Cockroaches and Ladybugs: A New Architecture of Project Based Learning?

Cockroaches and Ladybugs: A New Architecture of Project Based Learning?:



During this school year I have been developing a new architecture roadmap to implement project working in my esl classes. Some thing...

Lateral Thinking Stories for the ESL Class

Cockroaches and Ladybugs: Lateral Thinking Stories for the ESL Class: What is lateral thinking?  In 1973 Edward De Bono developed the term “ Lateral Thinking ”. Lateral thinking involves looking at a situati...





In ESL, Lateral Thinking Puzzles are a great resource for thinking, speaking and writing because they are often strange situations which require an explanation.

Teaching English Creatively

Cockroaches and Ladybugs: Teaching English Creatively: 10 creative ways to teach English that deliver outstanding results is an article that Anna Warren published in The Guardian ...

As a ferver defender of project working and open curriculums, I really like the idea of teaching Language through arts: through painting, music composition, a film project, in role drama or sculpture, always having a real purpose in mind. I was happy to find such a clear article like this because some of the approaches are right now in my teaching portfolio.

Blended Learning

Cockroaches and Ladybugs: Blended Learning:



“We’re currently preparing students for jobs that don’t yet exist... using technologies that have not been invented... in order to solve problems we don't even know are problems yet". Watch the video and reflect about it!

Teaching Maths Through English or English Through Maths: A CLIL approach

Cockroaches and Ladybugs: Teaching Maths Through English or English Through ...:



Are you thinking in doing some CLIL (Content and Language Integrated Learning) next year? Is Maths your favourite subject to do it but the staff of your school thinks that this is a too tough for to be taught in English? Need some good reasons to convince parents and teachers? Or, are you not sure about some "language" issues when teaching maths...?

Here you are some good "references" may help you!

Mind Mapping for Helping Natural Language: Tools

I have been fascinated with mind mapping since I first read  Tony Buzan's   book on this topic many years ago.  

This is a strategy that helps students quickly relate a central word or concept. The mind forms associations almost instantaneously and 'mapping' allows them to write their ideas quicker, using only words or phrases.


Read more about at Cockroaches and Ladybugs: Mind Mapping for Helping Natural Language

Is that CLIL or what?

I have received some comments and questions about what’s CLIL and what’s not and, especially about the definition of "language showers"...  it seems to me that this is an aspect not clearn enough!

Is teaching a subject in a foreign language CLIL? Are immersion programmesCLIL? Are “language showers” CLIL? Are “workshops” or modulesCLIL?

Have a look at the following article and decide by yourself if you are doing CLIL or not!

Cockroaches and Ladybugs Blog

Web 2.0 tools... How to choose the right one?

Start working with Web 2.0 tools in the classroom can be a hard and painful process that can lead to throw in the towel, before getting some...

How to build our “Web 2.0 Tool Kit”? You won't want to teach a lesson with a technology part if you don't feel confident using technology.

Cockroaches and Ladybugs: Web 2.0 tools... How to choose the right one?:

Some Ideas for the ESL class (or for any class!)

Cockroaches and Ladybugs: Some Ideas for the ESL class (or for any class!):

ESL Ideas is a Pinterest Board, compiled by Amanda Avens with lots and lots of resources, tips and ideas for the teaching of English as a Second Language


I will try them in my class this school year, for sure!

The importance of a personalised English room

Cockroaches and Ladybugs: 

The importance of a personalised English room

From time to time The Guardian Teacher Network prepares a list of the best Top Ten Resources for any purpose related to school and teaching...

6+1 Action Tips for Project Working

Cockroaches and Ladybugs: 6+1 Action Tips for Project Working:

I remember many years ago, my students turned our English classroom into a TV studio. In groups they decided the different TV programmes they wanted to perform: the weather forecast, News, some advertisements, an interview, and a cooking programme. Then, they did all of the research, decided what information was important to share, wrote the scripts, and practiced after school.


They decided together how to decorate the classroom and how to set the furniture. They invited a TV professional camera to videotape the “performances”. And after that, they showed to the younger in the school and to parents. The video was also viewed in a local TV.

