Teaching Research Writing to EFL Students

Aimed at EFL students, Ayed T. Alharbi's Teaching Research Writing to EFL Students can be considered an invaluable tool for students keen to prosper within the academic environment.From deciding which topic to choose, to research, collecting and collating data, to writing the final paper, every aspect of the process is covered in readily comprehensible, bite-sized chapters, perfect for students who are still building their confidence with writing in a second language.

The End of Schooling

How much the prosperity of both individuals and nations would burgeon if only more funding could be provided for education is a popular contemporary view. Class sizes made smaller, curricula more expertly designed, teachers more wide-ranging in their interests and competence. This mechanistic outlook is challenged. Education, like pure art, seeks to fathom the world's depths without ever totally reaching its bedrock. Participants need to be ready for surprise. To be left feeling mystified, wondering, overwhelmed. In a Nature never still, each generation has to face environments in novel ways. Education's incomparable brief, then, is to deal with the real demands made on humanity. Definite answers are unavailable. Invitations are to share interminable journeying. To find delight in evanescent experiences. Not to seek arrival at supposedly perfect destinations.

The Future Knowledge Compendium

Thriving in the 21^st Century

Humans have a unique capability to both understand their situation in the world and to envision and act to realise their aspirations in the emerging world. And most of us would welcome knowing how we can become ever more skilful at both understanding, and shaping the future of, our emerging world, so that we can thrive in it. The 21^st century is very different from the 20^th century. Globalisation, the greatest economic prosperity uplifting machine humanity has ever invented, and mass education, are combining to sweep humanity into an emerging interdependent global village. It is creating a global educated middle class that will number 5 billion in 2030.

In this emerging world, a world where our future prosperity will be increasingly based on metaphysical wealth, on what we know, 20^th century nation-first, competitive, win/lose, mindsets and agendas can no longer work. These now yesteryear mindsets will instead undermine our best endeavours, including making our future ever more climate and pandemic safe.

Humanity is now beginning to learn that it now has no option but to adopt planet-first, collaborative, win/win values and mindsets, if it wishes to shape our emerging global village so that it can become liveable for all: ever more prosperous, harmonious, inclusive, sustainable, healthy, and secure. Meeting these challenges successfully will require that humanity innovates for itself a new future knowledge curriculum so that it can economically thrive in a sustainable and humane manner.

Peter Ellyard has asked the question: what would be the contents of such a curriculum? In The Future Knowledge Compendium: A Curriculum for Thriving in the 21^st Century, he has sought to answer this question.

IELTS Topic Vocabulary: Essential Vocabulary for the Speaking and Writing Exams

This book is invaluable for all the students preparing for the IELTS exam. It contains essential topic-specific vocabulary for the exam, divided into 20 topics, as well as two separate sections on useful vocabulary for the writing exam, including collocations. There is also a section on idiomatic language that can be used in speaking exam. Exercises throughout the book reinforce the vocabulary so that it becomes active, enabling you to use it in the exam and boost your IELTS band score.

Knowledge, Power, Wealth and Wisdom

Knowledge involves true belief and the realization of one’s own ignorance is the precondition for its attainment.Power is similar to distilled liquor; it will intoxicate and dim the judgment of even the most scrupulous men.Wealth is frequently associated with spiritual poverty and the distribution of wealth in any society exposes its lack of justice.Wisdom is combined with the trinity of values, which are, the absolute truth, the spirit of beauty and complete goodness.The man who is neither good nor wise remains self-satisfied. He has no desire to acquire that to which he feels no need.Aristotle insisted that life is the activity of the mind. Plato insisted that life is a preparation for death.

Mundane Insurance

Manufacturing industries are a common knowledge as are the likes of the motor car, television, foodstuffs and electrical goods that exist around us every day and are forcefully advertised. Banking too but it is only true to a lesser degree regarding insurance because if canvasing the average person in the street about insurance they would think only about their life insurance, health insurance, motor cover, house and contents, pet plan insurance and so on. Put like that, it is all very wearisome and therefore hardly a subject worth writing about, or is it? That was certainly the author’s impression of insurance even up to the point of moving into the financial sector from manufacturing industry.

Pursuing the subject a step further, hazarding a guess, if those very same people were quizzed regarding the types of people they imagined are employed in insurance they would probably describe their insurance broker or simply a voice at an insurance call centre. This account therefore will, in all probability, dispel the notion that all insurance dealings are routine and in the main, predictable as did an international group of young insurance delegates at a Middle East seminar, many of whom were totally unaware that the insurance industry’s activities were so diverse.

The Knowing and Caring Profession

Teaching has always struggled with its identity. Is it a profession? A vocation? Something that people who can’t do anything else fall into? A safety net or a career?

Is it a walk in the park? All those holidays. Something anyone can do, let’s face it, we all went to school.

