The document provides guidance on using articles (a, an, the) before nouns in the English language. It addresses whether to use a/an, the, or no article depending on if the noun is singular or plural, specific or general, a proper noun, a place name, or in certain contexts like before meals or times of day. The flowchart style document offers a decision tree to help determine article usage in different situations.
The document provides guidance on using articles (a/an, the) with nouns in the English language. It addresses whether to use a/an, the, or no article based on different characteristics of nouns such as whether they are countable or uncountable, singular or plural, proper nouns for places, foods, or times of day. The chart helps determine article usage based on these types of qualities to ensure the correct article is used depending on the context.
The document provides guidelines for using articles (a/an, the) with nouns in the English language. It addresses whether to use a/an, the, or no article based on different attributes of nouns such as countability, singularity vs. plurality, specificity, and what type of place or thing the noun refers to. The guidelines cover nouns referring to people, jobs, things, locations, times, sports, music instruments, and more.
This flowchart provides guidance on article usage (a/an, the, no article) based on characteristics of the noun being described. It addresses singular vs. plural nouns, countable vs. uncountable nouns, proper vs. common nouns, specific vs. general references, and nouns referring to places, times, and other categories. The flowchart aims to help writers determine what article to use, if any, given attributes of the noun in question.
This flowchart summarizes the rules for using articles (a, an, the) before nouns in the English language. It provides guidance on whether to use "a/an", "the", or no article based on whether the noun is singular or plural, countable or uncountable, a proper noun like a person's name or day of the week, or a place name. It includes examples for many of the rules to illustrate when each article is required.
This flowchart provides guidance on article usage (a/an, the, no article) based on the type of noun being described. It addresses singular vs. plural nouns, countable vs. uncountable nouns, proper vs. common nouns, specific vs. general nouns, and nouns referring to places, times, countries, and other categories. The flowchart aims to help the user determine what article is appropriate in different contexts by following the decision tree from the type of noun to the appropriate article.
This document provides guidance on article usage (a/an or the) with nouns in the English language. It addresses whether to use an article based on factors such as if the noun is being mentioned for the first time, if it is countable or uncountable, singular or plural, a name, or refers to a place. The document contains two charts that outline specific rules for article usage with nouns referring to places and their names.
2024.06.01 Introducing a competency framework for languag learning materials ...Sandy Millin
http://sandymillin.wordpress.com/iateflwebinar2024
Published classroom materials form the basis of syllabuses, drive teacher professional development, and have a potentially huge influence on learners, teachers and education systems. All teachers also create their own materials, whether a few sentences on a blackboard, a highly-structured fully-realised online course, or anything in between. Despite this, the knowledge and skills needed to create effective language learning materials are rarely part of teacher training, and are mostly learnt by trial and error.
Knowledge and skills frameworks, generally called competency frameworks, for ELT teachers, trainers and managers have existed for a few years now. However, until I created one for my MA dissertation, there wasn’t one drawing together what we need to know and do to be able to effectively produce language learning materials.
This webinar will introduce you to my framework, highlighting the key competencies I identified from my research. It will also show how anybody involved in language teaching (any language, not just English!), teacher training, managing schools or developing language learning materials can benefit from using the framework.
2024.03.23 What do successful readers do - Sandy Millin for PARK.pptxSandy Millin
What do successful readers do?
As teachers, we’re often guilty of testing our students’ reading abilities through comprehension questions, without actually supporting them to become better readers. But where should we start? How can you move beyond a comprehension focus and help students to become the best readers of English that they can be? What might be stopping them from developing? In this webinar, I’ll aim to answer all of these questions, by looking at what good readers do and demonstrating how to support students to build those skills for themselves.
Presented at the 30th PARK conference, Brno, Czechia
The document provides guidance on using articles (a/an, the) with nouns in the English language. It addresses whether to use a/an, the, or no article based on different characteristics of nouns such as whether they are countable or uncountable, singular or plural, proper nouns for places, foods, or times of day. The chart helps determine article usage based on these types of qualities to ensure the correct article is used depending on the context.
