Literature
Characterisation
The distinction between the concepts of character and characterisation is not one which occurs naturally to students in my experience. As 'innocent' readers, for the most part, they simply involve themselves...
Literature
Plot & Narrative Free
The story of The Curious Incident... is quite simple, at a basic level. Christopher describes the story himself on the very last page of the novel, like this: And I know that I can do this (become a scientist)...
Literature
The House on Mango Street
This novel has been warmly recommended by at least one teacher in practically every InThinking workshop that I have done over the last couple of years. I hadn't read it, but now that I have, I understand...
Literature
ROOM
This novel is surprising, refreshing and original. It was shortlisted for the 2010 Booker Prize, and it is easy to see why: it explores an unusual and disturbing situation, and is written with a really...
Literature
The Hunger Games
The Hunger Games Suzanne Collins (2008-2010) This trilogy of novels is being described as the successor to the vastly popular 'Twilight' series. The title refers to the first of the trilogy, but also...
Language
L1 interference
There is no such thing as tabula rasa in language learning - or possibly any other sort of learning, either. When you learn a language as an adult - as opposed to acquiring a language as a child (which...
Activities
The Asking of Questions
The essence of critical thinking is the ability to ask questions. Not only that, but the asking of questions is dynamic in any form of discourse - questions drive forward the process of thinking and the...
Blog
Somewheres & Anywheres Free
Is it time to change the IB’s name? The ‘International Baccalaureate’ was an effective title when the IB was dreamed up in the late 1960s, but arguably the IB has evolved and times have changed. To start...
Literature
The Curious Incident...
'The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time' Mark Haddon (2003) is a fascinating and moving novel - but it is also a wonderful base from which to teach about many aspects of how novels - and language...
Blog
1984 revisited Free
. According to various news media, sales of George Orwell’s 1984 have soared amazingly (see the Guardian’s report). This coincides with the first week of the Trump Presidency. The connection appears to...