How do you close your last class in a satisfying, summer ESL program?
Class bookends, both beginnings and endings, deserve special attention. This truism becomes more important in short term summer English programs where ESL students have traveled thousands of miles to study English. As so often, I tend to learn by stumbling. Yet, over the years, I’ve developed a rather effective last class ESL lecture around a simple theme: Make Change Your Friend. The...
Read MoreTeaching English Language Learners: What Seems to Work in American Public Schools
Do English language learners, or English as a Second language students, learn better in sheltered programs? Should students receive some instruction in their native language – and if so, for how long? Are there clear differences to effectively write and speak fluently? Teaching Language Learners: What the Research Does – and Does Not – Say , a 19- page article published in American Educator...
Read MoreDoes 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 More
