What do you look for in an apartment?
What do you look for in an apartment? How do you turn a physical space into a home? Everybody lives somewhere. Yet, as we know, not all homes are created equal – especially in the developing world with vast inequalities. Since I don’t speak the local language in Ho Chi Minh City, I have become far more reliant on fellow English teachers, co-workers, new friends, and real estate...
Read MoreDo You Really Use Youtube in Your EFL Classes? How?
Do you use You Tube in Your EFL classes? How? Absolutely! Like so many other English teachers, I begin teaching with student interests and habits in mind. Of course, I also want to take them from the old and familiar to new and unfamiliar while improving their English language skills. You Tube remains a powerful classroom tool to achieve that goal. I’ve used YouTube to have students...
Read MoreCulturally Sensitive Compelling Conversations Created for Vietnam!
How do you revise a conversation textbook designed for American immigrants and international students in the United States for high school English language learners in Vietnam? Carefully! Naturally, the new version of “Compelling Conversations: Questions and Quotations on Timeless Topics” will emphasize aspects of Vietnamese culture, avoid taboo subjects, and include local folk...
Read MoreAre you prepared? Are you ready? Aren’t you nervous?
During the last hectic week of international travel and professional development presentations, I’ve been heard a few simple questions over and over. Are you ready? Are you prepared? Aren’t you nervous? Do you have enough time to do that? When are you going to sleep? Friends – and close relatives – ask these questions out of concern and curiosity. I appreciate their...
Read MoreTeaching Themes Emerge at CATESOL: Use Technology To Meet Student Needs
Do ESL teachers want a more democratic classroom? Perhaps the workshop description discouraged English teachers, the title seemed too bold, or the other two dozen workshops held at the same time appeared more practical. Techniques and Methods for a More Democratic Classroom A more democratic classroom encourages student speech, features student created content, allows student choice of...
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