Ask more. Know more. Share more. Speak more.
Create Compelling Classroom Conversations.
That's the core educational philosophy behind this blog by an experienced English as a Second Language teacher working in Los Angeles. The evolving blog shares educational resources, sparks conversations between ESL teachers and English language learners, and discusses effective teaching techniques.
Although "well-begun is half done," the blog will continue to develop and deepen over time.
How do you say that again? Which is correct? What is a sound comparison?
English teachers and linguists might also find website www.soundcomparisions.com worth a visit. Focusing on the many different dialects of English across the world, it implicitly challenges the notion of a “correct” or “accurate” pronunciation of English. The sound files come from England, Wales, Scotland, Ireland, North Amerca, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, Nigeria, India, and Singapore. Some accents, for this American listener, require significant effort to understand. All dialects, however, successfully function within their local areas.
Of course, context matters. If international students plan to study at an American university, it behooves them to listen to North American dialects – and make sure that their pronunciation is clear and comprehensible to American listeners. If they hope to attend a Scottish university, students might want to try out that accent as the target sound. Being audience focused, after all, is part of effective communication and good manners.
That is also why I very seldom "correct" international friends on their pronunciation if I can understand the word. If asked, I will gladly observe the standard "American" pronunciation and repeat what I heard. Yet focusing, perhaps even obsessing, on "correct" pronunciation can often block English language learners from communicating ideas and being themselves in English. Let's keep the focus on comprehensibility and ideas - and remember the wide, wonderful world of English accents!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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:
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.
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?
How can English teachers encourage adult and university students to expand their language skills and improve their employment opportunities in a difficult economic climate?
Personally, I've slightly modified my oral skills course this semester to provide greater emphasis on interviewing skills. Students interviewed each other for 10-15 minute videotaped mock job interviews for their first assignment.
The use of videotaping students in class has gained far more acceptance in the last few years, partly due to the technological advances. OTAN, the adult education website established by the California Department of Education, even created an entire section devoted to using videotapes and videocameras in the adult ESL classes.
Another factor has been the increasing popularity of YouTube videoclips by students seeking practical information. I've combined those two trends by requiring students to find and review YouTube clips on vital employment skills and speaking skills. Students found and reviewed videoclips, and emailed them in as homework. Afterwards, I combined all the student evaluations into a single email that I sent to the entire class with a few editorial comments and minor editing.
Here is the homework sheet for that assignment. As with the reviews, "use or lose." ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Getting Job Interview Advice from YouTube!
Student Name: Class: Teacher: School: Date:
Please find an YouTube videoclip that helps people successfully interview for jobs – in English - that you would like to share with your classmates. Watch the video, take notes, and review it for your classmates.
Video title: Web address: Length: Creator:
Please describe the video.
What interview tips did the video provide?
Where do you think the video was produced? Why?
How practical did you find the advice? Why?
What was the strongest part? Why?
What was the weakest part? Why?
Who do think is the target audience for this video?
This simple worksheet combines research, critical thinking, and language skills. As English teachers, we can use simple technology to help English language learners develop their language skills, especially when they are motivated to learn and search out new sources. Instead of dismissing YouTube searching as a waste of time, let's turn their interests into productive learning opportunities and share insights. After all, employment interviews often serve as a real-world language tests for our ESL students.
Let's make sure we give them the tools to pass those crucial tests.
Ask more. Know more. Share more. Create Compelling Conversations. Visit www.CompellingConversations.com
Do you match? How do you know? Where does kissing come from?
Are you romantically involved? Do you match your partner? How do you know? Who will you choose to share your life with? Are you considering marriage? Are you already married? Use these questions as a springboard to reflect on your options, choices, and desires on this Valentine’s Day.
Here is chapter #33 from Compelling Conversations that many friends have told me is better for native speakers than English language learners or ESL classrooms. Perhaps they are right. On the other hand, I’ve had great conversations in my adult ESL and college ESL classes using this chapter too.
As both a happily married man of 14 years and the child of divorced parents, these questions seem like smart questions to ask - even for romantics on Valentine’s Day. Perhaps especially on Valentine’s Day when the official propaganda of “love will conquer all” seems so pervasive. So whether English teachers ask themselves, their partner, or their students these questions, I’d like to share this list on my blog tonight.
I’m also including a short videoclip from Discovery News that I found quite interesting on the origins of kissing and how that satisfying activity is believed to have spread around the globe. Enjoy!
The Skinny on Smooching from Discovery News
1. Why do (did) you want to get married? 2. Do (did) you have a checklist of qualities for a potential spouse? 3. What are the three main qualifications on your checklist? Partner? Provider? Lover? Friend? 4. When did you fall in love? Did one person fall first? Who? 5. How did you know your lover was the one? How did your thinking evolve? 6. Did you ever have moments of doubt? How did your thinking evolve? 7. Do you think people should live together before they get married? Why? Can you share some examples? 8. Are sex, love and marriage linked in your mind, or is each separate? How are they different? 9. What are some endearing qualities of your companion? 10. Do you like your partner’s friends? Do you respect them? Why? 11. What advice have your parents and close friends given you? Your extended family? How important is their opinion in your decision? Why? 12. Do you think you are marrying only an individual or are you also marrying your spouse’s family? How would you describe your potential in-laws? 13. What does your partner do that annoys you? 14. Do you expect to be the pilot, co-pilot, or passenger in the marriage? Why? 15. What, if anything, would definitely cause you to divorce? Why?
