mind-mapping for creative writing

Mindmaps are a great way to generate ideas - especially for a writing task:

How to Use a Mind Map for Writing: A Step-by-Step Guide

Use the Mind Mapping Method for Your Book Ideas | Elite Authors

The E L Gazette looks at how this can be sharpened:

Brainstorming techniques improve creativity in writing tasks, especially with additional structured guidance, according to a study by Hyun-Ju Kim, Stewart Gray and Christopher Lange

Mapping SCAMPERing - E L Gazette

With some practical guidance here:

.SCAMPER Technique – Reduce, Reuse, Recycle... or Reinvent-EN - Netmind

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the good and the bad about duolingo - and the alternatives

If you're looking for something free and easy and convenient to learn a language, there's always Duolingo:

Jay Doubleyou: duolingo: free language-learning app

It works because it makes learning into a game:

Jay Doubleyou: gamification in learning

What works about it is that it focusses on input:

Jay Doubleyou: "focus more so on input & absorbing the language"

Which is what many say is the right approach:

Jay Doubleyou: to acquire a language you need lots of comprehensible input

But it's not perfect:

Jay Doubleyou: the limitations of language apps

You can make it part of a mix:

Jay Doubleyou: creating your own little online language course

Or you can improve it:

Jay Doubleyou: how to make duolingo work

Or you can simply walk away:

Duolingo Sucks, Now What?: A Guide

Now that the quality of Duolingo has fallen (even more) due to AI and people are more willing to make the jump here are just some alternative apps and what languages they have:

"I just want an identical experience to DL"

Busuu (Languages: Spanish, Japanese, French, English, German, Dutch, Italian, Portuguese, Chinese, Polish, Turkish, Russian, Arabic, Korean

"I want a good audio-based app"

Language Transfer (Languages: French, Swahili, Italian, Greek, German, Turkish, Arabic, Spanish, English for Spanish Speakers)

"I want a good audio-based app and money's no object"

Pimsleur (Literally so many languages)

Glossika (Also a lot of languages, but minority languages are free)

*anecdote: I borrowed my brother's Japanese Pimsleur CD as a kid and I still remember how to say the weather is nice over a decade later. You can find the CDs at libraries and "other" places I'm sure.

"I have a pretty neat library card"

Mango (Languages: So many and the endangered/Indigenous courses are free even if you don't have a library that has a partnership with Mango)

Transparent Language: (Languages: THE MOST! Also the one that has the widest variety of African languages! Perhaps the most diverse in ESL and learning a foreign language not in English)

"I want SRS flashcards and have an android"AnkiDroid: (Theoretically all languages, pre-made decks can be found easily)"I want SRS flashcards and I have an iphone"AnkiApp: It's almost as good as AnkiDroid and free compared to the official Anki app for iphone"I don't mind ads and just want to learn Korean"

lingory

"I want an app made for Mandarin that's BETTER than DL and has multiple languages to learn Mandarin in"

ChineseSkill (You can use their older version of the course for free)

"I don't like any of these apps you mentioned already, give me one more"

Bunpo: (Languages: Japanese, Spanish, French, German, Korean, and Mandarin)

#EDIT: Added a great resource for ESL and African languages that weren't found elsewhere

Duolingo Sucks, Now What?: A Guide – @ruhua-langblr on Tumblr

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how to counter propaganda/paranoia/conspiracy theories... part three: reliable, evidence-based and non-partisan journalism

At the beginning of the year, we looked at the swirl of conspiracy - and what we might do about it.

Jay Doubleyou: how to counter propaganda/paranoia/conspiracy theories... 1: enjoy culture and the arts

And we looked at it again, with the help of expert Peter Pomerantsev:

Jay Doubleyou: how to counter propaganda/paranoia/conspiracy theories... 2: counter it with the same!

How to Win an Information War — a history lesson in effective counter-propaganda

What are other ways of countering propaganda, paranoia and conspiracy theories?

One obvious approach is education:

Addressing conspiracy theories through education: UNESCO guidance for teachers | UNESCO

To combat conspiracy theories teach critical thinking – and community values

There is the academic approach, for example:

Facing disinformation: Five methods to counter conspiracy theories amid the Covid-19 pandemic

And there is the talking approach - hoping it doesn't end in shouting:

How to talk to someone about conspiracy theories in five simple steps

But what about the current swirl of propaganda, paranoia and conspiracy theories?