Or is it a complex, challenging, somewhat maligned and misunderstood profession made up of exceptional and perhaps not so exceptional members. How would we know?

The Knowing and Caring Profession takes a look behind the rhetoric and rigmarole, to explore education and more specifically the education profession through a variety of lenses.

Phil Lambert’s approach to education, teaching and the broader profession is at times confronting, challenging and controversial. At its heart, it is an exploration of education by a teacher, a bureaucrat, an academic, a leader and a parent, all rolled in to one.

Phil brings a different perspective to many of the complex and challenging facets of education. From curriculum and class sizes to teacher education and student learning outcomes, Phil distils what can be polarising and emotive topics into easy to digest, fascinating and, at times, funny anecdotes and examples for non-educators.

Anyone who has even a passing interest or involvement with the education system will gain significant insight and understanding of what is truly at its very core, a knowing and caring profession.

Mental English: Book One

This course of six books presents the student with a vocabulary of thousands of words, many of which will be unfamiliar to him. A basic conversation may be conducted in English with a total vocabulary of less than one thousand words. The 'average' citizen lives his life happily and successfully with a lot less than ten thousand words. It follows, therefore, that the person with a larger vocabulary than average will have a distinct advantage in life.These workbooks are designed to assist the would-be wordsmith in the acquisition of a larger-than-average vocabulary. They are suitable for working by the student of any age or level of ability, as well as those for whom English is a foreign language. English is the language of international travel and commerce and these books will provide a solid foundation for those who perceive 'average' as an insufficient level of attainment.

The Agile Coach's Cookbook

“With this coach’s cookbook, Jon has managed to create a thing of both great simplicity and immense value. A must read for the coaching community, this is an easily referenceable guide to coaching excellence, full of handy hints, tips, tools and techniques. As a coach, no matter your experience, expertise and specialism, this is a resource you will all want in your back pocket.”

— Gustav Bjorkeroth, CEO at Radtac

“There are so many self-proclaimed-and-promoting agile experts, and best-selling agile authors. It’s challenging to decipher who’s right, who to engage with, or who to follow. Then there’s Jon Ward of Beneficial Consulting. Jon’s pragmatic and catalytic approach nullifies these challenges. Within the world of ‘agile transformation’, transitioning from ‘waterfall to agile’, Jon stands up and out providing practical advice based on successful recent experience. This book provides an essential read for agile coaches who wish to make a difference.”

— Alan Gedye, Head: People Change Management and Enablement, Absa Johannesburg

The Complete A-Z of German Verbs

I think I know which verb to use….but can I use it in this context….? I have a verb in my mind that I think should be used, yet is it the one used by German speakers themselves? How can I find out?!

Does this sound like you? As a fellow linguist and Translator, I completely empathise. This was the question I asked myself for many years. The world of languages can be a tricky one indeed. Countless days of learning verb tables and endings and running through verb after verb; this may seem like an impossible feat, yet is one commonly undertaken by dedicated linguists.

My book, The Complete A-Z of German Verbs, seeks to break down this confusing process, providing students with a guide to help understand the multiple uses of German verbs in different scenarios. Upon reading this book, you will gain an insight into morphological patterns that may have eluded you in the past and will guide you on your path to becoming a talented German linguist. Are you ready? 

The Graduate Book

“It’s a tough world out there for graduates—and students definitely

 know it. As a result, we’re seeing more and more that they’re preparing

 for post-graduation life early. The Student Book and The Graduate Book

 are invaluable resources, showing them exactly how to get ahead of

 the game whilst still at uni, and what to do if they’ve left their career

 planning until the very last minute! From a real-life success story, it offers

 crucial advice in an engaging and light-hearted way. An essential

 wherever you are in your university career or graduate job search!”

 Lucy Miller, Senior Editor – The National Student

 “We talk and interview with literally thousands of students every year

 and less than 5% of them really know what they need to do to land that

 vital first job. These books should be compulsory reading for every

 student and new graduate.

 We highly recommend it.”

 Jack Catherall, Managing Director Wiser Elite and Wiser Digital.

An Idiot's Love of Idioms 2

Ever wondered where the sayings we commonly use originate?Sometimes the things we say, if we really think about it, make absolutely no logical sense.Take what I’m saying as read but not with a pinch of salt, I think this book will be a sight for sore eyes and will warm the cockles of your heart.This book won’t cost you an arm and a leg and you won’t have to push the boat out to buy it and I’m not trying to pull the wool over your eyes as there are no smoke and mirrors here. If you like idioms it might be right up your alley and I’ll stick my neck out and say you’ll find it top drawer.Hang fire you say, well, this kind of book only comes once in a blue moon so keep your hair on, don’t flip your lid and remember every cloud has a silver lining even if it’s not cloud nine. So don’t drop a clanger and cut me some slack, buy this book and I guarantee you I’ll have you in stitches.