BBC Learning English: A Good Resource for English Teachers

 

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I aim to be a good English teacher in China in the future

I am exploring some technologies or tools to be applied in my future teaching practice and glad to share my findings with you

I sincerely welcome the potential and experienced English teachers in China or other countries to communicate with me and please feel free to leave any comments😀

 

As an English teacher, are you always on the lookout for learning materials or resources to help your students improve their language skills? I find an excellent online resource with amounts of learning materials, and it is time to share with you. This tool is called BBC Learning English.

💬What is BBC Learning English?

screenshoot from https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/

BBC Learning English (website link） is a well-known and free resource for learners of English all around the world, which offers a wide range of materials, such as courses, news reports, videos, quizzes, and podcasts. You can use these high-quality and authentic materials to help students improve their listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills. in addition, it is necessary to mention that there is a part called Teachers, which provides a variety of classroom teaching tips for different contexts. So you can not only choose learning materials for your students, but also can learn some teaching methods.

💬Why use BBC Learning English?

Different levels: The materials of many sessions are divided into different levels, which provides convenience for teachers to choose materials that are suitable to different-level students. 

Range of materials: The website offers a wide range of materials, including news reports, podcasts, videos, and quizzes, that can be used to help students improve their language skills in a variety of areas.

Test: Teachers can use the platform's quizzes and exercises to check their students' knowledge of the English language in the class.

Completely Free: All of the materials on the BBC Learning English website are free to access, making it an accessible resource for all students.

 

💬How to use BBC Learning English?

BBC Learning English can be used in a variety of ways in the classroom. Here are some suggestions:

Use the News Report section to introduce current events and topics of interest to your students. This can help to make the content more engaging and relevant to their lives.

Use the Grammar, Vocabulary and Pronunciation section to supplement your lessons on these topics. The section includes a range of exercises and activities that can be used to reinforce key concepts.

Assign Quizzes as homework or in-class assignments to help students test their knowledge and reinforce key concepts.

Play Podcasts from the 6 Minute English section in class to help students improve their listening and speaking skills. You can use the podcasts as a basis for class discussions or debate. (The below video is one learning material from 6 Minute English)

 

💬Limitations

Time-consuming: The amount of materials in BBC Learning English is enormous, so it may take teachers much time to look through and find the material they really need. 

No resources for kindergarden pupils: BBC Learning English primarily focuses on providing learning materials and resources for non-native English speakers of all ages, from beginner to advanced level. Although they have resources for young learners, there are no learning materials specifically for kindergarten pupils.

Lack of interest: There are few interesting learning materials like cartoons, which may not effectively draw young learners' attention in language learning. 

 

In conclusion, BBC Learning English is a great tool for English learning. It is a good material resource for teachers, but it can also be a learning platform for students. You can also introduce this website to your students if they enjoy self-study. 💖