3rd International Visible Conference on New Trends in Education will take place on 14th of April, 2012 at Ishik University in Erbil, Iraq.

With this conference this year they’d like to build up on the successes of the 1st International Visible Conference on Personal Approaches to English Language Teaching on 17th of April, 2010 accessible here at elt.ishik.ac and of the 2nd International Visible Conference on Educational Management on 16th and 17th of April, 2011 accessible here at emcf.ishik.ac.

As the conference topic relates to education in general we’d like to invite abstracts that relate to the new trends and innovations in education in general with the major focus on the following topics:

* Language acquisition and learning, Language education
* Intercultural Education, Applied linguistics
* Language teacher education
* TESOL / TESL / TEFL
* Language curriculum development
* Language teaching methodology
* Language testing and assessment
* Language program evaluation
* English for specific purposes
* Independent / Autonomous Learning
* Innovation in language teaching and learning
* Arts Education
* College and Higher Education
* Curriculum and Instruction
* Democracy Education
* Developmental Psychology
* Distance Education
* Educational Planning
* Educational Technology
* Environmental Education
* Foundations of Education
* Geography Education
* Guidance and Counseling
* Health Education
* History Education
* Human Resources in Education
* Human Rights Education
* Innovation and Changing in Education
* Instructional Design
* Learner Needs in 21st Century
* Learning Psychology
* Life Long Learning
* Mathematics Education
* Measurement and Evaluation in Education
* Mobile Learning, Multi-cultural Education
* Music Education, New Learning Environments
* Nursery Education, Pre-school Education
* Primary School Education
* Professional Development
* Science Education
* Secondary School Education
* Social Sciences Teaching
* Special Education
* Sports and Physical Education
* Teacher Training
* Technology-Based Learning
* The Role of Education in the Globalization World
* Vocational Education
* Other New Trends in Education Related Topics.

The 5th International Conference of English as a Lingua Franca is being hosted by Boğaziçi University, Faculty of Education, Department of Foreign Language Education, Istanbul, Turkey from May 24 to 26, 2012.

The conference theme is: ‘PEDAGOGICAL IMPLICATIONS OF ELF IN THE EXPANDING CIRCLE’.

However, the conference is open to all other ELF related topics such as:
› ELF and Language Policy
› ELF and Language Education
› Collecting ELF Corpora and Describing ELF
› The Sociolinguistics of ELF
› Contact Languages and ELF
› ELF and Multilingualism

Plenary speakers:
› Cem Alptekin, Boğaziçi University, Turkey
› Martin Dewey, King’s College London, UK
› Enric Llurda, University of Lleida, Spain
› Tim McNamara, The University of Melbourne, Australia

Plenary panelists:
› Jennifer Jenkins, University of Southampton, UK
› Anna Mauranen, University of Helsinki, Finland
› Barbara Seidlhofer, University of Vienna, Austria
› Henry Widdowson, University of Vienna, Austria

Special symposia organizers:
› Robert Baird, University of Southampton, UK
› Kingsley Bolton and David Graddol, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
› Ahmar Mahboob, The University of Sydney, Australia
› Nicos Sifakis, Hellenic Open University, Greece and Andrew Blair, University of Sussex, UK
› François Tochon, University of Wisconsin, Madison, USA

Website: www.elf5.org

Please click on the links on the left for more information regarding the Call for Papers, Registration, Accommodation, Plenary Speakers, and so on.

William Gordon Stables wrote in excess of 130 books.

While the majority of this large output was boys’ adventure fiction, often with a nautical or historical setting, he also wrote books on health, fitness – of which this text is a prime example – and medical subjects, as well as the keeping of cats and dogs.

Stables’ classic text is presented here in its original form as part of TUP’s history series.

Small is the book, in size little more than a pamphlet; yet mayhap it contains hints that will not be thrown away on any reader, and may be invaluable to many who wish to secure health, long life and happiness.

ISBN-10: 114434977X
ISBN-13: 978-1144349774

Download your free copy of this classic text Turkish and Other Baths here.

Dogus University 1st Annual ELT Conference aims to bring together the ELT community to identify the wide variety of challenges in foreign language education in an EFL context and provide an environment for reflection and ultimately encourage participants to turn their own challenges into opportunities.

The conference is selecting a British Council Roving Reporter for the Conference through a writing challenge. The winner from outside Istanbul will have their flights, hotel accommodation and subsistence paid for by the British Council.

The Roving Reporter will report on the major debates, news and ‘coffee bar gossip’ at ‘Dogus University ELT Conference’ as it happens. They will use a laptop to produce quick-fire reports, mini-interviews and personal impressions. These will be published to a wider audience online. The Reporter’s coverage will enable ELT professionals to keep up with the conference even if they can’t attend in person.

They invite you to apply for selection as one of our Roving Reporters by completing the Writing Challenge below. Applications will be judged by the British Council. The winner chosen will be notified by 22 November 2011.

Good luck and we look forward to reading your entries!

