Guest Post: What are the 6 Principles for Teaching English as a Second Language?
“More important than the curriculum is the question of the methods of teaching and the spirit in which the teaching is given.” —Bertrand Russell (1872-1970), British philosopher and 1950 Nobel Prize winner in Literature What are the most important English as a Second Language (ESL) teaching princip… The post Guest Post: What are the 6 Principles for Teaching English...
Read MoreHave you taught English in Vietnam? Share your insights in a brief survey!
“One day of traveling broadens the mind.” – Vietnamese proverb What have you found satisfying about teaching English in Vietnam? How do you select or create EFL materials to help your students learn English? What do you know now that you wish you knew when you started teaching English in Vietnam? We would like to include your insights! Teresa X. Nguyen and I are collecting...
Read MoreResponses Needed: Teaching in Japan General Survey!
“When love is deep, much can be accomplished.” – Shinichi Suzuki (1898-1998), Japanese violinist and world famous music educator What have you found satisfying about teaching English in Japan? How do you select or create EFL materials to help your students learn English? What do you know now that you wish you knew when you started teaching English in Japan? We would like to...
Read More“Good Enough”: English as a lingua franca & a uniting force
“I’m a great believer that any tool that enhances communication has profound effects in terms of how people can learn from each other, and how they can achieve the kind of freedoms that they’re interested in.” ~Bill Gates (1955- ) American business magnate, philanthropist As more people learn English, using English as a lingua franca (ELF) has become increasingly...
Read MoreNewsmart: ESL Wall Street Journal
Language learners absorb English, journalism and current events Photo Source: Newsmart ““To look at the paper is to raise a seashell to one’s ear and to be overwhelmed by the roar of humanity.” -Alain de Botton (1969- ) Swiss-British writer The Wall Street Journal remains a popular source of news in the United States, teeming with a variety of breaking and analytical pieces. I first heard...
Read MoreWhy Are So Many EFL Textbooks So Bland, Boring, and Culturally Tone Deaf?
Why are so many EFL Textbooks so bland, boring, and culturally tone-deaf? Allow me to ask a more polite question. How can English teachers working abroad and international English textbook publishers both respect local cultures and create more engaging English classroom lessons? The challenge may be more complicated than you might suspect. A long, informative, and detailed exchange on a TESOL...
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