Q U E S T I O N S A N D Q U OTAT I O N S O N T I M E L E S S TO P I C S • 1 0 5 V O C A B U L A R Y Review these words and expressions. Circle the words that you know. potential ………………………………………………………………………………………. neat freak …………………………………………………………………………………….. spouse ………………………………………………………………………………………….. nupital …………………………………………………………………………………………. conflicts ……………………………………………………………………………………….. checklist ……………………………………………………………………………………….. resolve …………………………………………………………………………………………. pre-nuptial …………………………………………………………………………………… compatible …………………………………………………………………………………… pack rat ……………………………………………………………………………………….. justify …………………………………………………………………………………………… evolve …………………………………………………………………………………………..
P R O V E R B S What do these proverbs mean? Can you share some other proverbs? The needle is always accompanied by the thread.—Korean Strange is the affinity that binds two in marriage.—Japanese Whoever marries only for beauty will live in misery.—Russian
T H E C O N V E R S A T I O N C O N T I N U E S … 1. Thinking about personal preferences, do you like to stay up late or get up early? Do you have compatible sleeping habits? 2. Do you have similar media habits? What about tastes in TV shows and movies? 3. Where do you prefer to live? Country? City? Farm? Apartment? House? 4. Are you a pack rat? Are you a neat freak? Are your styles compatible? 5. Will you still love your partner when he or she is 64? Will your partner love you with wrinkles? 6. Do you know an older couple that might be a model for a good partnership? Who are they? 7. What activities do you enjoy in your leisure time? Will your spouse join you? 8. Do you and your lover share spending philosophies? Do you shop together? 9. Do you expect to live with older generations? Who? Why? Where? When? 10. What is your approach to settling conflicts? How often do you have conflicts? 11. Do you want children? How many? N O T E S & Q U E S T I O N S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 0 6 • w w w. c o m p e l l i n g c o n v e r s a t i o n s . c o m
12. Do you believe in birth control? Why? 13. How do you think your baby would look like? Why? 14. What kind of parent do you expect your spouse to become? Why? 15. Would you want your sons to be like the man you’re marrying? Would you want your daughters to be like the woman you’re marrying? 16. Do you expect to follow family or religious traditions? Which ones? Why? 17. If disagreements arise about children, how do you expect to resolve them? 18. Do you think all money should be shared or should each spouse have separate bank accounts? Why? How do you expect to manage household expenses? 19. What were the best gifts that you’ve given or received in the relationship? 20. What passions do you share? What unites you as a couple? 21. Do you have a favorite photograph of you as a couple? Can you describe it? 22. Where do you want to travel together? What do you want to see together? 23. What are you looking forward to doing together as a married couple? 24. How do you expect your life to change once you are married? What are some advantages of being married? 25. Do you have any tips or suggestions on how to create and preserve a happy marriage?
Q U O T A T I O N S Which two quotations come closest to your attitudes? 1. “By all means marry; if you get a good wife, you’ll become happy; if you get a bad one, you’ll become a philosopher.” —Socrates (470-339 BC), Greek philosopher 2. “Man’s best possession is a sympathetic wife.” —Euripides (480-406 BC), playwright 3. “I’m so gullible. I’m so damn gullible. And I am so sick of being gullible.” —Lana Turner (1921-1995), Hollywood star married seven times 4. “Love is the ideal thing, marriage a real thing; a confusion of the real with the ideal never goes unpunished.” —Goethe (1749-1832), German poet, novelist, and scientist 5. “Marriage is a great institution, but I’m not ready for an institution.” —Mae West (1892-1980), American actress 7. “Love means never having to say you’re sorry.” —Ali McGraw in Love Story (1970)
“Love is the ideal thing, marriage a real thing; a confusion of the real with the ideal never goes unpunished.” Goethe (1749-1832), German poet, novelist, and scientist
Q U E S T I O N S A N D Q U OTAT I O N S O N T I M E L E S S TO P I C S • 1 0 7
8. “Marriage: A word that should be pronounced ‘mirage.’” —Herbert Spencer (1820-1903), English philosopher 9. “No matter who you get married to, you wake up married to somebody else.” —Marlon Brando in Guys and Dolls (1955) 10. “Second marriage: the triumph of hope over experience.” —Dr. Samuel Johnson (1709-1784), English writer 11. “Marriage is a very good thing, but I think it’s a mistake to make a habit of it.” —W. Somerset Maugham (1874-1965), English novelist 12. “A happy marriage is a long conversation that always seems too short.” —Andre Maurois (1885-1967), French author 13. “A successful marriage is not a gift; it is an achievement.” —Ann Landers (1918-2002), American advice columnist ★ O N Y O U R O W N With your class partner, list three celebrity marriages that have ended in divorce. For each couple who divorced, list two reasons you think their marriage did not last. Then, list three marriages of well known people that have lasted more than 20 years. For each couple, list two reasons why you think their marriage lasted. Share with the class. 1. …………………………………………………………………………………………………… • . ………………………………………………………………………………………………. • . ………………………………………………………………………………………………. 2. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………. • . ………………………………………………………………………………………………. • . ………………………………………………………………………………………………. 3. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………. • . ………………………………………………………………………………………………. • . ………………………………………………………………………………………………. 1. …………………………………………………………………………………………………… • . ………………………………………………………………………………………………. • . ………………………………………………………………………………………………. 2. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………. • . ………………………………………………………………………………………………. • . ………………………………………………………………………………………………. 3. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………. • . ………………………………………………………………………………………………. • . ………………………………………………………………………………………………. 1 0 8 • w w w. c o m p e l l i n g c o n v e r s a t i o n s . c o m
English Teaching Professional, a glossy magazine for ESL teachers and language school directors, gave a glowing review and strong recommendation to Compelling Conversations: Questions and Quotations on Timeless Topics. "In sum, Compelling Conversations is a recommended resource for teachers who want to make their conversation classes more learner-centered," wrote reviewer Hall Houston. "It should be especially appealing to those who who to escape the confines of the Presentation-Practice-Production approach and do without a formal grammatical or functional syllabus. It reflects the authors' considerable professional experience, and would be a notable addition to any English teacher's bookshelf." The review also features a large copy of the book cover. Wow!
