Teaching English and Foreign Languages to Disabled or Handicapped Learners

Handicapped or Disabled English Learners
In some institutions, disabled learners study English for both academia and communicative purposes. Basically, two forms of disability are encountered by English, as a second or foreign language, teachers; physical and mental. Adaptation of methodologies and didactics for teaching and learning success with handicapped learners or with learners who may be disabled in some way can help to improve teaching and learning with many other types of EFL class groups and therefore merits the attention of all EFL or ESL language professionals. .

Physical Disabilities

At the Santiago de Cali University where I teach, students are allowed to enter programs even when physically disabled or handicapped in some ways. There are legally or physically blind (invident), wheelchair-bound and cerebrally palsied students currently enrolled and engaged in academic study along side of regular students. These disabled or handicapped learners can be subjected to distinctive problems and difficulties in integrating into an EFL, ESL or foreign language class room setting.

A few commonly encountered problems include:

• Not being able to access institutional facilities
• Need for specially-adapted teaching and learning methods
• Class schedule adjustments
• Specialized programming of computer room and listening lab facilities
• Alteration of language acquisition methods
• Sensitivity to environmental conditions like heat, cold, noise and lighting
• Highly-focused or distinct learning styles and learning characteristics
• Need for alternative methods for note-taking and test-taking
• Need for multi-media format texts, classes and input sessions

Mental Disabilities

Although mental disabilities are more strictly monitored and controlled as far as student admissions are concerned, nonetheless they can be encountered at a number of institutions, most likely those that specialized in these types of learners. I think that in many cases grouping “these types” of learners together may be doing more harm than good, but that’s another story not intended for this short article post. From schizophrenia to Autism and ADD to even Alzheimer’s, learners actually may benefit more by being placed in, learning and functioning in a “normal” environment. The same may be true for selected Home-schooled learners at certain points in their academic growth and development. Not in each and every case, mind you, but only in a selected number of them.

The Need for Adaptive Methodology and Didactics

The need for adaptive methodologies and didactics when teaching disabled or handicapped learners cannot be over-emphasized. Rather than “lumping these types of learners together”, more may actually be accomplished by “mainstreaming” more of them and adapting the EFL or ESL methodologies and didactics to suit class groups of more widely diverse learners. This is highly effective for virtually ANY class group of language learners and not just simply a means of addressing the needs of handicapped learners. In my experience, action research and investigations, I have definitely found this to be true, albeit on a somewhat limited scale.

… to be continued …

Be sure to check out “An Interview with Prof. Larry M. Lynch” online at:
http://www.e1-network.com/professor_larry_lynch.html


Prof. Larry M. Lynch is an EFL Teacher Trainer, Intellectual Development Specialist, prolific writer, author and public speaker. He has written ESP, foreign language learning, English language teaching texts and hundreds of articles used in more than 100 countries. Get your FREE E-book, "If you Want to Teach English Abroad, Here's What You Need to Know" by requesting the title at: lynchlarrym@gmail.com Need a blogger or copywriter to promote your school, institution, service or business or an experienced writer and vibrant SEO content for your website, blog or newsletter? Then E-mail me for further information.

The Trinity College London Licentiate Diploma

Years ago, when I was asked to state why I wanted to do the Trinity College London Licentiate Diploma Course, here's what I wrote:

There are several reasons why I wish to successfully complete the Trinity College Licentiate Diploma course. Briefly they are as follows :

The Trinity College Licentiate Diploma
The DELTA, Trinity College Licentiate Diploma or other certified advanced diploma credential is widely recognized and accepted as an advanced qualification in teaching English as a foreign language. In my current place of employment as an EFL professional, there are no courses or programs available for the advancement of English teachers whether native or non-native speakers of English. So, acquiring to higher level work or studies in the field are limited at best, non-existent at worst. As a native English-speaking English teacher with more than 14 years of EFL / ESL teaching experience, one of the few options I have of improving my value here at the Santiago de Cali University would be to complete a certified, recognized DELTA, Trinity College Licentiate Diploma or another advanced ELT diploma program outside of Colombia.

The British Council
I have worked briefly with the British Council here in Cali, Colombia as a substitute CELTA-level Teacher Trainer and wish to improve my qualifications formally with the option of applying for a Teacher Trainer position full time. This would require an advanced English teaching credential such as the DELTA, Trinity College Licentiate Diploma or other diploma level program since I presently meet most other requisites based on previous education and English teaching experience.

Problems in Colombia
Social, political and living conditions here in Colombia where I currently live and work, continue to deteriorate, violence against civilians is rapidly escalating, and having an advanced credential such as a DELTA or the Trinity College Licentiate Diploma would greatly improve my chances of obtaining a Senior EFL teaching position, an EFL Teacher Trainer position or an ELT Administrative position in another country when I exercise the option of moving to another location.

I am interested in exploring EFL teaching possibilities in Europe (Spain), if possible, or another Spanish-speaking country, North Africa (Morocco) or Asia (India). The diploma combined with my extensive EFL teaching and ELT topic presentation experience, publication of more than 100 articles, papers, reports, academic texts and student practice workshops would be an invaluable asset in supporting my bid for an upper-level ELT position in another foreign country.

A CELTA-level TEFL Certificate
Currently, I hold a CELTA-level TEFL certificate from TransWorld Teachers Institute in San Francisco, California (1993) and a TBE (Teaching of Business English) certificate from the Teacher’s Development Institute in Boston, Massachusetts (2002). An Trinity College Licentiate Diploma added to these in addition to my 14 years of EFL teaching experience would be an additional springboard for improving my knowledge of English language teaching and learning, ELT level, position and options for a continued career in teaching English as a Foreign Language or moving up permanently to available Teacher Trainer or ELT Administrative positions in countries worldwide.


Be sure to check out “An Interview with Prof. Larry M. Lynch” online at:
http://www.e1-network.com/professor_larry_lynch.html


Prof. Larry M. Lynch is an EFL Teacher Trainer, Intellectual Development Specialist, prolific writer, author and public speaker. He has written ESP, foreign language learning, English language teaching texts and hundreds of articles used in more than 100 countries. Get your FREE E-book, "If you Want to Teach English Abroad, Here's What You Need to Know" by requesting the title at: lynchlarrym@gmail.com Need a blogger or copywriter to promote your school, institution, service or business or an experienced writer and vibrant SEO content for your website, blog or newsletter? Then E-mail me for further information.

