Teach English and Learn Spanish: An Interesting and Profitable Combination

Teach English and Learn Spanish

When a reader recently wrote in to ask,

“I am interested in teaching English (as a foreign language) in a Spanish-speaking country (mainly because I desire to reach some fluency in the language)."

I was, needless to say, intrigued since I myself teach in the Spanish-speaking country of Colombia. The correspondence finished up with,

“Is there any country that you would recommend as being the best place to learn Spanish?”

That was it, I was hooked.

Here’s some of what my response contained plus some added tidbits.

As for locations where the L1 (first language) is Spanish: The two best for newly-minted EFL (English as a Foreign Language) teachers are Mexico and Ecuador, in my opinion. Briefly, here’s why:

Mexico

Mexico has a straightforward, although not always quick infrastructure set up for ex-pat English language teachers. The money isn't too bad either in many locations. Getting to and from the USA is normally quick, easy and inexpensive. The FM-3 working visa that long-term teachers will need isn’t too big of a hassle to acquire, and while not actually cheap, it’s affordable. You can easily recover your investment working only for a short time. Many schools will even pay it for you on a one-year minimum contract. Otherwise schools at least help you with getting the work visa, even if you must “front” the money for it yourself.

There are an abundance of Spanish-for-foreigner schools in the larger cities like Mexico, D.F., Guadalajara and Monterrey, among others. ELT (English language teaching) jobs are relatively plentiful and the regional Spanish is a widely-understood, comprehensible variety.

Ecuador

Ecuador is also foreigner-friendly to a point. There are truckloads of Spanish-for-foreigner schools in Quito and other major cities. They use the dollar, which will stretch your savings to greater distances and the country is quite "Americanized" enough that you won't feel like an idiot from day one because you can't read anything or don't recognize anything around you. In a pinch, English speakers aren’t difficult to find in the more upbeat sectors of Quito or Guayaquil, either. There are so many Spanish-for-foreigner schools in Quito, it’s almost silly. At my last count more than 125 had their doors open for business. Other cities like Guayaquil and Cuenca have their offerings too. Jobs are reasonably easy to come by, especially if you’re prepared by a CELTA (Certificate in English Language Teaching to Adults) or a well-taught TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) course beforehand.

If you need more information you can check out my article series on English language teaching, and teaching English in Mexico posted at http://ezinearticles.com/?expert_bio=Larry_M._Lynch. I sincerely hope this offers you some guidance. Best wishes for a great career in a location that’s interesting for you.

… and good luck, you’re going to need 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.

Teaching English in Colombia Frequently Asked Questions

Teaching English as a Foreign Language in Colombia

The following comprise some of the most frequently asked questions I receive on teaching English in Colombia. While not a complete listing, the responses do provide some brief insight into EFL possibilities here. I have lived and taught in Colombia since 1995 and am currently teaching at the Santiago de Cali University in Cali pictured here.

Q: Do you have a list of EFL schools in Colombia or know where I may find one?

A: You will find some helpful information for teaching English in Colombia in an online article published by Transitions Abroad magazine at:

http://www.transitionsabroad.com/publications/magazine/0205/teachcolumbia.shtml

Q: I am particularly interested in spending time in Cartagena. I wonder if you might be able to advise me or point me in the right direction?

A: In Cartagena you can contact any schools there directly when you arrive since it's a relatively small city based solely on some tourism. Unemployment is very high there unfortunately. You should contact regular primary and secondary schools as well.

Q: I'm beginning to get the impression that perhaps Cartagena may not hold many opportunities. Does your comment about unemployment being high there imply that there's not much call for English teachers (to adults) in the town? I'm not being very successful searching for adult educational establishments in Cartagena.

A: With nearly 80 per cent unemployment, Cartagena might not be right for you. Beggars, thieves, con artists and a massive army of poor constantly surround you. You certainly can't go to the beach that the city is famous for because there they know you're a "tourist" with disposable dollars and you'll be absolutely miserable after the first 500 or so beggars have beseiged you in less than a couple of hours. Not much of a vacation spot now, I'm afraid. Sorry.

Q: I understand you have written a series of articles about teaching English in Colombia, could you point me in the right direction?

A: Your best opportunities will be in Bogota, the capitol, with more than 75 schools, universities and institutes from which to choose. Cali has about forty such options. If you'd like to be on the coast, you might try Barranquilla. The language institute at the university there is hiring EFL teachers on a continual basis and is online. It's the Universidad del Norte site in English is at:

http://www.uninorte.edu.co/english/int_relations.html

Q: What is the best time of year to go to look for work in Colombia?

A: As far as looking for work is concerned; July to August you should be pounding the pavement. The next best time frame is in early to mid January. Another critical period for job-hunting is May to June. Most importantly, choose where you want to live and work, or make a pilot trip to uncover essential facts, leads and information on a couple of cities.

