On Sept. 24th 2006, I made a decision that was to change the rest of my life. That decision was to fly to the furthest non-English speaking country from the…
Written by Paul Raine
Paul has taught English as a foreign language in Japan since 2006, and obtained a masters degree in Teaching English as a Foreign and Second Language in 2012. He has a wide range of experience in a variety of different teaching contexts, including conversation schools, junior and senior high schools, blue-chip companies, and colleges and universities. He is particularly interested in integrating technology with English language pedagogy.
20 reasons why every EFL learner should have an iPad
Mobile technology is changing the face of education, and opening up new opportunities for both teachers and learners. In this post, I give 20 reasons why iPads in particular are…
How to be a good English teacher: Advice from a Japanese learner of English
Ryuichi Sakai is a Japanese learner of English, computer programmer, and editor of a free website which provides advice, from a learner’s perspective, about how to be a good English…
Kickstarting your own ELT publication
We previously interviewed Marcos Benevides, award-winning ELT author, about his thoughts on Extensive Reading, and his motivations for adapting the world-famous Choose Your Own Adventure series for learners of English…
Taking a language learning card game to market: An interview with Sean Anderson
In this interview, Sean Anderson talks about his experience devising, developing and marketing his own English language learning card game, Question Quest. He describes the challenges he faced, and the…
Aphorisms of English Language Teaching
Aphorisms – general truths conveyed by short statements – can help us remember principles of best practice. Here are a few aphorisms especially relevant to English language educators. Don’t explain;…
Losing our trousers: The prevalence of American English in TEFL
When I came to Japan in 2006, it was with the then “British English” school, Shane. Students expected to be taught British English in preference to other varieties. Textbooks from…
Top Ten iOS Apps for EFL Educators
There are now countless apps available for both teachers and learners in a vast range of fields. Here is my top ten list of apps for EFL educators. All of…
Fantastic free websites for learners of English
The rise of technology and social networks in recent years has provided an unprecedented chance to learn English online in new and exciting ways. However, the the massive range of…
30 Years Teaching English in Japan: An Interview with Marc Helgesen (Part 1)
In this interview, Marc Helgesen talks about the changes the English teaching community in Japan has witnessed over the last 30 years, the importance of “positive psychology” in language pedagogy,…