Part 2 - Professional English Teachers Desperately Needed

More Stories From TEFL Administrators
We continue here with more "horror stories" from ravaged TEFL administrators. And you thought only English teachers had "problems"? Just take a look at this.

Dress Codes? What Dress Codes?
Dress codes, resumes, punctuality and attendance; does this sum up the apparent worst of the infractions? No, my friends, it doesn’t. We haven’t dipped into the actual interview itself yet. At one point a hiring manager at Lingua Cultura Institute in Mexico City had me laughing out loud at some of the “antics” that she’d experienced during English teacher interviews. “One applicant actually asked me not to schedule her for any classes on Mondays or Fridays because she needed those days to make a for-day weekend each week for her partying.” She didn’t get the job at this prestigious, well-paying institute. Now she can party forever.

Strange Requests
Applicants have made strange requests as pact of their employment prospects. “Can I bring my dog to class?, cuz’ I can’t get anyone to watch him during the time I’m not home. He’s very destructive, you see.” What do YOU think the interviewer said? Professor Stephen Bradbury told me, “I did know an English teacher who took his Bassett Hound to class. The dog slept on the floor at the front of the class while the teacher was lecturing.” That situation endured for quite some time although you may wish to note, that the “dog lover” no longer works as an English teacher. Word gets around. Requests for “special favors”, illicit “loans” or payment for un-worked time are unprofessional and out-of-place. In a word, “Don’t do it.”, advises Chloe Conway de Pacheco of the Centro de Idiomas Del Sureste, one of Merida’s largest language schools.

Be Professional
If you’re going to work in Mexico (or any where else for that matter), be a professional. Let’s prepare well for interviews. Even though you’re a native speaker of English, “Be prepared to take an English evaluation”, warns interviewer Mario Robles Luengas at Hamer – Sharp in Mexico City’s Zona Rosa. Be sure to roof-read resumes and cover letters. Let’s maintain an acceptable attendance record on our jobs, dress for success, and avoid proliferation of the “ugly American” stereotype in any way to our south-of-the-border neighbors and employers. To assist in providing aspects of proper protocol in business and some personal matters while in Mexico, timely short features on working in Mexico will address topics of interest to us all. Some will be news. Others will be reminders. All should be useful.

Be sure to check out “An Interview with Prof. Larry M. Lynch” online at:
http://www.e1-network.com/professor_larry_lynch.html



Prof. Larry M. Lynch is an EFL Teacher Trainer, Intellectual Development Specialist, prolific writer, author and public speaker. He has written ESP, foreign language learning, English language teaching texts and hundreds of articles used in more than 120 countries. Get your FREE E-book, "If you Want to Teach English Abroad, Here's What You Need to Know" by requesting the title at: lynchlarrym@gmail.com Need a blogger or copywriter to promote your school, institution, service or business or an experienced writer and vibrant SEO content for your website, blog or newsletter? Then E-mail me for further information.

Professional English Teachers Desperately Needed

A Disturbing Trend
When I began interviewing school, institute and university English department heads for information and commentary, a disturbing pattern began to emerge.

At first the interviews went pretty much according to script. As the managers became more comfortable, however, the flow began to change. When they realized that there was truly a forum by means of which some impact might possibly be made, the tone changed entirely. Then the complaints began to flow. Javier Garcia, Director of the Pochcalli Institute of Languages in the city of Oaxaca, said that he has had “many problems with teachers who don't complete the course contract period or who are lax in showing up to teach assigned classes”.

Horror Stories Came Out
Initially, I hadn’t considered touching on basic premises for job hunting and interviewing. Dress codes? No one wants or needs a primer on THAT in this day and age. Or do they? According to the people I’ve interviewed, who are in positions of responsibility for hiring or recommending the hiring of new teachers and professors, I was wrong. Horror stories came out in droves. Tales of applicants showing up for interviews in tattered jeans, T-shirts and baseball caps, with copious body-piercings and gaze-arresting tattoos abounded. “When I informed the female applicant that we’d hire her for a position if she’d consider removing her visible body piercings, she got angry and stormed out of the interview.”, one Director related.

Quit Without Notice
Tales of teachers who quit without notice or who simply didn’t show up for classes on Mondays or Fridays, were rampant. “It actually took us until Wednesday to realize a teacher had quit.”, another school director commented. “When we called the house he was rooming in, they informed us he had left on a backpacking tour.” “So what happened to the class?”, I asked. “We couldn’t get another teacher and had to cancel that group. It hurt the school’s reputation.”, was the sad response. “Now, we’re very leery of hiring non-Mexicans who just show up for an interview.” Working only long enough to secure sufficient funds for the next leg of your Mexico tour is a disservice, not only to the school, but to those of us who genuinely are teaching English as a viable career. You play – we (the serious teaching professionals) pay.

You Call THAT a Resume?
In Mexico City, Veracruz and especially in Acapulco and Cancun, hiring managers were enthusiastic about pulling out what passed for “resumes” to show me what they’re sometimes saddled with by less-than-sincere “applicants”. Some papers were not only sloppy, but shameless in their lack of attention and construction. Others were absolutely unbelievable. There were even a couple that were hand-written. Imagine applying for an English teacher position with numerous “typos” appearing on your hand-written resume! Even in resort cities, It’s no wonder new teachers can have a tough time getting “a foot in the door”.

In the next segment, we continue with more stories from ravaged administrators. Don't you dare miss it!

Be sure to check out this "Interview with Prof. Larry M. Lynch" online at:
http://www.e1-network.com/professor_larry_lynch.html




Prof. Larry M. Lynch is an EFL Teacher Trainer, Intellectual Development Specialist, prolific writer, author and public speaker. He has written ESP, foreign language learning, English language teaching texts and hundreds of articles used in more than 120 countries. Get your FREE E-book, "If you Want to Teach English Abroad, Here's What You Need to Know" by requesting the title at: lynchlarrym@gmail.com Need a blogger or copywriter to promote your school, institution, service or business or an experienced writer and vibrant SEO content for your website, blog or newsletter? Then E-mail me for further information.

Can You Spell Mississippi?

Now I have to say that I love a good clean joke as much as the next guy, so when I came across this pronunciation-dependent joke from the “Funny Cool Stuff” website, I just had to share it.








Can you spell Mississippi?