Click the here to complete the writing challenge, which is to reflect on the conference theme and image, possibly in relation to your own ELT related challenges and opportunities in no more than 40 words.

Don’t forget to put a tick if you would like your entry to be considered by the British Council.

Deadline for entries:
The deadline for receipt of entries is 5pm, Friday 18 November 2011. Entries received after this deadline will not be considered. We will not be able to return or comment on any of the entries.

Terms and conditions are only for teachers of English in Turkey.

If you have any questions, please contact us at:

tr-eltteamturkey@britishcouncil.org.tr

The British Council is recruiting 20 part-time trainers to promote English products, conduct training workshops and deliver presentations in their regions and support BC online activities and events on the Teaching English website.

We invite all interested teachers with relevant experience to complete the application form to take part in the trainer training workshop to be held in Istanbul from November 28 to December 2, 2011. Successful participants in the workshop will become British Council ELT trainers and will represent our activities in English across Turkey.

Trainers will be expected to:

* commit themselves to deliver teacher development workshops on behalf of the British Council from across Turkey from January 23 to January 27, 2011 and also from January 30 to February 3, 2012.

* deliver regular teacher development workshops and presentations promoting BC products in English (e.g. websites, training courses, etc.) at the events organised by themselves and at other ELT events held in their region. The events should be held at least once a month if not agreed otherwise and will be free
for teachers who attend.

* support the British Council Teaching English website by actively moderating the discussion on one of the assigned forums; writing blogs, identifying candidates for teacher feature and video lessons and other activities as agreed with the British Council.

* report every three months to the British Council on completed activities, feedback from the activities and suggestions on further improvements for face-to-face and online activities.

* support other relevant BC activities in English.

* suggest a replacement in advance in case of withdrawal or end of commitment period.

British Council undertakes to:

* provide training and promotion materials
* provide certificates confirming the status of the trainers
* organise yearly training and co-ordination meetings
* pay 25 GBP per hour for training. Meals, accommodation and travel expenses
* offer opportunities for professional development whenever possible
* take every other effort to support and promote the trainers

To apply for participation in the workshop, please contact Raymond Kerr at:
raymond.kerr@britishcouncil.org.tr for an application form and return it by November 4, 2011.

During the workshop you will learn about each British Council product for English, upgrade your trainer training skills, practice delivering workshops and agree your training plans for the year. If you are selected for the trainer training course, all expenses for the workshop will be covered by the British Council.

Criteria for selection:

* At least 6 years of English teaching experience
* High level of English (C1/C2)
* Previous teacher training experience (formal or informal)
* Motivation and enthusiasm to become a BC trainer
* Access to large numbers of teachers in your region
* Availability of time and resources to conduct the activities within the terms of reference.

Turkish University Press would like to announce the call for contributions to a volume concerned with Teaching EFL to Young Learners from a global perspective. The editors welcome articles on a wide range of topics – however they must focus on the English language education of learners
between the ages 5 – 15. Although articles are by no means limited to the following list, they should preferably focus on:

• Teaching EFL to young learners
• The development of aspects of young learners’ EFL skills and / or knowledge (reading,
  writing, speaking, listening, vocabulary, grammar)
• Language learning strategies of Young Learners
• The assessment of Young Learners
• The use of L1 / L2 in the Young Learners classroom
• Innovative research and / or pedagogical innovations
• Curriculum design (and educational reform) for young learners
• Evaluations of Young Learner materials and resources
• Training and / or professional development of English teachers for Young Learners
• Global educational policies and trends in teaching English to Young Learners
• Challenges in the teaching of English to Young Learners

Those interested may obtain further information by downloading the call for submissions guideline (Call for Book Chapters – YOUNG LEARNERS).

Turkish University Press would like to announce the call for contributions to a new volume pertaining to online teaching and learning in English as a second/an additional language.

The book is provisionally titled: English Language Teaching and Learning: Explorations in the Online Realm. Articles should preferably focus on, but are by no means limited to:

• Teaching and learning online
• Communities of practice in online education
• Blended learning practices
• Learner autonomy in an online context
• E-moderation of online activities and programs
• Intercultural aspects in online education and interaction
• Online teacher education
• Educational web tools and technologies for teachers

Those interested may obtain further information by downloading the call for submissions guideline (Call for Book Chapters – TEACH ONLINE pdf)

The British Council is pleased to announce that they are opening new online courses as of September 2011. Visit the website to find all the information that you need concerning the dates and times of the courses.

Please note that they offer a discount of 15% for groups of 5 and more. The fee must be paid prior to the start of the courses.

Visit their website for further information.

Visa requirements vary from country to country and often one of the basic requirements to getting a working visa is having a college degree, notes Sharon Couzens de Hinojosa in her latest monthly column.

Other than fulfilling visa requirements, degrees often give you the extra push to get a better job, salary or position. That’s not to say that if you don’t have a degree, you can’t teach English.

Where can I work?

