17 June 2002
We've redesigned our registration page. There are three new sample e-lessons, and quotes from a few fans of English Inside Out, so there's never been a better time to recommend this service to your colleagues. You can do this easily with the simple recommendation form.
29 April 2002
Congratulations to the winners of the Samuel Johnson competition for a copy of the Macmillan English Dictionary, and many thanks to all the teachers who encouraged their students to take part.
22 April 2002
Inside Out has received heaps of fan mail from students at the Instituto Crandon in Uruguay. Click here to read their emails and find out all about them, and here to read the replies from the authors and editor of Inside Out.
We've had a tremendous response to last week's Samuel Johnson competition. Thanks very much to everyone who entered. The competition is now closed, and the winners will be announced next week.
25 March 2002
We're relaunching the Resource Pack service this week. As usual, there will be a new activity from the intermediate Resource Pack every two weeks. In addition, there will be activities taken alternately from the upper intermediate and advanced Resource Packs, so a new activity will be available for each of these levels every four weeks.
11 March 2002
If you're going to IATEFL this year, don't miss Inside Out authors Sue Kay and Vaughan Jones, who will be speaking on Sunday 24th March from 12.20 to 13.10.
4 March 2002
Inside Out author Vaughan Jones is speaking at the 9th International House Portugal English Language Teaching Symposium on Saturday 9th March. The plenary session, Let’s Talk about Me, runs from 10.00 to 11.00, and a workshop entitled Students Have One Track Minds runs from 11.30 to 13.00. The title of the plenary session – Let’s Talk About Me – reflects Vaughan's student-orientated approach to English teaching:
"At the heart of this presentation is my deeply-held belief that the most effective conditions for language learning exist when students engage in activities on a personal level rather than ‘going through the motions’. Research has shown that most students are more likely to take risks with the language when they are talking about something that really matters to them, rather than playing out fictitious roles or exchanging invented information. I will illustrate the talk with examples of activity-types that encourage the students to talk about themselves in meaningful and constructive ways."
18 February 2002
First year English Inside Out in Northeastern Thailand
All first year students at Khon Kaen University, in the NE of Thailand study English Foundation 1 and 2 courses and this academic year all 3,000+ students have been using Inside Out Intermediate as their coursebook. Feedback on the course has been good, considering the diverse English language background and proficiency level of this group of learners. In response to an evaluation questionnaire of the book during the first semester, student comments included:
"The dialogues are not too easy and not difficult."
"I can study by myself."
"It doesn’t make me bored when I study."
"The cover of the book is beautiful."
"It’s easy to read."
"It’s easy to understand."
"I like the reading passages."
"I’m more interested in English."
"I know more about foreign traditions."
This photograph was taken with agriculture majors and their teacher Ajarn Nuanchan (second from the left in the front row) in January 2002 as they were coming towards the end of their first year English studies and Inside Out intermediate. Having visited the university and taught classes in semester one and then towards the end of semester two, I noticed a marked improvement in their confidence to speak English and take part in classroom activities. Well done to the students and teachers at Khon Kaen University. Not to mention the Inside Out team!
