Let’s get straight to it – here are the 10 most-read posts published on ELTjam in 2016. Plenty to get your teeth into here:
1. We need to talk about LX
Nick Robinson makes the case for the concept of ‘learner experience’ (or LX) – the application of well-established user experience (UX) design principles to the creation of learning products and experiences. LX has four elements: pedagogy, UX, content and the social or human element. Too many learning products fail in one or more of these areas and, as a result, we’re letting learners down badly. But it doesn’t have to be that way. February 2016. Read the article
2. SOLE – does it work with adult language learners?
Many have opined (often heatedly) on the virtues and flaws of Sugata Mitra’s SOLE (self-organised learning environment) concept, without actually testing it out for themselves. Varinder Unlu and James Stansfield are different – they tried it out for real at International House. March 2016. Read the article
3. My English learning experience – 6 lessons from a millennial learner
ELTjam’s own Berta Rojals’ inspiring description of her own language learning journey, and the lessons we can all draw from it. August 2016. Read the article
My English learning experience – 6 lessons from a millennial learner
4. What’s changing in English language teaching?
CUP’s head of market research on how a range of experts from across ELT think language teaching is changing. September 2016. Read the article
5. Building an ELT ‘bot’
The story of how the ELTjam team conceived, built and launched a new ELT product from scratch over the course of a weekend ‘hackathon’. March 2016. Read the article
6. Why so many ELT digital businesses fail to make money, and what we can do about it
An epic post from Paul Jackson (formerly of Newsmart) on how digital business really works, and why it isn’t working in language learning. September 2016. Read the article
Why so many digital ELT businesses fail to make money, and what we can do about it
7. Applying startup thinking to teacher development
Jo Sayers on how we worked with Cambridge English to develop their Digital Framework for Teachers. June 2016. Read the article
8. Velawoods English
Tim Gifford interviews CUP about a new language learning product based in a virtual town. September 2016. Read the article
9. Why do we produce ESL students with fossilized errors, and what can we do about it?
Kris Kagasia on how analysing stats from placement tests helped him understand fossilised errors. August 2016. Read the article
https://learnjam.com/esl-students-fossilized-errors/
10. How we help our students to learn more by teaching them less
James Hoyle on how cutting the syllabus improved the learner experience. February 2016. Read the article
How we help our students to learn more by teaching them less
Some excellent posts here all of which I have thoroughly enjoyed reading and has helped me keep up to date with what’s changing in ELT. Keep up the good work ELT Jam!
It is more and more difficult to follow the speed of life. Thank you for the help.