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?...
Read MoreWhat 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,...
Read MoreWhat Are Reasonable Standards for Listening Comprehension and Speaking Skills for ESL Students?
Tough question! Context, as ever, matters. Looking for a clear, detailed chart to evaluate the speaking skills of your students? Check out the practical chart with ten categories for listening comprehension and speaking skills developed by the United States Office of Refugee Resettlement and revised by the Spring Institute for Intercultural Learning. Where did I find it? As so often, I went to...
Read MoreConsumer Product Reviews: A Popular, Practical ESL Speaking Activity
Let ESL Students Give Product Reviews in the New Year! Do you let your English students write and deliver product reviews? Consumer reviews help ESL students develop research skills, use critical thinking, and share their consumer choices. The giving and receiving of gifts has become a central feature of Christmas, Hanukkah, winter solstice and New Year celebrations. We live – for worse or for...
Read MoreExploring Cities in ESL Classrooms
Cities attract the young, the strong, the ambitious, and the hungry. Millions move from countryside and across the globe to live in new cities every year. Cities provide jobs, culture,and education. Cities are exciting. Yet, sometimes danger also lurks in cities. Do you like living in cities? Which cities have you visited? Which cities you found most satisfying? Why? Teaching English in Los...
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