The students still mention it to me when I see them. They are in college now.



Project based learning is learning in its truest form!

My City, Project Based Learning or Content Based Learning in the ESL class

One of the most important topics in the Primary Social Science Curriculum at Cicle Mitjà and Cicle Superior is the city, the town or the village where the students live.

The city landscape of Vitebsk

Knowing the city is a way to know many aspects of the social, cultural and civic around us. But it is also a way to know about museums, interesting places, monuments, history, famous people, unique buildings and curiosities of the town.

In this project, students will conduct a research on one or more aspects of their city (or another one, if we consider it more appropriate). The main aim is to develop a graphic support with varied information to orally show in front of the class and to make a display in the school corridors.


These are just some examples of outputs produced within the project. Power Points and scaled models are probably the most used resources among primary students, but they also used Prezi, Glogster or Issuu.

My city project from Enric Calvet

And this is the complete Unit Plan.

Unit plan my city from Enric Calvet

If you want to know something else about this project, the proposal, the basic skills it covers, or to download a Rubric for the assessment of communication, a peer assessment or a self assessment grid, please visit ARC (Aplicació de Recursos al Currículum). The project is fully published in this link: My City.

This project has been developed by TLEinC. ICE UAB Teacher trainers group work, 2013. Authors: Núria Biosca Perich, Enric Calvet Tomàs, Ana M. Esteban Nieto, M. Emília Masdeu Chimeno, Manuela Moledo Nores, M. Carmen Pérez Martin, Antonio Orihuela Lechuga.

Why CLIL?

Cockroaches and Ladybugs: Why CLIL?:

If your school is planning to start a CLIL project next school year or you are trying to find reasons to convince your school staff to....

‘Our educational systems were conceived and designed in the intellectual culture of the Enlightenment and the economic circumstances of the Industrial Revolution...’ (Sir Ken Robinson) So if we do not use wigs, if we do not ride horses as the main mean of transport and if we do not use candles to allow us to see things; why do we have to use so old educational systems?'

Developing a Classroom Culture that Prioritises Communication

Theories about English Language Teaching have been prioritising different skills through the years, in order to find the best way to teach English as a second language ...

Cockroaches and Ladybugs: Developing a Classroom Culture that Prioritises Communication:

Who said that we cannot do PBL in ESL teaching?

Cockroaches and Ladybugs: Who said that we cannot do PBL in ESL teaching?:

Today, a group of secondary school teachers have questioned the fact that elementary students cannot learn proper English grammar through project work...

How to develop CBLT units

Cockroaches and Ladybugs: How to develop CBLT units:

According to the theory of language learning, " CBLT is based on function and interaction of language, what means that language is taught taking into account the social context and the communicative needs of students".

When talking about the objectives and the syllabus that are going to be implemented in a course, CBLT focuses on competencies.

Doing More than Teaching English Language

Teachers of English as a second language to young children must impart English skills at the same time that they foster socialization; heighten an awareness of the self, the immediate classroom community, and the community beyond the school; introduce content concepts; and expose students to art, drama, literature, and music.     

Cockroaches and Ladybugs: Doing More than Teaching English Language

What can you do with clothes?

Cockroaches and Ladybugs: What can you do with clothes?: Today I like to share with you all some activities I use when I am introducing and practicing the topic “ Clothes ” to my elementary ESL students.

Fashion show in primary esl class from Enric Calvet

 Read more about at Cockroaches and Ladybugs: What can you do with clothes?

Effective Spontaneous English Speaking Activities

Cockroaches and Ladybugs: Effective Spontaneous English Speaking Activities:
Speaking is probably the most important skill in learning English as a second language and it is the most difficult one that primary English...

A spontaneous speaking activity is not synonymous to “speak whatever you want”. "Spontaneous speaking means that students have the chance to use the language resources they consider to be necessary or useful to achieve the task”.

Minimally Invasive Education

Cockroaches and Ladybugs: Minimally Invasive Education

How to use the power of collaboration and the natural curiosity of children to catalyze learning
(Sounds interesting!)