I was at an interesting session yesterday at the School of Education (University of Leeds) on preparing for the viva voce doctoral examination. Timely for me, yet also serendipitous, as it was one of those sessions that you accidentally attend because you happened to be in the room […]
In praise of … Pierre Bourdieu Pierre Bourdieu’s analysis of the role of education in the reproduction of social inequality challenges Nick Clegg’s belief that he was “lucky” in life. Luck, says the French sociologist, has nothing to do with it. In his seminal work entitled ‘Outline of […]
This post is based on my Masters dissertation, as well as a couple of workshops delivered at IATEFL Pre-Conference Event 2009 (Cardiff) and NATECLA 2009 (Leeds) My small-scale study aimed to discover differences in the writing processes of ESOL learners whilst completing timed writing tasks across paper-based (PB) […]
When it comes to defining a second-language learner’s proficiency, what options are there? Most of what is available is time consuming and expensive. However, the DIALANG project has developed a Web-based instrument that allows learners to assess their proficiency in, particularly EU, languages. The method is entirely ‘self-assessment’ […]
John Taylor Gatto uses alternative methods to inspire deprived children to enjoy education. His secret – he hates “schooling” and ignores tests; instead, he concentrates on preparing pupils for life.
Ibrar's space 