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	<title>Compelling Conversations &#187; English  teachers</title>
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		<title>Why Are So Many EFL Textbooks So Bland, Boring, and Culturally Tone Deaf?</title>
		<link>http://compellingconversations.com/blog/2011/09/28/efl-textbooks-bland-boring-culturally-tone-deaf/</link>
		<comments>http://compellingconversations.com/blog/2011/09/28/efl-textbooks-bland-boring-culturally-tone-deaf/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 28 Sep 2011 07:00:55 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Eric</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[adult ESL]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[censorship]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Compelling Conversations]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[EFL English as a Foreign Language]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ELL]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[English langugage learners]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ESL]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[TEFL]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[TESOL]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Boring textbooks]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[EFL publishers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[EFL textbooks]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[English  teachers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[English as a Foreign Language (EFL)]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[English Language Learners]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[Why are so many EFL Textbooks so bland, boring, and culturally tone-deaf?  Allow me to ask a more polite question. How can English teachers working abroad and international English textbook publishers both respect local cultures and create more engaging English classroom lessons? The challenge may be more complicated than you might suspect. A long, informative, [...]
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			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Why are so many EFL Textbooks so bland, boring, and culturally tone-deaf?  Allow me to ask a more polite question.</p>
<p>How can <a href="http://compellingconversations.com/blog/2011/06/05/english-teachers-confront-billion-person-question/">English teachers</a> working abroad and international English textbook publishers both respect local cultures and create more engaging English classroom lessons? The challenge may be more complicated than you might suspect.</p>
<p>A long, informative, and detailed exchange on a TESOL list serve recently focused on  the peculiar sensitivities of Saudi Arabian students. An experienced American English teacher reported that his Saudi students expressed anger over a paragraph in their writing book. The imported American English language textbook, which has collected considerable critical praise, contained a paragraph celebrating friendships across many countries and religions – including an unpopular democratic rival nation of the Saudi kingdom. Working in a closed, theocratic society where women are banned from driving evidently raises many delicate problems for <a href="http://compellingconversations.com/blog/2011/06/05/english-teachers-confront-billion-person-question/">English teachers</a>, and many EFL and ESL materials must be carefully edited.  Obviously, discussing politics, religion, sexuality, and gender issues is clearly culturally inappropriate and often legally forbidden in this rigid Islamic kingdom.</p>
<p>Without passing judgment for the moment on the Saudi students&#8217; perceptions and religious passions, let&#8217;s zoom out a bit. This awkward incident illuminates the need to explicitly tailoring English as Foreign Language (EFL) content to reflect different national cultures. It also identifies a core defect in the many EFL publishers and why so many EFL and ESL textbooks are bland, boring, and heavily censored. Who wants to offend many potential customers and clients by just mentioning a small country&#8217;s name?</p>
<p>As I heard explained at two fascinating TESOL workshops for EFL material writers at the 2011 conference in New Orleans, the current practice for EFL publishers is to simply collect all the possible objections, adopt the &#8220;red lines&#8221; of all countries, and uniformly impose these taboos around the world. The default advice for EFL material writers includes prohibiting not only politics, alcohol religion, sex, and nudity (predictable), but also mention of luck, negative emotions, Israel, gender roles, and pork.</p>
<p>Here are some memorable examples. One EFL materials writer detailed how he had to drop a chapter on bad luck because it implied that God wasn&#8217;t in control of events and might encourage superstitious thinking. Another writer told TESOL participants about having to drop a health chapter which included a &#8220;no smoking sign&#8221; because it implied that smoking was a choice. Another presenter felt proud that he was able to list &#8220;negative emotions&#8221; such as &#8220;bored&#8221;, &#8220;tired&#8221;, &#8220;unhappy&#8221; when outnumbered by positive adjectives by a 3-1 margin in a chapter on feelings.</p>
<p>Evidently, many educational bureaucrats evidently place creating a &#8220;harmonious society&#8221; and teaching conformity above actual language acquisition or student expression. Shock, shock. The ban on mentioning Israel comes from – as demonstrated in the Saudi Arabia classroom that sparked this informative discussion among TESOL professionals &#8211; the fashionable desire to see a democratic, successful nation abolished among many Arabs. Many British publishers have also found many Arab countries, including several former colonies and a few royal kingdoms the British Empire helped create after WWI,  to be  important, lucrative EFL markets. The predictable result: pandering to local prejudice and the systematic omission of positive references to Israel.</p>
<p>Naturally, printing world maps that ignore the existence of a small country is also an explicitly political decision so the &#8220;avoid politics&#8221; advice is a tad dishonest here. Further, as the son of a Holocaust survivor, I find the strange belief that every group deserves a nation except Jews pure bigotry and fashionable group hatred. Yet, for worse or for better, this quasi-official ban seems to be widely adopted by many British EFL publishers. (American textbook  publishers, perhaps inspired by a federal law that prohibits honoring the Arab boycott of Israel, don&#8217;t appear to follow this particular practice.)</p>
<p>Yet rather than focusing on the passionate politics of the Mideast, let&#8217;s remember that the largest clients often dictate content in many fields. And governments and their education ministries remain, by far, the largest clients for international educational publishers. In fact, educational ministries– especially in closed, dictatorial societies where teaching critical thinking is more than discouraged, censorship taken for granted, and English often viewed with some lingering suspicion as an old imperial tongue – hold exceptional power to approve or veto EFL textbooks. Focusing on pleasing these clients, many American and British publishers have chosen to adopt all the &#8220;red lines&#8221; of various cultures. Unfortunately, this current practice ends up imposing the safest, narrowest paradigm on all their international clients – across the globe. The Saudi standard becomes the standard for French, Brazilian, Japanese, and Korean <a href="http://compellingconversations.com/blog/2011/06/05/english-teachers-confront-billion-person-question/">English language learners</a> too.</p>
