Author Archives: Tom Godfrey

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About Tom Godfrey

I am an ELT teacher and teacher trainer. I am Director of ITI, Istanbul a training institute in Istanbul. I am also founder of Speech Bubbles theatre which performs musicals to raise money for children and education.

Forum Theatre in ELT: The Story of Peter Black Role Play.

Posted on May 21, 2018 by Tom Godfrey

A Tragic Story of the Financial Crisis. Introduction. This is one of my favourite lessons. ‘The Tragic Story of Peter Black is about a middle-aged man who is made redundant during a financial recession and the tragic consequences that follow. … Continue reading →

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A Challenge to Education

Posted on October 13, 2017 by Tom Godfrey

We need to reform education to meet the needs of children in the new millennium. The current system involves placing children in boxes (called schools) for most of the daylight hours; and once inside these boxes they are divided into … Continue reading →

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What is TEFL?

Posted on August 31, 2017 by Tom Godfrey

‘I am an EFL teacher and trainer’. A typical retort to this comment is: ‘What’s that?’ For the uninitiated EFL means English as a Foreign Language. EFL therefore describes the situation where learners are learning English in a context where … Continue reading →

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Cheating Lale: A Psychological Dilemma.

Posted on December 9, 2014 by Tom Godfrey

Using ‘Storydrama’ in ELT. Introduction. This is one of my favourite lesson plans. ‘Cheating Lale is about a young  girl who cheats in her University final examinations and the lesson explores learners’ reactions and interpretations of  the events and characters that … Continue reading →

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Let’s RAP Bro. Respect!

Posted on November 25, 2014 by Tom Godfrey

A learner-centred lesson. Many teachers claim to follow a learner-centred approach but what does a learner-centred approach actually mean in practice? I hope to show what it means by describing a lesson that contains, in my opinion, 12 key principles … Continue reading →

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THE NEW WAY

Posted on December 21, 2012 by Tom Godfrey

THE NEW WAY: ‘HOLISM’ a paradigm to replace orthodoxy. Humanity is marching off the edge of precipice. Can teachers do anything about it?   Are you as frustrated as I am when, attempting to relax in front of the TV … Continue reading →

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The Economic Crisis: A poem

Posted on December 11, 2011 by Tom Godfrey

The Crisis. Economic growth Increased production Higher consumption Rising employment   The relentless drumbeat of humanity As it marches to the precipice   More medicine means less illness More weapons means fewer wars More prisons means less crime More production … Continue reading →

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Inspiring Teachers in Khartoum

Posted on July 27, 2011 by Tom Godfrey

On 26 July 2011 11:14, Gray, Ben (Sudan) <ben.gray@sd.britishcouncil.org> wrote: Inspiring Teachers in Khartoum Building on links made across the education sector in Sudan, the British Council is celebrating a recent forum held for English language teachers in Khartoum.  Titled … Continue reading →

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Doing the DELTA on-line: is it effective?

Posted on March 24, 2011 by Tom Godfrey

 Ever wanted to get going on DELTA but felt you were working in a place too inaccessible to get started? Well, you can not possibly be in a more remote part of the world than the Falkland Islands. This is … Continue reading →

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ITI Master Classes in Samara, Russia.

Posted on February 24, 2011 by Tom Godfrey

  7, 13, 3, 2 and infinity. All this seems to be just a random set of numbers, but actually it makes an event. So, in order… 7th – largest city in Russia, Samara. 13 – the number of teachers … Continue reading →

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