Compelling Conversations

Questions and Quotations on Timeless Topics for ESL learners and teachers

Archive for June, 2008

Have You Read English Teaching Forum Yet?

Jun 27

Posted by Eric Roth in EFL, ELL, ESL, English class, Teaching matters, academic matters, adult education, educational philosophy, resources | 3 Comments

Have you read English Teaching Forum magazine yet? It is another outstanding resource for English language teachers whether working with adults in Africa, Eastern Europe, Southeast Asia, South America, or teaching immigrants and future citizens inside the United States. Published by the U.S. State Department, the excellent quarterly magazine includes concise lesson plans, reflective essays, and reproducible exercises.

I’ve subscribed for a year, and consistently been impressed at the depth, range, and creativity of the articles. The practical articles offer classroom suggestions that can be immediately used, putting many more academic publications on teaching English to shame. I’m keeping all my past issues of English Teaching Forum. I also wish more government sponsored educational efforts attained this high-quality. Perhaps excellence in public education will become fashionable again.

Fortunately, older issues of English Teaching Forum are also available online. The archives go back several years. You can read the Winter 2007 issue online. Each article can be downloaded in a separate PDF file, allowing teachers to pick and choose their favorite articles. Unfortunately, the 2008 issues remain in print form only. You can also find other valuable teacher resources at

http://exchanges.state.gov/education/engteaching/ .

Ask more. Know more. Share more. Speak more.

Create Compelling Conversations.

Visit www.CompellingConversations.com

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Teachers Urge Google to Create Search Engine for K-12 Students

Jun 24

Posted by Eric Roth in English class, Teaching matters, academic matters, educational philosophy, resources, technology and education | No Comments

How do students conduct online research for their K-12 classes? Do they systematically pursue a topic, use critical thinking to evaluate sources, and focus on the assigned topics? Or do they wander, often confused and easily distracted, from site to site? Is it possible for Google, the creator of the best online search engine,to create a specialized search engine just for K-12 students? Could Google, in other words, do for the K-12 students, teachers, and librarians what it has done for elite graduate students with Google scholar?

That’s the question that Dorit Eilon and a group of tech savvy teachers and educators are asking at Classroom 2.0 .

“We are a group of educators who for the past 7 months did an extensive research about on-line research and the education world. According to studies most students (and teachers) have difficulty conducting an efficient on-line research and most do not understand how Google or other search engines work.

Students, well versed in IM and SN (Social Networking) stumble when they conduct on-line research.
Even with technology many teachers still use the web in isolation. Teachers find great links that… stay on their computer, on their own website or their own blog.

So a group of us, educators, would like things to change.
We dream of a search engine that is unique to the education community with searches that produce text, video, audio results at the same time, where both commercial and school created material is accessible and monitored (we have a whole plan), where the resources will be identified, contributed and monitored by educators in phase one and Middle School / High School students in phase two. A search engine that it’s content will grow by the education community. and we want Google to be a part of it, to work with us to develop it and provide the technology.

But, we need librarians, teachers and students to talk about the day-to-day difficulties of navigating the web. We need educators to speak up so we can show that there is a real need not just plain statistics.

We imagine a search tool that will allow you to search within sites created by teachers, ability to rate sites / review, ability to search by “author” (person contributing links) , connection to Google Maps and much more.

If you feel the same way please go to our blog to look at comments and votes. While there, please take a vote and leave a comment to have your voice and opinion heard. http://cangooglehearus.blogspot.com/

Together we can make a difference.”

Sounds right to me. As the leading search engine and innovative technology company, Google can play an even more prominent role in improving education across the globe. Let’s hope Google hears this eloquent plea for a more student and teacher friendly search engine.

If you feel the same way, please visit and sign the petition.

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Learning by Stumbling (again) and finding Classroom 2.0

Jun 19

Posted by Eric Roth in ELL, ESL, Teaching matters, academic matters, adult education, website | No Comments

As readers of this blog will soon discover, I believe in experimenting and finding new resources. Following an emailed lead, I discovered an impressive website for teachers called Classroom 2.0 . What attracted me?

The site meets me where I am – an English teacher curious about new technologies, but unsure how to proceed and which technologies to explore in depth. Filled with concise, yet detailed guidelines to various 2.0 technologies, I look forward to reading and learning more about evolving web technologies and how they can be used as 21st century educational tools.

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What are the 1000 most common words in English?

Jun 19

Posted by Eric Roth in EFL, ELL, ESL, Vocabulary, adult education | No Comments

Sometimes students ask simple, direct questions that I can’t immediately answer. For instance, an ESL student wondered, “What are the 1000 most common words in English?”

Wiktionary, an offshoot of the wonderful Wikipedia, offers this answer . The list looks, sounds, and feels right, and offers no big surprises. English, an ever evolving and changing language, will probably have a slightly different list in a decade.

