Does Uncle Sam want immigrants to learn English?
Learning to read, write, and speak English remains a legal requirement for legal immigrants to become citizens in the United States. National polls also consistently show that over 80% of American voters favor making English the official national language. Immigrants to English speaking countries like the United States, Great Britain, Canada, and Australia also want to learn more English to gain...
Read MoreTeaching Quotations Creates Lively ESL Classroom Discussions, Shares Insights
Why do you recommend using classic quotations in ESL classrooms? “If a nation expects to be ignorant and free…it expects what never was and never will be.” Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826), U.S. President and principal author of the Declaration of Independence Classic quotations, like proverbs, brings in many insights from religious leaders and philosophers that go back even more than 2,000 years...
Read MoreEnjoying Easy English Times and Exploring the EET Website
“In every curving beach, in every grain of sand, there is the story of the earth.” Rachel Carson (1907-1964), biologist and environmentalist The mailman brought the “Summer Fun” issue of Easy English Times yesterday, and it made me smile. It’s another wonderful issue of ESL student essays, teaching tips, and classroom exercises for English language learners. The editors also...
Read MoreHave You Read English Teaching Forum Yet?
Have you read English Teaching Forum magazine yet? It is another outstanding resource for English language teachers whether working with adults in Africa, Eastern Europe, Southeast Asia, South America, or teaching immigrants and future citizens inside the United States. Published by the U.S. State Department, the excellent quarterly magazine includes concise lesson plans, reflective essays, and...
Read MoreLearning by Stumbling (again) and finding Classroom 2.0
As readers of this blog will soon discover, I believe in experimenting and finding new resources. Following an emailed lead, I discovered an impressive website for teachers called Classroom 2.0 . What attracted me? The site meets me where I am – an English teacher curious about new technologies, but unsure how to proceed and which technologies to explore in depth. Filled with concise, yet...
Read MoreWhat are the 1000 most common words in English?
Sometimes students ask simple, direct questions that I can’t immediately answer. For instance, an ESL student wondered, “What are the 1000 most common words in English?” Wiktionary, an offshoot of the wonderful Wikipedia, offers this answer . The list looks, sounds, and feels right, and offers no big surprises. English, an ever evolving and changing language, will probably have...
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