Teaching 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,...

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How 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...

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Teaching 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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Teaching Tips: Approaching Immigration Issues in the Classroom

  “For happily the Government of the United States, which gives to bigotry no sanction, to persecution no assistance requires only that they who live under its protection should demean themselves as good citizens, in giving it on all occasions their effectual support.” ~George Washington (1732-1799), 1st President of the United States   Millions of people, around the world,...

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Teaching Matters: What Are Reasonable Standards for Listening Comprehension and Speaking Skills for ESL Students?

“Our progress as a nation can be no swifter than our progress in education.” ~John F. Kennedy (1917-1963), 35th President of the U.S.   Tough question! Context, as ever, matters. Are you going into a new semester of class looking for a clear, detailed chart to evaluate the speaking skills of your students? Check out the practical chart with ten categories for listening...

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Discussing the New Year And Making Resolutions to Change in English Class

“To modernize is to adopt and to adapt, but it is also to recreate.” Octavio Paz, (1914-1998), Mexican writer and diplomat.   Holidays and anniversaries often prompt personal reflections. As a new year beckons, millions of English language learners and thousands of English teachers  reflect on their lives and make new year resolutions.   What did you find satisfying in...

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