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11
JAN
2016
Happy students waving international flags

Teaching Matters: What Are Reasonable Standards for Listening Comprehension and Speaking Skills for ESL Students?

“Our progress as a nation can be no swifter than our progress in education.” ~John F. Kennedy (1917-1963), 35th President of the U.S.   Tough question! Context, as ever, matters. Are you going into a new semester of class looking for a clear, detailed chart to...
15
AUG
2013

What Three Tips Would You Share with Novice ESL / EFL Teachers?

What three tips would offer new a ESL/EFL teacher? Hall Houston, author of Provoking Thought: Memory and Thought in ELT, posed this question to several prominent English language trainers and teachers last year. Sean Banville, Russell Stannard, Chia Suan Chong, Nik Peachey, Scott...
21
AUG
2009

What is Your American Dream?

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...
02
APR
2009

Vietnam Embraces English Classes – and Looks for Communicative English Teachers

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....
24
MAR
2009

Practice Might not Make Perfect, but it Does Help ESL Students in Job Interviews

More Practical Job Interview Tips for ESL Students, Teachers from Q Blog During these difficult economic times, English teachers should take every possible opportunity to focus on job interview skills. As blog readers know, I’m a big fan of both videotaping practice...
23
JAN
2009

Looking for An ESL Book to Improve Speaking Skills? SMDP Recommends Compelling Conversations!

Have you been looking for a good ESL manual? If you have, I think this is one to consider. The topics cover: Your Life, The Civic Life, along with the everyday aspects as dating, enjoying money, handling stress.
26
DEC
2008

What Are Reasonable Standards for Listening Comprehension and Speaking Skills for ESL Students?

Tough question! Context, as ever, matters. Looking for a clear, detailed chart to evaluate the speaking skills of your students? Check out the practical chart with ten categories for listening comprehension and speaking skills developed by the United States Office of Refugee...
09
DEC
2008

Another Five Star Amazon Review!

Allow me to brag for a moment. Another five-star review for Compelling Conversations – Vietnam: Speaking Exercises for Vietnamese Learners of Englishand Quotations on Timeless Topics showed up on Amazon. Consider me pleased! Here’s the entire Amazon review: 5.0 out of...
27
OCT
2008

How democratic is your ESL classroom?

Who gets to speak in class? Whose ideas count? Who chooses the assignments? How do students receive feedback? Do students have a chance to conference with their instructors? Can YouTube be a valuable source for homework assignment? Do you want your students to become...
03
AUG
2008

Why Teach About Solzhenitsyn in English Classrooms?

“Own only what you can always carry with you; know languages, know countries, know people. Let your memory be your travel bag.” Alexander Solzhenitsyn (1918-2008), Russian writer and Nobel Prize winner Alexander Solzhenitsyn, an exceptional writer of rare courage, died...