I always find geographical terms and names of places are the hardest to spell out. For example, like, the Mediterainians… I mean, Mediteraneans… Again! M-e-d-i-t-e-r-r-a-n-e-a-n-s.

Whew…

Then I found a humorous and fun way to remember how to spell “Mississippi” through this joke:

A bus stops and two Italian men get on. They sit down and engage in an
animated conversation. The lady sitting behind them ignores them at
first, but her attention is galvanized when she hears one of
the men say the following:

“Emma come first. Den I come. Den two asses come together. I come
once-a-more. Two asses, they come together again. I come again and pee
twice. Then I come one lasta time.”

“You foul mouthed swine,” retorted the lady indignantly. “In this
country we don’t talk about our sex lives in public!”

“Hey, coola down lady,” said the man. “Who talkin’ abouta sexa? I’m
just tellin’ my frienda how to spella ‘Mississippi’.”

So how about you? Did you get it? Hope you got at least a smile.

Part 2 - What Are the Best Toys for Your Young Learners to Play With?

Which Toys are Really “Best”?
In considering what toys to provide for their children, parents should allow for a variety of toy types and kinds. Modern toys as well as traditional toys need to be available to permit a full range of emotional and intellectual growth. Which toys are really “best”? This actually depends on several factors such as the culture, practicalities and the child himself or herself.

Traditional vs. Modern Toys
Traditional toys are still available in quantity because they not only provide vital outlets for child development, but have survived the test of time itself. Tops, Yo-yos, rag dolls, carved case and trucks, bicycles, skates, rubber and other balls of every size and material, and the classic, age-old wagon are examples of traditional toys. “homemade” noise-makers are also included as traditional toys. “Have you ever watched – and listened to a tot bang on pots, pans, bottles, furniture and even the floor for, gasp!, hours on end?” These need no batteries, sound effects or automatically-provided motions to be highly effective, absorbing to the maximum a child’s full attention span. They work on some of the best power imaginable – the child’s own mind. In Mexico, wooden traditional toys have been all the rage for decades. Better-made, less expensive and longer-lasting than most “electronic-based” and battery-operated toys, they will likely continue to be so.

Modern Toys Do Have a Place
This is not to say that modern toys have no place. They do, and can be highly effective as well – if judiciously selected based on the needs, temperament, personality, mental development and desires of the child. Games, dolls (with “active” elements) and scenarios like train or race car sets can be welcomed and effective developmental toys for children when combined with other types which stimulate play, imagination and aid in aspects of the child’s mental development. What are the best toys for your children to play with? Know the personality, character and developmental needs of your child and you’ll be much better prepared to make successful choices.

Please feel free to e-mail me at lynchlarrym@gmail.com with any questions, feedback or concerns you might have. For ideas on homemade toys for your children you might like to read my article, “Fun but Simple Creative Toys You or Your Kids Can Make”.


Prof. Larry M. Lynch is an EFL Teacher Trainer, Intellectual Development Specialist, author and speaker. He has written ESP, foreign language learning, English language teaching texts and hundreds of articles used in more than 100 countries. Get your FREE E-book,"If you Want to Teach English Abroad, Here's What You Need to Know" by requesting the title at: lynchlarrym@gmail.com Need a blogger or copywriter to promote your school, institution, service or business or an experienced writer and vibrant SEO content for your website, blog or newsletter? Then E-mail me for further information.

What Are the Best Toys for Your Young Learners to Play With? Part 1

Flash back to a Christmas Morning
Eyes wide and beaming with ear-to-ear smiles, a two year old boy and his five year old sister ripped open their Christmas presents one by one. A battery-powered doll that ”sings”, a new bike complete with flashers, siren and lights, a battery-powered set of race cars that pits two vehicles against each other around a closed track. Battery-powered lights flash, wheels whirl and engines “roar” while an overhead banner counts laps with colored lights and finally, declares a winner. It was a scene of utter joy on the part of the children and parents alike. But wait. I was becoming a bit leery of the scene unfolding before me.

Does Everything Use Batteries?

“Does everything use batteries”, I asked.

Apparently getting my point, the father nodded sheepishly in the affirmative before laughing out loud. How much value are such toys in the education of children and in helping to mold young, eager minds?

The two year old began to illustrate my point. He didn’t want to simply watch the red and black cars race around the tiered track. He wanted to play with the cars. Snatching the red one up, he rolled it back and forth on the floor in front of him ignoring the flashing lights and sound effects behind him.

“R-r-r-r-r-r”, “R-r-r-r-r-r-r”, “R-r-r-r-r-r-r”, he trilled, imitating a car engine.

“No, no son”, father responded, showing the boy how to turn on the battery-powered car sounds. The child watched and listened, fascinated for a few moments. Then, he’d have none of it.

“R-r-r-r-r-r”, “R-r-r-r-r-r-r”, “R-r-r-r-r-r-r”, he sounded again, the car back in his hand whirring across the cool tile floor.

What is a Toy?
Webster’s New World Dictionary defines “toy” as “an article to play with; especially a plaything for children.” The key point I want to make is that children play with or use the toy. They are not passive observers. Toys should NOT be the kind that a child just sits and watches. They MUST be “interactive” tools for children to have any true development.

What Toys Do
Toys can provide numerous aspects and functions. Some of the more important of these include:

• Stimulate role play and modeling of cultural behaviors
• Help to develop critical perceptive skills
• Help to develop and fine tune motor skills
• Directly stimulate right brain development of visual-spatial aspects and color
• Aid in development of critical thinking
• Provide a channel for development of emotional intelligence
• Educate children in a variety of ways (which can be positive or negative)
• Entertain young, developing minds

We'll continue this theme in part two of this two-part article post. See you then.


Prof. Larry M. Lynch is an EFL Teacher Trainer, Intellectual Development Specialist, author and speaker. He has written ESP, foreign language learning, English language teaching texts and hundreds of articles used in more than 100 countries. Get your FREE E-book,"If you Want to Teach English Abroad, Here's What You Need to Know" by requesting the title at: lynchlarrym@gmail.com Need a blogger or copywriter to promote your school, institution, service or business or an experienced writer and vibrant SEO content for your website, blog or newsletter? Then E-mail me for further information.

