The Language Teacher
October 2001
All the Support You Need Just a Click away
Longman has great pleasure in announcing the re-launch of its local website to better meet the needs of teachers and students in Japan. In this article we will introduce the readers of The Language Teacher to the many and varied resources that are available at <www.longmanjapan.com> (active beginning October 1) Longman's website dedicated to teachers and students of English in Japan. This website is the gateway to a number of areas, including Community Areas for teachers and students, Companion Websites with course-specific resources, and dedicated sites for Dictionaries and Graded Readers. There is also a comprehensive online Catalog with a sample request section and a Members' Corner where visitors can register for membership benefits and special offers.
Community Areas
There are two Community Areas on the site: one for teachers and one for students. The "For Teachers" button on the site is the quick and easy way to access a wide range of excellent online resources. Regularly updated, these include downloadable worksheets and activities to use in class, teaching tips, articles, language updates for both teachers and students, and Internet tips to help fully integrate the web into your teaching. In addition, there is a discussion forum, competitions, and various quizzes and polls.
The "For Students" button provides access to a wealth of activities designed to motivate students and provide fun practice in English. Resources here include interactive activities with instant scoring, a chat area, polls, interviews with other students round the world, reviews, and an area to find e-pals and e-cards. All of this can be used online in class or as homework.
Companion Websites
Many Longman titles have their own Companion Website -- a web component offering a rich selection of resources designed specifically to complement the course and encourage interaction between teachers and students throughout Japan and the world. These Companion Websites are regularly updated and include course-specific downloadable activities, teaching tips and articles, discussion and idea sharing, contact with the authors, and the opportunity for global projects and class contact. There are also specially dedicated sections for students which provide interactive practice activities with instant scoring, real-world writing practice with e-pals around the world, useful web links, and student profiles.
Longman Dictionaries Site
From the Longman Japan site, teachers are able to access Longman's dedicated Dictionary Site, which provides an interactive learning environment for all dictionary users and contains comprehensive information on all our British and American dictionaries. The site also includes online activities to support major dictionary titles, a "New Words" section to keep students up to date with the latest vocabulary, information on the Longman Corpus Network and how it is revolutionizing dictionary writing, and natural language processing information for the linguistic research community.
Penguin Readers' Site
For the ever-increasing number of teachers interested in extensive reading programs, there is a link to the Penguin Readers' Site. Here teachers can find comprehensive information on all Penguin Readers, resources with free downloadable material for teachers, fact sheets for every title in the series, teacher's guides, and sample pages. There is also a monthly competition for students who write a review of a Penguin Reader they have read. Prizes are given, and the winning entries are posted online to be read by fellow students around the world.
Bilingual Online Catalog
Teachers who are looking to find information on the wide range of texts available in Japan will find the Online Catalog invaluable. Here you can find comprehensive information on all Longman titles stocked in Japan, sample material, a detailed search facility, author interviews, and information on where to buy Longman texts in Japan. It is also very easy to order samples of materials that you are interested in looking at directly from the webpage of the text.
Members' Corner
There is a membership section on the site where teachers can sign up for regular information updates, site specials, competitions, and special offers. By registering as a site member, teachers are also entitled to advance sample copies in their areas of interest, advance notice of upcoming events, and reserved seating at events where space is limited. Registered teachers at universities and junior colleges are also able to receive complimentary ancillary products such as teacher's guides and audio components for class adoptions of Longman texts.
English Language Teachers' Forum
Finally, the latest addition to the site is the English Language Teachers' Forum hosted by Jeremy Harmer with the support of ELT experts and ELT professional journals. The "ELT Forum" offers resources and discussion opportunities to teachers and trainers involved in ELT and includes challeng ing topics every month; a full, dynamic bibliography on each topic; and interactive activities to help teachers develop their teaching. Members of the "ELT Forum" are eligible for the following benefits:
* Interactive Teacher Development packs for each topic which include:
* Extracts from key methodology titles
* Articles from ELT journals
* Interactive activities
* Discussion groups
* Question and answer sessions
* Moderated live chats with ELT experts
The Longman website has benefits for all teachers and students of English in Japan. To find out more please visit our site at <www.longmanjapan.com>.
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