We Just Want a High TOEFL Score! Students often need solid TOEFL scores to study abroad, including the United States, Canada, Australia, and the United Kingdom. Naturally, this need - and ambition - often makes reaching a certain number on the TOEFL exam as the goal of their English studies. Unfortunately, sometimes these imperfect standardized exams - all attempts to measure language ability of English language learners - become a goal in and of itself. Consequently,  some students and stres... Read Full Story

Today is a good day. For the first time ever, an English teacher used Compelling Conversations for English Language Learners in Vietnam in an EFL/ESL classroom. Emily, a close friend and fine teacher, used the modified “going beyond hello” chapter with advanced English students with considerable success. Consider me pleased. Second, I had a chance to actually [...] Read Full Story

What do you look for in an apartment? How do you turn a physical space into a home? Everybody lives somewhere. Yet, as we know, not all homes are created equal - especially in the developing world with vast inequalities. Since I don’t speak the local language in Ho Chi Minh City, I have become far more reliant on fellow English teachers, co-workers, new friends, and real estate experts than usual in finding housing. Ask more. Know more. Share more. Speak more. So following my philos... Read Full Story

Do you use You Tube in Your EFL classes? How? Absolutely! Like so many other English teachers, I begin teaching with student interests and habits in mind. Of course, I also want to take them from the old and familiar to new and unfamiliar while improving their English language skills. You Tube remains a powerful classroom tool to achieve that goal. I’ve used YouTube to have students research job interview tips, stress patterns, pronunciation problems, and informational interviews. ... Read Full Story

How do you revise a conversation textbook designed for American immigrants and international students in the United States for high school English language learners in Vietnam? Carefully! Naturally, the new version of “Compelling Conversations: Questions and Quotations on Timeless Topics” will emphasize aspects of Vietnamese culture, avoid taboo subjects, and include local folk sayings and proverbs. The chapter called, “Driving Cars” becomes “Riding Motorbikes.” Other chapters g... Read Full Story

During the last hectic week of international travel and professional development presentations, I’ve been heard a few simple questions over and over. Are you ready? Are you prepared? Aren’t you nervous? Do you have enough time to do that? When are you going to sleep? Friends - and close relatives - ask these questions out of concern and curiosity.  I appreciate their questions and enjoy our discussions.  My confidence can lead me to underestimate the difficulty of  projects, tas... Read Full Story

Time flies. Or, as the Romans used to say, “tempus fugit.” Two weeks after the CATESOL 2009 convention in Pasadena 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 ... Read Full Story

Do English as a Second, third, or fourth language  teachers want a more democratic classroom? Are more English teachers embracing the democratic potential of new techologies to empower English students to hunt and gather information on their own? Perhaps the CATESOL workshop description discouraged English teachers, the title seemed too bold, or the other two dozen workshops held at the same time appeared more practical. Techniques and Methods for a More Democratic Classroom A more demo... Read Full Story

Do ESL teachers want a more democratic classroom? Perhaps the workshop description discouraged English teachers, the title seemed too bold, or the other two dozen workshops held at the same time appeared more practical. Techniques and Methods for a More Democratic Classroom A more democratic classroom encourages student speech, features student created content, allows student choice of assignments, reflects student interests, and includes peer evaluations. Democratic classrooms create autote... Read Full Story

Time flies - especially when focusing on taxes, grading papers, and browsing the internet! Somehow, the calendar reads April 15. Everybody knows that this is America’s tax day. Yet California English teachers might also remember that April 16 marks the opening of our annual CATESOL conference too. For better or for worse, that also means I have less than 60 hours before presenting my workshop for ESL teachers too. Time to review the worksheet materials and update my presentation to in... Read Full Story