Teaching English in Cali, There is Salsa in the air

Problems in Colombia
Even with all the changes and problems in Colombia, Cali retains a homey charm, a personality different from other cities, an atmosphere you might expect to find in the Caribbean at times. Kathleen Romoli, author of “Colombia: Gateway to South America”, describes it well:

“The most striking thing about Cali today is not the Plaza Caicedo with it imposing government buildings and rows of taxis, along the avenues of giant palms, nor the suburbs with their modem villas, and churches, whose bells chime melodies instead of clanging as it Bogotá, nor the busy factories. It is the pervasive air of cheerfulness almost of gaiety- not that it is a city of many amusements; Cali is not gay by virtue of commercial facilities for organized diversion but by the grace of god.”

Cali Attracts Travelers
Cali attracts travelers from all over; tourists, businessmen, back packers, scientists, and students; and of course, salsa fans and salsa artists. Recording studios, “rumberias”, ”discothèques” and “viejotecas” abound in many sections of the city.

What is Cali’s appeal? The city’s buoyant atmosphere? The spectacular sunsets? The natural beauty of the soaring Farallones mountains? The vaunted beauty of its women? Perhaps it’s the climate where it’s always “June”. Or could it be its remarkable cleanliness? Many Colombian towns are clean, but Cali is so clean it stands out. Or maybe it’s the trees, greenery and flowers—the billowing crimson and purple bougainvilla that tumbles in profusion from the walls, the cup-of-gold that drips from the eaves, the waxy bells of the trumpet flow, the poinsettia bushes, gorgeous gardenias, the trees with magenta leaves and carmine flowers or others with feathery green—white blossoms or pale clusters of pink—the wild extravagance of blooms among which iridescent green-bellied hummingbirds flit even in winter.

Presently though, the city has temporarily lost some of its more charming aspects. Streets and thoroughfares lie muddy and broken as a new mass-transit system, the MIO, is being constructed. Nonetheless, residents hope that later this year, as the construction finally finishes, that the city will regain much of its beauty and friendliness.


Prof. Larry M. Lynch is an EFL Teacher Trainer, Intellectual Development Specialist, author and speaker. He has written ESP, foreign language learning, English language teaching texts and hundreds of articles used in more than 100 countries. Get your FREE E-book,"If you Want to Teach English Abroad, Here's What You Need to Know" by requesting the title at: lynchlarrym@gmail.com Need a blogger or copywriter to promote your school, institution, service or business or an experienced writer and vibrant SEO content for your website, blog or newsletter? Then E-mail me for further information.

Teaching English in Colombia: Welcome to Cali

Welcome to Chango’s
You step through the darkened entranceway, leaving the tropical night behind. Suddenly, waves of sound crash over you like ocean surf. Breaking out in a sweat, your heart pounds to the rhythm of bass, bongos, bells and brass. The walls seem to pulsate. The pungent smell of perspiration mixed with perfume assaults you. As your eyes adjust to the dark, broken by hypnotic flashes of the multi-colored strobes, you realize it’s not walls that enclose you, but dancers— scores of dancers gyrating, weaving and swirling, limbs flashing, hips thrusting in quarter—time beat. You fill your lungs with the spicy aroma, tighten your belt a notch and plunge in. Welcome to Chango’s in Cali, Colombia - one of Latin America's hottest Salsa night clubs.

Cali, a modern, festive city of two and a half million residents, lies in the heart of “the Valley.” when Colombians say “the Valley” they mean the Cauca valley, a not so little Garden of Eden a hundred-fifty miles long and some fifteen miles wide between the coastal mountain ranges and the Central Cordillera. Until the turn of the century, this valIey was little more than a rural outpost.

The Cauca Valley
Back then, with a population of some 15,000, the Cauca Valley was largely cattle country, parceled out in vast tracts among the “haciendados.” These were proud, almost haughty men who raised cattle for leather and beef. Some had plantations of sugar cane used to produce the sweetener “panela” and distill the crystal-clear but potent “aguardiente” still sipped today. Life was slow, measured, patriarchal and unchanging.

It has been said that the Cauca region is to Colombia what the South is to the United States. Indeed, there are similarities. In bygone days “hidalgos walked the unpaved “calles” in coats of velvet or scarlet broadcloth embroidered and buttoned with gold and silver, their waistcoats of flowered silk, and the ruffles of their shirts were of the finest batiste,” says Kathleen Romoli, author of “Colombia: Gateway to South America”. And like the Southern states in colonial rimes, large numbers of slaves were imported to work the fields and serve the gentry.

Sugar Cane Country
Time has brought many changes. Today vast sugar cane plantations still carpet the Valley. Mechanized production of cotton, rice and cattle has turned the Cauca Valley into Colombia’s most important agricultural area, after “King Coffee”. And with economic growth has come industry. A leisurely colonial town in 1900, Cali has grown into a large manufacturing center with more than a thousand industries at last count.


Prof. Larry M. Lynch is an EFL Teacher Trainer, Intellectual Development Specialist, author and speaker. He has written ESP, foreign language learning, English language teaching texts and hundreds of articles used in more than 100 countries. Get your FREE E-book,"If you Want to Teach English Abroad, Here's What You Need to Know" by requesting the title at: lynchlarrym@gmail.com Need a blogger or copywriter to promote your school, institution, service or business or an experienced writer and vibrant SEO content for your website, blog or newsletter? Then E-mail me for further information.

Living and Teaching English in Cali, Colombia – No Salsa, No Dates

No Salsa No Dates
Cali has all the amenities typically offered by most large, first-world cities. But undoubtedly for many, the principal attraction that lures them to this charming city is Salsa music. The sensuous, tropical rhythms of Salsa pervade the lives of the two million plus Caleños. On every bus you’ll hear Salsa. Go for a walk, to school or shopping there’s salsa in the air. And, of course there’s Salsa on almost all of the more than two dozen local radio stations. All over town, 24-hours a day, Salsa blasts from speakers on the streets, in parks, in stores, from cars, portable radios and private homes. Cali lives and breathes Salsa.


But why Salsa?
Many other musical traditions, styles and types of folk music flourish in Cali (including the traditional Cumbia, where machete wielding dancers stomp around full-busted women in ruffled skirts). What’s so special about Salsa? After all Vallenatos, a brand of folk music with roots back to the days of the Spanish conquistadors, is still hugely popular—especially as sung by the likes of Colombia’s Grammy award winner Carlos Vives(pictured). Boleros (check out Luis Miguel’s “Inolvidable”) and Merengue continue to have strong followings here.

