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Sometimes we confuse talking about English with talking in English. As English teachers, we need to gently encourage our students to talk as much as possible in English, and only sometimes in English. And as world citizens, we should learn as much about the country and host...

Converse with a teacher, student or stranger about books “No two persons ever read the same book.” -Edmund Wilson (1895-1972) American writerBooks and literature still matter in our 21st century global culture of blogs, especially for starting conversations. In the...

As ESL and EFL teachers, we should encourage all English language learners! “A good teacher can inspire hope, ignite the imagination, and instill a love of learning.” -Brad Henry (1963- ), former Governor of Oklahoma Our students have chosen to speak English because...

Why I chose not to censor Compelling Conversations to increase accessibility “Only the educated are free.” Epictetus (55-135), Greek philosopher Many English teachers have asked if I plan a “culturally sensitive” version so Compelling Conversations can be used in more...

English emerges as a lingua franca “[English] is the powerful language of resistance—it is the dialect of common sense.” -Walt Whitman (1819-1892) American poet English has rapidly become the international language for business, as a lingua franca. “That is to say, it...

Importance of authentic vocabulary reflecting interests “Words are, of course, the most powerful drug used by mankind.”  -Rudyard Kipling (1865-1936), British author What are the 1000 most common words in English? Wiktionary, an offshoot of the wonderful Wikipedia, offers this...

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...

Adverse effects of public education budget cuts “Only the educated are free.” -Epictetus (55-135), Stoic Philosopher 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...

Pleasant surprises at TESOL Convention “Expect the unexpected.”  -ProverbI kept an open schedule, previewed some workshop titles, and conducted more research than usual before going to the Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages convention in New York. I expected...

CAL offers workshop suggestions “The Center for Applied Linguistics is a private, nonprofit organization promoting access, equity and mutual understanding for linguistically and culturally diverse people around the world.” -Center for Applied Linguistics homepage How...