Display Your English With Good Lexis & Grammar

As teachers well know, they are under the students’ (and parents´) eyes most of the time. Showing our command of the language is a must. Which are the steps we have to take to make sure we are going in the right direction?

First of all, we should keep in mind that languages evolve, and we have to be very aware of the changes. Get familiar with the top words of the decade, the new words that are coined because of the pandemic and/or technological changes and most importantly, that relate to current issues.

Do subscribe to “word of the day” feeds. Social media is quite useful. Developing a reading habit is equally helpful since you are presented with a context and not just a list of words. When contextualized, words are easier to remember.

This may sound old-school, but it is a sure bet: use a dictionary and a Thesaurus. Translators may be faster but they lack information about antonyms, neither to mention roots nor related words.

If you are pro gamification, use word games like Scrabble and Boogle. You can also create your own word clouds using Wordle. Haven’t heard of it yet? It is worth giving them a try.

Since language is a tool, using a Collocations Dictionary is another resource that will help you to sound like a native speaker.

You may also want to involve your students in a collaborative space. The solution is Padlet: you can include sticky notes, text, images, links and videos. If you are not that familiar with it, then Jamboard is also helpful and you can find it in your google account.

Regarding grammar, it is easy to get used to applying simple structures and going straight to the point; eventually we stop using structures that demand some more specific knowledge.

If you are the visual type, these videos will play their part: 5 Minute English, that are lessons developed in five minutes and most importantly, are designed for non-native speakers. ENGVID will never let you down: you will find more than 1800 lessons divided in 3 levels: basic, intermediate, and advanced. These videos are made by 10 teachers with great expertise, and you will feel at ease when learning from them. The lessons are classified by topics as well. You can find lessons from the verb be up to preparation for international exams.

ENGLISH GRAMMAR 101 is a digital textbook. You will find quizzes, reviews and tests, so you can assess your own learning process.

If you are the auditory type, then FluentU is for you! It is a collection of real-world English videos. For the ones that like to hear, identify and understand the use of structures, this is the ideal tool.

Grammar should not be boring. You can have fun playing with Grammar Ninja and at the same time, you will review, learn and improve your knowledge.

For your students, you can use NoRedInk. It is a website that works with your favourite movies and bands. What else can we ask for?

There should be other resources available for sure. Try out some of these and exchange information with your colleagues. Collaboration is more than welcome for teachers who are usually overworked and short of time.

Are you ready to give it a try?

Best of luck!