Why has this one style ingrained itself so deeply into the culture? To aficionados the answer is simple: “I love salsa music.” Whatever the reason for it’s universal popularity in Cali, Salsa is more than just music, more than a dance. It’s an indispensable social skill explains my friend, Carmenza, “No salsa—no dates.” You can’t meet others if you can’t dance.” And that’s why there are salsa dance schools throughout the city. You pay for lessons by the hour. Prices range from $6 up to $10 per hour for more private, one-on-one instruction. Group classes fu up fast. Salsa classes are not just the place to go for learning, but to practice and perfect your moves or pick up some new ones. They’re a good “meeting place” for neighborhood residents. “It’s important to dance very well or you’re boring,” says Sofia, an avid Salsa fan.

The Salsa Capital of the World
Cali calls itself the “Salsa Capital, of the World,” a title wrenched from post-Fidel Cuba and often shared with New York City. But even those who might take exception to “World Capital” will agree that Cali is certainly the “Salsa Capital of South America.” The top Latin salsa performers, like New York’s Jerry “King of 54th Street” Gonzalez, regularly fly in to strut their stuff. At any given time you can see all the famous names in salsa, artists hike Cuba’s “Queen of Salsa,” Celia Cruz; guitarist, singer and songwriter Juan Luis Guerra from the Dominican Republic; Frank Raul Grillo, the Cuban American also known as Machito; Reuben Blades, the popular Panamanian singer, songwriter, actor and politician renowned for his musical innovations as well as traditional Salsa; Willie Colon; Oscar d’Leon, and many others.

Prof. Larry M. Lynch is an EFL Teacher Trainer, Intellectual Development Specialist, author and speaker. He has written ESP, foreign language learning, English language teaching texts and hundreds of articles used in more than 100 countries. Get your FREE E-book,"If you Want to Teach English Abroad, Here's What You Need to Know" by requesting the title at: lynchlarrym@gmail.com Need a blogger or copywriter to promote your school, institution, service or business or an experienced writer and vibrant SEO content for your website, blog or newsletter? Then E-mail me for further information.

Cali, Salsa Capitol of the World

Different Styles and Variations of Salsa
You don’t have to go far in this city of dancers to hear all the different styles and variations of Salsa. The suburb of Juanchito, with 120 of the hottest dance halls, is the throbbing rhythmic heart of Cali’s Salsa nightlife. Every week throughout the year, two hundred thousand locals pour into this eastern suburb to party. Cali teems with discos and “viejotecas” for the young and not so young. Latinos of younger generations typically favor a smoother, more sentimental music known as Salsa Romantica, popularized by bandleaders such as Eddie Santiago and Tito Nieves. Internationally popular salsa singers of the 1990s included Linda “India” Caballero and Mark Anthony. The Puerto Rico-based orchestra “Puerto Rican Power” is another hot group with ardent fans both in Cali and Puerto Rico.

Photo: Prof. Larry M. Lynch and his Colombian wife, Doris

It’s Worth a Trip to Cali to Hear …
While it’s thrilling to hear famous performers of Salsa music from abroad, don’t forget Cali’s many own outstanding world class groups and musicians of Salsa fame blending the old with the new, the classic and the innovative. It’s worth a trip to Cali just to hear the vibrant non-traditional sounds of Jairo Varela and the Grupo Niche. Or other artists like “Son de Cali,” the all—female “Orchestra Canela” and Lisandro Meza who also inject new blood into Cali´s Salsa scene. These and the intoxicating classic Salsa sounds of Kike Santander, Joe Arroyo and Eddy Martinez thunder through the air and flow in the veins of ”coca-colos” (late teens to early 20s adolescents) and “cuchos” alike in discos, salsatecas and even in viejotecas that draw the over-35 crowd.

When I Arrived in Cali
When I arrived in Cali in 1995, I thought my salsa was OK. After all, I’d picked up some smooth moves from a bevy of hot Puerto Rican beauties during a summer stint in San Juan. Even back in my home state of Pennsylvania, there were opportunities on Friday or Saturday nights to slip out and mix with Latinos at our local Hispanic watering holes. I’d perfected a double-quick step in a rectangular pattern, too, and added whirls and spins to the heavy beat. I had no trouble getting, and keeping, dance partners. Then in Miami, during a Labor Day weekend retreat, I met a Latin cutie. I invited her for dinner and dancing later that week at “La Cima,” one of the city’s top Salsa clubs, to show off my moves. She was impressed. A year later we married and after a couple more years we moved to her native Colombia.

Colombian salsa is a different beast. The style, rhythm and beat are similar in other places but it’s a different story on the dance floor. My feet recognized the beat, but behaved as if 1 were wearing Bozo shoes. For a while, 1 stuck to downtown places like “Cuarto Venina,” perched on the banks of the brownish, knee-deep Cali River. It’s listening only, no dancing here. The music is so subdued you can carry on a conversation over "empanadas" and cold “Costeña” beer. It can be just the right touch for a Sunday afternoon. Nowadays, my Latin cutie and 1 are considered “cuchos” (the over-45 set). It’s been many years now. We’re still here though, our 14th wedding anniversary is this month. We're still dancing Salsa.
… and I’m still showing off my moves.

Prof. Larry M. Lynch is an EFL Teacher Trainer, Intellectual Development Specialist, author and speaker. He has written ESP, foreign language learning, English language teaching texts and hundreds of articles used in more than 100 countries. Get your FREE E-book,"If you Want to Teach English Abroad, Here's What You Need to Know" by requesting the title at: lynchlarrym@gmail.com Need a blogger or copywriter to promote your school, institution, service or business or an experienced writer and vibrant SEO content for your website, blog or newsletter? Then E-mail me for further information.

Avoiding English Language Teaching Job Scams at Home and Abroad

Scams in English Language Teaching
These are definitely some interesting insights into one of the problems and pitfalls of being an EFL professional a couple of which are intricately detailed at ESL Daily. It is most unfortunate that scams in English Language Teaching abroad are on the rise. Not only are EFL teaching job scams becoming a problem, but other types of scams as well. This can be especially true in Mexico and Latin America. The "Latin Fantasy", "Pesca Milagrosa" and "Pacquete Chileno" are some of the most commonly-attempted fleecing operations encountered by foreigners. Locals target you because they know your communicative ability in the local language may well be limited or virtually non-existent and you lack an in-depth knowledge of local culture, procedures and customs.

