Dwelling in Possibility: The Benefits of Intensive Reading for ESL Students

“A word is dead when it is said, some say. I say it just begins to live that day.” ―Emily Dickinson (1830-1886), American poet What are the benefits of intensive reading for ESL students? How can reading for pleasure spark teachable moments in the English classroom? Reading can be a great – and over… The post Dwelling in Possibility: The Benefits of Intensive...

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Review: What Should Every College ESL Student Know?

“The most important thing we learn at school is the fact that the most important things can’t be learned at school.” —Haruki Murakami (1949–), Japanese author What should every ESL student know? Beats me. “One size fits all” philosophies often seem a bit strange to me. Can anybody really answer this… The post Review: What Should Every College ESL...

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Review: Clear the Way for More Good Teachers in Higher Education

“The mind is not a vessel that needs filling but wood that needs igniting.” —Plutarch (45 – 120 AD), Ancient Greek essayist and biographer What is the biggest threat to the higher education system? Rising tuition costs? Declining student enrollment? Lower academic skills? Or, is it the structure of the institution itself? A System of Self-interest In “Clear the...

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Teaching Matters: Email Etiquette Part 2

“Education is learning what you didn’t even know you didn’t know.” —Daniel J. Boorstin (1914–2004), American historian Reviewing email etiquette in the classroom remains an essential challenge for English teachers. We must prepare English language learners for the professional world. Last week, we discussed how to write a clear, concise subject line, and...

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Teaching Matters: Email Etiquette, Part 1

“They know enough who know how to learn.” —Henry Adams (1838-1918), American historian Email has become a part of our daily life in the 21st century. We send so many emails that we sometimes forget the difference between casual and more formal types of communication. As a result, emails are documents that can make positive or negative impressions and can document in print our...

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