Q: How much money do you think I should have before I travel to Colombia?
A: Try to have enough money to tide you over at least three months of savings to give you some breathing room, but even one month of savings might be enough if you find something fairly quickly. Just look at the exchange rate of U.S. dollars to Colombian pesos. Factor in the cost of living per month and you’ll likely find an approximate amount of savings that are necessary. You can compile a more accurate figure by checking out www.tefl.com for their Bogota city cost guide.

Q: Is there anything else you might suggest to me as a newly certified EFL / ESL teacher?

A: After a bit of tenure in Colombia you'll have other options, especially if your Spanish is passable. Also consider Spain, Mexico (my favorite), Ecuador, Chile and other Spanish-speaking countries. If you're not set on one of those, Turkey, Indonesia and China, along with other Asian countries pay very well and offer good opportunity for newbie native English speaking EFL teachers.

Q: Are your other articles available to read online?
A: Let me know what you have in mind and I might be able to offer some more specific suggestions. For even more information and readings, you might want to check out my articles online at EzineArticles.com cataloged at:

http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Larry_M._Lynch

These should keep you interested, busy and informed for a while. Let me know if I can be of any further assistance.

Good luck.


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.

Finally, What Makes a Person Intelligent?

What Makes a Person Intelligent?

In this, our final installment of "What Makes a Person Intelligent?", we conclude with the Naturalist Intelligence, although the Spiritual and Emotional Intelligences are now in open discussion and research. The idea is to develop insight into how our English as a foreign language learners acquire, categorize and retain new knowledge. Thus we have a unique pathway into the minds of our learners - and ourselves.

Naturalist Intelligence:

Environmental knowledge and the ability to identify and categorize plants, animals and nature on the basis of that knowledge. The Naturalist Intelligence can include having an accurate picture of the ambient environment, awareness of the interrelationship of natural elements, and the capacity for self-analysis of these elements. It is found most highly developed in archeologists, animal handlers, animal trainers, veterinarians, biologists, racehorse jockeys, zoologists, environmentalists, wilderness guides and naturalists. Students who have a high degree of the naturalist intelligence seem to be nature-oriented, seek to be outdoors or in the elements and learn more easily with nature-related study and environmental projects and activities. They like to collect items from nature, study them, and group them. They tend to be aware of subtleties in appearance, texture, and sounds that those weaker in this intelligence may not grasp. Charles Darwin, Jacques Cousteau (pictured above), and John James Audubon were strong in this intelligence.

A Pathway Into the Mind

One of the great promises of Multiple Intelligences theory in education is that it will help us to find individual pathways into and out of our students’ minds. Recent advances in educational psychology and research in applied MI theory offer educators a real possibility of developing the potential of all students. Both educators and students should derive from Gardner’s Multiple Intelligence theory that all people are different and learn differently, and that we should respect, value, and nurture that diversity.

For more extensive information on this and related topics, there are a slew of websites, but you might want to start off with some of these.

Reference Websites:

Reference website for multiple intelligences links and activities:
http://surfaquarium.com/im.htm

Exploring Multiple Intelligences: New Dimensions of Learning
http://www.multi-intell.com/

Multiple Intelligences Resources
http://www.theatreinmotion.com/resources.htm

Basic MI Theory
http://edweb.gsn.org/edref.mi.th.html

Multiple Intelligence Theory: Principles
http://www.harding.edu/~cbr/midemo/prin.html

Multiple Intelligences: Theory and Practice in the K-12 Class
http://www.indiana.edu/~eric_rec/ieo/bibs/multiple.html

Task Card Overview/Multiple Intelligences
http://www.metronet.com/~bhorizon/teach.htm

Association for the Promotion and Advancement of Science Education activities website - http://discoverlearning.com/forensic/docs/index.html

Naturalist Intelligence – Sea World / Busch Gardens website for students
http://www.seaworld.org/animal_bytes/animal_bytes.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 3 What Makes a Person Intelligent?

More of the Multiple Intelligences

Bodily-Kinesthetic Intelligence: Consists of expertise in using one’s whole body to express ideas and feelings, and facility in using ones hands to produce or transform things. A highly developed intelligence in actors, mimes, athletes, dancers, sculptors, mechanics, and surgeons. Students with a high degree of bodily-kinesthetic intelligence process knowledge through bodily sensations; move, twitch, tap, or fidget while sitting in a chair or at a desk and learn by touching, manipulating, and moving. They typically like role playing and creative movement and generally like physical games of all kinds and demonstrating how to do something. They communicate well through body language and other physical gestures. They can often perform a task only after seeing someone else do it. They find it difficult to sit still for a long time and are easily bored if they are not actively involved in what is going on around them. Michael Jordan is strong in this intelligence.

