What is Your American Dream?
What is your American Dream? This remains one of my favorite questions to ask new immigrants and American citizens. I asked that question, followed by, “why” in a regular column for Easy English Times this month. I gave the last words to Toni Morrison, the Nobel-Prize winning author. “The function of freedom is to free somebody else.” Easy English Times, published in California, ran an ESL...
Read MoreWhere Do English Language Learners Live in the U.S.A?
Sometimes a picture, or in this case, an interactive map is worth a thousand words. The United States continues to attract more legal immigrants and refugees each year than any other nation in the world. We also have an estimated 10 million immigrants who have crossed the borders without waiting for their official invitations. People travel thousands of miles to start new lives here, and join...
Read MoreWhat Does Success Mean? What Definition Works for You?
Sometimes the simplest questions create the best conversations. What does success mean? What definition are you using? How is that definition working for you? After a hectic summer teaching English and directing a private high school English program in Vietnam, I’ve been asking myself these questions quite a bit. I learned many lessons, deepened a close friendship with two old friends, met...
Read MoreRedefining Success – and Staying Optimistic
Sometimes we have to redefine success in our English language classrooms. Sometimes we disappoint ourselves, sometimes our ESL students disappoint us – and sometimes school administrators disappoint us. ESL and EFL teachers, often underpaid and overworked, have to deal with high expectations, numerous classroom frustrations, and stay focused on improving student skills. Working with mixed...
Read MoreWhat will I learn today?
Consider me psyched. I’m going to a huge conference of ELT, EFL, and ESL professionals today in Vietnam’s White Palace. The 4th-annual VUS-TESOL conference program is full, and I expect to hear many more teaching tips for working with Vietnamese students who want to learn English, but are often reluctant to speak. I’m particularly interested in hearing about successful...
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