Houston also writes, "In my own teaching, I have found questions and quotations to be highly effective in promoting student discussion." The review continues. "Questions are useful in that they require a response from the listener. Asking them also helps students master the tricky rules of the interrogative."
"Quotations are brilliant flashes of wit expressed in the shortest space possible, often just a sentence or two," observes Houston. "The authors have compiled a formidable collection of quotations by famous people from Napoleon and Aristotle to Tom Cruise and Sylvester Stallone. Some will have the students roaring with laughter 'My movies were the kind they show in prisons and airplanes because nobody can leave.' - Burt Reynolds), while others require careful introspection ('Love is not just looking at each other; it's looking in the same direction.' - Antoine de Saint Exupery)."
The reviewer goes on. "The authors also add some wise proverbs here and there. My two favourites were 'Recite "patience" three times and it will spare you a murder' and 'When money talks, truth keeps silent', which are from Korea and Russia."
My co-author Toni Aberson appreciated that Houston, an English teacher and writer in Luzhu, Taiwan wrote the review in a British magazine about a book self-published in the United States. This international element adds a special delight to a long, three column review. "I just love it!", exclaimed Aberson. We certainly live in a wonderful time to be English teachers.
While I my copy of English Teaching Professional two days ago, the January 2009 issue has been out for at least a week. The review appears on p.44 in Issue 60. Subscribers can access the full review at www.ETProfessional.com .
This positive book review might help explain the recent surge of class set orders. It also helps explain the sudden collection of emails and calls from Vietnam, Russia, Italy, and Canada in the last week about Compelling Conversations and possible collaborations. The appreciation of fellow ESL professionals gives me additional confidence, joy, and popularity. Sweet!
Today, the sun is shining and life is good.
Ask more. Know more. Share more. Create Compelling Conversations. Visit www.CompellingConversations.com
Experience trumps pieces of paper – but only in the classroom!
Let me explain. Many educational institutions, especially in some places, remain paper-driven. Let me give a sad example. I currently teach English at an elite private university and write articles for numerous publications, but I couldn't get a teaching position in a California public school teaching English because I lack the right MA.
Expertise and experience, for many educational institutions, remain of limited use. Former President Clinton could not teach government, history, or social studies in California public schools. Academy Award winning actors can not teach theater in the schools. World class musicians can't teach music. It's utterly absurd.
As a result of this obsession with paper credentials and undervaluing of experience, experts and experienced teachers work with more upper-income students and elite institutions. The considerable gap between public schools and private schools becomes even larger. The public school system continually turns away experienced, quality teachers because of their very narrow notions of what qualifies one to teach students. Sometimes creative, talented teachers decide to teach English abroad to practice their craft, see more of our fascinating world, and share their love of English.
It's also self defeating for public school systems. Students and parents are voting with their feet, and leaving the system. The charter school movement is a direct response to this bureaucratic paradigm. Flexibility and commonsense would encourage professions to teach in schools and make mid-career shifts. I personally know three professionals - a banker and two lawyers - that would also love to teach high school for a few years as a change. Yet rigid regulations and narrow definitions of what makes someone qualified to teach in a California public school classroom prohibit this possibility. Again, students, parents, and potential teachers lose. Who wins by this obsession with paper credentials?
"We learn to walk by stumbling", goes the Bulgarian proverb. Teachers, and students, learn by doing and making good mistakes. Larry M. Lynch, a prolific author, recently examined this problem in “Are Some Credentials Overrated?” on his BetterEFLteacher blog. He nailed the problem with reading 500 books to become a recognized expert instead of just throwing yourself in and gaining experience.
The best teachers are often autotelic (self-directed), and share their passion for learning and model love of knowledge. Adding a PhD after your name doesn't magically transform a student into a dynamic, quality English teacher. Nor does proving one’spatience with boring bureaucratic procedures and reciting the latest educational jargon.
