Informed Language Teacher
Topics
Big IdeasOutputInputCognitive ScienceCommunicative Language TeachingMotivationPedagogyVocabularyGrammar

Informed Language Teacher

This free site is a portal for busy language teachers, either in training or more experienced practitioners, who would like to have a clearer understanding of what lies behind the craft of language teaching.

Big Ideas
What does research have to say about how we acquire a new language? How might teaching approaches be informed by research?
Output
To what extent is output (speaking and writing) necessary to further the development of proficiency?
Input
Input in the form of listening and reading is the foundation of second language acquisition. What has research told us about its role?
Cognitive Science
How does the general science of learning inform our understanding of second language acquisition?
Communicative Language Teaching
What do researchers tell us about the widely used communicative and task-based approaches?
Motivation
Motivation is a key driver of language learning. Learn about theories of motivation which can inform your language teacher practice.
Pedagogy
Research cannot tell teachers what to do in the classroom but it can suggest principles which help guide classroom practice.
Vocabulary
Knowing vocabulary (words and phrases) is the most important aspect of language proficiency. What does research say?
Grammar
Grammar is about how words and parts of words are combined to let us comprehend and make utterances. What does research tell us?

Curated by Steve Smith

spsmith45@aol.com@spsmith45.bsky.social