Use Your Own Common Sense
Common sense would dictate that when considering employment abroad, a prospective EFL teacher should use common sense in investigating any job offers, searching for jobs posted online only at reputable TEFL jobs sites and consider what is being offered in the way of salary, and amenities and benefits with a truly cautious, but informed eye. If you suspect that a posted EFL job is a scam, you should notify the job board where the job was posted and contact me on this blog or e-mail me directly at: lynchlarrym@gmail.com I’ll try to help you in making an informed decision and in notifying others in the TEFL community of the offender. You can also contact local and national government offices, the police and official websites to inform them of your plight, if or when you fall into a problem.

Not Just TEFL Jobs Can Have Scams Involved
Teaching English as a Foreign Language abroad jobs however, are not the only types of scams you should watch out for. There are numerous others which are targeted to the unwary foreigner, as we’ve mentioned earlier. In upcoming posts, I’ll detail some of the most common of these to help you to be aware of what these scams and cons look and sound like. Again, the best defense against being ripped off, is your own finely-tuned common sense and informed preparation for living and working abroad. You should also visit the forums on ESL Daily and others linked to above for additional input and information. You do not need to become a scam victim or remain a victim. There are many of us in the TEFL community who are willing to assist you in making your EFL teaching dreams a pleasant, memorable reality. There are a multitude of serious teaching jobs available for those willing to qualify and search for them. We’ll be seeing you with more information on this topic shortly.


Prof. Larry M. Lynch is an EFL Teacher Trainer, Intellectual Development Specialist, prolific writer, author and public speaker. He has written ESP, foreign language learning, English language teaching texts and hundreds of articles used in more than 100 countries. Get your FREE Home-Schooling E-book, "If You Want to Teach English Abroad, Here’s What You Need to Know" by requesting the title at: lynchlarrym@gmail.com Need a blogger or copywriter to promote your school, institution, service or business or an experienced writer and vibrant SEO content for your website, blog or newsletter? Then E-mail me for further information.

The 5 Key Photo Types You Must Take When Traveling, Teaching or Living Abroad

Add Value to Your Travels Abroad
To add value to your travel editor queries and travel writing assignments, no author should be without photos, images and graphics to enhance your multi-media package offer. Not only does a cache of related, available images boost the saleability of your writing, but the photos themselves can also be sold individually or in packages. If you teach English as a foreign language or are an ex-pat living and working abroad, these tips and techniques will most certainly work for you too. Travel, food and stock photography is an excellent way to pull in some quick, extra cash while teaching English as a foreign language abroad. Here are five indispensable shots you'll need to get no matter where you might travel to.

1. Overall Views and Vistas
Where are you? A panoramic or overall scene is indispensable. Is it a seaport? Is it in the mountains? Is it a valley location? Is the location a seaside one? How about at the base of a volcano? Find a scenic vista of your location and get a variety of angles of it. Need a hint or clue? Try looking for postcard scenes of the area and you'll have an idea for starters.

2. People on Location
Unless you're in Antarctica, be sure to get shots of the locals at work and at play or simply going about their normal daily life. Seek out what's different, unique or unusual. The clothes, the lifestyle, environment, and customs are all good for photo ops while abroad. Make sure to ask for permission to photograph people. Won't people say "No"? You'll find that the vast majority won't, and the very few who do deny you won't be dross about it. Nobody's ever pulled out a pistol and shot at me yet - although I did have a crabby old French woman in Paris hit me over the head with a rolled up newspaper once. But that's another story.

3. Signs and Location Markers
An often overlooked but useful and quite salable shot is of street, road, highway, city and location name signs. You know, the ones that say, "Welcome to ..." In any location there could be many such signs - some of them even quite colorful, unique or interesting in some way. These kinds of shots are also great for photo shows and presentations. Look around for a few, wherever you are.

4. Action and Human Interest
So, what's happening around town? A festival? A pageant? A regional fair?A local holiday parade? Is there any folk dancing or special celebration in the works? Ask around and be sure to check the festivities out. This category can cover a broad range of interest-grabbing images. You could even shoot some short videos of the action, whatever it is. You never know.

5. Close-up Photography
There's a world of colorful, unique shots waiting for you just beyond the end of your nose. Images like food, animals and insects, flowers and plants, textures, patterns, clothing and architectural details are only a few of the areas to consider for attention-grabbing close-ups and macro images.

Not on an Assignment?
You're not on assignment, you say? Well, if you're traveling on business, or on vacation then getting these five key types of images help in snagging some not-too-shabby-cash flowing your way. And besides, who knows what doors will be opened for you during the process of seeking out and positioning yourself to get those "got-to-have-it" images?

The only one stopping you from making some quick, extra cash on a steady basis from your travel, food and stock photos photography is you. So pull your camera out of mothballs and get to it.


Prof. Larry M. Lynch is an EFL Teacher Trainer, Intellectual Development Specialist, prolific writer, author and public speaker. He has written ESP, foreign language learning, English language teaching texts and hundreds of articles used in more than 100 countries. Get your FREE E-book, "If You Want to Teach English Abroad, Here’s What You Need to Know" by requesting the title at: lynchlarrym@gmail.com Need a blogger or copywriter to promote your school, institution, service or business or an experienced writer and vibrant SEO content for your website, blog or newsletter? Then E-mail me for further information.

5 Keys to Boosting Your Brain and Memory for a Better Quality of Life

Healthier, Happier and Live Longer
All of us want to be healthier, happier and live longer, more productive lives. Essential to quality of life are a good brain and memory, greater intelligence and being mentally active. Here are five useful keys to help you in re-vamping your lifestyle, improving your health and boosting your mental capacity.

1. Minimize or Eliminate Causes of Stress
Not only is excess stress bad for your mental processes, it’s harmful to your health and can even be a killer. Other aids to help minimize stress include getting enough sleep along with cutting down on consumption of caffeine from soft drinks, tea or coffee. Not more than two cups of coffee a day is the recommendation. One other stress-busting key is to laugh a lot and have more fun. Have you ever seen a stressed-out person at an amusement park? (other than a caregiver with too many charges). Take time to enjoy your life more.

