Teens together: collaborative project work with teenagers.

How, in the EFL classroom, do we help our teenage learners acquire the competencies they will need to successfully navigate an increasingly complex and interconnected world here the ability to work with others in creative, flexible ways is ever more in demand? Collaborative projects are not only a dynamic way to teach and practice authentic language, hey also offer bountiful opportunities for teachers to help their students develop such key skills as brainstorming, negotiating, planning, decision-making and timekeeping. This
session will look at several examples of collaborative projects that can be done in class, suggesting various ways in which groups can be organised to ensure the fullest
participation possible and considering some of the obstacles to successful collaboration and how to overcome them.

Speak more, speak well, speak better

Our students’ performance in speaking often belies a much broader range of vocabulary and a much better understanding of grammar than they actually demonstrate. Put simply, they often know more than they show. At intermediate levels in particular, when the tendency of many learners is to rely on easier and more familiar language, one of the challenges for the teacher is to help them say better what they can already say basically. How, then, can we encourage our students to activate their passive knowledge and express themselves more fully? This session will take participants through a number of activities that can help students do just this, with a focus on araphrasing, organising stretches of speech and varying usage of grammar and vocabulary.