UKRAINE/TAIWAN:

Liberal democracies and the free press can work together:

“Governments of authoritarian countries learn from each other and help each other. It is important for us as democracies to actively work together to hold accountable those who spread these narratives and to counter such narratives.”

How Ukraine and Taiwan can cooperate in the fight against disinformation Description - YouTube

Non-government organizations of Ukraine and Taiwan want to counter propaganda jointly | UACRISIS.ORG

DW envoy calls for media cooperation to counter propaganda, censorship - Focus Taiwan

AFRICA:

The rising influence of Russia in Africa’s digital space is harming the continent’s trust in democracy. Experts share their ideas on how to overcome this

Russia has ramped up its propaganda in Africa. Here’s how to counter it and how Europe can help - The Fix

How to counter lies and propaganda in war zones - SWI swissinfo.ch

Can Civil Society and Private Organizations Combat Russian Propaganda in Africa?

Russia's strategic play in Africa: assessing hybrid expansion tactics. Ukraine in Flames #652 - YouTube

Russian influence operations have expanded from the CAR to Mali and other countries in the Sahel region. African influencers are amplifying Kremlin propaganda and disinformation.

The African influencers amplifying Kremlin propaganda - The Global Jigsaw, BBC World Service - YouTube

RIOTS IN THE UK:

Elon Musk has clashed with United Kingdom Prime Minister Keir Starmer on X, accusing the British leader of discriminatory “two-tiered” policing as authorities scramble to clamp down on violent far-right riots against Muslims and immigrants that have rocked the country for a week.

Why is there a spread of violent far-right protests in the UK?

Why is Elon Musk clashing with the UK government over far-right riots? | News | Al Jazeera

Musk is only important in the political narrative as ministers allow him to be. A statement by Downing Street this week backed away from the idea of revisiting censorship laws, which is a sensible response. Walk on by.

Britain won't win a free-speech fight against Elon Musk

Elon Musk’s X is closing its operations in Brazil while keeping the service available in the country, according to posts Saturday from the social-media platform. The announcement marks the latest step in a showdown between the world’s richest man and Brazil’s Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who is spearheading efforts to combat fake news and hate speech in Latin America’s largest economy.

Elon Musk’s X is closing Brazil operations amid legal fight | Fortune

Elon Musk has no easy way out of his fight with the European Commission, which is investigating whether his social-media site X breached rules designed to limit illegal content and disinformation. The billionaire is facing determined adversaries in the relevant Commissioners Thierry Breton and Margrethe Vestager, who have a new legal tool. Musk may eventually conclude that pulling the plug makes sense.

Elon Musk’s best move in EU fight may be an eXit | Reuters

Now, more than ever, people need to be able to turn to reliable, evidence-based and non-partisan journalism.

UK riots: five essential reads on what triggered a week of violence

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to acquire a language you need lots of comprehensible input

Over the years, this blog has looked at Stephen Krashen's ideas on 'acquiring' rather than 'learning' a language - through getting lots of 'comprehensible input':

Jay Doubleyou: krashen and second language learning

Jay Doubleyou: how to acquire a language in one year - and not 'to learn a language'!

Jay Doubleyou: "focus more so on input & absorbing the language"

It's something which educators are still very enthusiastic about.

This is a clear and simple summary of the Krashen approach:

How To Master Any Language: Comprehensible Input - YouTube

Here's an excellent overview of what 'the acquisition method' is all about - with personal experience and some great notes:

How to Learn a Language: INPUT (Why most methods don't work) - YouTube

Speaking is actually not the priority - as this polyglot notes:

How I Learn To Speak Foreign Languages Without Talking To People | Polyglot Language Learning Tips - YouTube

Here's a nice presentation to finish things off:

Stop forcing output and embrace input as the way of Language Acquisition! In this video Jeff Brown, professor, polyglot, and part-time stand-up comedian talks about the pitfalls of too much output and the benefits of input.

It's all about Input! - YouTube

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how to work as a teacher online

There has been a boom in teaching online since the pandemic - but it hasn't been "plain sailing" for teachers. 

Here's a very handy guide from the E L Gazette:

Teaching online can be difficult to break into if you don’t know where to start. Luckily, experienced teacher Mary Costello has got the answers you need!

