iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Steve Smith @spsmith45.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

We saw this the other day at Trafalgar Square. Very impressive.

At Trafalgar Square. The 4th plinth statue of a black woman in a blue dress.

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Steve Smith @spsmith45.bsky.social · 30/08/2026

Nice here. Two more days in Charente Maritime then back to London.

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Steve Smith @spsmith45.bsky.social · 20/08/2026

GCSE French grades over the years including 2026 (from Bryan Stubbs)

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Steve Smith @spsmith45.bsky.social · 12/08/2026

Chatelaillon-Plage crowded with expectant eclipse watchers.

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Steve Smith @spsmith45.bsky.social · 08/07/2026

Not at all bizarre really. I found this useful summary. Coding is just one strength.

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Steve Smith @spsmith45.bsky.social · 31/05/2026

And get attacked by a space worm in Barclay’s case.

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Steve Smith @spsmith45.bsky.social · 29/05/2026

I think that’s wrong, according to Bryan Stubbs’ figures. 5, then 3.

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Steve Smith @spsmith45.bsky.social · 08/05/2026

Good view from our Sydney hotel. Enjoyed delivering a keynote for the NSW Dept of Ed Teachers’ Conference today. Back to London tomorrow after nearly four weeks in Oz.

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Steve Smith @spsmith45.bsky.social · 26/04/2026

I’d never thought about this. Origin of ‘geezer’.

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Steve Smith @spsmith45.bsky.social · 21/04/2026

Off to Brighton Beach today from Melbourne city centre. Fish and chips and a beer would be nice. Fine Autumn weather.

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Steve Smith @spsmith45.bsky.social · 20/04/2026

A pleasure to present today to teachers at Haileybury, Melbourne. Thanks to Stanley Wang for inviting me.

Training session with staff at Haileybury.

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Steve Smith @spsmith45.bsky.social · 19/04/2026

Looks like I was singing at the recent NSWFCLS Conference at the University of Sydney.

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Steve Smith @spsmith45.bsky.social · 17/04/2026

Looking forward to speaking tomorrow at NSW Federation of Community Language Schools. With my OH Prof Elspeth Jones.

Me and Elspeth in front of the Sydney Harbour Bridge.

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Steve Smith @spsmith45.bsky.social · 16/04/2026

I can’t deny I am a little proud and happy that my blog has just surpassed 4 million views. When I retired from the classroom I did not foresee how much I would remain interested in sharing language teaching theory and practice.

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Steve Smith @spsmith45.bsky.social · 05/04/2026

A fine day in Greenwich with my wife and friends.

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Steve Smith @spsmith45.bsky.social · 23/03/2026

Looks like my blog will hit 4 million views in about a month.

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Steve Smith @spsmith45.bsky.social · 09/02/2026

A good table shared by Gianfranco on the GILT FB group. You might argue that lexicogrammar is better for exams too, depending on the exam? Teaching can contain elements of both, but I’d argue lexicogrammar is better for most learners.

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Steve Smith @spsmith45.bsky.social · 28/01/2026

Recent Ofqual guidance on grading of new GCSEs. No surprises.

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Steve Smith @spsmith45.bsky.social · 26/01/2026

After staring at Word docs and pdfs, the final product is good to have. Much work from me and my editor/wife went into this!

Steve holding his new book Thinking About Language Teaching (Volume 2)

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Steve Smith @spsmith45.bsky.social · 17/01/2026

I know you love AI. Here is something they have in common.

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Steve Smith @spsmith45.bsky.social · 06/01/2026

Thread. Snow here today in Charente Maritime. Unusual.

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Steve Smith @spsmith45.bsky.social · 25/11/2025

An interesting table shared by Gianfranco Conti on what distinguishes languages from other subjects. Shared on FB in the GILT group.

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Steve Smith @spsmith45.bsky.social · 24/11/2025

Shared by Gianfranco on FB. A super table on behaviour management issues.

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Steve Smith @spsmith45.bsky.social · 21/10/2025

Our home on the Murray River for the next three days.

Houseboat moored on the Murray River, South Australia.

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Steve Smith @spsmith45.bsky.social · 16/10/2025

Where am I? Sorry, no ALT text!

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Steve Smith @spsmith45.bsky.social · 12/10/2025

Why teaching lexical chunks is more efficient than teaching single words.

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Steve Smith @spsmith45.bsky.social · 11/10/2025

Sharing this from Gianfranco on the GILT Facebook group. Vocabulary versus grammar.

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Steve Smith @spsmith45.bsky.social · 09/10/2025

The view from here. Hell’s Gates, near Noosa, Queensland.

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Steve Smith @spsmith45.bsky.social · 05/10/2025

We’re very lucky to be staying on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland. This evening’s view of Mt Cooroy.

View of Mount Cooray, Queensland, Australia.

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Steve Smith @spsmith45.bsky.social · 12/09/2025

He makes it sound simple… here are just two of several reasons why nationalising water companies is difficult.

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Steve Smith @spsmith45.bsky.social · 12/09/2025

Of interest to UK readers? We have relatively safe roads!

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Steve Smith @spsmith45.bsky.social · 08/09/2025

The view from Blackfriars station this morning.

River Thames, the City on the left, Shard on the right, Tower Bridge ahead.

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Steve Smith @spsmith45.bsky.social · 26/08/2025

In terms of numbers of international tourists, France is top. UK figures not given in this chart.

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Steve Smith @spsmith45.bsky.social · 26/08/2025

This surprised me. UK tourism receipts now higher than France’s. Source: UN Tourism.

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Steve Smith @spsmith45.bsky.social · 25/08/2025

How that might work (Chat GPT version).

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Steve Smith @spsmith45.bsky.social · 21/08/2025

Ian Dunt writing well about asylum hotels etc in the i paper today.

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Steve Smith @spsmith45.bsky.social · 17/08/2025

Following on from your earlier point. This is from the EEF’s review

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Steve Smith @spsmith45.bsky.social · 12/08/2025

Where am I? No Alt text I’m afraid.

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Steve Smith @spsmith45.bsky.social · 06/08/2025

The Promenade plantée, aka Coulée verte, created in 1989, was lovely. very green, well maintained and passing through some smart parts of Paris as far as the Périphérique.

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Steve Smith @spsmith45.bsky.social · 06/08/2025

The first of two volumes of blog posts + extra reflections is taking shape. 300 pages for Vol. 1. Organised by theme and covering a lot of ground.

Cover of forthcoming blog anthology Thinking About Language Teaching.

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Steve Smith @spsmith45.bsky.social · 02/08/2025

Rereading the report it looks like they accepted the statistical case for severe grading was strong, but stats were not the only factor. Re grade changes to Fr, Ger and Sp…

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Steve Smith @spsmith45.bsky.social · 30/07/2025

While in the garden, Chat GPT found this. Definitely less student-friendly.

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Steve Smith @spsmith45.bsky.social · 29/07/2025

Two French podcasts recommended by The Connexion newspaper.

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Steve Smith @spsmith45.bsky.social · 23/07/2025

A very French thing in Leclerc Surgères. Citroën Méhari plus teddies.

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