<p>After all, efficiency matters in publishing too. From a publisher&#8217;s perspective, creating one core EFL textbook and making very minor tweaks (usually illustrations) for each region works just fine. The downside, as many of us know from personal experience, is the resulting product often becomes bland, often fails to engage students, and effectively allows the most closed societies to dictate content across the globe. Both <a href="http://compellingconversations.com/blog/2011/06/05/english-teachers-confront-billion-person-question/">English teachers</a> and their students lose access to more meaningful, reflective, and accurate information and wider, more modern and tolerant perspectives.</p>
<p>Yet satisfying student interest is far less important from a global sales perspective than meeting a ruling regime&#8217;s dictates to re-enforce local beliefs and uphold the political status quo. These larger concerns translate into many boring EFL textbooks that both pander and overlook local cultures by promoting a one-size fits all <a href="http://compellingconversations.com/blog/2011/06/05/english-teachers-confront-billion-person-question/">English language learners</a> textbook. As of now, many of these well-known EFL titles still manage to sell huge numbers – and avoid dozens of engaging topics that directly relate to students&#8217; actual lives, experiences, and hopes.  For instance, English students in poor Asian, African, and Central American countries currently have to learn about housing vocabulary written from an abstract, universal perspective with examples from London, New York, and Tokyo.  How relevant, appropriate, or accurate will the housing vocabulary be?</p>
<p>Yet there is a better, smarter, and more culturally sophisticated way to both acknowledge the political realities of working in closed societies and create more engaging EFL textbooks that express and reflect national cultures. We could develop more appropriate EFL materials that authentically reflect the actual life experiences and aspirations of <a href="http://compellingconversations.com/blog/2011/06/05/english-teachers-confront-billion-person-question/">English language learners</a> in their current context.  More on that topic in the next<a href="http://www.compellingconversations.com/"> Compelling Conversations</a> blog post.</p>
<p><strong>Ask more. Know more. Share more. Speak more.</strong></p>
<p><strong>Create <a href="http://www.compellingconversations.com/">Compelling Conversations</a>.</strong></p>
<p><strong>Visit <a href="www.Compelling%20Conversations">www.Compelling Conversations</a>.</strong></p>
<p><a class="a2a_dd a2a_target addtoany_share_save" href="http://www.addtoany.com/share_save#url=http%3A%2F%2Fcompellingconversations.com%2Fblog%2F2011%2F09%2F28%2Fefl-textbooks-bland-boring-culturally-tone-deaf%2F&amp;title=Why%20Are%20So%20Many%20EFL%20Textbooks%20So%20Bland%2C%20Boring%2C%20and%20Culturally%20Tone%20Deaf%3F" id="wpa2a_2"><img src="http://compellingconversations.com/blog/wp-content/plugins/add-to-any/share_save_256_24.png" width="256" height="24" alt="Share"/></a></p><p>Related posts:<ol>
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<li><a href='http://compellingconversations.com/blog/2011/06/05/english-teachers-confront-billion-person-question/' rel='bookmark' title='English Teachers Confront the Billion-Person Question'>English Teachers Confront the Billion-Person Question</a> <small>&#8220;How can rural Chinese students develop their listening and speaking...</small></li>
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		<title>The Language of Opportunity &#8211; Wabash profiles an English Teacher</title>
		<link>http://compellingconversations.com/blog/2011/09/11/language-opportunity-wabash-profiles-english-teacher/</link>
		<comments>http://compellingconversations.com/blog/2011/09/11/language-opportunity-wabash-profiles-english-teacher/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 12 Sep 2011 02:03:46 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Eric Roth</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[censorship]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[Eric Roth]]></category>
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		<description><![CDATA[Most of the book’s prompts ask for recollections or personal opinions.“Whatever perspective you bring to the book, I want you to find validation in some great thinker, that it’s okay to see things that way. That gives us all the freedom to be ourselves and less of who we think we should be, or who we’ve been programmed or conditioned to be.” 
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<li><a href='http://compellingconversations.com/blog/2011/06/05/english-teachers-confront-billion-person-question/' rel='bookmark' title='English Teachers Confront the Billion-Person Question'>English Teachers Confront the Billion-Person Question</a> <small>&#8220;How can rural Chinese students develop their listening and speaking...</small></li>
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			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://compellingconversations.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/eric-at-Wabash-21.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-510" title="eric at Wabash 2" src="http://compellingconversations.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/eric-at-Wabash-21-300x199.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="199" /></a>Small American colleges often love their ambitious graduates. <a title="Wabash College" href="http://www.wabash.edu/">Wabash College</a>, my alma mater and outstanding private liberal arts college in Indiana, certainly celebrates her favorite sons and treats them like stars. This fall’s <a title="Wabash College Magazine" href="http://www.wabash.edu/magazine/">Wabash Magazine</a> advises graduates to “Look East, Young Man” as it celebrates the opening of the College&#8217;s new Asian Studies Center.</p>
<p>Inside, the magazine editor describes a <a title="Language of Opportunity" href="http://www.wabash.edu/magazine/index.cfm?news_id=9126">&#8220;Language of Opportunity&#8221;</a> article as &#8220;Eric Roth ’84 recounts how his attempt to start a free-thinking university in Vietnam led to the realization that the spread of the English language—in part through his own conversational English primer—may be the more immediate path to freedom of thought and expression in the region.&#8221;</p>
<p>Fortunately, the <a title="artilce" href="http://www.wabash.edu/magazine/index.cfm?news_id=9126">article </a>also provides a larger context of teaching English in a closed (but still opening) society. The writer, Steve Charles, also explores the difficulties of adapting <a title="Compelling Conversations" href="http://www.CompellingConversations.com">Compelling Conversations ,</a> an advanced conversation for ESL (English as a Second Language) students into an acceptable EFL (English as a Foreign Language) textbook, and explains how I came to publish two very different English language conversation textbooks. Please note that the <a title="the original ESL book" href="http://www.CompellingConversations.com">original ESL book</a> has 45 chapters, including &#8220;Voting&#8221;, and the EFL version for <a href="http://www.compellingconversations.com/about-the-book-vietnam.php">Vietnamese English Language Learners</a> has 15 chapters with more vocabulary definitions.</p>