2. Become More Active Mentally
Do brain-teasers, work a variety of different games or puzzles. Try your hand at some crosswords, anything to get that gray matter working for a change. Play checkers, chess, backgammon, Monopoly or any other of numerous board games. You could also play card games. Bridge, Poker and other parlor card games are making a comeback from the video-game fever that has swept across the cultures of countries around the world. Whatever you do you need to challenge your brain. Only then will it respond, develop and grow

3. Eat Brain-Boosting foods
Brain-healthy fats like Omega-3, aid can not only in slowing down the onset of mind-debilitating disorders but can promote mental acuity. Consume more Olive oil, fish, and walnuts along with foods high in anti-oxidants as studies show they may actually increase mental ability. You should eat less unrefined carbohydrates - instant and processed foods can spike your blood sugar thus reducing brain function. Get the lowdown on a complete dietary overhaul by visiting a Dietician or Nutritionist.

4. Become More Physically Active
Links between reduced Alzheimer’s risk and regular physical activity has been well-established by doctors and numerous medical studies. So move it. Go for walks, jog, join a gym, take up a physical sport or go bowling. Be sure to get a medical checkup before engaging in any rigorous physical activity, but by all means do something for your muscles, heart and mind.

5. Improve Your General Health
Your general health greatly impacts your mental abilities or lack thereof. As your health improves, so will your mental skills in general. Quit smoking, or better yet, abandon any use of tobacco including, dipping, chewing, etc. Nicotine and other tobacco by products are transmitted into your system in different ways so switching from one form of tobacco use will not be of any benefit.

Other health-promoting tips include, but are not limited to:

• Don’t use addictive drugs
• Drink alcohol in moderation
• Have regular medical check ups

Learn and Practice a New Hobby or Skill
Make time to boost your mental activity by:

• Taking a class (preferably not a sedentary one like needlepoint, etc.)
• Learning a new sport, hobby or activity
• Learn an interesting new skill, even a new language

It's Never Too Late
It’s never too late to grow mentally or learn. If I can be of any further help or you have a specific question, please feel free to contact me at the site listed below. Try these six useful keys to augment your lifestyle to aid you to live a healthier, happier, longer, more productive life.


Prof. Larry M. Lynch is an EFL Teacher Trainer, Intellectual Development Specialist, prolific writer, author and public speaker. He has written ESP, foreign language learning, English language teaching texts and hundreds of articles used in more than 100 countries. Get your FREE EFL e-book, "If You Want to Teach English Abroad, Here’s What You Need to Know" by requesting the title at: lynchlarrym@gmail.com Need a blogger or copywriter to promote your school, institution, service or business or an experienced writer and vibrant SEO content for your website, blog or newsletter? Then E-mail me for further information.

Is EFL or ESL English Teaching Practical for Home Schooling?

Home Schooling is Popular
Home schooling is becoming increasingly popular. Why? Because in some areas schools are too dangerous to consider. Parents want to have more control over their child’s learning environment. Schools in some districts lack essential quality in resources and staff to effectively educate children for the challenges of today’s global society. With home schooling, parents are able to expand the learning platform of their children to an almost infinite degree. School districts provide the required curriculum for children so that parents don’t go off on a non-productive tangent. This also helps to ensure that home-schooled children are on track with their peers of the same age and grade level.

What About EFL?
What about those cases in which children have a first language other than English? Though not yet in supremely large numbers, the growing discovery of alarming numbers of children with illegal immigrant status raises the question of English as a Second Language (ESL) home-schooling and literacy. The task of developing fluency in English stretches from the children through the parents and even the grandparents in many cases. Immigrant families are cash-strapped. Often due to low levels of educational achievement, lack of marketable skills or even illiteracy, parents feel they are “trapped”. To earn more they must learn more, but how can this be accomplished without English language fluency?

Using A TBL Approach
One of many possible scenarios is home schooling using a TBL (Tasked-Based Learning) approach. In this approach, learners are taught usable, marketable skills using English as the language of instruction. In-demand skills such as Nursing Aids, Home Health Care Aides, Auto Mechanics, Electrician Helpers, Carpentry and construction trade workers, Cooks and even Teacher Aides could be brought up to marketable standards rather quickly. Certainly most would require less than a year of preparation to begin “giving back” to the economy that many now only abuse to the detriment of tax-payers and home owners who currently carry an over-burdened share of the economy.

Using a TBL approach, several problems would be addressed at the same time.

• Immigrants would learn a marketable skill
• Immigrants would learn English
• Immigrants would regain their personal pride and dignity
• Parents could set a valuable example for their children
• Children could be eased more into mainstream American society
• Children could more easily acquire usable English language skills

There are already quantities of online and low-residency English language and other programs available for both adults and children.

English and Foreign Languages are Practical for Home Schooling
Certainly English taught as a second or foreign language is practical for home schooling. Teachers and tutors must make classes interesting, lively and on occasion even fun if they are to maintain the interest and attendance of these LEP (Limited English Proficiency) learners. In so doing, the problem of non-English speaking or LEP learners of all ages can begin to be addressed in earnest. Over-crowded, cash and resource-strapped schools need our help. Here’s one way we, as concerned TEFL professionals, can give it to them.


Prof. Larry M. Lynch is an EFL Teacher Trainer, Intellectual Development Specialist, prolific writer, author and public speaker. He has written ESP, foreign language learning, English language teaching texts and hundreds of articles used in more than 100 countries. Get your FREE Home-Schooling E-book, "The Home Schooling Guide for Confused Parents" by requesting the title at: lynchlarrym@gmail.com Need a blogger or copywriter to promote your school, institution, service or business or an experienced writer and vibrant SEO content for your website, blog or newsletter? Then E-mail me for further information.

How Can a Content and Language Integrated Content Approach Improve the Learning of a Foreign Language?

Braj Kachru’s Circles
It was language researcher and professor Braj Behari Kachru, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois, USA, (shown in photo) who defined what are called “Kachru’s Circles”. These concentric circles identify the zones of English language intensity and influence. Without going too deeply into the Linguistics of his theory, let me briefly say that he classifies countries in three basic circles of English language intensity. The Inner Circle is comprised of countries where English is the first language such as the USA, the UK, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand among others.

The Middle Circle
The next or Middle Circle is comprised of those countries where English is an active or official second language and where it has official status in business, industry, education and / or as a Lingua Franca. Countries in this circle would include: India, South Africa, Ghana, Liberia, Kenya, Nigeria, Indonesia, among others.

