Haga clic aquí para la traducción al español (Google Translate) Introduction: From policing to process Since the release of ChatGPT to the general public in late 2022, large language models (LLMs) have progressively blurred the lines between authentic student writing & ‘LLM assisted’ writing. Such writing is not entirely the student’s own work & does… Continue reading Making the student writing process transparent: Version control as a practical & pedagogical response to LLM enabled academic misconduct
Category: language development
Rethinking grammar instruction: Why usage-based, Construction Grammar-informed language learning outperforms skill-acquisition approaches
Haga clic aquí para la traducción al español (Google Translate) Introduction For decades, second & foreign language pedagogy has been dominated by skill-acquisition theory, which views learning as the gradual automation of explicit knowledge through repeated practice (Anderson, 1982; DeKeyser, 2006). According to this model, students first acquire declarative knowledge, “knowing that,” about grammatical rules… Continue reading Rethinking grammar instruction: Why usage-based, Construction Grammar-informed language learning outperforms skill-acquisition approaches
Rethinking error correction: More effective pathways for grammatical development
Haga clic aquí para la traducción al español (Google Translate) Introduction The role of error correction in second language (L2) instruction has long divided scholars & practitioners. On one side, researchers such as Dana Ferris (1995, 1997, 1999, 2012; Ferris & Roberts, 2001) contend that selective & focused corrective feedback can promote accuracy & aid… Continue reading Rethinking error correction: More effective pathways for grammatical development
Ensuring success for adult EFL students
Haga clic aquí para la traducción al español (Google Translate) Introduction In Spain & in many other countries, English language academies play an important role in supplementing the instruction pupils receive in schools. For children & adolescents, academies function largely as after-school “top-up” lessons. Since school-based English classes often amount to only 2-4 hours per… Continue reading Ensuring success for adult EFL students
How Language Students Really Learn: What Construction Grammar (CxG) can teach us
Haga clic aquí para la traducción al español (Google Translate) Introduction As language teachers, we all want our students to become confident, fluent speakers who use language appropriately & effectively. But too often, we watch them struggle to apply the grammar rules we’ve taught, e.g. mixing up tenses, forming awkward sentences, or sticking to the… Continue reading How Language Students Really Learn: What Construction Grammar (CxG) can teach us
Making It Stick: Towards more effective vocabulary practice in language learning
Haga clic aquí para la traducción al español (Google Translate) Introduction Vocabulary is foundational to language competence. Yet the ways learners practise & internalise new vocabulary often fall short of the complex demands of actual language use. Traditional techniques such as pre-taught vocabulary, memorisation of decontextualised word lists, or single-sentence definitions neglect the fact that… Continue reading Making It Stick: Towards more effective vocabulary practice in language learning
Declarative vs. procedural memory in language learning: What every learner & teacher should know
Haga clic aquí para la traducción al español (Google Translate) Introduction Why do so many people spend years studying a language; memorising verb tables, drilling grammar rules, passing exams; yet still struggle to speak fluently? The answer lies in how the human brain learns. Language learning isn’t just about knowledge, it’s about memory & not… Continue reading Declarative vs. procedural memory in language learning: What every learner & teacher should know
Reconciling task-based & genre-based approaches in language teaching
Haga clic aquí para la traducción al español (Google Translate) Introduction Much of the pedagogical discourse in English language teaching has positioned Task-Based Language Teaching (TBLT) & Genre-Based Instruction (GBI) as separate, distinct, & sometimes competing theoretical & instructional views. However, this dichotomy may be misleading. In practice, both approaches address different, yet complementary dimensions… Continue reading Reconciling task-based & genre-based approaches in language teaching
Methodology: An introduction to Genre-Based Instruction
Haga clic aquí para la traducción al español (Google Translate) Introduction: Why Genre Matters in the Classroom Imagine walking into a classroom where students are not just writing for grades, but crafting texts that mirror the real world; explaining scientific phenomena, arguing social issues, narrating personal experiences, or reporting historical events with confidence & clarity.… Continue reading Methodology: An introduction to Genre-Based Instruction
Arguments for ELT publishing reform
Haga clic aquí para la traducción al español (Google Translate) Introduction The English Language Teaching (ELT) publishing industry suffers from significant systemic & structural issues that have raised concerns among educators, institutions, & curriculum developers. While publishers continue to produce materials used by millions of learners worldwide, there is increasing evidence that current practices in… Continue reading Arguments for ELT publishing reform