February 2004 Archives

Using Polls as Teaching and Testing Techniques

Polls can be used as a quick and easy way of generating questions for students and language learners to practise their English. A multiple choice question is readily adaptable, and can give you from 1-5 choices. As the poster, you can zip in straight away and post the correct answer. Generally, other native speakers seem to do the same, so the student can depend on finding the right answer after they have clicked, even if they get it wrong.

Mission Statements

Does anyone really care about Mission statements?

Most bore me to tears. What has gone so wrong with the language of business in the last few years?

E for envelope

I was taught that the way to distinguish between stationary (not moving) and stationery (office supplies) was that stationery has an e for envelope.

I also learned that it one collar and two socks were necessary, as a way of remembering that necessary has one c and two ss.