The document provides guidelines for using articles (a/an, the) with nouns in the English language. It addresses whether to use a/an, the, or no article based on different attributes of nouns such as countability, singularity vs. plurality, specificity, and what type of place or thing the noun refers to. The guidelines cover nouns referring to people, jobs, things, locations, times, sports, music instruments, and more.
This flowchart provides guidance on article usage (a/an, the, no article) based on characteristics of the noun being described. It addresses singular vs. plural nouns, countable vs. uncountable nouns, proper vs. common nouns, specific vs. general references, and nouns referring to places, times, and other categories. The flowchart aims to help writers determine what article to use, if any, given attributes of the noun in question.
This flowchart summarizes the rules for using articles (a, an, the) before nouns in the English language. It provides guidance on whether to use "a/an", "the", or no article based on whether the noun is singular or plural, countable or uncountable, a proper noun like a person's name or day of the week, or a place name. It includes examples for many of the rules to illustrate when each article is required.
This flowchart provides guidance on article usage (a/an, the, no article) based on the type of noun being described. It addresses singular vs. plural nouns, countable vs. uncountable nouns, proper vs. common nouns, specific vs. general nouns, and nouns referring to places, times, countries, and other categories. The flowchart aims to help the user determine what article is appropriate in different contexts by following the decision tree from the type of noun to the appropriate article.
This document provides guidance on article usage (a/an or the) with nouns in the English language. It addresses whether to use an article based on factors such as if the noun is being mentioned for the first time, if it is countable or uncountable, singular or plural, a name, or refers to a place. The document contains two charts that outline specific rules for article usage with nouns referring to places and their names.
2024.06.01 Introducing a competency framework for languag learning materials ...Sandy Millin
http://sandymillin.wordpress.com/iateflwebinar2024
Published classroom materials form the basis of syllabuses, drive teacher professional development, and have a potentially huge influence on learners, teachers and education systems. All teachers also create their own materials, whether a few sentences on a blackboard, a highly-structured fully-realised online course, or anything in between. Despite this, the knowledge and skills needed to create effective language learning materials are rarely part of teacher training, and are mostly learnt by trial and error.
Knowledge and skills frameworks, generally called competency frameworks, for ELT teachers, trainers and managers have existed for a few years now. However, until I created one for my MA dissertation, there wasn’t one drawing together what we need to know and do to be able to effectively produce language learning materials.
This webinar will introduce you to my framework, highlighting the key competencies I identified from my research. It will also show how anybody involved in language teaching (any language, not just English!), teacher training, managing schools or developing language learning materials can benefit from using the framework.
2024.03.23 What do successful readers do - Sandy Millin for PARK.pptxSandy Millin
What do successful readers do?
As teachers, we’re often guilty of testing our students’ reading abilities through comprehension questions, without actually supporting them to become better readers. But where should we start? How can you move beyond a comprehension focus and help students to become the best readers of English that they can be? What might be stopping them from developing? In this webinar, I’ll aim to answer all of these questions, by looking at what good readers do and demonstrating how to support students to build those skills for themselves.
Presented at the 30th PARK conference, Brno, Czechia
2024.03.16 How to write better quality materials for your learners ELTABB San...Sandy Millin
http://sandymillin.wordpress.com/eltabb2024
If you’re anything like me, you’ve produced a lot of materials for your learners, whether that’s a worksheet, a PowerPoint presentation, or a video. You’ve also had very little training in materials writing, and have learnt what you know by trial and error, with the occasional bit of feedback from learners, other teachers or maybe even an editor.
This is why I put together a competency framework specifically dedicated to materials writing for language learning. In this session, we’ll look at what the framework is and how you can use it to produce better quality materials for your learners.
