Steve Smith
@spsmith45.bsky.social
French teacher 33 years, now writing materials frenchteacher.net, blogs and books about language teaching.
Pinned
Steve Smith
@spsmith45.bsky.social
· Sep 2
Thinking about Language Teaching Volume 1: Amazon.co.uk: Smith, Steve: 9798296131423: Books
Buy Thinking about Language Teaching Volume 1 by Smith, Steve (ISBN: 9798296131423) from Amazon's Book Store. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders.
amzn.eu
Do take a look. There us a LOT of material in my new book. Thanks to those who have bought a copy. amzn.eu/d/bFDHCqT
Today’s screencast is about sentence builders. A particular type of substitution table. youtu.be/XLA4tGfAC-0?...
Second language teaching CPD 25 About sentence builders
YouTube video by Steve Smith
youtu.be
December 26, 2025 at 9:57 AM
Today’s screencast is about sentence builders. A particular type of substitution table. youtu.be/XLA4tGfAC-0?...
Trump writing Colbert’s and Kimmel’s scripts.
The President of the United States is very seriously mentally ill, and elected Republicans are so afraid of him that they won’t do or say anything about it.
December 26, 2025 at 9:55 AM
Trump writing Colbert’s and Kimmel’s scripts.
My final post of the year was written by Chat GPT, based on my roughly 70 posts this year. A good summary. frenchteachernet.blogspot.com/2025/12/a-ch...
A Chat GPT summary of my 2025 blog posts
I asked Chat GPT to produce a summary of topics I looked at on my blog this year. My prompt requested a first person account, written as m...
frenchteachernet.blogspot.com
December 24, 2025 at 3:53 PM
My final post of the year was written by Chat GPT, based on my roughly 70 posts this year. A good summary. frenchteachernet.blogspot.com/2025/12/a-ch...
Reposted by Steve Smith
🇺🇦 Volodymyr Zelensky a dévoilé les détails du dernier plan porté par les États-Unis pour mettre fin à la guerre en Ukraine, indiquant qu'il avait été négocié entre des représentants de Kiev et de Washington et envoyé à Moscou pour avis.
➡️ u.afp.com/S8QZ
➡️ u.afp.com/S8QZ
December 24, 2025 at 9:30 AM
🇺🇦 Volodymyr Zelensky a dévoilé les détails du dernier plan porté par les États-Unis pour mettre fin à la guerre en Ukraine, indiquant qu'il avait été négocié entre des représentants de Kiev et de Washington et envoyé à Moscou pour avis.
➡️ u.afp.com/S8QZ
➡️ u.afp.com/S8QZ
I suppose the main reason your student remembered what they wrote in Y10 was that they actually cared about what they were writing. You’re right, the exam/mark scheme does not encourage that enough. I wonder how it could.
December 23, 2025 at 3:20 PM
I suppose the main reason your student remembered what they wrote in Y10 was that they actually cared about what they were writing. You’re right, the exam/mark scheme does not encourage that enough. I wonder how it could.
All about my latest book. Volume 2 coming in January! frenchteachernet.blogspot.com/2025/08/thin...
Thinking About Language Teaching Volume 1
I'm pleased to let you know that my latest book on language teaching is out and available on Amazon in paperback and Kindle format. It's ca...
frenchteachernet.blogspot.com
December 23, 2025 at 3:04 PM
All about my latest book. Volume 2 coming in January! frenchteachernet.blogspot.com/2025/08/thin...
Today’s screencast is about assessment in languages. #Edusky youtu.be/JJEWmfDkKnE?...
Second language teaching CPD 24 Assessment
YouTube video by Steve Smith
youtu.be
December 23, 2025 at 8:09 AM
Today’s screencast is about assessment in languages. #Edusky youtu.be/JJEWmfDkKnE?...
Includes choral repetition, the flawed GCSE, ‘correct the transcript’ tasks and the ‘words + grammar’ view of learning. #Edusky frenchteachernet.blogspot.com/2025/12/my-m...
My most viewed posts of 2025
It’s that time of year when I have a look back through the year’s blog posts and check some numbers. I’ve been pretty busy blogging this ye...
frenchteachernet.blogspot.com
December 22, 2025 at 9:11 AM
Includes choral repetition, the flawed GCSE, ‘correct the transcript’ tasks and the ‘words + grammar’ view of learning. #Edusky frenchteachernet.blogspot.com/2025/12/my-m...
Today’s screencast is about paying attention. youtu.be/Youg3I74DOs?...
Second language teaching CPD 23 Paying attention
YouTube video by Steve Smith
youtu.be
December 22, 2025 at 8:59 AM
Today’s screencast is about paying attention. youtu.be/Youg3I74DOs?...
Reposted by Steve Smith
Nicely written if skewed piece about AI. thecritic.co.uk/ai-will-make...
AI will make our children stupid | David James and Carl Hendrick | The Critic Magazine
Of all the recent signs that Western civilization is circling the drain, the most depressing is the apparent decline in IQs. The so-called Flynn Effect once showed IQs rising steadily.
thecritic.co.uk
December 21, 2025 at 9:49 AM
Nicely written if skewed piece about AI. thecritic.co.uk/ai-will-make...
Today’s screencast is about PPP (Presentation, Practice, Production). #Edusky youtu.be/icRXotTeqRM?...
Second language teaching CPD 22 PPP
YouTube video by Steve Smith
youtu.be
December 21, 2025 at 9:39 AM
Today’s screencast is about PPP (Presentation, Practice, Production). #Edusky youtu.be/icRXotTeqRM?...
