Archive
English Banana.com Teachers Map has been Updated!
What do Peru, Bangladesh, Russia, Mexico, Kashmir, and Hartlepool have in common? They are all places where English teachers are busily working on projects using English Banana.com material, having first applied for a free certificate of authorisation.
On the map below each pin represents a place where such a project is taking place:
English Banana.com Teachers Map
You can find out more about each one on our amazing interactive map! Please click below to go there now:
And click here to find out more about our free licences:
http://englishbanana.com/copying-licence.html
Teaching English without a Course Book – Week 4
Teaching English without a Course Book – Week 2
FREE English Vocabulary and Pronunciation Workout! (Video of online lesson)
This is a recording of a free class I taught on WizIQ.com on 28.02.13: http://www.wiziq.com/online-class/1140564-free-english-vocabulary-and-pronunciation-workout You can download the free material that we used here: http://www.scribd.com/doc/127589616/Auto-Mode-3-Example
Download All 15 FREE English Banana.com Resource Books – in one download!
It’s December 2012, and to celebrate our 10th birthday online, English Banana.com are giving you the opportunity – for a limited time only – to download all 15 of our free resource books – in one .pdf file! This is the first time that all of our books – written and published between 2003 and 2012 – have been collected together in one place.
Click here to download all 15 English Banana.com resource books in 1 .pdf file (49.6 MB)
It is, admittedly, a massive .pdf file (of 49.6 MB), but it could be handy to have all these resources together at the same time. You could put it on a pen drive and have it with you in your bag ready for when you need to learn or teach English. The file contains interactive bookmarks (see picture below) so that you can find each resource book quickly.
All of the material is covered by our free copying licence and free licence to run courses, which means that anyone may freely print, copy, adapt, distribute, sell, and give away this material, without further written permission. Please visit http://www.englishbanana.com for full details.
We hope that you will enjoy this very special download. Please don’t forget that there is still lots more free material available on our website which isn’t in any of these books!
If you have any comments or questions, we’d love to hear from you. Please click here to contact us.
The .pdf file includes all of the following, from our first collection in 2003 – Big Grammar Book – to our latest material for learning connected speech – Stress, Reduce, Merge – which was published in September 2012:
1. Big Grammar Book – mixed worksheets
2. Big Activity Book – mixed worksheets
3. Big Resource Book – mixed worksheets
4. Check It Again! (Book One) – error correction practice
5. Talk a Lot Elementary Book 1 – complete spoken English course
6. Talk a Lot Elementary Book 2 – complete spoken English course
7. Talk a Lot Elementary Handbook – how to teach Talk a Lot courses
8. Talk a Lot Elementary Book 3 – complete spoken English course
9. The Best of English Banana.com (2003-2009) – compilation of favourite worksheets
10. Talk a Lot Foundation Course – complete pronunciation course
11. Talk a Lot Intermediate Book 1 – complete spoken English course
12. Talk a Lot Intermediate Book 2 – unfinished spoken English course
13. You Are The Course Book – teacher training manual
14. Clear Alphabet Dictionary – pronunciation dictionary
15. Stress, Reduce, Merge – pronunciation practice
Matt Purland is teaching a new FREE 8-week course with Myschoolo.com
Last Friday saw the first class in a new free 8-week English course taught by Matt Purland in conjunction with Myschoolo.com. You can find out more details and sign up for this free course here:
http://myschoolo.com/elearning/matt-purland-1/
In the meantime, why not enjoy the video recording of the first class, which was on the topic of The Environment (Studying Language):
FREE English Class on the topic of “Clothes”! (VIDEO)
You are welcome to join us for this FREE pre-intermediate English language class on the topic of “Clothes”. It was a pleasure to teach this class last night in partnership with MySchoolo.com
Find out who is using English Banana.com materials around the world!
English Banana.com – Certificates of Authorisation Map
We’ve just added SEVEN more entries to our map of people who have applied for English Banana.com Certificates of Authorisation. Find out how they are using English Banana.com materials by browsing the special map here:
English Banana.com – Certificates of Authorisation
You can find out more about using our Free Copying Licence and Free Licence to Run Courses here.
Please Join My Next Free Class: Practise Connected Speech in English – Final Consonant Linking
About the Class
We’re going to spend a whole lesson looking at final consonant linking in cv connections in English speech. For example, in the sentence “I like English” there is one example of final consonant linking: “like English” becomes Lai King glish
If you are interested in this kind of thing, you will be sure to enjoy this lesson! Make sure you have your microphone plugged in, so that you can speak during the class.
