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

The main focus of language programs, especially in high schools, should be helping students develop authentic language skills so they can actually read, write, listen, and speak English - both inside and outside the classrooms and away from multiple choice exams.

I slightly edit the reviews, watch the videos and add my own comments in blue ink, and combine the reviews into a single document that is emailed to all class members. "Use or lose" I say, but here are the reviews from your classmates. Result: almost every student watches every...

* 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...

Good schools cultivate student curiosity, and English lessons should allow students to display their experiences and perceptions. Further, students who have been forced to take years of English class should be able to speak English - and I literally mean speak English....

The "This I Believe" website includes a tremendous amount of free resources for teachers and students. Naturally, I also have a simple reproducible worksheet that allows students to find, summarize, and share their own favorite podcasts....

EFL teachers continue to bring communicative techniques and direct learning methods to more and more Vietnamese students. Yet another exceptional educator working in Vietnam has also warned me that preparing for standardized testing and drill-and-kill grammar exercises remain the...

Many English teachers, especially novice ESL instructors, talk more than ideal - and allow their English students to talk too little. Ironically, many ESL instructors make this "good mistake" because they are so dedicated. What, after all, are they supposed to do while students...

"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...

Talking about money remains problematic, but this conversation topic is more for self-reflection than classroom application. But please bear with me. How rich are you? How much money would satisfy you? Americans, and many other people in consumer societies, sometimes seem to be...