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“How can rural Chinese students develop their listening and speaking skills with very limited opportunities to speak with actual native speakers in person?” This question remains the billion person question! English language learners across Asia – in China, Thailand,...

“The beginning of wisdom is in the definition of terms.” Socrates (469 BCE–399 BCE) , Greek philosopher Getting students to speak can be a challenge, especially in ESL courses focused on academic writing. Flexibility remains essential. How does one, for instance,...

McCrum, who wrote the influential book "The Story of English", argues that English has become Globish because it is the world’s international language....

Where can immigrants go to practice their English speaking skills in a relaxed, non-judgmental atmosphere? How can American libraries introduce their wonderful resources to new users and provide a vital need? Where can volunteers, librarians, and both novice and experienced...

What motivates ESL teachers to become authors? Why do many of these authors self-publish? What’s their likelihood of success? Naturally, I’m quite interested in these questions – and hope other English as a Second Language (ESL) teachers will share my interests. The...

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...

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...

Consider me psyched. I’m going to a huge conference of ELT, EFL, and ESL professionals today in Vietnam’s White Palace. The 4th-annual VUS-TESOL conference program is full, and I expect to hear many more teaching tips for working with Vietnamese students who want to...

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...