As Ms.Lucy, another English teacher and coordinator, notes, "you either have it - or you don't."
Ask more. Know more. Share more. Create Compelling Conversations. Visit www.CompellingConversations.com
How rich are you on a strictly material level? Where do you stand from a global scale? For Americans and English teachers feeling rather blue about our declining home values, vanishing retirement accounts, and questionable job security, this chart provides some useful perspective.
http://www.globalrichlist.com/
Of course, commonsense and a growing body of psychological and sociological research has documented the very, very loose correlation between material wealth and happiness – once the basic necessities of life are met. Satisfying personal relationships, long conversations with relatives and friends, and meaningful work remain vital essential for a truly rich life.
Let’s make sure we find ways to create healthier, saner, and more satisfying lives and English classrooms in 2009 than 2008.
Ask more. Know more. Share more. Create Compelling Conversations. Visit www.CompellingConversations.com
A Way With Words: Another Resource for English Teachers and Word Mavens
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!
Forget forcing students to memorize boring vocabulary lists. Get your English students engaged in the story of English words, their origins, and multiple uses.
A Way with Words, another outstanding public radio show, is co-hosted by Martha Barnette and Grant Barrett (who writes an annual buzzwords of the year survey for the New York Times.) The hour long program examines the English language as the hosts answer listeners' questions about intriguing aspects of the English language, including grammar, vocabulary, idioms, slang, dialects, speaking, and writing. The friendly format also demonstrates excellent discussion skills. Web visitors can also listen to episodes online, down MP3s, and subscribe to podcasts for free.
While the show is better for English teachers and writers than most English language learners or adult ESL students, listeners will gain a greater appreciation for and knowledge of our strange, fascinating language.
Features: • Free downloads • Thematic episodes accompanied by a reading text • Discussion points • All past episodes are archived chronologically for easy browsing • Free subscriptions
Site URL: http://www.waywordradio.org/
Check it out!
Word mavens might also be interested in New York Times column on buzzwords: http://ideas.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/12/22/whats-your-buzzword-of-2008/#comment-2671 As you might suspect, I recommended "lifequake" as a buzzword for 2008 because so many lives suffered sudden changes, like in earthquakes.
Ask more. Know more. Share more. Create Compelling Conversations. Visit www.CompellingConversations.com
Let ESL students give consumer product reviews in the New Year!
Do you let your 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 better – in a consumer age. English language learners, around the world, share in this winter shopping spree. Product reviews allow them to talk about their gift selections and holiday gifts.
Many ESL students, especially young, hip, and wealthy teenagers and college students have also bought into - literally - the odd belief that "you are what you have". Therefore, these English language learners and experienced consumers often love to share their "insights" about consumer products. Product reviews speak to their lifestyles, passions, and curiosity.
As an ESL teacher, I use consumer product reviews to teach the difference between fact and opinion and identify critical thinking skills. The assignment lends itself to reviewing a few key concepts like “details matter” and “numbers add precision” while introducing hedging language. Of course, engaging student interests also leads to better classroom discussions and more use of authentic language.
You can also design a very simple presentation form so everyone can provide peer feedback. Result? The students receive written feedback on their product reviews from you (the teacher) and their classmates. Again, teenagers being teenagers, they love to read about themselves and the feedback. If possible, I also suggest videotaping the student reviews and posting them on a class website for both self and peer reviews.
Teaching high school students possess many challenges, beginning with capturing and holding their interest. Personally, I have found teaching slightly older undergraduate students far more satisfying - and far easier. But I have also had considerable success in short term IEP summer programs with that tough audience. Product reviews have always been a hit!
Here is both my short assignment sheet and a product review worksheet for ESL students. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- YOUR TURN: GIVING A PRODUCT REVIEW
You have probably bought thousands of items as a consumer. You have looked at and considered thousands more. You can’t buy everything; you have to pick and choose the products that fit you and your lifestyle. Choose a single product and prepare to give a brief product review.
Your product review should include: • a description of the product • the way the product is used • the cost of the product • a comparison with other, similar products • a recommendation to buy or not buy the product • a reason for your recommendation • a rating on a scale of 1-5 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- PRODUCT REVIEW WORKSHEET
What ESL textbooks do you recommend? What are some of your favorite books to help English language learners develop their skills?
Two email requests in 40 hours require a decent response. Here's a quick, concise list of some ESL titles that I've enjoyed. It's by no means comprehensive, and just a starting list heavily influenced by the books in my eyesight.
The Creative Classroom: Teaching Language Outside the Box, by Hall Houston, contains dozens of bite-sized exercises to spark authentic language and creative discourse, This slim book, published by Lynx, should especially appeal to ESL students with a background or interest in engineering, science, and the arts.
Academic ESL/intensive English programs Cambridge Vocabulary in Use series - An excellent supplemental text, especially for the more academically inclined. The self-contained two page format allows students, teachers, and tutors to pick and choose materials.
Cambridge Grammar in Use series - This series is the only grammar series that I've ever felt comfortable using in the classroom. Again, the accessible, clear format with self-contained lessons allows both self-study and effective use as a supplemental text.