Great Strictly final. The perfect antidote for social media negativity. Well done BBC.
December 20, 2025 at 8:57 PM
Great Strictly final. The perfect antidote for social media negativity. Well done BBC.
Today's screencast is about teaching in the target language. youtu.be/k-5yyDou1SA?...
Second language teaching CPD 21 Teaching in the target language
YouTube video by Steve Smith
youtu.be
December 20, 2025 at 11:55 AM
Today's screencast is about teaching in the target language. youtu.be/k-5yyDou1SA?...
From May 2025. frenchteachernet.blogspot.com/2025/05/what...
What factors affect whether a student chooses to take a GCSE in a language?
Every so often I receive a digest from the Oasis collection of research summaries. If you are unaware of Oasis, they are based at the Unive...
frenchteachernet.blogspot.com
December 19, 2025 at 10:59 AM
From May 2025. frenchteachernet.blogspot.com/2025/05/what...
“The most effective way to secure healthy uptake is not through gimmicks or incentives, but through an excellent and ambitious Key Stage 3 curriculum.” Yes, KS3 is vitally important for MFL.
In schools the GCSE options process is gearing up - but what are the unintended consequences of setting up subjects as products and pupils as consumers?
open.substack.com/pub/enserm/p...
open.substack.com/pub/enserm/p...
The corrosive effect of GCSE options
How the options process distorts the curriculum
open.substack.com
December 19, 2025 at 10:57 AM
“The most effective way to secure healthy uptake is not through gimmicks or incentives, but through an excellent and ambitious Key Stage 3 curriculum.” Yes, KS3 is vitally important for MFL.
Where does this leave MFL? We are told pupils don't pick it because it's not intellectually challenging enough, there's not enough focus on grammar...
In schools the GCSE options process is gearing up - but what are the unintended consequences of setting up subjects as products and pupils as consumers?
open.substack.com/pub/enserm/p...
open.substack.com/pub/enserm/p...
December 19, 2025 at 10:56 AM
Reposted by Steve Smith
A key decision taken at the 2025 forum ‘The Future of French en Écosse’ was the creation of a free-to-join association bringing together teachers of #French at all levels in Scotland. Find out more and register now! https://loom.ly/RKd1OqM
December 19, 2025 at 10:45 AM
A key decision taken at the 2025 forum ‘The Future of French en Écosse’ was the creation of a free-to-join association bringing together teachers of #French at all levels in Scotland. Find out more and register now! https://loom.ly/RKd1OqM
Today’s screencast is about writing. youtu.be/BjSbstIvkPE?...
Second language teaching CPD 20 Writing
YouTube video by Steve Smith
youtu.be
December 19, 2025 at 10:28 AM
Today’s screencast is about writing. youtu.be/BjSbstIvkPE?...
I have confirmed speaking dates in Sydney (18 April), Melbourne (20 April) and University of Sydney (May 8th). If any schools/associations would like to invite me between those dates, let me know. I will be up near Noosa from 24 April to 3 May, but Brisbane area might be possible during that time.
December 18, 2025 at 10:15 AM
I have confirmed speaking dates in Sydney (18 April), Melbourne (20 April) and University of Sydney (May 8th). If any schools/associations would like to invite me between those dates, let me know. I will be up near Noosa from 24 April to 3 May, but Brisbane area might be possible during that time.
Today’s screencast. Dissecting a (communicative) lesson. youtu.be/o-KXCcHRilw?...
Second language teaching CPD 19 Dissecting a lesson
YouTube video by Steve Smith
youtu.be
December 18, 2025 at 10:07 AM
Today’s screencast. Dissecting a (communicative) lesson. youtu.be/o-KXCcHRilw?...
Another study that finds a slight advantage for listening while reading rather than reading alone. This only concerned wors forms after a week. Study done with US university students. www.oasis-database.org/details/yzyf...
www.oasis-database.org
December 17, 2025 at 3:06 PM
Another study that finds a slight advantage for listening while reading rather than reading alone. This only concerned wors forms after a week. Study done with US university students. www.oasis-database.org/details/yzyf...
www.amazon.co.uk/Thinking-abo... A seasonal gift for a language teacher friend or colleague?
Thinking about Language Teaching Volume 1
Buy Thinking about Language Teaching Volume 1 by Smith, Steve (ISBN: 9798296131423) from Amazon's Book Store. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders.
www.amazon.co.uk
December 17, 2025 at 8:19 AM
www.amazon.co.uk/Thinking-abo... A seasonal gift for a language teacher friend or colleague?
Today’s screencast is ‘12 principles for language teaching’. Based on the 2016 edition of The Language Teacher Toolkit. youtu.be/v2ignEE-9yU?...
Second language teaching CPD 18 12 principles of second language learning
YouTube video by Steve Smith
youtu.be
December 17, 2025 at 7:42 AM
Today’s screencast is ‘12 principles for language teaching’. Based on the 2016 edition of The Language Teacher Toolkit. youtu.be/v2ignEE-9yU?...
This looks useful. youtu.be/mc8h4TXUeNQ?...
Gemini 3 Ultimate Tool for Language Learners & Teachers-All Updates
YouTube video by Russell Stannard (Teacher Training Videos)
youtu.be
December 16, 2025 at 11:01 PM
This looks useful. youtu.be/mc8h4TXUeNQ?...