Delta Development Blog

A blog about teacher development, written by experts in the field of language teaching, discussing subjects they're passionate about, including:

information about new trends or relevant theories in language teaching
practical teaching tips and activities
ideas and suggestions on how you can develop further in this area

Additionally, you can comment on the information posted here and engage in discussion with fellow teachers around the globe.

Wednesday 14 October 2009

Dogme and Identity

by Luke Meddings

Having concluded my comments yesterday by quoting from Chia, I am going to start today’s blog by doing the same. The quote I picked out yesterday, and which I repeat here, is this: ‘Ultimately, Dogme to me, is using all the methodologies and activities I have under my belt to deal with emergent language.’ The second is [...]

Monday 5 October 2009

The Beauty of Writing

by Luke Meddings

I’m doing something radical. Instead of writing this blog entry on my PC, in fact before even turning on my PC, I’ve reached for a decent pen and a piece of pristine paper – sourced, inevitably, from my printer. This is partly thanks to the inspiration of Umberto Eco, inventor of ecology and author of The [...]

Saturday 25 July 2009

ELT in Images – roads and book covers

by Lindsay Clandfield

When we (the series editors and publisher at Delta) were talking about the new Teacher Development Book Series we had a long discussion about book covers. There’s a saying “don’t judge a book by its cover”, but I find I judge books by their covers all the time. A good cover should be noticeable from [...]

Tuesday 21 July 2009

ELT in Images – The Terminator

by Lindsay Clandfield

Well, this is a slightly different image this time and it is probably influenced by a lot of the stuff I’ve been reading online recently about teaching and technology. There have been arguments back and forth about the effect of modern technology on education, especially IWBs (Interactive White Boards). Are they a blessing or a [...]

Sunday 19 July 2009

ELT in Images – the jungle

by Lindsay Clandfield

When I was talking to teachers as part of my research for the book Dealing with Difficulties this image came up again and again, especially at secondary level. “It’s a jungle in there,” people told me. It reminds me of the warnings new teachers get from the older, more cynical members of staff about difficult [...]

Thursday 16 July 2009

ELT in Images – the performance artist

by Lindsay Clandfield

Are teachers really wannabe perfromance artists? Is this what it boils down to? According to Harmer (1995) many teachers he interviewed described themselves as ‘actors’. Do you see yourself as a different person in the class as out of it, and if so does that make you an actor? How many language teachers are frustrated [...]

Monday 13 July 2009

ELT in Images – the scaffolding

by Lindsay Clandfield

There are two things this image brings to mind immediately for me. One is a traditional metaphor I hear from newly qualified teachers when they are explaining an aspect of language. The other is a way more experienced teachers talk about an aspect of classroom management or communication management. Can you guess what, specifically, these [...]