Welcome to Think!, a new blog which will, I hope, help you to look at language teaching and learning in a different way. The aim of this blog is to take the best ideas from culture and look at how they can influence what we teachers do in our classrooms.

So what do I mean by culture? It’s a very general term and can encompass many areas of human life. In some ways this is its strength, as it allows us to define it as it fits our needs and demands. In the context of this blog, it covers the arts, science, philosophy, sociology, politics, psychology, anthropology and anything else I find relevant or interesting.

Think

In the last year or so, I’ve become fascinated and inspired by these fields and the amazing discoveries that continue to arise. I find myself reflecting on these findings and wonder how they could or will affect my teaching. This blog is a space for me to share these reflections and discuss them with you.

 Now I should say that I have no academic background in these subjects, so my conclusions are entirely non-scholarly and completely based on my experiences as a practitioner and enthusiast. I make no apology for this, but it may sometimes result in inaccuracies in thought or understanding. If I make one of these mistakes, feel free to let me know (in a nice way!) by leaving a comment.

 This is a journey of discovery for me, a place where I share thoughts, reflections and inspiration. Sometimes I’ll hit home and sometimes you’ll think I’m clutching at straws. I don’t mind that because the purpose of this blog is to examine, question, reflect, improve and most of all, to think!
Brain Model

About me: Originally from Brighton, UK, I have taught English as a foreign language to adults in Brazil, South Korea and Belgium. Currently based in Brussels, I teach business and general EFL to adults. I have been blogging at theteacherjames.com since October 2010. You can also find me presenting the ELTchat podcast, a round up of the latest news for English language teachers.



 Photos taken from http://www.flickr.com/photos/planetschwa/99535218/ and http://www.flickr.com/photos/40964293@N07/4160835158/, used under a CC Attribution Non-Commercial licence, http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/deed.en_GB.