Interpersonal Intelligence:

The ability to perceive and make distinctions in the moods, intentions, motivations, and feelings of other people. This Intelligence can include sensitivity to facial expressions, voice, and gestures, as well as the ability to respond effectively to such cues. Students with a high degree of interpersonal intelligence understand and care about people; like to socialize; learn more easily by relating and cooperating and are good at teaching other students. These people learn through person-to-person interaction. They generally have lots of friends; show a great deal of empathy for other people and understanding of different points of view. They are skilled at drawing others out in a discussion, conflict resolution and mediation when people are in radical opposition to each other. Mother Teresa and Mahatma Ghandi were strong in this intelligence.

Intra-personal Intelligence:

Self-knowledge and the ability to act adaptively on the basis of that knowledge define this group. This is an intelligence which can include having an accurate picture of one’s strengths and limitations, awareness of one’s moods and motivations, and the capacity for self-discipline. Students with a high degree of this intelligence seem to be self-motivating; need their own quiet space; may march to the beat of a different drummer and tend to learn more easily with independent study, self-paced instruction, individualized projects and games.

These people like to work alone and sometimes shy away from others. They are self-reflective and self-aware and thus tend to be in tune with their inner feelings, values, beliefs, and thinking processes. They are frequently bearers of creative wisdom and insight, are highly intuitive, and are inwardly motivated rather than needing external rewards to keep them going. They are often strong-willed, self-confident, and definite, well-thought-out opinions on almost any issue (although they are sometimes off-the-wall). Other people will often come to them for advice and counsel, but others will sometimes view them as distant or weird. Emily Dickinson and Stephen King (pictured above)are examples of this intelligence.

Our final installment of "What Makes a Person Intelligent?" will be coming up shortly. I hope you've found this information to be helpful and interesting in getting insight into your English as a foreign language learners - or yourself.
Stay tuned ...


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 What Makes a Person Intelligent?

Here briefly, in retrospect, are eight of the major intelligences of Howard Gardener’s theory and their relative traits:

Verbal-Linguistic Intelligence:

The capacity to use words effectively, either orally or in writing. It is highly developed in story-tellers, orators, politicians, poets, playwrights, editors, language teachers and journalists. Students with a high degree of this intelligence think in words; learn by listening, reading, and verbalizing. They enjoy writing, like books, records, and tapes, and have a good memory for verse, lyrics, or trivia. Getting into discussions, telling jokes and debating are also characteristics of this intelligence. Maya Angelou (pictured above) is strong in this intelligence.

Visual-Spatial Intelligence:

The ability to perceive the world accurately and to perform transformations upon one's perceptions. This is highly developed in guides, interior designers, architects, artists, fashion designers and inventors. Students with a high degree of spatial intelligence think in images and pictures, like mazes and jigsaw puzzles. They like to draw and design things, and enjoy films, slides, videos, diagrams, maps, charts. The daydreamers and those who may have strong opinions about such things as colors that go together, textures that are appropriate and pleasing and decorating are included in this intelligence. Pablo Picasso was strong in this intelligence.

Musical – Rhythmic Intelligence: The capacity to perceive, discriminate, transform, and express musical forms is most highly developed in musical performers, music aficionados, and music critics. Students with a high degree of musical intelligence learn through rhythm and melody, play a musical instrument, or May need music to study. They notice nonverbal sounds in the environment: the chirp of a cricket, rain on the roof, varying traffic patterns, and usually learn things more easily if sung, tapped out, or whistled. These people love music and rhythmic patterns and can often reproduce a melody or rhythmic pattern after hearing it only once. Various sounds, tones, and rhythms may have a visible effect on them (that is, you can see a change in facial expressions, body movement, or emotional responses). They enjoy singing and listening to a wide variety of music, and are often quite skilled at mimicking sounds, language accents, and others’ speech patterns, and recognizing different musical instruments in a composition. Paul McCartney is strong in this intelligence.

Logical-Mathematical Intelligence:

The capacity to use numbers effectively and to reason well. This intelligence is highly developed in mathematicians, tax accountants, statisticians, scientists, computer programmers, and logicians. Students with a high degree of this intelligence often reason things out logically and clearly; look for abstract patterns and relationships; frequently like brain teasers, logical puzzles, and strategy games. They also like to use computers and to classify and categorize. These people think conceptually and abstractly and are able to see patterns and relationships that others often miss. They like to experiment, solve puzzles and other problems, ask cosmic questions and think. They love the challenge of complex problems to solve and always have a logical rationale or argument for what they are doing or thinking. Albert Einstein was strong in this intelligence.

In the following segment post, we'll continue with the Multiple Intelligences and their principal characteristics. See you then.


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.

What Makes a Person Intelligent?

