ESL Lesson Plan

Third Country Kids - Where is Home?

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 00:09:22 -0500

Ever stay in a foreign country so long you lose track of which country is really home? We all have a "passport country" but that doesn't mean that it will ever be home. Who are we when...

Poetry in Translation

Sat, 27 Jun 2009 08:28:37 -0500

There is far more to learning a language than just memorizing vocabulary words and grammar. Poetry is a valuable and memorable entry point into the nuances and possibilities of language. In fact W.S. Merwin, recent Pulitzer Prize winning poet, makes the observation that poetry leads us...

More Great Music from Around the World.

Sun, 21 Jun 2009 22:48:38 -0500

I recently reviewed some of the music collected and produced by Putumayo. They have compiled some great regionally themed music by a variety of artists. There is another music company you should be aware of...

What's Your Ideal International Job?

Tue, 16 Jun 2009 23:18:29 -0500

Is there a particular place you'd like to live? Is there some specific attribute that you'd like to experience - or share....

China as the largest English speaking nation?

Fri, 12 Jun 2009 00:11:10 -0500

Sometimes it seems that the whole world is learning English. Is there an "English Mania"? Should there be?

Jay Walker thinks so. In his TED talk he....

You Put Your Foot Where?

Sun, 07 Jun 2009 16:39:42 -0500

When traveling to a different country, it’s important to know and follow the local cultural rules. But, what are they? Here are some crucial cultural tips if you want to be seen as one of them instead of as a continual foreigner...

Is There life After Google?

Tue, 02 Jun 2009 23:15:56 -0500

Goggle has become so common that it has become a verb - it has become a truism to say that we can "google it". But there are search engines that do more...

“The Symbolic Power of English" Medellin, Colombia

Fri, 29 May 2009 18:31:35 -0500

Teachers and people involved in EFL teaching and learning in Colombia are invited to the 44th annual ASOCOPI conference. “The Symbolic Power of English: Implications for Colombian Educational Settings” will be the main, but not...

Tell me a Story

Mon, 25 May 2009 00:10:02 -0500

Everybody like to hear stories - and when learning a language, there is nothing better than HEARING a story to learn how native speakers not only speak....

Ixtapa - "Fostering Cultural Awareness and Learning Competencies in EFL & ESL"

Tue, 19 May 2009 23:49:08 -0500

Anyone up for a trip to Mexico the fall? How does this sound?

"Fostering Cultural Awareness and Learning Competencies in EFL & ESL" October 1-4, 2009

If you'd like to do a presentation, send your information here - http://anupi.org.mx/Ingles/CongCallform.php. The deadline is May 30th so you better hurry.

You can see the speakers and topics of previous conferences...

"The Blues are the Roots; Everything else is the Fruits. Willie Dixon

Fri, 15 May 2009 23:44:54 -0500

As part of my series on music - and how it represents cultures - I'd like to let you know about a book I just stumbled into at my local library. With a focus on the indigenous music of North America...

Preparing Language Teachers for the 21st Century

Sun, 10 May 2009 21:28:59 -0500

"Designed for practitioners and researchers involved in the preparation and ongoing professional development of language teachers, LTE 2009 will address the education of teachers of all languages, at all instructional and institutional levels, and in many national and international contexts in which this takes place including: English as a Second or Foreign Language (ESL/EFL) instruction; foreign/modern/world language teaching; bilingual education; immersion education; indigenous and minority language education; and...

Tangled up in Blue - the Words of Bob Dylan

Tue, 05 May 2009 23:43:42 -0500

You might not usually think of Bob Dylan and ESL in the same sentence, but sometimes a master of language can teach us - or reach us - in unexpected ways. Dylan will almost certainly be nominated for a Nobel Prize in literature some time soon. If he is, he will certainly stretch the definition.....

Extra-Curricular Learning

Fri, 01 May 2009 22:26:16 -0500

“An Englishman is a person who does things because they have been done before. An American is a person who does things because they haven't been done before." Mark Twain

Did you ever consider the aspects of your culture that define it? These are usually almost impossible to see from inside one’s culture but are glaringly obvious to….

Music From Around the World

Sun, 26 Apr 2009 22:30:22 -0500

"Take a fun-filled musical tour of Europe without packing a suitcase!" That's the slogan of a new series of music collections for kids produced by Putumayo. If you want to introduce kids to the lively music of a variety of cultures and ethnic flavors, check out....