The Outer Circle
The third or Outer Circle is comprised of those countries where English is not a first or second language and has no official status, although it may be taught in schools, used in tourism and studied to a wide extent. Countries included in this circle would be Russia, China, Japan, Thailand, Egypt, South Korea, and Mexico, as well as numerous others.

Content and Language Integrated Content Approach
The circle in which a country might be classified would largely determine the effectiveness of using a CLIL approach. This approach, I think would be most effective in the Inner and Middle Circles which would have available resources to implement the approach on a large-scale basis. Countries in the Outer Circle might largely be impacted by a lack of high-level, native or near-native speakers, facilities and resources in English which in turn would seriously affect their ability to successfully mount a CLIL (Content and Language Integrated Content) approach.



Prof. Larry M. Lynch is an EFL Teacher Trainer, Intellectual Development Specialist, prolific writer, expert author and public speaker. He has written ESP, foreign language learning, English language teaching texts and hundreds of articles used in more than 100 countries. Get your FREE E-book, "If you Want to Teach English Abroad, Here's What You Need to Know" by requesting the title at: lynchlarrym@gmail.com Need a blogger or copywriter to promote your school, institution, service or business or an experienced writer and vibrant SEO content for your website, blog or newsletter? Then E-mail me for further information.

Using Communicative English Language Teaching Through Two Approaches

Communicative Language Teaching
Previously, in one of my articles I stated that I use the communicative language teaching through two approaches. The two approaches mentioned are:

• Content-Based Instruction (CBI)
• Task-Based language teaching (TBLT)

Advantages of Each One
Two good references to consult in this area would be “Approaches and Methods in English Language Teaching” by Jack C. Richards (pictured) and Theodore S. Rodgers (CUP 2001) and “Second Language Teaching and Learning” by David Nunan (Heinle & Heinle 1999). I think both of these are widely available and cover communicative approaches to EFL and foreign language learning in extensive detail.

In a recent article post entitled, “What is a Communicative Approach to English Language Teaching” online at: http://bettereflteacher.blogspot.com/2008/06/what-is-communicative-approach-to.html, I go into the definition and differences in the two approaches in more detail. But to briefly speak on it here, an example of CBI would be when I’m teaching a course entitled, “21s Century Tools in ELT” in which another professor and I team teach the use of CALL, multi-media, realia and other tools in the EFL / ESL classroom. The course is taught in English but it is not an English course. The focus is on learning the use and application of additional technology and techniques by “technology-challenged” teachers.

An example of TBLT
An example of TBLT on the other hand, would be having learners use the English language to complete an activity or perform a task. If I concept-check that Chinese language learners know the needed Chinese to do so, then send them to a Chinese restaurant to interact with the staff and other diners and have lunch, that would be TBLT.

Based on the learners’ needs, location, intrinsic and extrinsic motivational factors, among others, both approaches would have advantages and disadvantages. I’ll elaborate on this a bit more later, conditions permitting.



Prof. Larry M. Lynch is an EFL Teacher Trainer, Intellectual Development Specialist, prolific writer, expert author and public speaker. He has written ESP, foreign language learning, English language teaching texts and hundreds of articles used in more than 100 countries. Get your FREE E-book, "If you Want to Teach English Abroad, Here's What You Need to Know" by requesting the title at: lynchlarrym@gmail.com Need a blogger or copywriter to promote your school, institution, service or business or an experienced writer and vibrant SEO content for your website, blog or newsletter? Then E-mail me for further information.

Can You Really Make a Living by Teaching English Abroad?

Teaching English Not Realistic?
At the TEFL News Network site a post appeared which said, “I have recently read another article about teaching English in Mexico that indicated that the wages are very low and so if you are planning to go there to learn Spanish, and supplement your expenses through teaching English, that is one thing, but actually going to Mexico expecting a job teaching English that can sustain you on a long term period, is probably not realistic. I would be interested in anyone with experience trying to do this in Costa Rica.”

Non-Professional EFL Teachers
You constantly hear that wages are "low" and that you can't make a decent living teaching English as a foreign language abroad. With all due respect, most of these comments come from non-professional EFL teachers who have little or no experience living and teaching abroad and no self-marketing skills to speak of. What they usually don't mention is that although wages are "low" - this is in comparison to a salary in US dollars and the American or British economies - costs of living are also much lower in comparison too. That simply means you'll get far more "bang for you buck" in local currency.

Shortage of Skilled EFL Teachers Worldwide
For well-prepared, experienced, skilled EFL teachers worldwide, salaries are most often very high in comparison to what others earn in that country. Decent-paying jobs are also plentiful. This means that with your "low" salary, you'll have a car, a house or lovely apartment, a maid and several weeks of paid vacation each year in addition to the numerous paid holidays often celebrated in many countries. Far from being near the bottom of the wage-earner scale, you'll be in the upper percentiles even when compared to other teaching professionals in the same country. The ex-pats who know this and are doing quite well often don't bother responding to such dismal misinformation.

So, choose a country you feel you'd really enjoy for its food, its life-style, its desirability, its climate, its language even its low cost-of-living and minuscule tax rates. Then go for it with all you've got. Meld yourself into the new language, food and culture while kissing your money problems "adios". Make new friends, live like a local and you'll experience a new lifestyle like you can't imagine. Forget the non-realistic “naysayers” and do what you love.

If You Want to Teach English Abroad ...
Say, a million-plus ex-pats each year can't be wrong. If you REALLY want the scoop on how to make it as an English language teaching professional abroad, contact me at my site and I'll send you my FREE 110-plus page e-book, "If You Want to Teach English Abroad, Here's what you Need to Know". Skip the malcontents, get the facts from someone who’s “walking the walk” for the past 15 years and not just “talking the talk” then decide for yourself. After all, it's YOUR life we're talking about here.


Prof. Larry M. Lynch is an EFL Teacher Trainer, Intellectual Development Specialist, prolific writer, expert author and public speaker. He has written ESP, foreign language learning, English language teaching texts and hundreds of articles used in more than 100 countries. Get your FREE E-book, "If you Want to Teach English Abroad, Here's What You Need to Know" by requesting the title at: lynchlarrym@gmail.com Need a blogger or copywriter to promote your school, institution, service or business or an experienced writer and vibrant SEO content for your website, blog or newsletter? Then E-mail me for further information.