Bridging the Gap: How English for Professionals courses aid international engineers
As both lecturer and master lecturer, respectively, in the Engineering Writing Program and American Language Institute, I have worked with many international engineering students at USC (home of award-winning engineering publication, Illumin). To my knowledge, engineers sometimes find it difficult explaining key concepts to non-specialists, and speaking English as a second language often adds to...
Read MoreTeaching Matters: Explaining the concept of skill in relation to the workplace
“In business for yourself, not by yourself.” ~Ray Kroc (1902-1984), McDonald’s founder How do people get jobs in the United States? Internship season is almost upon us, and finding work is not always an easy thing – particularly in an uncertain economy. Many ESL students may be from countries where people are employed through families, political parties or...
Read MoreTeaching Matters: How adult ESL students can learn like children again
“Nothing in life is to be feared. It is only to be understood.” ~Marie Curie (1867-1934), Polish physicist and chemistry pioneer How do people learn their first languages? What are some barriers to learning a second? Finally, how can we, as ESL educators, bridge the gap between them? Educator Robert William McCaul, writing for the British Council’s Voices Magazine,...
Read MoreHow Do You Use Compelling American Conversations in Multilevel ESL Classes?
“People have one thing in common: they are all different.” ~Robert Zend (1929-1985), American writer Compelling American Conversations provides an invaluable resource for teachers in the common situation of teaching multilevel adult ESL classes with ongoing enrollment. ESL teachers with multi-level classes must plans lessons that address the needs of the new students constantly entering...
Read MoreTeaching Matters: How much can we rely on standardized tests to assess?
“Education is helping the child realize his potentialities.” ~Erich Fromm (1900-1980), German social psychologist and pscychoanalyst By Andrea Schmidt, Guest-writer Standardized tests: how helpful are they in assessing one’s true skill level? This question has been asked by students and teachers alike, time and again. There is no denying that these tests’ formulaic...
Read MoreTeaching Matters: Do Our Students Need to Swim in English or Pass Grammar Tests?
“The task of the modern educator is not to cut down jungles, but to irrigate deserts.” ~C. S. Lewis (1898-1963), British novelist, theologian, and literary critic Last week we discussed English as a lingua franca (ELF), and how emphasis on a mutual understanding between conversation partners remains the goal. Earlier last month, we questioned what standards were reasonable for...
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