Do I recommend memorizing this current list? No. Language is to be used, discovered, and enjoyed. Memorizing long lists of vocabulary words in English, while sometimes effective for standardized tests, seldom helps create compelling conversations. Vocabulary lists, however, can provide a sense of satisfaction and order.

Sometimes lists like this can also help us review and trigger new connections. Yet exploring a personal interest in English will help you generate a more personal, authentic, and meaningful vocabulary in English. So what interests you today? What do you want to learn more about? Where can you find two quality articles on that topic? Why not create your own vocabulary list to match you and your interests? Shouldn’t your vocabulary journal reflect you?

“Words are, of course, the most powerful drug used by mankind.” Rudyard Kipling (1865-1936), British author

Ask more. Know more. Share more.

Create Compelling Conversations.

Visit www.CompellingConversations.com

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Compelling Conversations site is up and running again!

Jun 17

Posted by Eric Roth in Compelling Conversations, Conversation lessons, ESL, educational philosophy, website | No Comments

Sometimes you don’t appreciate something until you lose it.

My website, down and out for almost a week of tech turmoil as I changed server, host, and webmaster, demonstrates this point. The site, www.compellingconversations.com , has been restored and even slightly upgraded. The check out system, for instance, takes consumers directly to Paypal – saving time and reducing hassle. The blog, still primitive, is a more advanced version of WordPress, but I still don’t really know what that means in practical terms. I seem to have lost numerous blog postings, but these brief musings are first thoughts and not finely crafted essay. The free conversation lessons and five book chapters on Traveling, Studying English, Being Yourself, Talking about Movies, and Practicing Job Interviews,  can be easily downloaded.

I’m still learning – and sometimes stumbling, but the website is stronger, safer, and deeper than before.

Please drop by, check out the free lessons, and read about creating lively ESL classroom discussions. As ever, please contact me if you have any questions, suggestions, or comments at talktome@compellingconversations.com.

Enjoy!

“Have friends. It’s a second existence.”

Baltasar Gracian (1601-1658), Spanish philosopher

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TaLKing in English, Talking about English, and Learning Korean

Jun 16

Posted by Eric Roth in EFL, ELL, ESL, English class, Teaching matters, academic matters, educational philosophy | No Comments

Sometimes we confuse talking about English with talking in English. As English teachers, we need to gently encourage our students to talk as much as possible in English, and only sometimes in English. And as world citizens, we should learn as much about the country and host language as possible when we are teaching English abroad.

A new English teaching program, sponsored by the Ministry of Education, Science, and Technology in Korea seems to understand that goal. Or at least that seems a reasonable inference about TaLK (Teach and Learn about Korea) from the persuasive recruitment website for 400 quality English teachers.  A few features struck me as particularly promising:

· Preference for individuals of Korean descent showing the government’s investment in the quality of the program

· Pitch for undergraduates and novice teachers to develop their skills

· Small class size and universal internet access

· Status as presidential scholars

· 15-hour work weeks

· planned visits to museums and cultural attractions

· pitch for TaLK program includes “be a local celebrity”

· opportunity to deepen the ties between Korean and American educators

The large recent demonstration by thousands of Korean citizens against the importation of untested beef has been widely misunderstood in the United States. Almost everyone, including American citizens, wants stricter regulation of food to guarantee food safety, but too many media reports pretend this mass demonstration showed widespread anti-American sentiment in South Korea.  I thought this innovative educational program was a poignant retort to that silly exaggeration. I’m confident that most citizens, in both South Korea and the United States, understand that you can’t blame individual people for unpopular government decisions.

The 400 young teachers selected for this program will have many opportunities to share experiences, teach English to eager students, and learn some Korean. They will also help sustain a strong friendship between people from two dynamic civilizations.

Visit TaLK on Korean Ministry of Education, Science, and Technology website for more information.

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We learn by stumbling

Jun 16

Posted by Eric Roth in educational philosophy, website | 1 Comment

Modern mishaps can illuminate traditional proverbs.

One website goes down, essays get lost, and the email gets blocked for a few days. Frustration mounts.  I recall the Bulgarian proverb, “we learn by stumbling.” I cool down, take a breath, and try to appreciate the process of resurrecting a modern communications miracle (website) and move an evolving blog.

How’s it going? Slow. But please be patient. Compelling Conversations will soon be back, improved, and ready for further technological improvements. Some changes will work; some will fail.

We learn by stumbling.

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Can I turn that paper in next week?

Jun 15

Posted by Eric Roth in Uncategorized | 1 Comment

Sometimes time just seems to escape, and we fall behind. Despite the alarm clocks, cell phones, and wrist watches, and many labor-saving appliances, the hours just seem to rush by, the work piles remain, and time vanishes. Modern life can feel more hectic than relaxing – even in summer.

This uncomfortable experience that life is too hectic is quite familiar to adult education students who often work two jobs, take care of their family, and go to school at night.

ESL Teacher: What do you like to do you in free time?

Adult ESL Student:  What is free time?