<p>&#8220;In addition to teaching at the University of Southern California, the former congressional aide and journalist (Roth) is co-author of <a title="Compelling Conversations: Questions and Quotations on Timeless Topics" href="http://www.CompellingConversations.com">Compelling Conversations: Questions and Quotations on Timeless Topics</a>. The book is an alternative text for teaching conversational English as a second language (ESL). It is recommended by a leading trade journal of English teaching professionals.”</p>
<p>The three-page glossy magazine<a title="profile" href="http://www.wabash.edu/magazine/index.cfm?news_id=9126"> piece </a>continues to provide perspective and illuminate the role of English in the 21st century. “And in case you haven’t noticed, English is well on its way to becoming the world’s dominant language,” writes Charles.</p>
<p>“This is the first time in world history we actually have a language spoken genuinely globally by every country of the world,” writes David Crystal in English as a Global Language. As of 2005, almost a quarter of the world’s population spoke English as a native or second language. It is the de facto language of commerce and diplomacy. More than 80 percent of information stored on the Internet is in English. And while there are more speakers of Chinese, Spanish, and Hindi, they speak English when they talk across cultures, and it is English they teach their children in order to give them a chance in the world economy. More than 20,000 ESL teaching jobs are posted monthly; no longer a fallback, teaching ESL is becoming a lucrative first or second career. Some experts predict that by 2030 more than half the world’s population will speak English.”</p>
<p align="">Reading those simple, powerful facts about the explosion of English renewed my appreciation for our role as <a href="http://compellingconversations.com/blog/2011/06/05/english-teachers-confront-billion-person-question/">English teachers</a> today. English remains the language of opportunity for millions seeking to study, work, and move abroad.  The article allows me to explain. “I had been teaching ESL to immigrants, and I knew English was essential to their lives in the U.S., but on this trip we saw English as a truly global language. It is the gateway to a modern world, and to 21st century lives. And in countries like Vietnam and other developing nations, English is sometimes the only accessible means to advance yourself.” This insight lead to the title &#8220;the language of opportunity&#8221;.</p>
<p align="">The article also describes the educational philosophy behind <a title="Compelling Conversations" href="http://www.CompellingConversations.com">Compelling Conversations </a>.</p>
<p align="">&#8220;Combining his teaching experience and his liberal arts background, Roth collaborated with his mother, Toni Aberson—an English teacher for 35 years—to self-publish the first edition of the book. Dedicated to his father, Dani Roth—who spoke six languages and “could talk with almost anyone”—the book provides an alternative to “presentation-practice-production” approach to language learning, instead using quotations, questions, and proverbs to prompt conversation.&#8221;</p>
<p align="">“Some [quotes and questions] will have students roaring with laughter, while others require careful introspection,” wrote a reviewer (Hall Houston) for the ESL journal English Teaching Professional. “They are highly effective for promoting student discussion.”</p>
<p align=""> “In the classroom and in the book we try to create a space that’s tolerant and rigorous at the same time,” Roth says. “The focus is on learning by doing, and we want to give people room to make good mistakes—errors that help us learn. When people expect themselves to be perfect, they go silent.”</p>
<p align="">Most of the book’s prompts ask for recollections or personal opinions.“Whatever perspective you bring to the book, I want you to find validation in some great thinker, that it’s okay to see things that way. That gives us all the freedom to be ourselves and less of who we think we should be, or who we’ve been programmed or conditioned to be.”</p>
<p align="">You can read the entire article <a title="here" href="http://www.wabash.edu/magazine/index.cfm?news_id=9126">here. </a></p>
<p> Like many other <a href="http://compellingconversations.com/blog/2011/06/05/english-teachers-confront-billion-person-question/">English teachers</a> &#8211; of all kinds &#8211; I feel rich in life experiences, but we seldom get recognized for our hard work.  We also also clearly make significant contributions to our grateful students and larger, positive global trends. And recognition feels good.   Therefore, I&#8217;m grateful that <a title="Wabash College" href="http://www.wabash.edu/">Wabash College,</a>  a small Midwestern college in a small town, taught me  to &#8220;disagree without being disagreeable&#8221; and see the big picture.</p>
<p>Ask more. Know more. Share more. Speak More.<br />
Create <a title="Compelling Conversations" href="http://www.CompellingConversations.com">Compelling Conversations</a>.<br />
Visit <a title="www.CompellingConversations.com" href="http://www.CompellingConversations.com">www.CompellingConversations.com<br />
</a></p>
<p><a class="a2a_dd a2a_target addtoany_share_save" href="http://www.addtoany.com/share_save#url=http%3A%2F%2Fcompellingconversations.com%2Fblog%2F2011%2F09%2F11%2Flanguage-opportunity-wabash-profiles-english-teacher%2F&amp;title=The%20Language%20of%20Opportunity%20%E2%80%93%20Wabash%20profiles%20an%20English%20Teacher" id="wpa2a_4"><img src="http://compellingconversations.com/blog/wp-content/plugins/add-to-any/share_save_256_24.png" width="256" height="24" alt="Share"/></a></p><p>Related posts:<ol>
<li><a href='http://compellingconversations.com/blog/2011/07/07/autotelic-english-teacher/' rel='bookmark' title='Becoming an Autotelic English Teacher'>Becoming an Autotelic English Teacher</a> <small>“The wise are instructed by reason, average minds by experience,...</small></li>
<li><a href='http://compellingconversations.com/blog/2011/06/05/english-teachers-confront-billion-person-question/' rel='bookmark' title='English Teachers Confront the Billion-Person Question'>English Teachers Confront the Billion-Person Question</a> <small>&#8220;How can rural Chinese students develop their listening and speaking...</small></li>
<li><a href='http://compellingconversations.com/blog/2011/06/08/students-review-ted-com-videos/' rel='bookmark' title='Ask Your English Students to Review TED.Com videos &#8211; and Create Compelling Conversations'>Ask Your English Students to Review TED.Com videos &#8211; and Create Compelling Conversations</a> <small>How can you encourage your advanced ESL students to develop...</small></li>
</ol></p>
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		<title>Fluency Requires Practice</title>
		<link>http://compellingconversations.com/blog/2011/02/07/fluency-requires-practice/</link>
		<comments>http://compellingconversations.com/blog/2011/02/07/fluency-requires-practice/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 07 Feb 2011 07:05:58 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Eric Roth</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Compelling Conversations]]></category>
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		<description><![CDATA[&#8220;To know and not do is to not know.&#8221; The Talmud Fluency requires practice. Our students also know that speaking English can be both satisfying and stressful. Therefore, we require speaking activities in class &#8211; and strongly suggest ways to speak more out of class. Our students want to be fluent, but they often hesitate [...]