This class will be relaxed and fun, so please come and join us if you would like to improve your speaking and listening skills in a friendly class.
See you there! 
English Banana Trust Presents: Jazz at the Auden (Concert) – October 20th 2012
How to Pronounce: “I like ice cream” (Stress & Connected Speech Mini-Lesson)
More Press Coverage of English Banana Trust – and a Video from the Summer School
Here is a roundup of recent stories about English Banana Trust from the newspapers:
And here’s a short video taken by one of the participants in the recent summer school. It shows us letting our hair down at a social evening at the end of the course. We had a lot of fun! In this activity different teams had been challenged to write lyrics about the summer school to the tune of ‘Let it Be’ by The Beatles. This team didn’t win, but they still really enjoyed performing for us!
Hold the Front Page! English Banana Summer School is in the News!
North Norfolk News – 23rd August 2012
The First English Banana Trust Summer School was a Great Success!
Last week the first English Banana Trust Summer School was held at Greshams School in Holt, Norfolk. The focus was on teacher training and how to teach without a course book, and we were pleased to welcome four English language teachers from Russia, Hungary, and Serbia. Course tutor Matt Purland focused on training the teachers to teach without using a course book, based on methods from his recent manual You Are The Course Book. The teachers thoroughly enjoyed the week, which was sponsored by English Banana Trust. Apart from five hours of lessons per day – and plenty of homework! – the participants were able to enjoy a diverse number of outings ranging from a visit to the famous seal colony at Blakeney Point, a guided tour of Norwich with an experienced historian, and several delightful shared meals and get-togethers with trustees and friends of the Trust.
Here are a few comments from some of the participants at the end of the course:
‘I feel I’ve gained enough confidence to teach without materials. I also feel that my creativity has been exposed to the higher level and that’s really good and exciting.’ – Marija
‘I feel the passion to continue my self-education in this area which I consider to be really innovative…’ – Nadia
Course tutor Matt commented: ‘I would like to thank the Trust for all their hard work and dedication in staging the summer school this year. We have all really gained a lot out of it. It was wonderful to watch our teachers in action and to see them grow in confidence and be able to teach their own lessons without a course book – or any printed material.’
If you would like to get involved with next year’s EBT Summer School – as either a participant or a tutor – please contact English Banana Trust at: ebtrust@englishbanana.com
Or if you would like to book Matt to run a similar week-long training course at your educational establishment, please do get in touch at: info@englishbanana.com
Here are some photos of the participants hard at work in the classroom, and (in bottom picture) with tutor Matt after the final session of the course:
1,800+ English Banana.com Worksheets Added to TES.co.uk Resource Website!
TES.co.uk
We’re thankful to the team at TES.co.uk – a site billed as “the largest network of teachers in the world” – who have recently added 1,873 English Banana worksheets to their massive free database of resources for teachers.
It’s great news for English Banana.com, because it means that our resources can now be shared with a much wider audience! The TES website has over 2 million registered users worldwide. Our resources were added about a month ago, and they have already generated an incredible 25,000+ page views!
You can find the English Banana resources page on tes.co.uk here:
http://www.tes.co.uk/MyPublicProfile.aspx?uc=2319730&event=21
You can also find many other great teacher resources on their site – all free to access and download!
Aimée Fagan from tes.co.uk said: “We’re delighted to have the materials on TES! We have also shared them in our new US website www.sharemylesson.com as there is a huge demand for ELL (English Language Learner) material like this in the US too.”
You can find the English Banana page on their US website here:
http://www.sharemylesson.com/MyPublicProfile.aspx?uc=2319730&event=21
It was made possible thanks to our Free Copying Licence, which allows anybody to share and use English Banana.com material – including uploading and adding it to another website. You can find out more about our free licences here:
More Photos from our Big Sky Fundraising Event on 31st March 2012
Official events photography courtesy Photographers’ Gallery, Holt, Norfolk. Used with kind permission.
Sian Croose & Big Sky
Hugh Lupton - Storyteller
Big Sky Choir - Warming Up
Big Sky Choir - Warming Up
Hugh Lupton - Backstage
Alan Childs, Trustee of English Banana Trust, and Matt Purland
Glyn Purland, Chair of English Banana Trust
Thanks to Everybody who Made our Fundraising Concert such a Big Success!