 Many college and university English language students feel pressured and short of time. I’ve had ESL students tell me that “sleep is for the weak” and they can’t afford to get even six hours, let alone eight hours of sleep. This lack of sleep, of course, reduces their ability to think clearly, write strong papers, and increases their stress levels.

ESL teachers, who sometimes work at two or more locations, can also feel overwhelmed and stressed by deadlines, traffic jams, and work loads. Getting to class ten minutes early is a wonderful practice, but many evening ESL instructors find it difficult to squeeze just 10 extra minutes into their crammed schedule.

Therefore, it’s useful for ESL teachers and English instructors to teach a few helpful phrases to English language learners to use when they need more time at work or school for projects and class assignments.

Can I have an extra hour?

Can you give me an extension?

Is there any way we can postpone this?

When is the absolute final deadline?

Do I have to work overtime?

Can I have the weekend off?

Is there somebody else who can do this?

Would it be okay to turn this in a day late?

Can I turn that paper in next week? 

While nobody would ever fall behind on their work schedules in the perfect world, ESL teachers and students live and work under imperfect and sometimes challenging circumstances.  We should, therefore, help our students develop the vocabulary and verbal skills to request extensions, reduce their stress levels, and shift deadlines. Students should also be prepared to explain why they need an extra time.

These requests may be denied, ignored, or accepted, but our students should at least have the vocabulary to ask for more time.

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Learning by Doing and Good Mistakes in English classes

Jun 15

Posted by Eric Roth in Uncategorized | No Comments

How can English language teachers create a rigorous, tolerant, and focused classroom atmosphere?

One effective technique is encouraging English students, especially ESL students, to “learn by doing” and “make good mistakes” as they expand their vocabulary, experiment with new sentence structures, and use English more in their daily lives. A good mistake, as I explain on the first day of class, is a logical error that makes sense, but just happens to be wrong. For example, a young boy might think 2+2= 22. You can see the logic, but the answer is wrong. The student needs to know that 2+2=4. But you can also acknowledge that “22″ is a good mistake. Some teachers might consider this mistake a systems error or category confusion.

Far too many ESL students, especially in countries that worship standardized exams, have created psychological barriers to experimenting in English. These students often want to avoid making any mistakes, and prefer to remain silent in conversation class to expanding their verbal skills. The ESL teacher, therefore, has to directly confront this trend or learned behavior. You can’t learn to speak a new language without making mistakes.

So I encourage English students, in both conversation and writing classes, to make good mistakes. Take chances. Try something new. Stretch your learning muscles. And make good mistakes. A good mistake is also a mistake that we acknowledge and learn from and avoid repeating. A good mistake is not a good mistake if you’ve made it ten times before in a class or on previous papers. Students usually understand, relax a bit, and proceed to experiment a bit more in our crazy, confusing, and misspelled English language.

Our goal, I sometimes joke on that first day, is to make many good mistakes, learn from these good mistakes, and move forward to make new, different, and even better good mistakes.” We usually realize this goal in our English classes!

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Creating Top Ten Tip lessons for Advanced ESL/EFL classes

Jun 15

Posted by Eric Roth in Uncategorized | No Comments

Americans love to create, read, and discuss top ten lists. Newspapers and magazines use the simple format to summarize large chunks of information in a friendly manner. Year end issues often expand the technique to create “100 best” or the year’s “ten best”, “top ten”, or “ten smartest” lists. Naturally, many English teachers use this format in their classrooms to express ideas and create discussions.

Sometimes, however, students will simply create a list and avoid providing clear reasons. In order to emphasize the need to share information and exchange insights, I often ask for a “top ten tips” to doing something. This twist also invites a wider range of topics from the practical to more philosophical, and shows respect for students knowledge and interests.

You can ask students for their top ten tips for:

choosing a school?

saving money?

staying healthy and happy?

making and keeping friends?

avoiding boredom and finding satisfaction?

getting good grades?

learning English?

traveling to a new city/country?

Break students into groups of 3-4. Give them 20 minutes to come up their top ten tips on a given topic. Ask them to provide at least one reason and/or example for each answer, and agree on a final order. During the discussions, students will use common phrases like “this is better”, “I disagree”, or “what do you think?”

What does the teacher do? Circle around, listen in, and pass out different colors of chalk for each group. I ask more questions than I answer at this stage. Have each group select a student to write their “top ten tips” on the board.

The instructor goes through the list, asking questions – both soft and hard, and engages student groups. Finally, after the instructor lead discussion, the entire class votes on the top ten tips. This democratic element takes only a few minutes, and encourages more student participation.

This flexible, communicative activity can be constantly used to create engaging, lively classroom conversations. Students enjoy sharing information, telling stories, and helping each other make sense of an often strange land where people speak a strange language. By giving students a chance to offer advice, you also get to learn as you teach!

Ask more. Know more. Share more. Create Compelling Conversations. Visit www.compellingconversations.com

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