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			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>&#8220;To know and not do is to not know.&#8221; The Talmud</p>
<p>Fluency requires practice. Our students also know that speaking English can be both satisfying and stressful. Therefore, we require speaking activities in class &#8211; and strongly suggest ways to speak more out of class. Our students want to be fluent, but they often hesitate to practice their <a href="http://compellingconversations.com/blog/2011/06/05/english-teachers-confront-billion-person-question/">speaking skills</a>. Many students do not want to risk making mistakes, being misunderstood, and feeling awkward. Some prefer to silently take notes, and speak as little as possible in their English classes. We have all probably faced this situation. </p>
<p>Yet, as far as I know, there is no magical shortcut to fluency except practice. Our English students must practice speaking &#8211; in pairs and in small groups &#8211; even if it feels awkward. &#8220;Practice makes perfect&#8221; goes a popular proverb. Although perfection seems like a dubious ideal, practice certainly makes progress. And our students want to make meaningful progress in their <a href="http://compellingconversations.com/blog/2011/06/05/english-teachers-confront-billion-person-question/">speaking skills</a> and gain greater fluency. </p>
<p>That&#8217;s why creating a comfortable class atmosphere remains essential. One effective way to reduce grade anxiety or classroom stress is to clearly emphasize that some activities will focus more on fluency&#8221; and other speaking activities will focus more on &#8220;accuracy&#8221;. For instance, including one casual fluency activity per class helps students simply exchange ideas and engage in low risk, safe communication between themselves. </p>
<p>Speaking exercises can be added across the ESL curriculum. You can often drop a short communicative exercise even in acadenuc writing classes. Fluency, after all, requires practice. Casual, ungraded classroom conversations also increase student confidence and create a more lively ESL classroom.  </p>
<p>Asking students to reflect and share their experiences as an English learner can often lead to fascinating conversations and compelling essays. Here&#8217;s a favorite fluency activity called <a href="http://www.compellingconversations.com/pdf/studying_english.pdf">Learning English</a> that I&#8217;ve used with both intermediate and advanced ESL students in both oral skills and writing classes. When I taught advanced ESL at Santa Monica Community College, I often used <a href="http://www.compellingconversations.com/pdf/studying_english.pdf">Learning English</a> to introduce their first essay. Students often responded with enthusiasm. Perhaps your English students will too. </p>
<p>Ask more. Know more. Share more.<br />
Create <a href="http://www.CompellingConversations.com">Compelling Conversations</a>. </p>
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		<title>An ESL Author Looks at an ESL website with New Eyes</title>
		<link>http://compellingconversations.com/blog/2011/01/08/conversation-realization/</link>
		<comments>http://compellingconversations.com/blog/2011/01/08/conversation-realization/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 08 Jan 2011 08:37:29 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Eric</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[adult ESL]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[adult literacy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Compelling Conversations]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Conversation lessons]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ESL]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[website]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[worksheets and charts]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[adult education]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[English  teachers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[English Language Learners]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://compellingconversations.com/blog/?p=447</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Sometimes we don&#8217;t see what is in front of our eyes. Today I learned a bit more about my own website from a fellow English teacher and friendly fan. A gentleman from Tennessee called my home, thanked me for the sample conversation materials, and asked some insightful questions about the updated Compelling Conversations website. I [...]
