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Confused by the long litany of acronyms in our fast-growing field? You’re not alone. English teachers, linguists, and school administrators must navigate an Amazon River of changing acronyms and cold, clinical terms to describe common classroom situations. Our field is called...

Further, several speakers - including keynote ESL guru Randall Davis – emphasized the need for appropriate technology and “less is more” when designing classroom lessons. As ever, we discussed ways that technology could help English classrooms become more student-centered and...

What has pleasantly surprised you today? English teachers can use this question as a writing cue, during student-teacher conferences, or with co-workers. Students, especially at more competitive schools, can often feel great stress. Asking students about what is going right in...

Yet ESL teachers can also help advanced ESL/EFL students conduct research for possible jobs with information interviews. A common practice in the United States, informational interviews allow job seekers to meet working professionals in their field, collect detailed information...

Teachers, especially English teachers, love to talk about their summer reading. Reading remains a cheap pleasure and an excellent conversation starter. Can you recommend a good book? What did you this summer? What are reading these days - besides student papers?

Asking follow up question can provide clarity and allow our conversation partners to elaborate on details. Use these simple phrases to go beyond hello and create better conversations. And? So? Where? When? How? Why? Meaning? Smiling and nodding your head also indicate...

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...

What is your American Dream? This remains one of my favorite questions to ask new immigrants and American citizens. I asked that question, followed by, “why” in a regular column for Easy English Times this month. I gave the last words to Toni Morrison, the Nobel-Prize...

Check out this New York Times’ Interactive Map of English Language Learners across the United States that documents their growth since 1996 – and the side chart on the continuing achievement gap. Personally, I was surprised by the depth and width of new immigrants across the...

Sometimes the simplest questions create the best conversations. What does success mean? What definition are you using? How is that definition working for you?