELTs

An increasing number of students in international schools, including those following IB Diploma courses are sitting the IELTS and similar examinations of language competence, but many under-perform. Chris Jay provides some useful guidance on how to avoid pitfalls and achieve success. 

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