2024.02.09 Introducing a competency framework for language learning materials...Sandy Millin
http://sandymillin.wordpress.com/educast2024
A competency framework sets out the knowledge, skills and abilities needed to do a job successfully. Frameworks exist for ELT teachers, trainers and managers, but not for materials writing. Inspired by Denise Santos’ IATEFL 2022 talk, I created one for my MA dissertation. I will share what it is, how I created it, and how you can use it.
2024.01.19 How Girlguiding helps all girls know they can do anything.pptxSandy Millin
http://sandymillin.wordpress.com/girlguiding
Presented as part of the IATEFL YLTSIG web conference: Each Child, Every Child & the Whole Child
19th January 2024
2024.01.13 Introducing a competency framework for language learning materials...Sandy Millin
Originally presented at the IH Academic Managers and Trainers Conference (2024)
To find the full information about the talk, go to http://sandymillin.wordpress.com/ihamt2024
2024.01.05 Taking back time - how to do everything you want to Sandy Millin S...Sandy Millin
https://sandymillin.wordpress.com/SHINERomania
While I can’t give you Hermione Grainger’s Time Turner so you can travel back in time, I can give you tried and tested ways of getting those things done which demand your time and attention, or which you just never quite get round to, helping you to manage yourself and others and make the most of your time.
2024.01.05 Taking back time - how to do everything you want to Sandy Millin S...Sandy Millin
https://sandymillin.wordpress.com/SHINERomania
While I can’t give you Hermione Grainger’s Time Turner so you can travel back in time, I can give you tried and tested ways of getting those things done which demand your time and attention, or which you just never quite get round to, helping you to manage yourself and others and make the most of your time.
Use the ORGANISE acronym to help you learn how to better manage your time.
The document discusses creating materials that have good "flow" for learners. It defines flow as having clear objectives, easy navigation, a clear beginning and end, logical continuity between activities, engagement, appropriate challenge, learner control, and set up for success. It provides tips for achieving each of these elements, such as using SMART objectives, consistent formatting, building on skills, and offering choices. The key is to choose one area to focus on at a time to avoid trying to change everything at once. Maintaining flow is important for keeping learners engaged and making sure materials are effective.
http://sandymillin.wordpress.com/iateflhungary
A workshop I delivered at the IATEFL Hungary 2023 conference in Siófok, sharing ideas to help language teachers upgrade speaking activities in their lessons. Ideas are taken from my book, Richer Speaking, and there is also a reflection task for professional development from ELT Playbook 1.
2023.07.13 Creating materials that flow (BrazTESOL MaWSIG PCE).pptxSandy Millin
http://sandymillin.wordpress.com/braztesolmawsig
Abstract
As teachers, we can feel a difference when we’re teaching from materials which seem to ‘flow’ perfectly compared to materials which don’t. However, when we create our own materials, it can be difficult to find that same flow. In this talk, I’ll show you techniques to make your materials flow, including through the use of scaffolding for productive tasks, and the exploitation of a single exercise in a range of different ways.
Bio
Sandy is a freelance ELT consultant, teacher trainer, and materials writer. She writes a blog at http://sandymillin.wordpress.com and tweets @sandymillin. She is currently researching the knowledge, skills and attitudes which are needed for effective materials writing, as part of her MA dissertation. Sandy has self-published three books. She has also written for various publishers, including contributing to workbooks for National Geographic’s Keynote series and being a co-author on The CELTA Course Trainee Book and Trainer’s Manual Second Edition. She is an IATEFL ambassador.
2023.04.18 EdTech and the CELTA course - what trainees need to know (Sandy Mi...Sandy Millin
http://sandymillin.wordpress.com/iatefl23
Recent years have seen a growth in both online teaching and technology use in language education, with an impact on the needs of trainee teachers. This talk will address what trainee teachers need to know, drawing on content from the new edition of 'The CELTA Course' trainee and trainer books, which I have co-authored with Peter Watkins and Scott Thornbury.