English for Professionals series has become the gold standard for vocational students. The English for Health Sciences and English for Science and Engineering and English for Business all fill vital gaps. The rich collection of concise exercises, emphasizing and re-enforcing each other, make this a logical choice for workforce training programs.
Adult Education: Side by Side - This classic series, now in its 3rd edition, particularly appeals to English language learners with limited literacy in their own best language. Given the appalling educational policies in some nearby poor countries, this textbook series has become extraordinarily popular in California and Texas. Day by Day - Simple, clear communicative textbook for workplace instruction. Low intermediate- intermediate. Oxford Picture Dictionary and workbook - excellent for beginning and intermediate English language learners.
Writing
Writing Academic English, by Alice Oshima and Ann Hogue, provides practical techniques for students planning to attend community college or university. I think the latest version is the fourth. I've used it in several programs with considerable success.
In Focus: Strategies for Academic Writers by Myra Ann Shulman, however, is my current choice for intermediate ESL students. The clear, detailed exercises allow students to learn academic writing by actually writing short, focused pieces.
Finally, for advanced ESL students and international graduate students, I strongly recommend Academic Writing for Graduate Students, 2d ed.: Essential Tasks and Skills (Michigan Series in English for Academic & Professional Purposes) by John M. Swales and Christine A. Beer Feak. I teach two courses using this textbook at USC, and students make clear, significant progress by completing bite-sized writing exercises and analyzing short journal readings. The teacher's guide, called Commentary for, also deserves to be on your list.
Speaking Skills: Giving Academic Presentations, by Susan Reinhart, stands heads and shoulders above the other ESL textbooks for public presentations. Students learn how to give clear, systematic oral presentations including problem-solution and process descriptions.
Communicating in Business by Simon Sweeney -Yet another outstanding Cambridge title, this Business English textbook includes helpful materials on negotiating and socializing as well as presenting.
Last, but not least, I naturally recommend Compelling Conversations: Questions and Quotations on Timeless Topics, by Toni Aberson and Eric Roth, as a supplemental text for advanced ESL classes, conversation clubs, and tutors.
Other special interest ESL books of quality. Film is Content: A Study Guide for the Advanced ESL Classroom by Julia A. Williamson and Jill C. Vincent- This underappreciated University of Michigan textbook deserves a much wider audience. Although slightly dated, students learn critical thinking skills, academic vocabulary, and modern film.
Again, this list is just a starting list. What ESL books have your found effective in your teaching? Why?
Ask more. Know more. Share more. Create Compelling Conversations. Visit www.CompellingConversations.com
Allow me to brag for a moment. Another five-star review for Compelling Conversations: Questions and Quotations on Timeless Topics showed up on Amazon. Consider me pleased!
Here's the entire Amazon review:
5.0 out of 5 stars A wholesome learning resource!, December 4, 2008 By Erika Villafane "Erika" (Miami, Florida USA) - See all my reviews When compelling conversations got into my hands I couldn't help but to think: I wish I had this book when I was learning English!
As English as a second language speaker, I can really tell the difference that compelling conversations has with other ESL text books: topics richness that takes learning at a higher level.
Not only you will feel motivated to improve your language skills, but you will have a rich-provoking theme about life to discuss and share with your tutor or classmates. That in turn makes you grow personally and you certainly will remember the discussed matter here when need it to apply into a situation out of the classroom. You will appreciate American culture as well as other's point of view.
The book is very well structured into four sections totaling 45 chapters. Each one of them is organized into conversations starters followed by vocabulary, proverbs and the indispensable quotations. One that really caught my attention was the Arab proverb "he who has health has hope and he who has hope has everything"
I recommend it to anyone who wants to learn while enjoying the process.
Erika Villafane ------------------------------ This makes 14 positive Amazon reviews - all four and five stars - that various ESL teachers, writers, English language learners, and other fine folks have written. Not bad for a self-published book!
Three other bits of positive news about Compelling Conversations. A private language school in Chile made a large order, another community college in California adopted the conversation book as the course textbook, and Compelling Conversations has been added to an adult education center in Rwanda for advanced English class. Whether due to changes in the TOEFL test that require test-takers to actually speak, a strong word-of-mouth campaign, or just the belief that conversations should go beneath the surface, sales of Compelling Conversations have gone up. These successes may seem small, but they all make me smile!
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How would you choose an English language school? What if you lived in Korea, Spain, China, Brazil, Turkey, or Vietnam? What factors would influence your decision? How would you find out the school’s reputation? Who ranks ESL programs? What is their criteria?
Hundreds of thousands of students travel thousands of miles each semester to attend ESL schools. These intensive English language programs, often affiliated at universities, provide an opportunity to study English, live abroad, and prepare for the all-important TOEFL test. Given the importance of English to the business, scientific, and political events, the ability to read, write, and speak English often seems mandatory to ambitious 21st century students.
Yet, like any consumer product, the quality of the schools widely varies. How would a student make a rational choice?
This question emerged as I spoke with several dozen international students this week about their resumes, educational backgrounds, and training in English. While this elite group of mostly graduate students had succeeded in the academic game, several shared stories of unpleasant experiences at language schools. Sometimes students found a huge gap between their expectations and their actual American classroom experiences.
