Robert McLarty

This is the first time in four years that we have asked our readers to choose the theme of an issue and I am delighted to say that we received some great articles from all over the world showing that research is at the forefront of a lot of teachers’ minds.

Robert McLarty suggests five marginal gains he is hoping for in his teaching next year.

Robert McLarty uses a Kipling poem as a means to describe the highs and lows of a manager’s life.

Robert McLarty looks at the problems of getting the right balance on an EAP course.

Robert McLarty lists ten transferable skills we can take with us from the classroom.

Robert McLarty discusses the benefits and drawbacks of coursebooks.

Robert McLarty leads a discussion on this important topic.

I am struck once again by how hard speaking and listening are for some of our learners. I used to think that if they worked hard on getting the words in the right order, with an understanding of context, using the right words pronounced as clearly as possible, then they would be close to holding a conversation. The problem is that communication is not just the sum of the various parts – grammar, vocabulary, function and pronunciation – it is more complex than that.

What are some of the differences between general English and ESP? Robert McLarty discusses some of the issues faced by teachers making the change.

It has been a learning curve since classes were moved online and, as you will see from this issue, teachers in every corner of the world have been faced with the same scenario.

The theme of this issue is Listening, Speaking and Pronunciation. Each of these areas suffer from the fact that there are fewer rules to teach and that they are far more dependent on physicality and personality. I am delighted to have received some excellent articles offering genuinely new approaches to all three areas. Enjoy the issue and have yourselves a fabulous 2018!

"These days, unless the learner really wants it, the only contact with the language is in the classroom. Online contacts tend to be in the mother tongue and with social media taking up such a large part of waking hours, a lot of time is dedicated to non-English activities."In his January editorial, Robert McLarty considers the context behind this month's theme - English for Academic Purposes - and introduces the articles you'll find inside the issue.

The theme of this issue is Teacher Development and it is interesting to note that this is the second time we have had an issue on this topic. It was chosen after a survey on Twitter and more than half of the issue is dedicated to it.

This issue takes management in English language teaching as its theme and as you read through the articles, you will see it viewed from a lot of different perspectives.

A note from the editor.