2023.04.18 How to present at an international conference Sandy Millin.pptxSandy Millin
This document provides tips for presenting at an international conference. It recommends choosing an engaging topic you are passionate about and sending in your proposal before the mid-September deadline. When creating your presentation, calculate your time including 5 minutes for questions, use simple and consistent layouts with minimal text, and acknowledge any copyrighted materials. The document also suggests rehearsing your presentation, engaging the audience, dealing with problems that may arise, and following up after your presentation. The overall aim is to help presenters feel prepared and reduce stress surrounding their conference presentation.
2023.03.24 What do successful readers do - Sandy Millin for Everyone Academy....Sandy Millin
http://sandymillin.wordpress.com/successfulreaders
On Friday 24th March 2023, I did a workshop for Everyone Academy. This was the blurb:
What do good readers do?
As teachers, we’re often guilty of testing our students’ reading abilities through comprehension questions, without actually supporting them to become better readers. But where should we start? How can you move beyond a comprehension focus and help students to become the best readers of English that they can be? What might be stopping them from developing? In this webinar, I’ll aim to answer all of these questions, by looking at what good readers do and demonstrating how to support students to build those skills for themselves.
2022.05.19 What I think I know about materials writing (IATEFL Belfast 2022) ...Sandy Millin
The document discusses materials writing for English language teaching. It provides background on the author's experience writing materials for lessons, publications, and self-publishing. Tips are given for evaluating materials using checklists, including considering the context, students, teachers and formatting the checklist. Additional advice covers developing principles, collaborating with others, considering stakeholders, layout, inclusivity, and resources for writing multiple choice questions and gap fills. The presentation aims to share knowledge around best practices for creating effective teaching materials.
2022.05.17 How to present at an international conference Sandy Millin.pptxSandy Millin
http://sandymillin.wordpress.com/howtopresent22
Tips on presenting at an online or face-to-face conference, particularly connected to English language teaching, but relevant to other professions too
http://sandymillin.wordpress.com/parkapril2022
4 activities from my 'Richer Speaking' book, showing how to tweak coursebook activities to make them more productive for students
2021.06.04 Stepping into the real world - transitioning listening Sandy Milli...Sandy Millin
http://sandymillin.wordpress.com/ihbucharest21
Bridging the gap between classroom and real-world listening
“I've studied English for years, but I can't understand anyone!” This was a common complaint from students I worked with in the UK. Inspired by their problems and the work of John Field and Richard Cauldwell, this workshop aims to introduce you to practical activities and materials you can use to help students transition from understanding scripted listening materials to feeling comfortable with real-world English.
2024.03.16 How to write better quality materials for your learners ELTABB San...Sandy Millin
http://sandymillin.wordpress.com/eltabb2024
If you’re anything like me, you’ve produced a lot of materials for your learners, whether that’s a worksheet, a PowerPoint presentation, or a video. You’ve also had very little training in materials writing, and have learnt what you know by trial and error, with the occasional bit of feedback from learners, other teachers or maybe even an editor.
This is why I put together a competency framework specifically dedicated to materials writing for language learning. In this session, we’ll look at what the framework is and how you can use it to produce better quality materials for your learners.
2024.02.09 Introducing a competency framework for language learning materials...Sandy Millin
http://sandymillin.wordpress.com/educast2024
A competency framework sets out the knowledge, skills and abilities needed to do a job successfully. Frameworks exist for ELT teachers, trainers and managers, but not for materials writing. Inspired by Denise Santos’ IATEFL 2022 talk, I created one for my MA dissertation. I will share what it is, how I created it, and how you can use it.
