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"Reflections of a language teacher.
Always learning."


Only Words?: The Unexpected Challenges of Teaching Vocabulary
This blog post was written by Isabelle Jones. “Without grammar very little can be conveyed, without vocabulary nothing can be conveyed”....
Silvia Bastow
Jan 7, 20244 min read


"The Harmonious Approach": Using Songs for Teaching Languages
This year (March, 2023), I attended Eva Lamb's session at the Language World Conference organised by the Association for Language...
Silvia Bastow
Dec 10, 20234 min read


Making learning stick: Strategies for lasting knowledge
Learning a language is a cumulative and dynamic process that involves acquiring, processing, and retaining vocabulary and structures....
Silvia Bastow
Nov 25, 20234 min read


Stretching our high attaining students
I decided to write this blog post because too often, when I chat to my fellow colleagues either at conferences, subject meetings, or...
Silvia Bastow
Oct 22, 20234 min read


Activities to support spontaneous speaking (GCSE/A-Level)
In this post, I wanted to share the variety of activities promoting spontaneous speaking that I have been introduced to during my German...
Silvia Bastow
Sep 10, 202313 min read


Lead Teacher Development (NPQLTD) Qualification
I have been asked by a few colleagues to write about my views on the National Professional Qualification (NPQ) Lead Teacher Development,...
Silvia Bastow
Jul 15, 20233 min read
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