Teaching English online

The Teaching English Online course provided by the company Future Learn is a free course for teachers who want to move from teaching English in the classroom to teaching English online.

This course is for experienced and new teachers and by the end of it, it gives teachers the flexibility to teach according to their own schedule. If participants want a certificate to prove they have done the course, then can pay £42 for an upgrade.

It is a four-week course, consisting of five hours a week with videos, quizzes and peer discussions.

New challenges arise when teaching online and we have to adapt. You get to know the market, the equipment you need, your platform and how to practice with students on the other end. You learn about resources and ideas. You get lots of examples with teachers who are teaching today online.

You get to learn how to structure lessons, get ideas on how to motivate students because that is more difficult online than doing it with a regular face to face class. We think about how to teach language online, how to give practice and how to correct online.

By the end of the course, you will be able to transfer the skills you learnt in the real classroom into the digital classroom.

A brief outline of the course:

The context of English Language Teaching online

• Contexts: learners and learning

• Strategies for developing rapport and engagement

• Dealing with classroom management in an online classroom

• Key skills needed to be an effective online teacher

• Tips for finding learners and channels to deliver online learning

How to plan and deliver online skills lessons

• Developing reading skills

• Developing writing skills and dealing with errors online

• Developing speaking skills

• Developing listening skills

For more details, go to

www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Pppi0XMtR8

www.futurelearn.com/courses/online-tutoring

Differences between applying to US and UK universities

If you are deciding to apply to US colleges or UK universities, you need to be aware of the main differences. Although they may share some similarities, it is worth knowing how each country handles applications so that you do not get caught out and miss out on a place.

In the US and the UK, many colleges allow applicants to apply through one streamlined portal. To streamline the college application in the US, students applying to undergraduate institutions can use the Common Application, a tool that allows students to submit multiple applications from one website. Similarly, in the UK, there is the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS), a centralized organization that oversees the application process to all undergraduate and postgraduate programs

The main difference is that applications to US grad programs are typically submitted through individual institutions' websites.

There's no official limit to how many colleges US students can apply to, but UK students can only apply to up to five universities. In contrast, there's theoretically no limit to how many colleges you can apply to in the US. Some people might apply to five, while others might send out 20 applications.

US college applications are more holistic than UK applications. In the US, it's important to be a "well-rounded" applicant. Good grades and high-test scores aren't enough to set you apart from the crowd. Colleges also look at extracurricular activities, from drama to sports, as well as community service projects. For UK applications, academic performance is the primary benchmark.

There are various types of qualifying exams that students in the UK can take before applying to university. A-levels, aka advanced-level qualifications, are subject-based exams. British students can take at least three A-levels over two years. Other exams range from Scottish Highers, which are required for entrance to higher education institutions in Scotland, to Cambridge Pre-Us, a newer qualification that consists of studying four subjects over two years.

Additionally, Baccalaureate Exams combine skill and knowledge-based learning. The International Baccalaureate program is offered throughout the world, including the US.

Unlike US standardized tests, A-levels or equivalent qualifications are necessary for completing secondary education in the UK. For some courses of study, such as law or medicine, individual universities issue entrance exams.

In the UK, students select a course of study before they even apply to universities. After completing their General Certificate of Secondary Education exams at age 16, they can begin specializing in certain subject areas. The next step is to take A-levels in those subjects and then apply to courses, also known as university programs, in a specific discipline. As opposed to the UK, students in the US aren't required to choose a major until they get to campus.

For more details, please visit https://www.insider.com/how-applying-to-college-is-different-uk-and-us

A2 Key/B1 Preliminary 2020: Ideas and Strategies for the classroom

The A2 Key and B1 Preliminary exams will have large changes from 2020. It is worth knowing what these changes are so you can highlight useful strategies to help your students.

The Cambridge exams are regularly revised to stay relevant for the needs of learners. This is done to a) incorporate evolving approaches to assessment and learning; b) to address feedback from stakeholders (teachers, learners, parents and exam centre managers); and c) to align A2 Key/Key for Schools more closely with B1 Preliminary/Preliminary for Schools and higher levels exams to make the progression clearer and more coherent.

For A2 Key / Key for Schools Reading & Writing, the main changes are that in the 2020 exam there are now 7 parts where it had been 9; and what was previously 55 questions, next year will be shortened to 32. The duration of the exam has also been shortened by ten minutes to 1 hour.

In part 1, the multiple-choice task has been revised so that candidates now have to understand 6 short messages.

In part 4, the multiple-choice gap fill text has been revised to give a greater lexico-grammatical focus (in the current Parts 2 and 5).

In part 7, there is a new story task. Candidates are now required to write a story based on 3 pictures.

For the B1 Preliminary/ Preliminary for Schools Reading & Writing section, the old exam consisted of 5 reading parts and 3 writing parts but will now be 6 reading parts and 2 writing parts. What was 35 reading questions and 7 writing questions, will now be 32 reading questions and 2 writing questions.

The duration, which was 1 hour and 30 minutes, in 2020 will be 45 minutes for each paper.

Part 4 will have a new gapped text where candidates choose a correct sentence to test understanding of the gist and text structure.

Part 6 will have a new open cloze: candidates now have to read a text and write words in the gaps as a test of detailed understanding.

For more details, visit the website https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SMQkQn6Jy7s