Navigating online teaching - E L Gazette

Here's a very good overview of how to work as a teacher online:

How To Start Teaching Online (and make money working from home!) - YouTube

And here's a list of handy tips on how to make it easier:

How To Become an Online Teacher

Finally, here are a couple of educational marketplaces:

Becoming an educator on Outschool | Outschool Support

11 Legit Platforms to Teach English Online - A Way Abroad

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reduce, reuse, recycle your language teaching (and learning!)

We can literally recycle in the language classroom.

Writing in the latest issue of the E L Gazette, teacher Stephen Tarbuck offers his ideas to reuse scrap paper in the classroom:

Reduce (prep-time), Reuse (activities), Recycle (paper) - E L Gazette

The Comprehensible Classroom looks at a whole lot of things to help us 'reduce, reuse, recycle' when teaching. Here are the headings:

Reduce waste

In the area of language teaching and language acquisition, I see two big categories of waste reduction: we can reduce linguistic waste and we can reduce wasted time.

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Reuse what's working

The brain craves novelty, and so we often feel the need to try all the things and have a completely fresh lesson every day. Of course, injecting novelty in your curriculum by trying out new activities and introducing your students to new games is part of what we do, but so is sticking with what is working. Here are some strategies and activities that I use over and over and over and over!

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Recycle content

Repeated exposure to information and language forms improves both processing and confidence. I've shared some of my favorite ways to recycle content in the past (check out this post!), and I'll share a few favorites here, too:

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The Comprehensible Classroom | Reduce, Reuse, Recycle - Stick with…

Reusing/recycling is always a good thing - if done well:

Recycled Readings for English Language Teaching

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what english sounds like

There is a video from Liverpool going viral - of a baby babbling away not actually speaking anything but with perfect pronunciation - if you can understand the accent that is:

Me and my friends baby. Viral Scouse Baby. Scouse baby babble. - YouTube

The point being that we need to mimic the sounds of any language we learn - just like a baby.

Here's another look at what English sounds like:

How English sounds to non-English speakers - YouTube

Jay Doubleyou: how english sounds to non-english speakers

And another:

Adriano Celentano - Prisencolinensinainciusol - YouTube

Here's another look at these:

What Does English Sound Like To Non-English Speakers? | QI - YouTube

It's all about mimicry:

Language Learning Like A Pro With The Mimic Method - YouTube

Learn Languages With The Mimic Method! - Interview With Idahosa Ness - YouTube

How Fast Can You Learn a New Language? - YouTube

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pronunciation: empowering educators to feel confident and prepared to teach pronunciation

It's important to work on students' pronunciation regularly and often:

Jay Doubleyou: pronunciation: getting students to understand better and to be better understood

And to make that possible, teachers need to feel confident and prepared to teach pronunciation.

There are lots of resources to help:

How to teach pronunciation communicatively? – PronSIG

Fun Ways to Teach Pronunciation – TEFL Barcelona - TEFL Spain

And the latest E L Gazette looks at a new book that offers further help - especially to 'non-native' teachers:

Teaching English Pronunciation for a Global World

Authors Robin Walker and Gemma Archer discuss how they empower educators to feel confident and prepared to teach pronunciation in a time where the practice has fallen to the wayside.

For far too long, pronunciation teaching has been left out on the margins of English language teaching. From the central position it occupied in early teaching methods, we have reached the point today where some coursebooks carry no explicit pronunciation work at all.

In part, this is because successful pronunciation teaching is a complex mix of the ‘what’, ‘when’, ‘how’ and ‘who to’ – a mix that can be difficult to get right. In addition, unlike grammar or vocabulary, pronunciation has a significant component of skills acquisition. This requires teachers to come to the classroom equipped with a range of tricks and tools that they can use to get learners to do things with their mouths that often feel completely foreign to them. In this respect, the language teacher is very much like a sports coach or dance instructor. The aim is to get learners to do things rather than to know about them. Knowledge alone is not enough.

Aware of the unique nature of pronunciation teaching, in ‘Teaching English Pronunciation for a Global World’ we have been as careful as possible to take teachers into account, and to support them in a number of ways.

