Teaching Matters: The Perception of Time and Value of Punctuality in American Culture
“If the doors of perception were cleansed every thing would appear to man as it is, Infinite. For man has closed himself up, till he sees all things thro’ narrow chinks of his cavern.” – William Blake (1757-1827), English poet, painter and printmaker The concept of time defies easy definitions, meaning many different things to many different people. Americans often...
Read MoreTeaching Matters: The Perception of Time and Value of Punctuality in American Culture
“If the doors of perception were cleansed every thing would appear to man as it is, Infinite. For man has closed himself up, till he sees all things thro’ narrow chinks of his cavern.” – William Blake (1757-1827), English poet, painter and printmaker The concept of time defies easy definitions, meaning many different things to many different people. Americans often...
Read MoreCompelling Conversations – Vietnam is here!
Become who you want to be – in English! Vietnamese teachers of English: are you developing a more fluency-focused curriculum for your ESL/EFL class this fall? Are you seeking new, engaging communicative activities that encourage class discussions? How about flexible lesson plans with a built-in homework assignment per unit? Perhaps we can help! I’m pleased to announce that...
Read MoreTeaching Matters: How to Add Student Voices to Classroom Discussions
“Words are, of course, the most powerful drug used by mankind.” -Rudyard Kipling (1865-1936), British author and Nobel laureate This Teacher Edition Tuesday post, a weekly series based on ten teaching tips from the recently released Compelling American Conversations – Teacher Edition, addresses classroom participation and bringing more international student voices into...
Read MoreTeaching Matters: Preparing Student-Centered Materials for the Classroom
“If it is language that makes us human, one half of language is to listen.” – Jacob Trapp (1899-1992), American religious leader Part 3 of Teacher Edition Tuesday, a weekly series based on ten teaching tips from the recently released Compelling American Conversations – Teacher Edition! We previously discussed the importance of classroom design in fostering a communicative learning...
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...
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