My Blogs

I publish my own work on three free blog websites.

Nik's Learning technology blog
Tips, resources and teaching materials for EFL and ESL teachers
http://nikpeachey.blogspot.com/

Nik's Quick Shout
News, Links and Opinion on Learning, Technology, Web 2.0 and EFL, ESL
http://quickshout.blogspot.com/

Nik's Daily English Activities
This site is for EFL | ESL students. Each day you can find a new
simple online activity to help you improve your English.
http://daily-english-activities.blogspot.com/

My Work on Web and CD-ROM Projects

Ways to use the Face 2 Face CD-ROMs: Cambridge University Press 2006
This is a teachers guide that I authored. It has tips and exercises to help teachers exploit the CD-ROMs which accompany the Face 2 Face course books. The tips are designed to help teachers use the CD-ROMs in class, and to guide their students to use the CDs as a self-study tool

In2english British Council 2003
Consultant, Materials Writer. Responsible for the development of content for the In2english website. This site is aimed at Chinese state school teachers and supplies training and language development materials. www.in2english.com.cn

Azar UUEG CD-ROM Longman / Pearson Education U.S. 2003
Materials Writer. Responsible for the timely delivery of content based on strict guidelines for the Azar Upper-intermediate Grammar interactive CD-ROM.

Network English 3 CD-ROM British Council Athens Project 2002
Responsible for the editing, development of content, line management, support and on going training of a team of four writers. Also syllabus design and development.

ELT Published articles
The following article were written and published on the BBC | British Council’s teachingenglish.org.uk website. Some have also been republished by other publications

A Sense of Humour 2005
For me, one of the most under exploited and neglected areas within language learning is humour. How many course books have a section on humour? How many syllabi include the ability to tell or understand a joke? Yet understanding the sense of humour of a people is a key element of understanding the culture and language... Read more>>


Conveying meaning 2005
When teaching any language whether it is a word, a phrase or a verb form, at some point it will be essential to convey and check that your students have understood the meaning. In most classrooms this is most commonly done through translation by the teacher or students, but is this really the best way? ... Read more >>

Listening to body language 2005
Body language isn't something that naturally springs to mind when we think about developing our students' listening skills. After all, you can't hear body language. It does, however, play a key role, especially at the subconscious level, in communication and an awareness of it and how it can vary from culture to culture ... Read more >>

Concordancers in ELT 2005
Over the past decade there has been a huge increase in the power and abilities of computers to digitise, store and analyse text. This has enabled linguists to create and analyse huge corpora (collections of authentic language text) and to reassess the assumed rules regarding the way we use language and especially words... Read more >>
Republished at:
http://www.apirs.com.br/home/pdf/41_jornal.pdf

Learner Diaries 2004
When teaching large classes of students year after year it can become very difficult to see each student as an individual with individual needs and abilities. Learner diaries are one method I have used to try to overcome this and to develop a 'one to one' relationship even with large classes of students... Read more >>
Republished at:
http://www.britishcouncil.org.br/elt/novidades.asp?meses=04&index=4&panos=2006

Making listening an authentic experience 2003
I would like to challenge some accepted beliefs about the way we prepare our students to listen and the types of tasks we give them in an effort to encourage teachers to adopt an approach to dealing with listening texts that approximates more closely to an authentic experience. .. Read more>>

A framework for planning a listening lesson 2003
Listening is one of the most challenging skills for our students to develop and yet also one of the most important. By developing their ability to listen well we develop our students' ability to become more independent learners, as by hearing accurately they are much more likely to be able to reproduce accurately ... Read more >>

Content based instruction 2003
In recent years content based instruction has become increasingly popular as a means of developing linguistic ability. It has strong connections to project work, task based learning and a holistic approach to language instruction and has become particularly popular within the state school secondary Read more>>

These articles were published in the IATEFL CALL SIG magazine

A Process Approach to Writing Using Word Processors
IATEFL Comp SIG Magazine February, 2004
I’ve often found it very diffi cult to get students motivated to develop their writing skills in class, especially when it comes to redrafting, improving their content and trying to correct their own mistakes. The most effective way that I’ve found to overcome this and really implement a ‘process’ approach to writing has been by using word processors. .. Read more >>



Multimedia Design on the Cheap
IATEFL Comp SIG Magazine October, 2004.
Despite the rate of change the percentage of teachers who actually have the technical skills and opportunity to get involved in the design of computer based materials is still relatively small, but that doesn’t have to be the case... Read more>>

Integrating the Internet into pre-service training 2000
IATEFL Comp SIG Magazine, July 2000. Not available online

ELT Classroom activities
The following activities were written and published on the BBC | British Council’s teachingenglish.org.uk website.

Food flashcards 2006
This is a simple classroom activity that uses some simple photographs of food to get students talking about their culture and their personal preferences.
http://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/TRY/speaktry/food_flashcards.shtml

Discussion wheels 2004
http://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/TRY/speaktry/discussion_wheel.shtml

People rooms lives 2006
http://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/try/speaktry/people_rooms.shtml

Postcards 2005
http://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/TRY/writetry/postcards.shtml

Note writing 2005
http://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/TRY/writetry/note_writing.shtml

A creative writing activity: A dark and stormy night 2005
http://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/try/writetry/creative_writing.shtml

Crime scene 2004
http://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/try/speaktry/crime_scene.shtml

Word grid 2003
http://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/TRY/vocabtry/word_grid.shtml

Action Research - Stop, Start, Continue 2003
http://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/TRY/othertry/action_research.shtml

ELT Lesson plans
The following lesson plans were written and published on the BBC | British Council’s teachingenglish.org.uk website.

Lesson plan: A night out in Newcastle 2005
http://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/try/plans/newcastle/newcastle.shtml

Lesson plan: A Quiz for Xmas 2003
http://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/try/plans/christmas/xmas.shtml

Lesson plan: Telling a Story 2003
http://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/try/plans/story/story.shtml

Lesson Plan: The Inca 2003
http://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/try/plans/inca/inca.shtml

Lesson plan: A news report 2003
http://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/try/plans/newsreport/news.shtml

Lesson plan:A car that runs on air 2003
http://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/try/plans/aircar/aircar.shtml

Online materials for EL learners
The following magazine articles were written and published on the British Council’s learnenglish.org.uk website. Each one was accompanied by interactive activities

The Oasis of Siwa 2003
http://www.learnenglish.org.uk/magazine/magazine_home_deserts.html

Flea circuses 2003
http://www.learnenglish.org.uk/magazine/magazine_home_fleacircus.html

Girls' Games 2003
http://origin-www.britishcouncil.org/es/learnenglish-central-magazine-computer-games.htm

Surfing 2003
http://www.learnenglish.org.uk/magazine/magazine_home_surfing.html

Viral marketing 2003
http://www.learnenglish.org.uk/magazine/magazine_home_viral_marketing.html

Software and Web Reviews

Review of EASE (Essential Academic Skills in English) Volume 1: Listening to Lectures:
The Reading Matrix Vol. 3, No. 3 2003
http://www.readingmatrix.com/archives/archives_vol3_no3.html

Review of a free Virtual Learning Environment: "The Nicenet Internet Classroom Assistant,"
Nexus: A Journal for Teachers in Development. 2000
http://home.earthlink.net/~slschwartz/id32.html