Dogme 1.0 to close? Dogme 2.0!

The Dogme ELT Discussion group is about to close -- or at least that's the idea that has been put forward.

Dogme ELT proposes (or proposed?) that language teaching should "materials-light and conversation-driven" and should focus on emerging language [see also the original Dogme ELT "vows"].

There have been various proposals for a Dogme 2.0, including Scot Thornbury's proposals for Dogme and technology and the Dogme 2.0 for ELT wiki, which has further ideas on the subject.

It is possible, I have suggested, to have a dogme-approach in a technology-light language classroom.

Dogme will survive the possible demise of its Yahoo discussion group, but it would be a great shame to see it go...

Book Teaching Unplugged: Dogme in English Language Teaching. Luke Meddings and Scott Thornbury (Delta Publishing, 2009).

Obama's sentence structure

I'm not sure that this Obama sentence is actually something you'd want to use in class, except perhaps at a very high level:

"My view is also that nobody's above the law, and, if there are clear instances of wrongdoing, that people should be prosecuted just like any ordinary citizen, but that, generally speaking, I'm more interested in looking forward than I am in looking backwards."

But, at least to teachers, the language analysis here, and linked to from here, is interesting!

The following comment might just get a class discussion going:

This may be the essential Obama gift: making complexity and caution sound bold and active, even masculine.

As a starting point, before looking at the sentence, what is "the essential Obama gift"...?

And I suspect that word "masculine" might get some of my learners going!

Cuisenaire rods

Red, white, white, yellow: She | should | n't | 've | stayed | out so late...

Here are some links I came across while putting together the pages on our online phonology course (or "Sounds, stress and intonation: Teaching English pronunciation" to give it its full name).

The course has a section on features of connected speech, and suggests using Cuisenaire rods as one way in which you can practise and clarify such things as stress, weak forms, intrusion and catenation...

In our online course materials, we like to include links to other useful resources, and here are some on using Cuisenaire rods:

>> What are Cuisenaire rods? (Wikipedia)
>> Cuisenaire rods in the language classroom (te.org.uk)
>> Cuisenaire rods in the language classroom (John Mullen)
>> Cuisenaire rods for storytelling
>> More on Cuisenaire rods