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			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Sometimes we don&#8217;t see what is in front of our eyes.</p>
<p>Today I learned a bit more about my own website from a fellow English teacher and friendly fan.</p>
<p>A gentleman from Tennessee called my home, thanked me for the sample <a title="conversation materials" href="http://www.compellingconversations.com/sample-chapters.php" target="_blank">conversation materials</a>, and asked some insightful questions about the updated <a title="Compelling Conversations" href="http://www.CompellingConversations.com" target="_blank">Compelling Conversations </a>website. I appreciate his call &#8211; and his giving a practical suggestion on how to improve the site for adult educators by adding clearer language. The influx of new immigrants, mostly Spanish speaking with limited formal education, can be seen across the United States. As you might expect, many churches are providing many education and literacy programs for new immigrants in the South &#8211; often on a shoe string budget.  I&#8217;m glad that the free <a title="reproducible worksheets" href="http://www.compellingconversations.com/worksheets.php">reproducible worksheets </a>can be of some assistance.</p>
<p>Second, the gentleman&#8217;s call encouraged me to take a longer look at my own website through new eyes. Designed more for <a href="http://compellingconversations.com/blog/2011/06/05/english-teachers-confront-billion-person-question/">English teachers</a> than <a href="http://compellingconversations.com/blog/2011/06/05/english-teachers-confront-billion-person-question/">English language learners</a>, the revised site does include an entire section for students. The materials, however, are probably too hard for most English students to understand since they are written for high intermediate and advanced ESL students.</p>
<p>Fortunately, there are also  rough Google translations for the <a title="Compelling Conversations" href="http://www.CompellingConversations.com"></a><a title="Compelling Conversations" href="http://www.CompellingConversations.com" target="_blank">Compelling Conversations website</a> now for speakers of  46 languages. The long list goes beyond the usual suspects (Chinese, French, German, Korean, Spanish) to cover tongues ranging  from Albanian and Arabic to Vietnamese and Yiddish! That&#8217;s sort of amazing &#8211; even if the computer translations remain imperfect and contain many errors. Consider me jealous of my computer&#8217;s language skills! Wouldn&#8217;t it be great to just know 10 words in 46 languages?</p>
<p>Perhaps in the future. For now, I&#8217;m grateful for Google translations &#8211; and dedicated <a href="http://compellingconversations.com/blog/2011/06/05/english-teachers-confront-billion-person-question/">English teachers</a> who share their experiences about my small, evolving website and niche conversation textbook.  Maybe it is silly, but I still get a kick when &#8211; like today &#8211; an adult education teacher tells me about how their students enjoy the book &#8211; even when it is a bit difficult.</p>
<p>So please feel free to share your experiences, positive or negative, because we are learn from each other. As the cliche goes, &#8220;everyone is a student; everyone is a teacher.&#8221;  Today I learned quite a bit about my own website, its strengths and flaws. Have you visited the revised website yet? What worked? What could be improved? Do you have some suggestions for the next version?</p>
<p>Ask more. Know more. Share more.</p>
<p>Create Compelling Conversations.</p>
<p>Visit <a title="www.CompellingConversations.com" href="http://www.CompellingConversations.com" target="_blank">www.CompellingConversations.com </a></p>
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		<title>Conversation Tip #9: Ask Clarifying Questions!</title>
		<link>http://compellingconversations.com/blog/2010/09/20/conversation-tip-9-clarifying-questions/</link>
		<comments>http://compellingconversations.com/blog/2010/09/20/conversation-tip-9-clarifying-questions/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 21 Sep 2010 06:28:10 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Eric Roth</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Conversation Tips]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[natural English]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Speaking Skills]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[teaching tips]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[workplace communication skills]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[adult ESL]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[advanced EFL]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ask questions]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[clarifying questions]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Conversation lessons]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[discussion skills]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[English  teachers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[life skill]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[teaching conversations]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[What is a clarifying question? What do you mean? Can you be more specific? Can you give us some examples? What do you exactly mean? Sometimes our English students need help asking questions, especially critical questions that allow them to clarify concepts and better participate in conversations. One crucial skill that needs to be explicitly [...]
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			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>What is a clarifying question? What do you mean? Can you be more specific? Can you give us some examples? What do you exactly mean? </p>
<p>Sometimes our English students need help asking questions, especially critical questions that allow them to clarify concepts and better participate in conversations. One crucial skill that needs to be explicitly taught &#8211; after being informally modeled in class discussions &#8211; is asking for clarification. In fact, I consider the ability to ask appropriate follow-up questions a vital life skill. </p>
<p>Here are some simple questions that students can, and often should, ask to collect more information. I often encourage students to make a general statement or bold claim, and support their opinion with some reason.  Proverbs and advertising slogans are great for this purpose. </p>
<p>Sunshine promises happiness.<br />
Just do it.<br />
Laugh and be well.<br />
Bad luck can&#8217;t last forever.<br />
You create your own luck.<br />
Be bold. </p>
<p>Yet these absolute statements require qualification and clarification, especially in the context of an academic discussion or intense conversation. Therefore, it&#8217;s natural to ask some practical clarifying questions in a friendly, open-minded way. </p>
<p>Here are some useful examples of common clarification questions:<br />
What does that mean?<br />
Can you be more specific?<br />
Why do you think that?<br />
How did you reach that conclusion?<br />
Can you share some examples?<br />
To what extent, does that saying apply here?<br />
What do you really mean?<br />
Can you clarify that for me?<br />
How does that statement apply to&#8230;.?<br />
Can you spin that concept out for us?<br />
What are the implications of that statement?<br />
What are you implying? </p>
<p>We can also ask questions to confirm information or paraphrase.<br />
Are you saying that&#8230;.<br />
Are you claiming&#8230;.<br />
Do you mean &#8230;.<br />
So you are saying&#8230;<br />
Do you want me to&#8230;</p>
<p>This simple exercise is also quite helpful when teaching hedging language and formal definitions to add precision.  Since I primary teach graduate students who must participate in classroom discussions and answer questions after giving presentations, I consider this ability a vital skill for intermediate and advanced <a href="http://compellingconversations.com/blog/2011/06/05/english-teachers-confront-billion-person-question/">English language learners</a>. </p>
<p>How do you clarify information? What questions do you ask as follow-up questions when you feel confused? What questions do you teach your students to use to collect more details or verify information? Why? </p>
<p>Ask more. Know more. Share more.<br />
Create <a href="http://www.CompellingConversations.com">Compelling Conversations</a>.<br />
Visit <a href="http://www.CompellingConversations.com">www.CompellingConversations.com</a> . </p>
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		<title>Do You Use Newspapers in Your English Class Yet?</title>
		<link>http://compellingconversations.com/blog/2010/07/23/newspapers-english-class-yet/</link>
		<comments>http://compellingconversations.com/blog/2010/07/23/newspapers-english-class-yet/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 24 Jul 2010 01:47:33 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Eric Roth</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[adult ESL]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ESL/EFL teachers' resources]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[adult education]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Easy English Times]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[EFL instructors]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[English  teachers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[English Language Learners]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ESL teachers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[New York Times]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[newspapers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[newspapers in classrooms]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[teacher resources]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[teaching English]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[teaching tips]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[Newspapers tell us the news, and inform us about how today is different from yesterday. They provide us with some clues and some information to help us better understand our rapidly changing world. They arrive at our homes, on our laptops, and in our libraries. But what about our English classrooms? How often do you [...]
