Best English Blog Awards 2013

Teach Them English

Best English Blog Awards 2013 Nominee

Blog name: Teach them English, by Adam Simpson

Blog's date of creation: November, 2012 as 'Teach them English', although I've hosted the blog under a different name since September, 2009, originally as 'Year in the life of an English teacher'.

Where are you located in the world: Istanbul, Turkey

1. What do you think makes your blog special?

I just try to be honest about who I am as a teacher and share the experience and knowledge I've gained over the years. I think readers appreciate this.

2. What is the most useful resource/page/section on your blog?

I monitor what people are reading on my blog so that I can keep track of people's favourite posts. If I had to say what was most useful, I'd have to say it would be the link to these posts:

http://www.teachthemenglish.com/category/classic-posts/

3. How do you make lessons fun and engaging for your students?

1. Give students some autonomy in their learning. If students can be encouraged to take control of what and how they learn, it will be a richer experience for them.

2. Incorporate current events into the class. People will take more of an interest if what is being discussed in class has a clear and immediate impact on their lives.

3. Do group activities. Collaborative learning is a great way to get people motivated and helping each other in class.

4. What are your top three suggestions for English learners?

1. Establish goals: set yourself achievable targets over a reasonable period of time, decide what you need to do in terms of work to achieve these and then monitor yourself regularly.

2. Reward yourself when you succeed: allow yourself to enjoy success and make the most of the feeling of achievement… and do it regularly.

3. Learn from failures: if you take a test and don't do very well, consult your teacher to find out the specific areas in which you need to put in extra work. See this as an opportunity to succeed in the future rather than an insurmountable problem.

5. Could you share some wisdom? What is the most common mistake you see English teachers make?

Don't teach the coursebook, teach the person! Never forget that you are engaging with people and that the material you use in class is simply there to facilitate their learning and your teaching. The book or whatever resource you're using is never as important as the person or people you're using it with. Don't be afraid to deviate from your plan or the page of the book whenever the opportunity arises. If the learner asks an interesting question that might change the direction of the lesson, go with it.

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