Breaking the Sound Barrier: Teaching Language Leaners How to Listen.To cite use Conti and Smith (2019).This book is for language teachers who want to help their students become more effective listeners. It focuses on the processes involved in aural comprehension, blending the latest research evidence with over 200 engaging listening activities, as well as lots of useful practical classroom ideas and lesson sequences.Chapters include the principles of "listening as modelling", developing phonological and lexical retrieval skills, grammatical parsing, interpersonal and task-based listening. There are also chapters on how to make the most of songs, cognitive and metacognitive strategies, assessment and preparing for examinations. The final chapter offers a framework for language teachers or departments who wish to develop a strategy for improved listening. The book aims to place listening at the forefront of lesson planning.Gianfranco and Steve have around 60 years of classroom experience between them and a track record of offering instantly usable, low-preparation activities for the classroom, supported by second language acquisition research. Their handbook The Language Teacher Toolkit is already widely used around the world. Too often, classroom listening is neglected by teachers and a source of fear for learners; how can we make it a successful and enjoyable experience for all? This book is truly unique in its genre, in proposing a different and more impactful answer to this question. We sincerely hope you enjoy it.

An invaluable resource for parents of deaf and hard of hearing children...This collection of inspiring stories captures the struggles and successes of nine remarkable deaf adults and parents of deaf children as they explore what helped and what hindered them.

This book takes the reader through a journey of how fear of loss progressively creates barriers and bureaucracy that inevitably cause companies to fail -- and what leaders need to do to overcome these seemingly impenetrable walls. The greatest threat to an organization's success is not always the competition. Often, it is what a company does to itself. Because of fear, companies become plagued with barriers and bureaucracy that limit success, crush employees, and infuse frustration and a sense of futility across the enterprise. It starts with a narrowing of focus, which leads to the first level of bureaucracy: parochialism. Parochialism exists when managers and departments begin to view the world through the filter of their own little silo and build walls made of rules and policies to protect their turf. As businesses grow and become more complex, the second level of bureaucracy is reached: territorialism. While parochialism is about protecting a department from outsiders, territorialism is about controlling those inside the silo. The third and final level of bureaucracy is empire building, which is a response to perceived threats to a department's ability to be self-sufficient. These barriers cost organizations a fortune in inefficiency, turnover, waste, and demoralization. Tearing down these barriers is difficult, but it can be done. Parochialism can be eliminated by resetting rules and policies and refocusing on the ultimate mission of the organization. Territorialism can be eliminated by creating true empowerment, along with appropriate levels of accountability. Empire building can be addressed through shared goals and a set of guiding principles that help act as a referee in decision making. But that's not enough. Managers must also create a culture of courage to enable employees to take advantage of these new freedoms and accountabilities. Courage killers must be rooted out and dealt with swiftly and strongly. Finally, leaders must refocus on mission success rather than just checking off their part of the process, manage reference points, and engage employees. By doing all these things, an organization can become fearless and unstoppable.

What separates good leaders from brilliant ones? How do you successfully move your school or district from mediocrity to brilliance? Drawing on their expertise in business and education, the authors provide a simple, sustainable framework that will help you overcome educational inertia to reach new heights of achievement. The authors use the forces of flight as a powerful metaphor: Weight: Discover your Personal Brilliance through self-discovery Lift: Engage Collaborative Brilliance through collaboration with all stakeholders Thrust: Drive Team Brilliance by encouraging smart risks and designing potent changes Reduce Drag: Expand Student Brilliance by unleashing imagination, resilience, and hope Download the free study guide at releasingleadershipbrilliance.com

Imagine yourself as a normal, healthy seven-year-old child. One day you begin to feel sick, showing signs of a fever, and thinking you just have the flu, your parents tuck you into bed and tell you to rest. But as you awake some time later, you look up and realize that your father's lips are moving but you cannot hear what he is saying. The music and sounds around you are no longer there. You are deaf, and your life has abruptly and forever changed. This was author Lois Hooper Diamond's reality, and in Breaking the Sound Barrier, she takes you into the world of the millions who live without sound. Although spinal meningitis took her hearing when she was just a little girl, Lois would go on to champion and give voice to her community. Deafness is more than just hearing loss; it is a culture, and Lois answers a number of questions about hearing loss while exploring issues related to whether deaf children should be taught to lip-read and orally communicate or be encouraged to learn sign language.

This heavily revised and updated new edition of the best-selling language teacher handbook is a comprehensive introduction to research-informed classroom practice. Topics explored include: Language teaching methods Lesson and curriculum planning Intercultural understanding Listening, speaking, reading and writing Teaching in the target language Vocabulary, grammar and phonics Fluency and lexicogrammar Assessment Meeting the needs of all learners Teaching advanced level students Motivation Songs and drama Subject knowledge Language teachers of any experience will be introduced to a wide range of findings from second language acquisition and cognitive science research, along with a wealth of practical classroom ideas to enhance their practice. This new edition lays greater emphasis on lexicogrammar, fluency, intercultural understanding, meeting diverse learner needs, lesson and curriculum planning. About the first edition: "A treasure chest for every language teacher." (Languages Today, the magazine of the Association for Language Learning.)

Our sins have made a barrier between God and us (Isaiah 59:2). Sins leave us without the knowledge of what true peace is and what it means to act justly before God. Because of this, we stay in darkness, even though Jesus is the Light. In the darkness we grope like blind men and stumble in broad daylight. We moan and groan for the blessings of God, but our sins testify against us. Sin is disobedience to God. Even though Jesus died for these sins, if we remain in them, then we reject the Light. Our rejection of the Light is what causes the barriers between us and God. This book, Intercession That Breaks the Sound Barrier, gives several instances of what Jesus says invites the darkness and the redemptive voice that breaks them. Sounding the sounds of intercession is like putting on the robe of vengeance as armor. It is putting on the work of Jesus Himself to glorify God our Father. It is reverence for God in the name of God--it is Jehovah's breath. "And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, 'Receive ye the Holy Ghost: Whosesoever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whosesoever sins ye retain, they are retained" (John 20:22-23). It would be a mistake to speak of any earthly author for this book. It was written only as the breath of Jehovah breathed, and not of man's ability. To Him be all the glory and praise. Amen