Welcome To Compelling Conversations for ESL/EFL Teachers

Welcome to Compelling Conversations!
Volume 1: Issue 1

This issue has been long overdue, and for our first 2009 issue, we would like to personally thank you for subscribing to our newsletter for English teachers. We appreciate your visit to our website and, for this reason, we have good news:

A discount coupon for our book! If you've haven't had the opportunity to get a copy of our book, we have lowered the price for our subscribers: you can get $5 off the regular price for Compelling Conversations: Questions and Quotations on Timeless Topics (for ESL learners and teachers)! Click here to get your copy for $15 (instead of $20).

Or just download our free Compelling Conversations chapters on Change and on Job Interviews.

Don't forget to check out our special thank you offer again at the end of this newsletter.

In This Issue Articles of Interest The Compelling Conversations Blog recently had a post on World Englishes, which linked to a review on a book by the same name. In this newsletter you will find an intro to Eric Roth's review (to the right), and for the sake of providing different perspectives on the subject matter, here are a few articles that have caught our attention. What is Offshore English? UsingEnglish.com provides a short article on how native English speakers are not always considered the best choice for foreign businesses. Perhaps the debate for International English should focus on the listening audience. Standard Englishes & World Englishes This is an extensive article on English as a global language for business, which was written by Jeanette Gilsdorf, a Professor in the Department of Information Systems at the College of Business Administration at California State University – Long Beach. The radio program This I Believe was also reviewed on the Compelling Conversations Blog. We offer an assignment/worksheet on the post, and you will find an intro and direct link on the right.

World Englishes Review by Eric Roth Do the English in England speak the same English as the Americans, the Jamaicans, the South Africans, the Australians, the Irish, and the Indians? Do they even speak the same English as they did 100 years ago before radio, television, and the internet? Should there be a global standard for all English speakers? Linguist Andy Kirkpatrick raises these and many other provocative questions in his exceptionally documented book “World Englishes: Implications for International Communication and English Language Teaching” published by Cambridge University Press. Read more » This I Believe Tuesday, March 24, 2009 What are your core beliefs? More importantly, what are your students’ core beliefs? How can you help English language learners improve their listening skills while exploring their own personal philosophy? Do you use radio podcasts in your English classrooms or ask students to write personal essays? If so, you might want to visit www.ThisIBelieve.org for excellent, fascinating authentic listening materials. Read more »

Speaking of radio programs, do you like podcasts? VOA News makes Special English podcasts; check out Baseball Terms: This Is a Whole New Ballgame! Are you (or will you be) teaching an ESL class? Here are a few articles that relate to our trademark phrase "Ask more. Know more. Share more." on conversations in the ESL classroom, along with other articles about teaching abroad: How useful are comprehension questions? This is a useful article by Mario Rinvolucri, which provides example questions and things you can do to check your students for understanding (before asking them directly). Memoirs of a Teacher This article gives the perspective of an ESL teacher who followed in his mother's footsteps after an experience in Korea. He debated about going, but the experience proved fruitful. Improving Teacher-Student Interaction This report on an action research project provides insights on how to effectively get your students to participate in class. Having active students isn't just about asking compelling questions, but rather how they are asked! Teaching English in Vietnam This article goes over the requirements, available positions, what living there means, and the general expectations you should keep in mind on what it takes to teach ESL in Vietnam. Vietnam Embraces English Classes - and Looks for Communicative English Teachers Thursday, April 2nd, 2009 My recent trip to Vietnam to meet English teachers and lead a professional development seminar at the American-Pacific University, Vietnam lead to many wonderful moments and a few surprising conversations. Teaching English in developing countries always poses challenges, and Vietnam falls into that category. Let me share a few selective details to provide a brief introduction to the education atmosphere for English teachers who prefer a communicative approach to grammar drill and kill tasks. Consider the gap between a traditional teacher-centered education philosophy and modern student-centered approaches for teaching English. Read more » By the way, the Compelling Conversations Blog will be getting a make-over! Yes, we'll soon be incorporating more digital media, changing our theme, and we'll be making it easier for you to get a copy of our class worksheets. We want to move beyond mere text and incorporate more pictures and sound to create a livelier, more 21st century look. Again, as a newsletter subscriber, you qualify for a $5 discount on our downloadable ESL ebook that makes teaching conversation in English class a simple joy. Why not buy your copy today? Click here for your copy of Compelling Conversations: Questions and Quotations on Timeless Topics (for ESL learners and teachers) for $15 (instead of $20)!

This is a monthly newsletter from CompellingConversations.com.




Ask more. Know more. Share more.
Create Compelling Conversations.
Visit www.CompellingConversations.com