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
Category: Learning
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
Why teaching needs to be more scientific & what that really means
Haga clic aquí para la traducción al español (Google Translate) Introduction In an activity concerned with care, relationships, & creativity, talk of science can sound clinical, rigid, or even irrelevant. Many teachers & school leaders reasonably ask: Can research really capture the complexity of teaching? Doesn’t experience matter more? Shouldn’t we trust our professional instincts?… Continue reading Why teaching needs to be more scientific & what that really means
Think Before You Rely on ChatGPT: Advice for students using an LLM to study
Haga clic aquí para la traducción al español (Google Translate) The following is my response to the current discourse surrounding a recent pre-publication paper, “Your Brain on ChatGPT: Accumulation of Cognitive Debt when Using an AI Assistant for Essay Writing Task” (Kosmyna et al., 2025) from a study that examined & compared the effects of… Continue reading Think Before You Rely on ChatGPT: Advice for students using an LLM to study
Why education experts resist evidence-based practices & embrace fads: A call for professional maturity
Haga clic aquí para la traducción al español (Google Translate) Abstract Despite decades of educational research, evidence-based practices remain marginalised in teacher training, curriculum design, & classroom implementation. Instead, unproven fads continue to dominate. This article argues that education’s failure to mature into a profession grounded in empirical research (unlike medicine, accounting, or engineering) is… Continue reading Why education experts resist evidence-based practices & embrace fads: A call for professional maturity
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
The transformative potential of open educational resources in English language teaching: Benefits for organisations, teachers, & students
Haga clic aquí para la traducción al español (Google Translate) Introduction Imagine a world where every English language teacher has free access to a rich library of teaching materials; textbooks, videos, assessments, & interactive tools; without concerns about cost, copyright, or inflexibility. Imagine students worldwide starting their courses fully equipped with engaging, personalised resources tailored… Continue reading The transformative potential of open educational resources in English language teaching: Benefits for organisations, teachers, & students
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