The apparent randomness of significant decisions often surprises me. Normally, I consult friends and established rankings as part of a decision making process. Yet a single thin piece of information, or casual conversation, can easily alter plans. Still I remember systematically searching through numerous guidebooks while selecting my college.
Where can students looking for a quality English language programs abroad find this sort of information? Does TESOL have some list of approved or sanctioned schools? Does somebody else – perhaps even local governments – track the effectiveness of schools? Further, what is their criteria? Where can individuals – students, teachers, parents – get that simple, yet vital bit of information? Is any of this information available in English, instead of the first language?
I would suspect, especially for international students of considerable income, that there would have to be somebody who attempts to grade, evaluate, and rank ESL schools. If I was going to travel to the United States, Australia, or the United Kingdom, I would certainly want to know the quality of the program and teachers. Even I was just going to a local English school or attending a public adult education center, I would still check on the school's reputation. Of course, recruiters provide some information too – often with a twist. Given the potential investment in money and time, I assume that guides must exist – and probably not in English.
The best English language source that I have found, so far, is a site called http://www.eslreview.org/ . It rates schools on a scale of 1-5 on teaching, location, housing services, price-quality relationship, and overall satisfaction. You can find basic information and read student reviews. You can also browse through the course catalog and contact the schools. This website review is a starting point, but not much more. The listings look like they could easily be gamed. They also don’t list school accreditations, average TOEFL scores, or hire staff to inspect the schools. Further, the list doesn’t include some prominent IEP schools in California. So it’s a valuable starting point to compare ESL schools, but it is hardly a Petersen’s Guide to IEP programs.
Does anybody know a better resource in English?
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These simple words cause lots of confusion for English language learners. I’ve spent time helping a very wide range of ESL classes – from advanced adult education and community college students to intermediate English students in summer courses and regular university courses – struggle with idioms with “make” and “do.”
Here is a quick, imprecise guide that helps clarify the issue.
Look at some common expressions with “do”. • Do the dishes. • Do some chores. • Do your work. • Do exercises. • Do your best. • Do it over. • Do the report.
Do is used to describe an activity that you have to do, often over and over again. For instance, we “do the dishes” and “do the laundry” many times. Do also contains an element of duty and responsibility.
Now, take a look at some expressions with “make”. • Please make time. • You make dinner. • You make drawings. • You make decisions. • You make plans. • Your make reservations. • You make money. • You make friends.
Make is used to describe a creative activity or something you choose to do. You choose, for instance, to make plans, make friends, and make decisions. You have choices.
Why do we say “make dinner” if we have to do it over and over? Perhaps because cooking is seen more as a creative activity than a chore. But cleaning the table, and cleaning the dishes are just chores so we say “do the table” and “do the dishes.” That’s also why Americans say “make money” instead of “do money.” Making money is seen as both creative and a choice. Idioms are cultural. Sometimes Americans will use the verb “make” in a way that might seem strange, but “make a decision” to “do your best” and learn practical workplace expressions.
Finally, I encourage students to work together in small groups and create their own list of idioms with make and do. When I’m lucky and have time, I like to ask students to come to the white board and write their collection of idioms on the board. Homework, of course, is asking them to choose 5-10 idioms and write complete sentences.
So how do you teach the difference between do and make to your English students?
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As the price of rice, corn, and other basic food staples increased daily and food riots return to the headlines, we might want to reflect on ways to help the world’s poorest poor. One way that English teachers, dedicated students, and idealists can make a small contribution is by visiting www.FreeRice.com .
This outstanding educational site asks a wide range of vocabulary questions that often appear on standardized exams. Are you studying for the TOEFL, TOEIC, SAT, LSAT, or GRE? Are you trying to expand your English language vocabulary? Do you know relatives, friends, or co-workers in poor countries? Are you an English student, an ESL teacher, a language school administrator, or a global citizen? FreeRice provides practical assistance to adult education students, ESL teachers, immigrants, test takers, and refugees. FreeRice is a powerful vocabulary resource with 50 levels of vocabulary questions, and its addictive too!
Whether you are a word lover or a world lover, this site should appeal to you. For each correct answer, the site sponsors donate 20 grains of rice to the United Nations Food Program. Check Free Rice out, test your vocabulary skills, and make a small – yet significant – contribution today. Thanks!
“The satiated man and the hungry man do not see the same thing when they look upon a loaf of bread.”
Rumi (1207-1273), Persian poet
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Wiktionary, an offshoot of the wonderful Wikipedia, offers this answer . Looks, sounds, and feels right to me.
Do I recommend memorizing this list? No. Language is to be used, discovered, and enjoyed. Memorizing long lists of vocabulary words in English, while sometimes effective for standardized tests, seldom helps create compelling conversations.
Vocabulary lists, however, can provide a sense of satisfaction and order.
Should you care? Do you have to care? Sometimes lists like this can also help us review and trigger new connections. You probably want to know these words if you are planning to study in English at a university, college, or community college - but I wouldn't stress. Learning English takes time, and you will find the words that you need when you need them.
