BETA

What is a project and how to use it effectively with young learners.  Some approved approaches and useful ideas for a dynamic classroom. Ideas to exchange? Come and share!

This talk is about projects. I will explain what a project work is, what benefits it brings and how it can be introduced and used [...]

Humour doesn’t always have to be culturally bound: it can be universal and uniting.
This presentation looked at humour from the perspective of both the language teacher and the language learner and at ways in which we can all ‘lighten up’ and enjoy ourselves a little more in the classroom.
It began with a joke.
The joke book [...]

The paper sets out to explore the hidden potential of translation in teaching monolingual students. It attempts to show that translation in the language classroom can be used as a practical activity, which may indeed be rewarding for the teacher and stimulating for the students. Carefully designed translation activities involve learners in a metalinguistic task, [...]

Abstract: Are the initial literary strategies for native speakers applicable to the English language classroom in Bulgaria? Can H. Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligences be of help to the learners who are becoming acquainted with English words, sentences and books? This article suggests answers to the above questions and offers a range of activities about [...]

Abstract: The article describes some observations on the effectiveness of teaching strategies in the EFL classroom, concentrating on some dubious practices, such as blackboard use and overuse, communication and free activities and dictation, and further on utilizing classroom time through some elements of the Direct Method, the role of explanation and the realization that learning [...]

This workshop has been presented three times. First, in 2006 at the Maltepe Conference held in Istanbul, Turkey, second at the 15th BETA annual conference in Plovdiv and as a part of BETA Days training seminars in 2007 held in Vidin. This article is based on these three workshops which have proven to be easily [...]

Artist: Monthy Python
Song: Brave Sir Robin
1. Listen to the song and fill in the blanks using the words in the list:
A. lads                               J. nostrils
B. kneecaps                       K. least
C. die                                L. bold
D. body                             M. mashed
E.   bottom                         N. killed
F. liver                               O. elbow
G. bowels                          P. limbs
H. heart                             R. head
I. eyes
Bravely ___1___ Sir Robin, rode forth from Camelot
he was [...]

Abstract: According to the theory of Multiple Intelligences (MI) every single child and person in general, can excel in a different area depending on their intelligence (linguistic, logico-mathematical, visual-spatial, musical, bodily-kinaesthetic, interpersonal, intrapersonal and naturalist). The implications for language teaching are that classroom activities should be organised in a way which stimulates our students’ various [...]

Abstract: Our conference workshop presented the outcome of a partnership project with British Council – Bulgaria, geared towards improving the quality of foreign language teaching through (self-)assessment of classroom practices. This followed up a presentation at the previous BETA Conference [1] of the same project at the stage of piloting the instruments and the videoed [...]

I would like to begin with the term “cognitive science” which stands behind the approach in question which originated several years ago.
“Cognitive science – a study which covers a knowledge relating to the human ability to think and talk, in particular artificial intelligence, linguistics, psychology and philosophy”.
Jean Aitchison “Introducing Language and Mind”, London, 1992
Here the [...]