Compiled by Marja Juhola

Hope this finds you all relaxed … and waiting with bated breath for the announcement of the identity of the ELTForum2014 keynote speaker!

To keep you busy during the wait, here is a little reminder of interesting stuff that has been posted this autumn.

Interesting research and articles for teachers

• Anyone interested in what goes on in our brain when learning takes place will find this short article interesting.
• Sugata Mitra, the guy famous for the computer-stuck-to-the-wall experiment, has been named one of the most influential people on the planet by CNN. If you have not heard of the computer-stuck-to-the-wall experiment, you need to click here and find out!
• A report by Joshua Davis on How a Radical New Teaching Method Could Unleash a Generation of Geniuses. There is also a description of the the computer-stuck-to-the-wall experiment if you haven’t looked it up yet!
• Dr. Judy Willis gives  5 Teaching Strategies To Keep Students From Turning Off Their Brains.
• Does listening to music whilst studying help? Click here to find out!
• Discussion on digital natives and non-natives by Katie Lepi.
• Words, words! Want to know which words were born in the same year as you? See here for details!  Arika Okrent has compiled a list of happy words. More language fun can be found here – literature puns for serious language nerds.

Classroom ideas

• Classroom ideas: what not to do in the classroom! By Dave Dodgson.
• Ready-to-go video lesson by Kieran Donaghy for teens and adults on secrets. Materials included.
• Some great British Council classroom posters to stick on your class room walls.
• An extensive selection of links to all things ELT here, collected by Larry Ferlazzo.
• Getting students to make their own presentations is a great way of activating them.
• Ideas for using silent movies in class by James Taylor.
• Stories for everyone! Teach teens? A story-writing lesson plan Paul Braddock and one for adults by James Taylor.
• Do your students (or you?) love games? Here’s a handy roundup of what’s available, kindly provided by edutopia. More game ideas in the iTDi’s Games Issue.
• Idioms revision for all – a piece of cake! Here is a list of 20 idioms that are actually used. No activities provided.
• Need new ideas on how to finish a lesson? Check out Svetlana’s suggestions.

Teacher Development and Conferences

• A humorous look at a serious illness called Post-Conference Blues Syndrome: should you be wondering that you might be suffering from the said ailment, check the article for symptoms. By Michael Griffin.
• If you are interested in presenting at a conference yourself, have a look at these presenting skills ideas by Alexandra Chistyakova.
• If materials writing interests you, and you missed the webinar in mid-Nov, you can find some top tips here by John Hughes.
• If you missed Luke Prodromou’s webinar on how our work in ELT relates to wider social and economic issues, do not despair. There is a recording!
• If you also missed the BC’s conference in BA in October, David Graddiol’s report on the future of English is available.
• ELT Journal free articles: from the September issue – check out Towards creativity in ELT: the need to say something new by Tan Bee Tin.
• A recording of a webinar by  Luke Vyner on storytelling.
• December issue of the Humanising Language Teaching is out.