Steve Smith
@spsmith45.bsky.social
French teacher 33 years, now writing materials frenchteacher.net, blogs and books about language teaching.
Pinned
Steve Smith
@spsmith45.bsky.social
· Sep 2
Thinking about Language Teaching Volume 1: Amazon.co.uk: Smith, Steve: 9798296131423: Books
Buy Thinking about Language Teaching Volume 1 by Smith, Steve (ISBN: 9798296131423) from Amazon's Book Store. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders.
amzn.eu
Do take a look. There us a LOT of material in my new book. Thanks to those who have bought a copy. amzn.eu/d/bFDHCqT
This looks like good news. www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...
Millions of UK workers to get pay rise as Reeves plans increased minimum wage
Chancellor says people must be ‘properly rewarded for their hard work’ with 16- to 21-year-olds also in line for raise
www.theguardian.com
November 25, 2025 at 6:48 PM
This looks like good news. www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...
Dissecting a classic communicative activity. www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Dzz...
Second language teaching CPD 29 Dissecting a lesson: Alibi
YouTube video by Steve Smith
www.youtube.com
November 25, 2025 at 6:12 PM
Dissecting a classic communicative activity. www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Dzz...
Reposted by Steve Smith
Our Labour government ARE taxing wealth.
They ARE making the wealthiest in society pay more.
They did it in the last Budget & I expect more tomorrow.
Anyone who says it's not happening is lying to you.
Anyone who promotes phrases like 'tax billionaires' with no details is selling false hope.
They ARE making the wealthiest in society pay more.
They did it in the last Budget & I expect more tomorrow.
Anyone who says it's not happening is lying to you.
Anyone who promotes phrases like 'tax billionaires' with no details is selling false hope.
November 25, 2025 at 9:25 AM
Our Labour government ARE taxing wealth.
They ARE making the wealthiest in society pay more.
They did it in the last Budget & I expect more tomorrow.
Anyone who says it's not happening is lying to you.
Anyone who promotes phrases like 'tax billionaires' with no details is selling false hope.
They ARE making the wealthiest in society pay more.
They did it in the last Budget & I expect more tomorrow.
Anyone who says it's not happening is lying to you.
Anyone who promotes phrases like 'tax billionaires' with no details is selling false hope.
Hmm.
NEW: Lynsey Holzer, CEO of Active Learning Trust, has claimed education is “not a very innovative sector” and 'half joked' about MFL; “I think Duolingo can do it better. Kids would respond better to that. Make it competitive, gamify it – and crack on”. Link in comments to Schoolsweek article.
November 25, 2025 at 2:42 PM
Hmm.
The latest from London HQ. www.frenchteacher.net/latest/
Archives: Updates | frenchteacher.net
Description.
www.frenchteacher.net
November 25, 2025 at 2:40 PM
The latest from London HQ. www.frenchteacher.net/latest/
An interesting table shared by Gianfranco Conti on what distinguishes languages from other subjects. Shared on FB in the GILT group.
November 25, 2025 at 12:59 PM
An interesting table shared by Gianfranco Conti on what distinguishes languages from other subjects. Shared on FB in the GILT group.
Reposted by Steve Smith
Ce projet est à l’étude depuis plusieurs mois, dans un contexte de sécurité mondiale «fait d’incertitudes» et «d’une montée des tensions», a affirmé l'exécutif en marge du G20. →https://l.lefigaro.fr/wKNL
November 24, 2025 at 9:00 AM
Ce projet est à l’étude depuis plusieurs mois, dans un contexte de sécurité mondiale «fait d’incertitudes» et «d’une montée des tensions», a affirmé l'exécutif en marge du G20. →https://l.lefigaro.fr/wKNL
Reposted by Steve Smith
ChatGPT for teachers has launched. A landing page has a series of suggested tasks such as curriculum planning, reviewing work with a rubric. I'd like to see a robust study on the the following:
chatgpt.com/use-cases/hi...
chatgpt.com/use-cases/hi...
