How Many American Adults Can Not Read This Blog? Can Not Read?

Illiteracy, the inability to turn abstract symbols called letters into meaningful words, should be a vanishing problem. Unfortunately, in the United States, adult illiteracy remains quite widespread. How many American adults can’t even read this blog? How many American adults can’t read a simple newspaper article, understand warning labels, or write an effective complaint letter?...

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What New English Words Will You Learn in 2009?

What new English words will you learn in 2009? Which English words will you teach? Do you have a way with words? Are you a lover of word trivia and origins? Are you an English teacher? If so, consider listening to the celebrated public radio show in 2009! Forget forcing students to memorize boring vocabulary lists. Get your English students engaged in the story of English words, their origins,...

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It was an Earthquake, not a Lifequake! We’re lucky!

As CNN and the other global news organizations rushed to tell the world, a 5.4 earthquake hit Los Angeles yesterday. The earth shook, people got scared, and fears of “the big one” entered the minds of millions. The shaking lasted for almost a minute, many pictures fell from walls and books left their shelves. Yet nobody was killed, no bridges fell, and very few injuries were reported. This...

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Teaching 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...

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What is a lifequake? Is that a real word?

Earthquakes remain a concern for people living in many places, including my home in Southern California. This awareness, and fear of sudden shaking and buildings falling, enters into many conversations. I recently read a wonderful term and vocabulary word: lifequake. What does it mean? An event that suddenly changes your life – a car accident, being laid off, terrible illness, or getting...

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What are the 1000 most common words in English?

Importance of authentic vocabulary reflecting interests “Words are, of course, the most powerful drug used by mankind.”  -Rudyard Kipling (1865-1936), British author What are the 1000 most common words in English? Wiktionary, an offshoot of the wonderful Wikipedia, offers this answer. Looks, sounds, and feels right. No big surprises. Do I recommend memorizing this list? No. Language should be...

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