September is just around the corner and it's time to get started for school year 

 Welcome back to school!

 Lord Jesus, we ask for Your help as we begin this new school year. Allow us to experience Your presence in the many blessings You put before us. Open our eyes to the new challenges and exciting opportunities that this new school year brings. Open our heart and mind to new friends and new teachers. Give us a generous spirit to be enthusiastic with our studies and courage to accept new opportunities. Help us to be attentive to one another and let us experience Your presence in our new friends. Jesus, inspire us to do our best this year! Amen.

Get Started for School Year!

  Be ready for the new semester with Macmillan English!

September is just around the corner and it's time to get set for a fresh new start this semester. 

To help you make a great start amd motivate your students from day one, Macmillan Education has put together a special collection of back to school resources for teachers and students to enjoy. 

Follow www.macmillanenglish.com and you'll find there some fresh ideas or ready-made activities to engage your new students. You'll find something to help and inspire you!

Хмарні технології від "Дистанційної Академії"

Дистанційна Академія пропонує цікавий курс, який позбавить вчителів від рутинної паперової роботи.

Хмарні технології - онлайн-кабінет, що включає в себе текстовий, табличний релактор і сервіс для створення презентацій, а також інтернет-сервіс хмарного зберігання файлів з функціями файлообміну. Усі файли можуть знаходитись в мережевому доступі.

Вартість курсу - 300 грн. При успішному проходженні курсу "Хмарні технології" кожний учасник отримає сертифікат. Курс складається з 2 частин. Кожна частина курсу триває 2 тижні.

Детальну інформацію, щодо запису на курс, реєструйтеся на сайті 

www.d-academy.com.ua та надсилайте електронну заявку.   

Join next CET webinar

 Dear members of CET, join a new webinar "Classroom Speaking" with Chris Redston on 27th Aug (Wed), 3pm UK time

Do your students struggle to speak in class? Discover how your learners can make the most of speaking in the classroom.

Chris Redston will be looking into some ideas on creating successful and meaningful speaking opportunities in your classroom. He'll also consider how to set up communicative speaking activities for learners of all levels.

Chris Redston is the author of Cambridge's face2face course, with Gillie Cunningham. He has been a teacher and course-book writer for 25 years and has taught in Turkey, Argentina, Italy, and the UK.

Am TESOL Upcoming Webinars 

 Schedule for August month:

• August 22nd, 2014 - "Transforming our physical learning spaces to engage learners", 4 PM (NY time)

• August 29th, 2014 -  "Survival tips for teaching with iPads", 4 PM (NY time)

• August 29th, 2014  "Survival tips for teaching with chromebooks", 4 PM (NY time) 

Useful Tips: How to prepare students for IELTS listening test

 You can help your students to prepare for matching question by introducing and reviewing the types of phrases speakers use for functions like: offering, making a suggestion, expressing a preference. To answer matching question students have to:

• recognize where in the text the answer will be found;

• recognize functional phrases;

• avoid jumping to conclusions;

• watch out for the distraction.

When dealing with multiple choice questions you need to train learners to:

• read questions carefully and underline key words;
• listen to everything that the speakers say and not decide on the answers too soon;
• eliminate incorrect options;
• confirm options they think are correct.

A free online course from British Council

 British Council invites students and English teachers to join a free online course "Exploring English: Language and Culture". The course starts in September, the 1st and lasts 6 weeks. This course shows participants how English works and focuses on features of natural speech. If you want to improve your language skills and learn British culture, join this course. Note, you must have intermediate level and higher. 

To find out more details about the course, use the link: http://goo.gl/Mlvf12

Good news from Macmillan!

 Dear collegues, Macmillan webinars are back! Register for "First Classes and Beyond".The webinar is on Wednesday, September, the 10th at 3 p.m. UK time. The webinar will be presented by Rob Metcalf, Robert Campbell, Rebecca Robb Benne

http://ow.ly/AjTFW

Free Friday Webinar with S.Terrell

 This Friday, August 15th, at 4 p.m. (NY time) Shelly Terrell will speak on "Various physical learning spaces that better engage students". If you're interested in that topic, feel free at registration and join the webinar.  