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			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Newspapers tell us the news, and inform us about how today is different from yesterday. They provide us with some clues and some  information to help us better understand our rapidly changing world. They arrive at our homes, on our laptops, and in our libraries.</p>
<p>But what about our English classrooms? How often do you use newspapers in your ESL classes? </p>
<p>Newspapers allow students to expand their vocabulary, follow current events, and deepen their understanding of our rapidly changing world. As a former journalist, teaching English with newspapers and magazines seems absolutely natural. My standard homework requires students to select, read, summarize, and evaluate an article of their choice and bring to class for a discussion. </p>
<p>Students provide the basic background information:<br />
Title                 author<br />
publication         date<br />
length               # of sources:<br />
List five new or important vocabulary words:</p>
<p>The ESL students also make some judgments:<br />
What&#8217;s a key quote?<br />
What&#8217;s the main idea? Why?</p>
<p>Finally, students answer three other questions:<br />
What did you learn in this article?<br />
Why did you choose the article?<br />
How would rate the article on a scale of 1-10? Why?</p>
<p>Students pursue their own interests &#8211; with some guidance &#8211; and develop a stronger English vocabulary that they want and need for their personal and academic development.  Naturally, they bring in topics and articles, in English and from the internet, from around the world. This regular homework activity creates an engaging, informative classroom atmosphere while allowing students to &#8220;create&#8221; some course content. </p>
<p>Many ESL and EFL teachers, however, often feel reluctant to use newspapers. Sometimes teachers feel that newspapers distract from their textbooks; sometimes it adds elements of uncertainty.   I suspect, however, that many <a href="http://compellingconversations.com/blog/2011/06/05/english-teachers-confront-billion-person-question/">English teachers</a> also don&#8217;t quite know how to effectively deploy newspapers in their classrooms. The newspapers in classroom movement remains more of an ideal than common practice in the United States. </p>
<p>American newspapers would like to change that fact. <a href="http://www.nytimes.com">The New York Times</a> wants ESL teachers to add their quality international paper to the curriculum. Here&#8217;s an excellent 4-page primer outlining <a href="http://learning.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/06/07/10-ways-to-support-english-language-learning-with-the-new-york-times/">10 Ways to Support English Language Learners with the New York Times </a>.  And despite the descriptive headline, the informative <a href="http://learning.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/06/07/10-ways-to-support-english-language-learning-with-the-new-york-times/">article </a>actually outlines over 25 activities and provides links to dozens of exceptional educational resources for both students and teachers. Students can find archival photographs to write postcards from the past, research their birthdays in history, find tourist information on their hometowns for oral presentations, and compare and contrast how different countries approach global problems. Worksheets have been developed for an online vocabulary log, understanding prepositions, and a problem-solution organizer. </p>
<p>Bottomline: This exceptional, flexible teacher&#8217;s resource makes using newspapers much easier for novice <a href="http://compellingconversations.com/blog/2011/06/05/english-teachers-confront-billion-person-question/">English teachers</a> and time-starved experience ESL instructors. </p>
<p>Can all English classrooms use newspapers? No. Yet many low level and intermediate classes can use Easy English Times, USA Today, or the local English paper and focus on simpler, shorter headlines and articles. High intermediate and advanced students, however, can &#8211; and I would suggest should &#8211; try to read serious newspaper such as The International Herald Tribune and The New York Times. </p>
<p>So let&#8217;s help our students and bring newspapers into our classrooms.<br />
Our students, after all,  want to understand their world &#8211; in English! </p>
<p><a href="http://learning.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/06/07/10-ways-to-support-english-language-learning-with-the-new-york-times/">http://learning.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/06/07/10-ways-to-support-english-language-learning-with-the-new-york-times/</a></p>
<p>Do you teach lower level English students? See these <a href="http://www.easyenglishtimes.com/classroom.html">tips from the American literacy newspaper Easy English Times</a> for beginner students) </p>
<p>Ask more. Know more. Share more.<br />
Create <a href="http://www.CompellingConversations.com">Compelling Conversations</a>.<br />
Visit <a href="http://www.CompellingConversations.com">www.CompellingConversations.com</a></p>
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		<title>Passion and Persistence: Self-Published ESL Authors Tell Their Stories</title>
		<link>http://compellingconversations.com/blog/2010/01/25/passion-and-persistence-self-published-esl-authors-tell-their-stories/</link>
		<comments>http://compellingconversations.com/blog/2010/01/25/passion-and-persistence-self-published-esl-authors-tell-their-stories/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 25 Jan 2010 07:20:01 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Eric Roth</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[ESL]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[adult education]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[book review]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[California]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[Diane Asitimbay]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Elizabeth Weal]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[English  teachers]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[Eric H. Roth]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ESL teachers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Passion and Persistence]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Quotations]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[self-publishing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Winston Churchill quote]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[What motivates ESL teachers to become authors? Why do many of these authors self-publish? What’s their likelihood of success? Naturally, I&#8217;m quite interested in these questions &#8211; and hope other English as a Second Language (ESL) teachers will share my interests. The acceptance of this panel discussion by CATESOL for the state conference both surprised [...]
