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"ome widely held ideas about the way children learn can lead educators and parents to adopt faulty teaching principles Jan 1, 2015 Credit: Kiyoshi Takahase segundo MYTH HUMANS USE ONLY 10 PERCENT OF THEIR BRAIN FACT The 10 percent myth (sometimes elevated to 20) is mere urban legend, one perpetrated by the plot of the 2011 movie Limitless, which pivoted around a wonder drug that endowed the protagonist with prodigious memory and analytical powers. In the classroom, teachers may entreat students to try harder, but doing so will not light up "unused" neural circuits; academic achievement does not improve by simply turning up a neural volume switch. MYTH "LEFT BRAIN" and "RIGHT BRAIN" PEOPLE DIFFER FACT The contention that we have a rational left brain and an intuitive, artistic right side is fable: humans use both hemispheres of the brain for all cognitive functions. The left brain/right brain notion originated from the realization that many (though not all) people process language more in the left hemisphere and spatial abilities and emotional expression more in the right. Psychologists have used the idea to explain distinctions between different personality types. In education, programs emerged that advocated less reliance on rational "left brain" activities. Brain-imaging studies show no evidence of the right hemisphere as a locus of creativity. And the brain recruits both left and right sides for both reading and math. MYTH YOU MUST SPEAK ONE LANGUAGE BEFORE LEARNING ANOTHER FACT Children who learn English at the same time as they learn French do not confuse one language with the other and so develop more slowly. This idea of interfering languages suggests that different areas of the brain compete for resources. In reality, young children who learn two languages, even at the same time, gain better generalized knowledge of language structure as a whole. MYTH BRAINS OF MALES AND FEMALES DIFFER IN WAYS THAT DICTATE LEARNING ABILITIES FACT Diffe

"Skills like vocabulary and foreign language speaking are right in the sweet spot of what unattended and automated-often considered the very worst kind-can do. But it needn't be that way. Handing a student a tablet as they practice basic skills with an app-especially one with adaptive design-is a perfectly legitimate use of edtech as far as we're concerned, and language learning is very much a part of that. So with that in mind are ten of the best language learning apps for 2015, updated to include those with social dynamics, like HelloTalk, recent entries like Rosetta Stone, and stalwart Duolingo. We've also made an effort to include multiple languages, including Mandarin, French, Spanish, and English."

"ELL, ESL, ESOL, websites, learning community, language, English, language development"

"A few years ago Open University published a ten part video series on the history of the English language. Last week TED-Ed published a lesson titled Where Did English Come From? The TED-Ed lesson focuses on the evolution of language and similarities to other languages. "

"English grammar is a topic that actually frustrates a number of people. Irrespective of learning level or nationality, spelling and grammar error seems to confuse a lot of individuals. And in case anyone has a learning debility such as dyslexia, using accurate grammar looks like a terrible task. Using grammar correctly could be challenging may be not for those who are English native speaker, but surely for those who learn English from scratch. English language and its difficulties can be very much puzzling. Although, a dictionary or software can assist learners but it cannot give accurate answer. In fact, word processing programs are not very much effective in correcting grammar errors completely. Now, the question is how one can improve or nourish their English grammar skill? With the advancement in the technology, there are a number of tools that might help those struggling to improve their grammar. Web technology has actually contributed a lot in this through the ease of access. Today, you can find a number of tools, apps and websites available over the web that helps in learning and improving grammar from scratch. Here is a list of top ten websites for teaching or learning grammar lessons."

"It's no secret. We're not all brought up to be dual-lingual in England. Learning a language is not as integral to us as it may be in many other countries. Of course, English is an additional language for some and many schools do incredible work to help EAL pupils. However, grasping another language is simply not a necessity for many children. With that over riding fact ringing in their ears, some pupils do not place importance on indulging this area of the curriculum. This is coupled with the fact that most teachers have limited linguistic skills. The lack of enthusiasm from the children, mixed with a teacher's own knowledge gaps can make MFL become MF-hell to teach."

"Many great works of literature have been translated into other languages, but there is nothing quite as good as reading a book in the original language. In today's activity you are going to study a classic of English literature; 'The Old Man and The Sea' by Ernest Hemingway."

Many great works of literature have been translated into other languages, but there is nothing quite as good as reading a book in the original language. In today's activity you are going to study a classic of English literature; 'The Old Man and The Sea' by Ernest Hemingway.

From Larry Ferlazzo: "It's time for another year-end "The Best…" list. This one will be sharing my choices for the best eighteen sites to use with English Language Learner students."

This article is republished with permission from the original interview I did with Dr. Albert P'Rayan - Professor of English & Head, Higher Education, KCG College of Technology, Chennai for the English Language Teachers' Association of India - Journal of English Language Teaching

"From literacy instruction to arts and technology integration, explore strategies for engaging English-language learners."

Vickery Meadow Learning Center is the largest English as a Second Language-only facility in Dallas. More than 550 students study there each semester. WFAA.com's Aaron Chimbel has a semester-long look inside the program. It's a journey to learning the language.

Integrating technology into English language teaching https://t.co/0SzAll6LDx https://t.co/wgUuUtVrGs

"English is filled with words that look alike or sound alike (or both), but mean very different things - so it's easy to get confused and use the wrong word at the wrong moment. As "word nerds" and podcast hosts of NPR's "You're Saying it Wrong," we're constantly on the lookout for these mistakes. And we've seen them everywhere, from corporate reports, resumes and cover letters, to major publications. But if you're aware of the different meanings of these words, you won't fall into the same traps. Here's a list of some of the most commonly confused words in the English language:"

Ten innovations that have changed English language teaching https://t.co/dZPDB6K2lB #elt #tesol #efl #edtech #ell https://t.co/mTGx9RMJub

This book has been written and designed primarily with English language teachers in mind though the majority of the resources and tools contained in the book will have much wider use than just language teaching. The book contains more than 70 tools and resources and these have been hand picked because they represent a broad cross-section of what is at present available.

"Two years ago, my school obtained a grant from the Sphero Robotics company that brought 10 Sphero Robots to our school. At first, we used them in math and science. However, this year, we expanded our use of robotics and acquired Ozobots, SPRKS, bb8s, and BeeBots. My elementary faculty impressed me with their ability to use these 21st-century robots in a variety of subject areas including language arts and humanities. Here are four examples of how A. Harry Moore teachers used robots to teach lessons in English, Language Arts, and Humanities classes."

"The spike in the number of technology-enabled classrooms in the past few years clearly indicates what a crucial role technology already plays when it comes to education. The dawn of mobile phones has changed the way people access information. Almost everything we need is available at our fingertips and available on demand. The fact that the current breed of students is comfortable using cool new gadgets only goes to show that the influence of technology is here to stay. The market is full of apps that make any classroom an interesting place for both students and teachers. From easy-to-use user interfaces, to customizable features to suit individual needs, these apps have been built to deliver great user experience. My experience using these below listed apps has been great. While some of them were recommended to me by my colleagues, a few others were suggested by my students. I've greatly benefitted from their uber cool features and I hope you will, too. Here is my favorites list:"

"I use short, funny video clips a lot when I'm teaching ELLs, and you can read in detail about how I use them in The Best Popular Movies/TV Shows For ESL/EFL (& How To Use Them). In short, there are many ways to use them that promote speaking, listening, writing and reading (including having students describe - in writing and verbally - a chronological description of what they saw). I've posted a few of them during the first half of this year, and I thought it would be useful to readers - and to me - if I brought them together in one post."