Daniel Costa

How can one devoid of context distinguish between prints and prince? Or drawings and draw rings? Are they actually meant to sound the same? A frequent phenomenon known as ‘epenthesis’ conveys both the versatility of phonology and its ability to prompt misunderstandings. To what extent are learners exposed to this in the ELT classroom? The current article provides a reminder of key phonological features of this concept and their relevance to language education. Terms, terms, terms ‘Epenthesis’ refers to the insertion of a sound or letter within a word or phrase, and can either be a consonant or a vowel (Oxford...

Witnessing an exchange of emails with an editor a few years ago prompted me to ponder the scope of logical fallacies and how they affect decision-making in education and beyond. After refusing to publish an article on dubious grounds, the sender told the recipient that the problem with L2 speakers is that they fail to understand certain idioms, making reference to an expression used during correspondence to support the decision made. Alas, fallacious reasoning was at play – not only did it involve a faulty overgeneralisation of L2 speakers but it also assumed that the recipient was not an...

Daniel Costa looks at the game Connections and considers its use for language learners at various levels.

The article argues that there are more opportunities to use visuals in our classes both online and live not simply for vocabulary but for grammar and critical thinking.

This article examines both overt and subtle discrimination and how we should avoid them.