The Blogathon has been a lot to me so far. As one of the silver award winners of last year I opened the doors of a new world after the race. Being inspired by the race, I started my own teaching blog and I believe this has been the biggest award I have ever received.

Teachers of English from different countries have been running at this year’s Blogathon started by the British Council Turkey. The race takes place on TeachingEnglish site of the British Council. The blogging teachers are supported by the motivating comments of Karin Tirasin, last year’s gold award winner, and the 1^st runner up, Eva Buyuksimkesyan.

Teachers send great posts about their experiences, share their ideas, discuss issues and comment on each other’s posts. The race started on 16 January and it will end on 12 February. The gold award, a ticket to IATEFL Conference 2012, has been really motivating for most of the blogging teachers. More teachers are about to enter the magic world of blogging planning to start their own blogs. The British Council Blogathon team is doing a great big job by giving an opportunity to the teachers of English by helping them update themselves, opening a free space to blog and of course motivating them with awards.

If you want leave a comment and support blogging teachers, you should become a member of TeachingEnglish site and it will only take a minute. It is free and fun guaranteed:)

If you want to read my posts at the Blogathon, just click on the titles below.

Today is the first day of the rest of your life

My precious blogathon t-shirt

My Blogathon resolution: Losing weight by writing

The personality you carry with you

Using movies in class

Sorting sticks of a teacher

One minute

Teachers of Crystal Teacher

Are you in danger of …?

Have you been to Barcelona?

A poem dedicated to Blogathon

Today’s Menu

The biggest snowball ever

Other post about the Blogathon:

The race is on in the ELT Blogathon by Adam Simpson

Marks, set,  go! ELT blgoathon 2011 by Dave Dodgson

I’ve entered a competition by Naomi Epstein

Taking part in the TeachingEnglish Blogathon 2012 by Sanja

Level: It’s appropriate for lower-intermediate students, but of course you may adapt it to any level by changing the language the students should use.

Language: Yes / No Questions, relative clauses

Materials the T needs: 3 things (objects) important for you. (You can see mine above: A mini movie player, my USB and my mobile phone charger – all precious for me:))

Materials the Ss need: 3 things (objects) important for them.

Procedure:

• Show the objects you brought to the students one by one and ask them to find out why they are important for you making Yes / No questions.
• Then ask them to say something about your personality. (e.g. I think you are a person who is optimistic and childish.)
• At the end you can explain why these objects are important for you.
• Ask them to bring 3 objects next day to do the same activity in pairs / groups.

Follow-up – Writing: Students can write about their / a friend’s personality referring to the objects. Follow-up Speaking: After the pair / group work students change their pair / group and tell about each others’ personality referring to the objects.

Adapted by Merve Oflaz from “Personalizing Language Learning”

©Griff Griffiths and Katy Keohane Cambridge University Press 2000

This post was first published here