Yet exploring a personal interest in English will help you generate a more personal, authentic, and meaningful vocabulary in English. So what interests you today? What do you want to learn more about? Where can you find two quality articles on that topic? Why not create your own vocabulary list to match you and your interests? After all, shouldn't your vocabulary journal reflect you?
"Words are, of course, the most powerful drug used by mankind." Rudyard Kipling (1865-1936), British author and Nobel Prize winner in Literature
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Student conferences, especially with shy students worried about their grade or academic performance, can often be a bit awkward for both the professor and student. ESL students, sometimes insecure about their pronunciation or vocabulary, can feel particularly anxious. ESL teachers have to find ways to reduce student anxiety, provide a safe place for students to speak, provide feedback on student work, and uphold standards.
In general, I love student conferences because you get a chance to really work with a student on their writings and assignments. I often feel that I learn as much as I teach in these 20-30 minute conferences.
Sometimes, however, I have awkward conferences. If the student has plagiarized, then this can’t be avoided. Those moments, which I dread, can not be avoided. So it goes.
Yet sometimes, as occurred last semester, an ESL student is so shy, so timid, and so unsure that they speak so softly that I can’t even hear. Sometimes I lean forward and ask them to please speak a bit louder. If a student continues in the same low volume, I might apologize for my poor hearing and again request they speak up. What does one do on the third request?
“Please speak a bit louder so I can hear you.”
Was this too direct? I wanted to say, “If I can’t hear you, you will be misunderstood. I want to understand you. Speak up!!”
Patience, this time, paid off. The student raised her voice to an audible level, and replied, “okay.”
“Good to hear you,” I replied. We proceeded to have a productive end of semester conference.
Bottomline: students must speak up in conversations, conferences, and class discussions. Volume matters.
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A good society helps its citizens flourish and visitors feel welcome.
A good society also invests in education, including teaching immigrants enough English that they can use their considerable intelligence, creativity, and skills in the workplace.
Unfortunately, low standards in public education have eroded support for government sponsored education programs. Worse, the few underfunded English as a Second Language programs usually provide the most basic English skills. Students learn to listen and read at about 4th grade level, and speak like a child with a very limited vocabulary.
From my perspective as an English instructor and former adult ESL teacher, the current adult ESL standards too often only teach immigrants passive skills like listening and some minimum reading. English language programs, whether designed for vocational skills or general language, must include speaking and writing. If people can’t hold a conversation in English, their job prospects remain rather limited!
A frontpage article in today’s Los Angeles Times points out the obvious problem. America, or at least Los Angeles and California, have become dangerously dependent on foreign trained labor for many professions from nursing to engineering. Lack of Skilled Workers Will Lead to a Fiscal Crisis noted the headline that spoke for itself. The acute shortage has lead, as so often, to a lower of standards and more workplace problems.
When will the employers and voters decide to invest in real, serious, quality English languages for immigrants? And why are immigrants trained in English programs abroad so much stronger, better, and more effective than the adult ESL programs here? After all, immigrants have many more opportunities to speak English and learn outside of the classroom than students in Korea, Taiwan, Mexico, Argentina, or France.
Again, the case for dramatically expanding and raising the standards of our English as a Second Language programs seems clear.
Unfortunately, reason and government policy do not always co-exist in the United States! What about in your country?
Immigrants remain the future . Smart countries invest in their people, including new immigrants seeking to improve their language skills. Enlightened leadership in California, and the entire United States, would invest in teaching English to immigrants .
Yet the gap between "ought" and "is" remains very wide in Bush's America and in California's public schools.
The dollar continues to decline in value. The national budget, seldom balanced, has zoomed deep into mega-debt during the Bush II era with two expensive wars, a deepening recession, and record tax cuts for the wealthy. The California state budget runs at least a $14 billion dollar deficit. Cutbacks in public education, therefore, seem inevitable.
In California, the governor has pushed for a 10% across the board cut in government programs. Adult education, almost always a step-child to K-12 programs, has been hit exceptionally hard as school boards try to minimize the impact. Of course, many adult education students do not vote so elected officials find cuts easier to make. The growing anti-illegal immigrant sentiment has also helped made ESL programs a natural target for budget cutting. The acute need for far more effective, modern, and well-funded programs to restore some standards to public education gets overlooked - again.
These abstract concerns about cutbacks took a very visible shape at the statewide California Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages convention last week. Total attendance was officially down by more than 25% since school districts had few available funds to send administrators, let alone teachers, to the conference. Yet I suspect the real numbers are far, far more dramatic than the reduction from 1600 t0 1200 attendees. Here are some signs of pervasive cutbacks:
only a single school district recruited teachers
the exhibition hall seemed like a ghost town
publishers and vendors were eager to talk about the freezing of public education spending in many districts
vendors expressed hope that teachers would buy even more supplies from their personal pockets
many workshops collected rather sparse crowds
the few job board postings were for summertime Intensive English Programs that attract private, international students
the mood, despite many fantastic new educational resources and software programs, seemed very downbeat
Perhaps it's unfair to juxtapose a very hectic, chaotic international teachers' convention in New York City with a far smaller state teachers' convention in Sacramento. Yet this year the two ESL teachers' conventions occurred on consecutive weekends. The contrast could not be clearer.