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			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>What motivates ESL teachers to become authors? Why do many of these authors self-publish? What’s their likelihood of success? </p>
<p>Naturally, I&#8217;m quite interested in these questions &#8211; and hope other English as a Second Language (ESL) teachers will share my interests. The acceptance of this panel discussion by <a href="http://www.catesol.org">CATESOL</a> for the state conference both surprised and pleased me &#8211; especially since I&#8217;m the third panelist!</p>
<p>Here is the original 300-word proposal written in third person to make it sound more academic. Elizabeth Weal, the panel organizer and ESL author, wrote the successful proposal. She also chose the catchy title.<br />
&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;-<br />
Passion and Persistence: Self-Published ESL Authors Tell Their Stories</p>
<p>In this CATESOL panel discussion, three authors of ESL books will share the pleasures and perils of self-publishing as well as offer tips for those contemplating writing and publishing an ESL text.</p>
<p>Like most sectors of the textbook market, the ESL textbook market is dominated by a few large publishers. But the situation is rapidly changing as increasing numbers of ESL professionals-turned-authors start their own publishing companies, maintaining control over virtually every aspect of the book production process.</p>
<p>In this panel three authors of successful ESL books will recount their experiences publishing ESL texts. What motivated them to put pen to paper? Why did they self-publish as opposed to turning to a traditional publisher? How do these authors define success? What has been their greatest disappointment? What previously unfilled niche does their book fill? </p>
<p>The authors also will touch on some of the key issues self-published authors most address: Concerns about self-publishing and academic respectability, risks and benefits of self-publishing, and steps to follow in the self-publishing process.</p>
<p>Each panelist comes to the table with a different perspective. Diane Asitimbay, author of What’s Up America? wanted to answer the most common and embarrassing questions ESL students asked her; Eric  H. Roth, author of Compelling Conversations teaches international graduate students the pleasures and perils of writing and speaking in English at the University of Southern California.  Elizabeth Weal, author of Gramática del ingles: Past a paso and English Grammar Step by Step  wanted to find a way to explain English grammar to Spanish speakers who knew very little about grammar in English or Spanish.  </p>
<p>Ample time will be left at the end of the discussion to take questions from the audience.<br />
&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8211;</p>
<p>Self-publishing is both a pleasure and a headache, but I&#8217;m going to accent the positive. After all, as Churchill noted, &#8220;success is going from failure to failure without a loss of enthusiasm.&#8221;</p>
<p>Ask more. Know more. Share more.<br />
Create <a href="http://www.CompellingConversations.com">Compelling Conversations</a>.</p>
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		<title>Reading Pleasures and Conversation Starters</title>
		<link>http://compellingconversations.com/blog/2009/09/11/reading-pleasures-and-conversation-starters/</link>
		<comments>http://compellingconversations.com/blog/2009/09/11/reading-pleasures-and-conversation-starters/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 11 Sep 2009 20:14:50 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Eric Roth</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[book reviews]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[conversation starters]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Conversation Tips]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ESL]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[books]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[chit-chat]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[English  teachers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[reading pleasures]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://compellingconversations.com/blog/?p=310</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Teachers, especially English teachers, love to talk about their summer reading. Reading remains a cheap pleasure and an excellent conversation starter.

Can you recommend a good book? What did you this summer? What are reading these days - besides student papers? 

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			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>A new semester begins, new students enter our classes, and returning colleagues greet us. What can talk about that will go beyond the work-related activities? </p>
<p>Books. </p>
<p>Teachers, especially <a href="http://compellingconversations.com/blog/2011/06/05/english-teachers-confront-billion-person-question/">English teachers</a>, love to talk about their summer reading. Reading remains a cheap pleasure and an excellent conversation starter.</p>
<p>* Can you recommend a good book?<br />
* What did you this summer?<br />
* What are reading these days &#8211; besides student papers? </p>
<p>Books and ideas still matter in our 21st century global culture of blogs, especially for starting conversations. Discussing books, sharing ideas, and exchanging tips helps elevate casual office chit-chat into more satisfying verbal exchanges. </p>
<p>In the past few weeks, I&#8217;ve enjoyed several satisfying conversations with my teaching colleagues &#8211; and a few more memorable conversations with strangers about books. How? </p>
<p>I looked around, noted the reading choices of folks, and asked a friendly question. </p>
<p>•	Is that a good book?<br />
•	How did you choose that book?<br />
•	Can you recommend a good book?</p>
<p>Likewise, talking about books and reading pleasures gives us new information about our world &#8211; and insights into our friends and students. For longer, better conversations, you can ask the following questions:</p>
<p>•	What’s the best book you’ve read this year?<br />
•	Who is your favorite author, anyway?<br />
*      How have your reading habits changed?<br />
•	Are you still reading Alain de Botton?<br />
*      What are you reading these days? </p>
<p>If you have time to listen, the answers might surprise you.</p>
<p>Our English students also enjoy talking about their favorite books and reading experiences. Here&#8217;s a link to a conversation lesson that I&#8217;ve had success with in high intermediate and advanced ESL/EFL classes.<br />
<a href="http://www.compellingconversations.com/pdf/reading_pleasures.pdf">http://compellingconversations.com/pdf/reading_pleasures.pdf</a></p>
<p>Ask more. Know more. Share more.<br />
Create <a href="http://www.CompellingConversations.com">Compelling Conversations</a>.<br />
Visit <a href="http://www.CompellingConversations.com">www.CompellingConversations.com</a></p>
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		<title>What Does Success Mean? What Definition Works for You?</title>
		<link>http://compellingconversations.com/blog/2009/08/10/what-does-success-mean-what-definition-works-for-you/</link>
		<comments>http://compellingconversations.com/blog/2009/08/10/what-does-success-mean-what-definition-works-for-you/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 11 Aug 2009 06:22:47 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Eric Roth</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[academic matters]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[censorship]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Compelling Conversations]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[educational philosophy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[EFL English as a Foreign Language]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ESL]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[a kinder]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[academic philosophy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Alain de Botton]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[career goals]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[defining success]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[English  teachers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ESL teachers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[gentler philosophy of success]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[George Bernard Shaw]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[philosophy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Quotations]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[setting goals]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[teaching abroad]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[teaching in Vietnam]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[TED.com]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[what matters?]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://compellingconversations.com/blog/?p=265</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Sometimes the simplest questions create the best conversations. 

