Jon Hird is a teacher, teacher trainer and ELT materials writer based in Oxford, UK. He teaches grammar, professional and diplomatic English and EAP at the University of Oxford and frequently gives talks and workshops in the UK and overseas. He has written and contributed to a number of ELT publications for a range of ELT publishers, including grammar, course book and other resource material.

This practical session looks at how we can facilitate deeper processing and thus greater remembering through making grammar presentation and practice exercises more communicative, engaging, meaningful and effective through exercises and activities that take advantage of the students’ own experience, interests, knowledge and opinions and drawing on this rather than simply ‘going through the motions’.

Isaac Newton described ‘tact’ as ‘the art of making a point without making an enemy’ while British journalist and writer David Frost considered ‘diplomacy’ as ‘the art of letting somebody else have your way’. Being tactful and diplomatic is perhaps at the very heart of professional communication in fostering smooth and constructive communication and enabling us to more effectively ‘do’ business. This session looks at some key language devices and strategies that we can use to make what we say more tactful and diplomatic and suggests some tried and tested ideas for teaching and practising them in the classroom.