Many students take a "gap year" between finishing school and starting university. Many go and work in another country and get some experience of the world outside the classroom. Prince Harry is no exception. He is spending a few months in Australia and is working on a sheep farm in Queensland as a jackaroo - a farm labourer. On a 39,000-acre farm in somewhere called Tooloobilla, Harry is rolling up his sleeves and helping put the sheep through the sheepdip.
A spokesperson for the ginger-haired prince says, "He is hoping to learn something about agriculture." Unfortunately, the cost of the 12 security guards that will accompany him wherever he goes - about 650,000 pounds - is going to be paid by the Australian taxpayer. And Australians are not too happy about it. Adding to Harry's difficulties is the intense media attention that he is receiving from the Australian press, which is making his life with the sheep a misery, say insiders.
When he returns to Britain, Harry will not be going to university, however. His A-level results, a D in geography and a B in art, are not considered good enough for further academic study. So he will be going to the prestigious Sandhust military academy instead.
ELT guru comes to WarsawJeremy Harmer, top methodology textbook writer, was in Warsaw, September 20, to take part in Longman publishing's How to Teach English forum. The event was organized for the many English language teachers in Poland who have improved their qualification with either of the two titles that have made Harmer a household name in English language teaching circles: The Practice of English Language Teaching, or How to Teach English.
In front of a packed audience, the forum opened with a demonstration of the many possibilities of Longman's brand new Dictionary of Contemporary English. Do you remember the days when dictionaries were just full of words and their meanings? Well, not anymore they aren't. The new Longman's dictionary has many features that will become essential for those who either want to learn, or teach, English. Over one million real-life examples show words in their meaningful contexts. And the CD-ROM that accompanies the book provides you with pronunciation in both American and British English, and has interactive features that help students practice vocabulary, and prepare for exams such as FCE, CAE and Matura.
Then it was the turn of Jeremy Harmer to beguile the audience with a presentation that was both interesting and entertaining. He emphasized that learners, and their teachers, are unique personalities, and methodology must be constructed with that thought in mind. He also explained to a captivated audience his approach to writing textbooks. "The one thing I've always tried to do is write methodology in an accessible way." Jeremy also explained his ESA (Engage/Study/Activate) model. "These three elements should be present in every teaching sequence. And each stage should follow the sequence."
For more about Jeremy Harmer and the Longman's series of teaching aids, go to
www.longman-elt.com