Європейське мовне портфоліо

 Одним з найефективніших інструментів, що допомагає розвинути в учня здатність до самооцінювання в іншомовному навчанні є Європейське мовне портфоліо. Використання ЄМП дозволяє зробити процес іншомовного навчання більш прозорим для учнів, допомагаючи їм розвивати їхню здатність до відображення та самооцінювання, таким чином, надаючи їм можливість поступово збільшувати свою відповідальність за власне навчання.
 Більш детально ознайомитися з основними положеннями щодо використання ЄМП можна на сайтах:

• www.coe.int/portfolio

• www.cilt.org.uk/elp.htm

• www.europeestaalportfolio.nl

Some features of IELTS Listening Test

 Today I have completed Unit 7 on my online IELTS course. The unit 7 was about listening skills. Over the unit I've looked at such listening skills as predicting, identifying key words, paraphrasing, listening for specific information, listening intensively and identifying attitudes of speakers. I have paid attention to the task types that appear in the IELTS Listening Test. They are the following:

•  plan/map/diagram labelling; 

• multiple choice; 

• matching; 

• short-answer question; 

• sentence/table/form/chat/summary; 

• note completion 

Now I know that IELTS Listening Test includes four sections. There are 40 questions. Each correct answer receives 1 point. The candidates hear the conversation only once. You can hear different accents in speech. There is a pause after each listening task and you have time to transfer your answers on a test-paper. Spelling is important. 

Section 1 is a conversation between two people set in an everyday social context;Section 2 is a monologue set in an everyday social context;Section 3 is a conversation between up to four people set in an educational or training context;Section 4 is a monologue on an academic subject.I'll practice tasks of Sections 3 and 4 on Unit 8.

Dear collegues, join today's free webinar

 Thanks to the American TESOL Institute, Shelly Terrell conducts free 30 minute online webinars every Friday at 4 p.m. NYC (11 p.m. Kyiv Time). Today she will be talking on the following topic  "Send Students on Learning Missions". If you are interested in this topic, join a live session.

For all members of CET: new webinar

Bob Dignen presents a live webinar "Intercultural Competence in the EFL Classroom " on Wednesday, August 13th, at 3p.m. (UK time).

What is intercultural competence exactly? How can you integrate intercultural competence into the classroom, in meaningful ways for your learners?

Join Bob Dignen in this webinar, where he will be exploring the meaning and relevance of intercultural training in ELT. He will be discussing which communication skills are important and look into the most effective learning processes in the classroom.Bob Dignen specialises in delivering international team and leadership training. He coaches international project leaders and is available to facilitate project (kick-off) meetings and team-building sessions. He is the author of titles including Communicating Across Cultures, Managing Projects and Effective International Business Communication.

Для вчителів: набір на курси

Дистанційна Академія ВГ "Основа" проводить набір на курси для вчителів, які розпочнуться у серпні, 2014.
Теми курсів:

• Підготовка до атестації: як оформити власне портфоліо

• Ефективний урок

• Інтерактивна дошка

Детальна інформація на сайті: http://www.d-academy.com.ua/

The test that opens doors around the world

IELTS, the International English Language Testing System, is designed to assess the language ability of candidates who want to study or work where English is the language of communication.

IELTS has been developed by some of the world's leading experts in language assessment, and is supported by an expensive programme of research, validation and test development.

Test takers can choose between IELTS Academic and IELTS General Training, depending on their academic or proffessional aspirations, or visa requirements. The distinction with IELTS Academic lies in the subject matter and tasks of the  Reading and Writing components. The Listening and Speaking components are the same.

IELTS - a test of four skills: listening, reading, writing, speaking

Listening-30 minutes

Reading-60 minutes

Writing- 60 minutes

Speaking-11-14 minutes

All information about how to prepare and take IELTS exam, find on the site: www.ielts.org 

Free Friday Webinars by Shelly Terrell and American TESOL

Today, on Friday, the 1st of August Shelly Terrell will talk about useful ideas for preparing for school year. Dear collegues join today's webinar "9+Ideas for preparing for your best year yet" and get your certificate of attendence.

Note: The webinar starts at 11 p.m.(Kyiv time)

Увага! Конкурс для вчителів англійської мови

Команда газети "English" оголошує конкурс для вчителів англійської мови "Станьте співавтором книжки"

Мета конкурсу: зібрати та надрукувати найцікавіші роботи вчителів англійської мови в нових посібниках у 2014р. 

Останній день подачі матеріалів - 1 вересня 2014 року.

З умовами конкурсу знайомтись на сайті news@1veresnya.com.ua, www.osvitaua.com

P.S: Пріоритетними вважатимуться роботи, які будуть супроводжуватися копією квитанції про передплату газети "English" мінімальним терміном на три місяці.