Our “Big Sky” fundraising event went really well on Saturday night. Thanks to everybody who took part, including the performers Big Sky Choir, storyteller Hugh Lupton, and wildlife photographer David Tipling. Thanks as well to the hard-working team of people who made it possible, including the English Banana Trustees, other volunteers, and the professional, kind, and helpful staff at Cathedral.
A packed crowd gathered in the new Hostry centre at Norwich Cathedral to be enthralled, educated, and above all entertained! First we heard all about David Tipling’s recent visit to Papua New Guinea, and how the relationship between people and birds there is really quite unique. After a short break we were thoroughly spoilt by the wonderful singing of Norfolk choir Big Sky and the amazing, mesmerising tales of Hugh Lupton. A wonderful evening was enjoyed by all, and money was raised towards this year’s English Banana Trust Free Summer School for English teachers.
Norwich Cathedral.
David Tipling's Presentation
Big Sky Choir - warming up!
English Banana Fundraising Activities Featured in the Press!
Eastern Daily Press - 10th March 2012
Norwich Evening News - 16th March 2012
Listen to Interview with English Banana Trust Chairman on BBC Radio Norfolk
You can still catch a recent interview with EB Trust Chairman Glyn Purland, which took place on Friday 9th March 2012 at BBC Radio Norfolk in Norwich. Click the link below and fast forward to around 37 minutes in:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/console/p00p6b2h
Glyn spoke about the upcoming Trust concert at Norwich Cathedral and also about the Free Summer School for English teachers, which is planned for August this year. Many thanks to presenter Mark Matthews and all at BBC Radio Norfolk for their kind hospitality.
Two Free English Lessons this week on WizIQ.com!
This week I’m doing two free lessons on WizIQ.com. You are welcome to sign up below! Hope to see you there. 
How to Teach English without an Expensive Course Book Public Class
Wed, Mar 07, 2012 | 8:30 PM (Central European Standard Time)
http://www.wiziq.com/online-class/778438-how-to-teach-english-without-an-expensive-course-book
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English Banana Trust Free Summer School – Q&A Session #1 Public Class
Sat, Mar 10, 2012 | 5:00 PM (Central European Standard Time)
http://www.wiziq.com/online-class/779030-english-banana-trust-free-summer-school-q-a-session-1
Announcing the First Ever English Banana Summer School – 13th-17th August 2012!
Glyn Purland, Chair, English Banana Trust, writes:
The Opportunity of a Lifetime for English Teachers Using English Banana Materials!
Free Teacher Training in the UK!
You are warmly invited to attend English Banana Free Summer School 2012
English Banana Trust (founded in 2008) aims to support teachers who are helping people to find a route out of poverty through learning English.
We are currently inviting applications for the first English Banana Free Summer School, which will be held at the prestigious Gresham’s School in Holt, Norfolk, England this summer from 13th to 17th August 2012.
This summer school gives you the unique opportunity to learn how to get the most out of English Banana worksheets and books with the author of the material – English teacher and writer Matt Purland. As you improve your teaching skills through a series of practical, hands-on sessions, you will learn a wide range of valuable and effective teaching methods that you can take home with you and share with your colleagues. The programme will also include other expert educational input and a range of activities designed to support you in your work environment after the school has finished.
If you are accepted as a delegate to the Summer School, all residential, travel and teaching costs in England will be paid for by the Trust, together with a contribution towards travel to the UK and associated costs, of up to £400 sterling.
Who is eligible to apply?
Professional English teachers (including ESL, EFL, TEFL) aged 21 or over, living in the UK or overseas. You must be able to demonstrate that you are using English Banana materials in your school and have a strong interest in learning how to use them more effectively.
If you would like to find out more, please email the following information to
1) Your current CV
2) Your name, postal address, telephone number, and email address
3) A short summary of which English Banana materials you are using/have used and how you are using them (e.g. group size, age, level, frequency, etc.)
4) A description of your current teaching situation, e.g. self-employed, private lessons, language school, college, university, state school, etc.
5) A short note explaining why you think you would benefit from a place at the English Banana Summer School 2012 (minimum 100 words)
The closing date for receipt of your email is Saturday 31st March 2012
We look forward to welcoming you!