2024.01.19 How Girlguiding helps all girls know they can do anything.pptxSandy Millin
http://sandymillin.wordpress.com/girlguiding
Presented as part of the IATEFL YLTSIG web conference: Each Child, Every Child & the Whole Child
19th January 2024
2024.01.13 Introducing a competency framework for language learning materials...Sandy Millin
Originally presented at the IH Academic Managers and Trainers Conference (2024)
To find the full information about the talk, go to http://sandymillin.wordpress.com/ihamt2024
2024.01.05 Taking back time - how to do everything you want to Sandy Millin S...Sandy Millin
https://sandymillin.wordpress.com/SHINERomania
While I can’t give you Hermione Grainger’s Time Turner so you can travel back in time, I can give you tried and tested ways of getting those things done which demand your time and attention, or which you just never quite get round to, helping you to manage yourself and others and make the most of your time.
2024.01.05 Taking back time - how to do everything you want to Sandy Millin S...Sandy Millin
https://sandymillin.wordpress.com/SHINERomania
While I can’t give you Hermione Grainger’s Time Turner so you can travel back in time, I can give you tried and tested ways of getting those things done which demand your time and attention, or which you just never quite get round to, helping you to manage yourself and others and make the most of your time.
Use the ORGANISE acronym to help you learn how to better manage your time.
The document discusses creating materials that have good "flow" for learners. It defines flow as having clear objectives, easy navigation, a clear beginning and end, logical continuity between activities, engagement, appropriate challenge, learner control, and set up for success. It provides tips for achieving each of these elements, such as using SMART objectives, consistent formatting, building on skills, and offering choices. The key is to choose one area to focus on at a time to avoid trying to change everything at once. Maintaining flow is important for keeping learners engaged and making sure materials are effective.
http://sandymillin.wordpress.com/iateflhungary
A workshop I delivered at the IATEFL Hungary 2023 conference in Siófok, sharing ideas to help language teachers upgrade speaking activities in their lessons. Ideas are taken from my book, Richer Speaking, and there is also a reflection task for professional development from ELT Playbook 1.
2023.07.13 Creating materials that flow (BrazTESOL MaWSIG PCE).pptxSandy Millin
http://sandymillin.wordpress.com/braztesolmawsig
Abstract
As teachers, we can feel a difference when we’re teaching from materials which seem to ‘flow’ perfectly compared to materials which don’t. However, when we create our own materials, it can be difficult to find that same flow. In this talk, I’ll show you techniques to make your materials flow, including through the use of scaffolding for productive tasks, and the exploitation of a single exercise in a range of different ways.
Bio
Sandy is a freelance ELT consultant, teacher trainer, and materials writer. She writes a blog at http://sandymillin.wordpress.com and tweets @sandymillin. She is currently researching the knowledge, skills and attitudes which are needed for effective materials writing, as part of her MA dissertation. Sandy has self-published three books. She has also written for various publishers, including contributing to workbooks for National Geographic’s Keynote series and being a co-author on The CELTA Course Trainee Book and Trainer’s Manual Second Edition. She is an IATEFL ambassador.
2023.04.18 EdTech and the CELTA course - what trainees need to know (Sandy Mi...Sandy Millin
http://sandymillin.wordpress.com/iatefl23
Recent years have seen a growth in both online teaching and technology use in language education, with an impact on the needs of trainee teachers. This talk will address what trainee teachers need to know, drawing on content from the new edition of 'The CELTA Course' trainee and trainer books, which I have co-authored with Peter Watkins and Scott Thornbury.
2023.04.18 How to present at an international conference Sandy Millin.pptxSandy Millin
This document provides tips for presenting at an international conference. It recommends choosing an engaging topic you are passionate about and sending in your proposal before the mid-September deadline. When creating your presentation, calculate your time including 5 minutes for questions, use simple and consistent layouts with minimal text, and acknowledge any copyrighted materials. The document also suggests rehearsing your presentation, engaging the audience, dealing with problems that may arise, and following up after your presentation. The overall aim is to help presenters feel prepared and reduce stress surrounding their conference presentation.
2023.03.24 What do successful readers do - Sandy Millin for Everyone Academy....Sandy Millin
http://sandymillin.wordpress.com/successfulreaders
On Friday 24th March 2023, I did a workshop for Everyone Academy. This was the blurb:
What do good readers do?