ChatGPT for high school teachers
Teachers from across the U.S. shared chats they use for lesson planning, research, and administrative tasks.
Tap a chat to get started.
chatgpt.com
November 24, 2025 at 8:29 AM
ChatGPT for teachers has launched. A landing page has a series of suggested tasks such as curriculum planning, reviewing work with a rubric. I'd like to see a robust study on the the following:
chatgpt.com/use-cases/hi...
chatgpt.com/use-cases/hi...
Shared by Gianfranco on FB. A super table on behaviour management issues.
November 24, 2025 at 8:13 AM
Shared by Gianfranco on FB. A super table on behaviour management issues.
Recently on my blog. frenchteachernet.blogspot.com/2025/11/expl...
Exploiting some simple past tense questions
Suppose you have been teaching and practising using the perfect tense with 'avoir' verbs in French — or the equivalent in your language. The...
frenchteachernet.blogspot.com
November 23, 2025 at 5:01 PM
Recently on my blog. frenchteachernet.blogspot.com/2025/11/expl...
Reposted by Steve Smith
A useful post from Gianfranco. gianfrancoconti.com/2025/11/20/m...
Managing Transitions in MFL lessons: A Language Teacher’s Most Important “Survival” Skill
Introduction One of the most under-discussed sources of disruption in MFL (Modern Foreign Languages) classrooms is not the listening exercise, not the dialogue drill, not even the grammar explanati…
gianfrancoconti.com
November 20, 2025 at 11:07 AM
A useful post from Gianfranco. gianfrancoconti.com/2025/11/20/m...
Johnson’s legacy? www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...
‘Too little, too late’: damning report condemns UK’s Covid response
Report on handling of pandemic contains stinging criticism of ‘toxic and chaotic’ culture inside Boris Johnson’s No 10
www.theguardian.com
November 20, 2025 at 5:48 PM
Johnson’s legacy? www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...
Reposted by Steve Smith
New from me. Practical, principled pedagogy - low prep, high surrender value. frenchteachernet.blogspot.com/2025/11/expl...
Exploiting some simple past tense questions
Suppose you have been teaching and practising using the perfect tense with 'avoir' verbs in French — or the equivalent in your language. The...
frenchteachernet.blogspot.com
November 19, 2025 at 12:25 PM
New from me. Practical, principled pedagogy - low prep, high surrender value. frenchteachernet.blogspot.com/2025/11/expl...
A useful post from Gianfranco. gianfrancoconti.com/2025/11/20/m...
Managing Transitions in MFL lessons: A Language Teacher’s Most Important “Survival” Skill
Introduction One of the most under-discussed sources of disruption in MFL (Modern Foreign Languages) classrooms is not the listening exercise, not the dialogue drill, not even the grammar explanati…
gianfrancoconti.com
November 20, 2025 at 11:07 AM
A useful post from Gianfranco. gianfrancoconti.com/2025/11/20/m...
A new post from me. frenchteachernet.blogspot.com/2025/11/for-...
For vocab acquisition, is it better to just read, or read while listening?
When working with a new written text, do you let students read quietly, or do you read aloud the text as the class reads? Below is a summary...
frenchteachernet.blogspot.com
November 20, 2025 at 9:57 AM
A new post from me. frenchteachernet.blogspot.com/2025/11/for-...
Reposted by Steve Smith
Have you ever wondered why emulating a farting sound is called "blowing raspberries"?
Raspberry/-ies is a clipping of "raspberry tart" which was originally Cockney rhyming slang for "fart"
Raspberry/-ies is a clipping of "raspberry tart" which was originally Cockney rhyming slang for "fart"
November 19, 2025 at 5:10 PM
Have you ever wondered why emulating a farting sound is called "blowing raspberries"?