What does success mean? What definition are you using? How is that definition working for you? 

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			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Sometimes the simplest questions create the best conversations. </p>
<p>What does success mean? What definition are you using? How is that definition working for you? </p>
<p>After a hectic summer teaching English and directing a private high school English program in Vietnam, I&#8217;ve been asking myself these questions quite a bit. I learned many lessons, deepened a close friendship with two old friends, met many fine <a href="http://compellingconversations.com/blog/2011/06/05/english-teachers-confront-billion-person-question/">English teachers</a>, and enjoyed working and living in a rapidly developing nation. I discovered new places, ate new dishes, and saw new sights. That sounds like success.</p>
<p>From a professional English teaching perspective, I also made some significant curriculum changes, adding more student-centered activities and oral presentations. Further, I oversaw the creation of a new, tailored version of <strong>Compelling Conversations: Questions and Quotations for Vietnamese <a href="http://compellingconversations.com/blog/2011/06/05/english-teachers-confront-billion-person-question/">English Language Learners</a>.</strong> From the resume perspective, the summer certainly was successful. The bank account shows progress. Success right? </p>
<p>Yet there were several disappointments and setbacks both inside and outside the private school and EFL classrooms too.  &#8220;Stunning&#8221; became an adjective of choice, and often as an expression of exasperation. The everyday restriction of information and huge income disparities continually discomforted me. I experienced culture shock for weeks, and often felt dislocated and ill at ease.  I didn&#8217;t exactly feel successful. Or at least, this success didn&#8217;t feel so comfortable. As George Bernard Shaw noted, &#8220;Success covers a multitude of blunders.&#8221; </p>
<p>Therefore, I&#8217;ve been reflecting on the meaning of career success, and having some wonderful conversations with friends and fellow English and ESL teachers. Do you know the website TED.com? I often go there for ideas &#8211; and sometimes classroom materials for advanced ESL students. </p>
<p>Today, this lecture on developing a kinder, gentler definition of success from a TED conference by Alain de Botton commanded my attention. With wit and humor, the philosophical author critiqued the contemporary obsession with career success. </p>
<p>Personally, I found Botton&#8217;s words and reflections refreshing and helpful. You might too. Listen for yourself, and found out!</p>
<p><a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/alain_de_botton_a_kinder_gentler_philosophy_of_success.html"></p>
<p>http://www.ted.com/talks/alain_de_botton_a_kinder_gentler_philosophy_of_success.html</a></p>
<p>Ask more. Know more. Share more.<br />
Create Compelling Conversations.<br />
Visit www.CompellingConversations.com</p>
<p><a href='http://www.ted.com/talks/alain_de_botton_a_kinder_gentler_philosophy_of_success.html' >A kinder, gentler definition of success</a></p>
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		<title>Standardized Exams: Ends or Means?</title>
		<link>http://compellingconversations.com/blog/2009/06/21/lets-be-humanistic-english-teachers-not-linguistic-technicians/</link>
		<comments>http://compellingconversations.com/blog/2009/06/21/lets-be-humanistic-english-teachers-not-linguistic-technicians/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 21 Jun 2009 16:28:37 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Chimayo Press</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[academic matters]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[adult education]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[educational philosophy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[EFL English as a Foreign Language]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[English class]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[English curriculum]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ESL]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[language debate]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[language schools]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Teaching matters]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[a global tongue]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[English  teachers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[teaching English]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[test prep]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[TOEFL]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[tyranny of standardized testing]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://compellingconversations.com/blog/?p=256</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[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.
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			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>We Just Want a High TOEFL Score!</p>
<p>Students often need solid TOEFL scores to study abroad, including the United States, Canada, Australia, and the United Kingdom. Naturally, this need &#8211; and ambition &#8211; often makes reaching a certain number on the TOEFL exam as the goal of their English studies.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, sometimes these imperfect standardized exams &#8211; all attempts to measure language ability of <a href="http://compellingconversations.com/blog/2011/06/05/english-teachers-confront-billion-person-question/">English language learners</a> &#8211; become a goal in and of itself. Consequently,  some students and stressed parents want all their English classes to primarily focus on test preparation. &#8220;We just need a good TOEFL score&#8221; mantra can lead to pressure on private high schools and language programs to exclude material unrelated directly to the influential ETS exam.</p>
<p>Let me suggest that this worshipping at the altar of standardized test scores can distort, even pervert, English language instruction. While excellent, specialized test preparation courses serve a vital purpose, they should be small parts of a larger English curriculum. 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 &#8211; both inside and outside the classrooms and away from multiple choice exams.</p>
<p>Edgar Allen Poe, Shakespeare, John Steinbeck, and Jack London may or may not appear on the next TOEFL test, but high school and older English students should be exposed to their writings. We do not want to throw away our humanistic cultural heritage and reduce our English and ESL classes into mere test training. The TOEFL exam is a means, not an end in and of itself.</p>
<p>Likewise, we need &#8211; as <a href="http://compellingconversations.com/blog/2011/06/05/english-teachers-confront-billion-person-question/">English teachers</a> &#8211; to remember that ideas matter, celebrate our dynamic language,  and avoid the temptation to become grammar fundamentalists or mere language technicians. Learning English, a global tongue, allows students to move beyond the narrow confines of their local language and more easily join the global village. Let&#8217;s keep those larger goals &#8211; and the humanities &#8211; in the English curriculum.</p>
<p>Ask more. Know more. Share more.<br />
Create <a href="http://www.CompellingConversations.com">Compelling Conversations</a>.<br />
Visit <a title="Compelling Conversations" href="http://www.CompellingConversations.com">www.CompellingConversations.com</a></p>
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