Teaching English, on a global level, continues to dramatically improve and expand. The development of new software for English language learners, better teaching techniques that respect students and encourage authentic communication, and the increase in international educational point to a better tomorrow. Meanwhile, the news from California's public education system, always troubled, seems to worsen almost daily - especially for immigrant students and ESL teachers. The draconian cutbacks will, again, disproportionately fall on English language programs. Instead of helping immigrants join the national family and learn English, lawmakers will maintain low taxes on the wealthy and eliminate vital educational programs for low-income children and adults. Perhaps improved educational technology and the exceptional efforts of ESL teachers will preserve the under-financed system, but the trends seem to be running in the wrong direction.
Teaching at an elite private university in Los Angeles, I could pretend these cutbacks don't matter to me. Yet that's a dangerous illusion. The collapse of public education, especially for immigrants, will have both immediate and long-term consequences. The expanding gap between the wealthy who can afford a truly wonderful 21st century education and the expanding number of under-educated, over-stressed poor indicates a worsening future for too many Californians. As a stoic philosopher Epictetus noted so long ago, "only the educated are free."
As an American, a Californian, and an English teacher, I don't like the trendlines and headlines for American public education. Do you?
Time flies. Or, as the Romans used to say, "tempus fugit."
Five days after the TESOl convention in New York City ended, I'm finally having a chance to sort through the numerous books, doublecheck website leads, and evaluate materials that I picked up. Sometimes "the eyes are too hungry", and I went a bit overboard in collecting ESL materials and resources for advanced English language learners. Of course, English teachers love books, new curriculum materials, and free ESL materials. I also have the excuse of working as a consultant for a workplace ESL program so I went hunting for some particular products for healthcare workers.
Here is a short list of promising materials:
VSOE ideas from TESOL convention
American Speech Sounds program for Healthcare workers. Also www.eslrules.com has powerful training materials for focused workshops for non-native English speakers working in hospital, clinics, and across the medical field.
-software and textbook designed for foreign doctors and nurses
-great reviews from professional journals (medical, language)
Effective Practices in Workplace Language Training (TESOL)
Getting Ahead in the US (Living Language) – videotape/textbook series
New Citizenship DVD for future naturalization tests. This free DVD, perfect for adult educators, confirms that the new citizenship test will only require a "high beginning" level of ESL to qualify for American citizenship. Personally, I consider this an absurdly low standard that implies new American citizens can speak worse English than at least a half a billion English speakers outside of the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia. Of course, low standards have many fans in the world of adult education and with many immigrant groups. More on this topic later.
I had several fascinating conversations about various English competency tests and their possible use in the workplace. The TOEIC test, on its merits, seems the strongest by far. Unfortunately, this test - used by millions in the workplace worldwide - has become almost forbidden due to lawsuits claiming discrimination in the United States. What does this mean? Millions of applicants and employees in Japan, Korea, Taiwan, France, Germany, and other non-English speaking countries have taken this test of English skills. Why? Because English has become a global language and competency in English has become an essential workplace skill.
But not in the United States! So-called labor and civil rights activists have promoted the concept that requiring English proficiency, as tested by the TOEIC, is discrimination unless the ad explicitly states "English skills required." This strange situation means that American workers can, and so often do , speak at a lower level than educated workers in Asia and Europe. What's wrong with this picture!!!
Software programs continue to become stronger day by day, minute by minute. English language learners, international ESL students, and adult ESL educators have more choices than ever. I will spend a solid chunk of time researching these language programs during my summer break. So far, however, it's clear that www.openbookenglish.com and www.spokenskills.com offer great values for administrators, teachers, and students. ESL teachers will also find www.lessonwriter.com a wonderful, innovative, and time-saving site.
More later, but I must return to a large pile of research reports that need grading!
Ask more. Know more. Share more. Create Compelling Conversations. Visit www.CompellingConversations.com
How do you choose which of the many tempting ESL workshops at an international convention of ESL teachers and researchers?
Naturally, I chat with friends and co-workers picking up a few leads. I also exchanged emails. Finally, I consult and explore the internet.
First stop is the outstanding Center for Applied Linguistics website, featuring many resources for ESL teachers, program administrators, and university researchers.Their goal, which I share, is to bridge the huge gap between academic theory and classroom practice, finding effective ways to help adult English language learner gain fluency in our confusing tongue. Adult educators will find a plethora of valuable materials here.YetESL teachers working with children will also discover practical information such as an introduction toStudent Oral Proficiency Assessment .
“World of TESOL, Worlds of Refugees”, “Strategies for Serving High Advanced Adult ESL Students”, and “Building Academic Language Through Scaffolded Instructional Conversations”, and “Analyzing Oral Proficiency to Guide Instruction” sound like sensible, smart choices. “Applying Teacher Input to Improve Assessment” also sounds like an excellent idea. Two other workshops that caught my eye, “Interested in Working as as ESOL Consultant” and “Connecting Culture and Language in ELL Instruction”, but I’m not going to any workshops that start at 7:30 AM or 7:30 PM while visiting New York City.
English teachers, teacher trainers, program administrators should consider bookmarking the site to stay current on research to help ESL, ELL, or EFL students.
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