Raspberry/-ies is a clipping of "raspberry tart" which was originally Cockney rhyming slang for "fart"
Raspberry/-ies is a clipping of "raspberry tart" which was originally Cockney rhyming slang for "fart"
New from me. Practical, principled pedagogy - low prep, high surrender value. frenchteachernet.blogspot.com/2025/11/expl...
Exploiting some simple past tense questions
Suppose you have been teaching and practising using the perfect tense with 'avoir' verbs in French — or the equivalent in your language. The...
frenchteachernet.blogspot.com
November 19, 2025 at 12:25 PM
New from me. Practical, principled pedagogy - low prep, high surrender value. frenchteachernet.blogspot.com/2025/11/expl...
Maybe of interest to ML teachers in England. ncle.ucl.ac.uk/ncle-cpd-web...
NCLE CPD Webinars
An opportunity for you to join NCLE’s national community of languages teachers and explore some of the themes covered on the LEO platform alongside broader contextual and current issues.
ncle.ucl.ac.uk
November 19, 2025 at 8:03 AM
Maybe of interest to ML teachers in England. ncle.ucl.ac.uk/ncle-cpd-web...
Reposted by Steve Smith
My new post. frenchteachernet.blogspot.com/2025/11/cogn...
Cognitive Load Theory for language teachers
Gognitive Load Theory was famously described by Dylan Wiliam as "the single most important thing for teachers to know". This post is all abo...
frenchteachernet.blogspot.com
November 17, 2025 at 10:40 PM
My new post. frenchteachernet.blogspot.com/2025/11/cogn...
Macron - buy French and fight protectionism. youtu.be/gr0XG-XeHs8?...
🇫🇷
YouTube video by Emmanuel Macron
youtu.be
November 18, 2025 at 9:48 AM
Macron - buy French and fight protectionism. youtu.be/gr0XG-XeHs8?...
The word is used in French too. www.theguardian.com/global/2025/...
Feel a connection to a celebrity you don’t know? There’s a word for that
‘Parasocial’ crowned Cambridge Dictionary’s word of the year as ‘unhealthy’ relationships with celebrities rise
www.theguardian.com
November 18, 2025 at 7:39 AM
The word is used in French too. www.theguardian.com/global/2025/...
My new post. frenchteachernet.blogspot.com/2025/11/cogn...
Cognitive Load Theory for language teachers
Gognitive Load Theory was famously described by Dylan Wiliam as "the single most important thing for teachers to know". This post is all abo...
frenchteachernet.blogspot.com
November 17, 2025 at 10:40 PM
My new post. frenchteachernet.blogspot.com/2025/11/cogn...
A very nice post about teacher charisma. gianfrancoconti.com/2025/11/17/w...
What Makes a Language Teacher Charismatic?
Introduction Every teacher knows one: that colleague who walks into a room and instantly changes the atmosphere. Students sit up, smiles appear, and somehow learning feels lighter, faster, and more…
gianfrancoconti.com
November 17, 2025 at 4:36 PM
A very nice post about teacher charisma. gianfrancoconti.com/2025/11/17/w...
aischoolgenius.com?gad_source=1... This AI tool looks good and is not too expensive. Better than just using free Chat GPT, Gemini or Deepseek?
AI tools for teachers
AI tools for teachers to create lessons, quizzes and worksheets faster. AI School Genius helps save time, personalize learning and boost classroom impact.
aischoolgenius.com
November 17, 2025 at 7:51 AM
aischoolgenius.com?gad_source=1... This AI tool looks good and is not too expensive. Better than just using free Chat GPT, Gemini or Deepseek?
Reposted by Steve Smith
A new post from me. frenchteachernet.blogspot.com/2025/11/cogn...
Cognitive Load Theory for language teachers
Gognitive Load Theory was famously described by Dylan Wiliam as "the single most important thing for teachers to know". This post is all abo...
frenchteachernet.blogspot.com
November 16, 2025 at 1:35 PM
A new post from me. frenchteachernet.blogspot.com/2025/11/cogn...