Lessons from Nothing: Activities for Language Teaching with Limited Time and Resources (Cambridge Handbooks for Language Teachers) (Paperback)

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Key Phrases: adult upwards, using blackboard, drama activities, Level Elementary, Age Any Procedure, Language Narrative (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

'The book is an abundant source of creative ideas for teaching structure and language with little or no teaching aids and resources.' QUATESOL Newsletter, 1999

Product Description

Lessons from Nothing is an invaluable resource for busy teachers everywhere who are looking for easy-to-use activities which do not require extensive facilities or preparation. It is a practical sourcebook of around 70 language teaching activities which encourage interaction and co-operation in the classroom. Special features: * activities for immediate use * activities for all ages and levels * clear presentation * no photocopying required

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Product Details

• Paperback: 100 pages
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press; illustrated edition edition (July 13, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0521627656
• ISBN-13: 978-0521627658
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #178,142 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

69 of 69 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Must Have No Matter Where You Are, February 10, 2002

By	K. Johnson (US/Asia) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This is a small compact book that has tons of activities that
you can use with absolutely no resources. In many LDN nations
there will be no resources at all. At times, not even a chalk
board. This book can however, be used anywhere, because it
focuses on Communicative methodology and student-centered activities which allows for better development of L2 acquisition. No matter where you are teaching in the world, if your teaching TEFL/TESOL it should be on your shelf.

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic resource for inspiration, July 23, 2007

By	Thomas Hochmann (Albuquerque, NM) - See all my reviews

I'm an English teacher in China, doing both classroom and private small-group teaching. Language learning definitely requires more than the "chalk and talk" approach that Mr. Marsland warns against, and his book is a great resource for avoiding such a bland style of teaching. Language learning should be engaging, and this book offers good inspiration for making it so.

I have to cope with very unsatisfactory teaching materials oriented towards memorization and drills -- not good for achieving fluency. Also, I'm frequently asked to teach last-minute classes with little or no time to prepare. Resources are frequently limited to little more than a chalkboard, if that. It's easy to become frantic and stuck in a pattern of "Oh God, how do I fill this 90 minutes of class time? What do I do?!"

Many thanks to Mr. Marsland for giving this concise, well-organized and thoughtful book. It's like a splash of cold water in my face when I make my own job more complicated than it has to be. /Lessons From Nothing/ is a nice reminder that you can easily turn "nothing" into "something" if you make it engaging and interactive.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Student-friendly and easy to implement, October 22, 2008

By	James F. Carden (Bakersfield,, CA United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I find this book to be very useful as a resource full of suggestions for "starter" and/or "transitional" activities for the active ESL teacher who is looking for ways to bring variety and action to the ESL classroom. I've found many of the activities easy to implement and very student-
friendly.