There are countries out there that don’t require a degree to get a visa (such as Cambodia, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Mexico, and Russia). Some of these countries will allow you to get a work visa even if you don’t have a degree, others will put you on a different visa, such as a cultural exchange visa. Often you will have to prove that you have a couple years of work experience to get the visa. Also, in general, areas like Latin America and South East Asia (but not Thailand or Vietnam) are pretty flexible on the degree issue.

One thing has to be said about Asia in general, the government is now making it much harder for foreigners without a degree to get work and also cracking down on (deporting/fining/jailing) illegal workers when they catch them.

Your options

You might also want to consider looking at Working Holiday Visa Schemes. Your best bet is to narrow down your country choice and start doing a bit of research. If a degree isn’t required for the country that you want to teach in, you should still try to get some training before you go. First you’ll have to decide whether to study at home or abroad. There are plenty of TEFL courses out there. The one you choose depends on many factors.

Types of people

People without degree usually fall into two categories, younger teachers and more mature teachers. The more mature teachers often have an easier out. If you can claim life experience, such as 10 or 15 years in a certain field, government officials might be willing to let bend the rules so that you can teach English. However, if you’re fresh out of high school or have recently left college without finishing, you’ll find that you’ll have fewer options. You’ll have to find countries that don’t require degree or those where you can casually work on a tourist visa.

If you’re only planning on teaching English for a couple of years or if you’re planning on living in country with a low cost of living for the rest of your career, then you might not need a degree.

That being said, if you plan to make teaching English your career and would like to be able to save for retirement, sooner or later, you will probably need a higher qualification. Distance study and courses for mature students are making it easier for everyone to get a college education. Here are some distance options. You could also go through a community college for two years, then transfer.

Sharon’s websites

www.tefltips.blogspot.com
www.theultimateperulist.blogspot.com
www.thelajoblist.blogspot.com

All languages have grammatical rules rules, which govern the way we speak and write. Mastering all these rules can be difficult, notes Adam Simpson, even for a native speaker of the language.

One of the most challenging aspects of the English language is the list of rules relating to subject-verb agreement. Subjects and verbs agree with each other numerically. When a subject is singular, its verb will be singular; if a subject is plural, its verb is also plural. Nevertheless, there are exceptions, which make subject-verb agreement hard to perfect.

Firstly, follow the rule that singular subjects need singular verbs, while plural subjects need plural verbs. For example: My brother is a farmer. My sisters are dancers. Recognize that regular present tense verbs in third person singular end in -s or -es. Other regular verb forms do not end in -s or -es.

Remember that indefinite pronouns, such as anyone, everyone, someone, no one, none and nobody, are always singular and require third person singular verbs. For example: Everyone likes movies. Somebody thinks this film is boring.

Understand that indefinite pronouns, such as all and some, can be singular or plural depending on what they refer to. Decide if the thing they refer to is a countable noun or not. If it is countable, use a plural verb. If it is not countable, use a singular verb. For example: Some of the cars are red. Some of the water is gone. In these examples, “cars” are countable, and “water” is uncountable.

Use the pronouns ‘’neither’’ and ‘’either’’ with third person singular verbs even though they appear to refer to two things. For example: Neither of the two traffic lights is working. Either the steak or the chicken is fine with me.

Focus on the way that the conjunction “or” differs from “and.” It does not conjoin in the way that “and” does. When “nor” or “or” is used, the subject closest to the verb determines what form of the verb is used. It does not matter if the subject comes before or after the verb; the proximity determines the number. For example: Either my father or my brothers are going to buy the car. Neither my brothers nor my father is going to eat the banana.

Learn that the words “there” and “here” are never subjects. For example: There are two reasons for this behavior. There is no reason for this behavior. In these constructions, the subject follows the verb but still determines the number of the verb.

Notice that some nouns that end in -s seem to be plural but are singular and require third person singular verbs. For example: The news from Africa is bad. Physics is a boring subject. However, some words ending in -s refer to a single thing but are regarded as plural and require a plural verb. For example: My assets are growing every day. The average worker’s earnings have gone down during the last six months.
Skill

Tips

Ignore modifiers that appear between a subject and its verb. These modifiers do not affect the agreement between the subject and its verb.

Remember that quantifiers can change a plural noun to a singular noun. “Glasses,” “pants” and “scissors” are plural and require third person plural verbs unless they are preceded by the phrase “a pair of.” In this case, the word “pair” becomes the subject.

Note that fractional expressions, such as half of, a part of, a percentage of and a majority of, can be singular or plural depending on their meaning. Sums and products of mathematical processes are expressed as singular nouns.

Warnings

Avoid making mistakes with “everyone,” “everybody” and “each.” “Everyone” and “everybody” clearly refer to more than one person, so use a plural verb. “Each” is always singular and requires a third person singular verb. Beware that even when “each” is followed by a prepositional phrase ending in a plural word, the verb is still singular.

About the author

Adam lives and works as an English teacher in Istanbul, Turkey. He is the author of the blog Year in the life of an English teacher.