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Teaching English Pronunciation for a Global World - E L Gazette

Finally, here's some academic research:

Competent and Confident: Empowering English Language Learners Through Pronunciation Instruction

Engaging research: Empowering ESL/EFL teachers to teach pronunciation

The Needs Analysis, Design, Development, and Evaluation of the ‘English Pronunciation Guide: An ESL Teachers’ Guide to Pronunciation Teaching Using Online Resources’

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public schools, school choice and the "parents' revolution" in the united states

Where does the model of public schooling come from?

Jay Doubleyou: the prussian school system and the factory model of education

What are the alternatives to public schooling?

Jay Doubleyou: homeschooling and deschooling

Jay Doubleyou: self-directed education

And what are the current debates around education in the United States:

Jay Doubleyou: banning books, the school curriculum and critical race theory in the united states

Jay Doubleyou: issues around school and education

These are very heated debates:

Religious debate heats up over what Texas students should learn | The Texas Tribune

About half of Americans say public K-12 education is going in the wrong direction | Pew Research Center

Teachers Say They Have Little Influence in Curriculum Debates

Controversial school topics: How Americans really feel

Debate over 'parental rights' is the latest fight in the education culture wars - ABC News

BBC radio goes to Arizona:

‘School choice’: Why are parents opting out of public education for their children?

The so-called ‘parents’ revolution’ is happening in America - and it’s a revolt against the public education system. School choice campaigns are gaining ground across the country, fighting for tax-funded vouchers giving parents the opportunity to select their preferred school. More and more families are ditching institutions altogether, with homeschooling reportedly the fastest growing form of education in the US. Why are families turning away from traditional schooling, and what does this mean for the future of America’s education system? Alex Last travels to Arizona - a state at the forefront of the school choice movement - to find out more.

Crossing Continents - Rejecting public education in Arizona - BBC Sounds

What's the system in your country - and are there any pressures to change it?

Jay Doubleyou: explaining how your country's education system works

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music and politics go hand in hand

Music is very political...

RELIGION:

What's the difference between folk, classical and pop music?

Afghan Folk Music - Babolale - YouTube

Traditional Afghan Music on Rubab and Santur - "Pareshe Jal" (The Flight of the Lark) - YouTube

AFGHANISTAN 🇦🇫 TOP 40 SONGS - MUSIC CHART 2021 (POPNABLE AFGHAN) - افغاني سندرې - YouTube

What problem have the Taliban got with music?

Afghanistan: Taliban burn ‘immoral’ musical instruments - BBC News

When the music stops: how the Taliban’s fear of art is killing Afghan culture | Global development | The Guardian

And Christian fundamentalists?

Why Christians Shouldn’t Listen to Secular Music

Back in the 1920s, parent groups and a good many clerics were much exercised by the seductive, destructive power of jazz and the blues. The devil's music, they called it, as late as the mid-1950s.

The Devil's Music - The Washington Post

But what about this?

JP Cooper - Call My Name (Gospel / Live) - YouTube

RACE:

Is this "cultural appropriation" - or stealing someone else's music?

BIG MAMA THORNTON - Live YOU AIN'T NOTHING BUT A HOUND DOG - YouTube

Elvis Presley - Hound Dog (1956) HD 0815007 - YouTube

Is Country Music 'white'?

Beyoncé: Singer praised for 'impressive' country album Cowboy Carter - BBC News

Beyoncé’s country album drowns out the Black music history it claims to celebrate | Beyoncé | The Guardian

Beyonce just dropped the most exciting country album of the year. What a pity Nashville didn’t want it | The Independent

BREXIT:

Flashmob Flash Mob - Ode an die Freude ( Ode to Joy ) Beethoven Symphony No.9 classical music - YouTube

Brexiters boycott choral festival over EU’s Ode to Joy | Choral music | The Guardian

Jay Doubleyou: barenboim and education

Elgar: Pomp and Circumstance | BBC Proms 2014 - BBC - YouTube

FOLK:

In the UK and US it's about 'protest':

Joan Baez performs "We Shall Overcome" at the March on Washington - YouTube

Seth Lakeman - Kitty Jay - YouTube

On the Continent it's more conservative:

Oompah band beer hall. Munich, Germany. October 2015 - YouTube

It's something young people are into:

Отава Ё - Про Ивана Groove (русское готическое R'N'B) - Otava Yo - YouTube

Trio Mandili - Svanuri - YouTube

FINALLY:

Jay Doubleyou: how classical music brings people together

Music and politics - Wikipedia

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