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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...

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...

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...

Teaching English and Engaging the World “When you arise in the morning, think of what a precious privilege it is to be alive – to breathe, to think, to enjoy, to love.” -Marcus Aurelius (121-180 AD), Roman Emperor How can we encourage our students to speak to...