As teachers, we’re often guilty of testing our students’ reading abilities through comprehension questions, without actually supporting them to become better readers. But where should we start? How can you move beyond a comprehension focus and help students to become the best readers of English that they can be? What might be stopping them from developing? In this webinar, I’ll aim to answer all of these questions, by looking at what good readers do and demonstrating how to support students to build those skills for themselves.
2022.05.19 What I think I know about materials writing (IATEFL Belfast 2022) ...Sandy Millin
The document discusses materials writing for English language teaching. It provides background on the author's experience writing materials for lessons, publications, and self-publishing. Tips are given for evaluating materials using checklists, including considering the context, students, teachers and formatting the checklist. Additional advice covers developing principles, collaborating with others, considering stakeholders, layout, inclusivity, and resources for writing multiple choice questions and gap fills. The presentation aims to share knowledge around best practices for creating effective teaching materials.
2022.05.17 How to present at an international conference Sandy Millin.pptxSandy Millin
http://sandymillin.wordpress.com/howtopresent22
Tips on presenting at an online or face-to-face conference, particularly connected to English language teaching, but relevant to other professions too
http://sandymillin.wordpress.com/parkapril2022
4 activities from my 'Richer Speaking' book, showing how to tweak coursebook activities to make them more productive for students
2021.06.04 Stepping into the real world - transitioning listening Sandy Milli...Sandy Millin
http://sandymillin.wordpress.com/ihbucharest21
Bridging the gap between classroom and real-world listening
“I've studied English for years, but I can't understand anyone!” This was a common complaint from students I worked with in the UK. Inspired by their problems and the work of John Field and Richard Cauldwell, this workshop aims to introduce you to practical activities and materials you can use to help students transition from understanding scripted listening materials to feeling comfortable with real-world English.
1. …the first 9me you are
Use a/an
men9oning it?
…describing a person
(including their job) or Use a/an
a thing?
No: use a/an
…clear which one you
mean?
Yes: use the
…a superla9ve? Use the
…the only one that
Singular: is it… Use the
exists?
…a musical ~85% of the 9me: Use
instrument? the
…a sport or game? Use no ar*cle
With some nouns
(home, school, work)
Countable: is it singular use no ar*cle
or plural?
…aJer at, to or from?
With all other nouns,
follow the normal
singular/plural rules
…aJer there is/ there
Use a/an
are?
…countable or
uncountable?
General: use no ar*cle
Plural: is it general or
specific?
Specific: use the
General: use no ar*cle
Uncountable: is it
general or specific?
Specific: use the
…a person’s name? Use no ar*cle
…breakfast, lunch,
Find a noun: is it… Use no ar*cle
dinner?
…a day, a month, a
season, a holiday (like Use no ar*cle
Christmas)?
…a 9me?
…morning,
Use the
aJernoon,evening?
AJer ‘in’: use the
…night?
AJer ‘at’: use no
ar*cle
Look at the other
…a place?
chart!
2. Arc9c, Antarc9c Use the
Con9nents
Others Use no ar*cle
One word names Use no ar*cle
UK, USA Use the
With poli9cal
Countries descrip9ons (i.e. full Use the
names)
With plurals Use the
With north, south, east,
Use no ar*cle
west
Ci9es, towns, villages Use no ar*cle
Most roads Use no ar*cle
Roads
Roads with numbers and
Places and their names Use the
le[ers (e.g. M6, A12)
Single islands Use no ar*cle
Islands
Groups of islands Use the
Single mountains Use no ar*cle
Mountains
Mountain ranges Use the
Lakes (Usually) Use no ar*cle
Water
Other water Use the
Deserts Use the
Talk about what the
place is used for (e.g. He Use no ar*cle
went to bed. [to sleep])
Other places
Talk about the place
Use the
itself