Traditional Theories of Intelligence

In traditional intelligence theories when one is asked the question “What makes a person intelligent?” the most common responses will often note a person’s ability to solve problems, utilize logic, and think critically. These typical traits of intelligence are sometimes grouped together under the heading “raw intelligence”. A person’s intelligence, traditionally speaking, is contained in their intellect. In other words, how we each understand, evaluate or respond to external stimuli, regardless as to whether it is a mathematical problem or anticipation of an opponent’s next move in a game, is our collective intelligence. Our intelligence therefore, is our individual, collective ability to act or react in a continually changing environment.

The Problem with Traditional Intelligence Theories

The principal problem in traditional intelligence theories is that they promote “fractured learning”. Many educational reformers have clearly stated that “taking tests merely shows that a student is skilled at taking tests”. At best, traditional tests focus on only about one tenth of an individual’s intellect.

Note that Albert Einstein and Thomas Edison, two of history’s most famous examples of brilliant minds, were terrible at taking traditional tests, therefore terrible at “school” in general. The Multiple Intelligences theory then, demonstrates that the ability to take traditional tests is almost entirely in the realm of the Logical – Mathematical intelligence. This intelligence will be detailed later along with the Interpersonal intelligence, which imparts in some students the ability to second guess a teacher’s structuring of a test. Traditional IQ tests predict school performance with considerable accuracy, but they are only an indifferent predictor of performance in a profession after formal schooling.

Dr. Marion Diamond-University of California at Berkeley

In an interesting but controversial study conducted during the 1960’s by Biologist Marion Diamond, (pictured above) of the University of California at Berkeley, two sets of rats were raised in different environments; One set had toys to play with, playmates to romp with and a roomy box that was kept clean and fresh. The second set was put in solitary confinement; all alone in a much smaller cage with no toys to enjoy. After several weeks, Dr. Diamond measured the size of each rat’s cerebral cortex, the brain area which is responsible for higher nerve functions. The rats in the sociable, clean and stimulating environment grew brains bigger than the rats with the impoverished surroundings.

“Does the enriched environment increase the dimensions of the brain, and does the impoverished environment decrease the dimensions of the brain?”, asked Diamond.

“The answer, very clearly, is YES.”

Similar results were replicated with cats, monkeys and later with humans. So a stimulating, enriched learning environment is crucial to mental development. If we likewise incorporate the varying student intelligences in our teaching activities, our success as well as our students success, will be markedly improved. That each of us possess all the intelligences, that they can each be developed further, that these "multiple intelligences" work together in a complex manner, and that there are, in fact, many different ways to be “intelligent” are inclusive in a study by Armstrong.

In the next part of this article post, we'll review, in retrospect, the major intelligences of Prof. Howard Gardener’s theory of Multiple Intelligences and their relative traits. See you then.


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.

What is Your EFL ESL English Teaching Philosophy?

The Interview

The interview seemed to be going along okay. Then the Director asked,
“So what is your philosophy of teaching English?”

“My philosophy of teaching?”

The TEFL interviewee twisted in her seat, tugging at the collar of a blouse that was suddenly too tight. She felt water running down her back. A certain dampness coated her palms.

“Yes. Do you have a philosophy of teaching?” the director repeated.

The interview had taken a distinctive downturn. Top positions paying top dollars require top professionals.

“Well, I’m not really sure what you mean.” the teacher responded. “I can tell you what I do in my classes, what materials I use and how I interact with the students. Is that what you mean?”

No, that’s NOT what the Language Institute Director meant. The interview ended. So did the teacher’s prospects at that high-level institution.

Philosophy of Education

A teacher’s philosophy of education is now used as a major marketing strategy by savvy teachers and has become an essential component of a teacher’s CV and portfolio. It has evolved to become part of the teacher’s personal profile, which outlines all of his essential skill sets and unique qualities, and highlights the teacher’s specialties. (D. Sofsian, 2006)

Reference these web sites for further information:


• Create Your Own Electronic Portfolio
http://electronicportfolios.org/portfolios/iste2k.html

• My "Online Portfolio Adventure"
http://electronicportfolios.org/myportfolio/versions.html

• How To Create an Electronic Portfolio
http://www.essdack.org/port/how.html

Expert author Damian Sofsian in his article, “Teacher Education Philosophies”, talks about five types of teaching philosophies:

• Liberal – which aims at developing intellectual powers

• Behavioral – these ideologies focus on the survival skills of a human being and the role of education in teaching them

• Progressive - motivates cultural development of an individual in order to bring about societal change

• Humanistic - trends look at the overall development of the personality and characteristics of an individual

• Radical – these philosophers are interested in beneficial changes that should happen in a society from time to time, and the role of education in bringing about political, social and economical changes

Teacher education philosophy is now a major marketing strategy used by EFL and TEFL teachers and has become an essential component of a language teacher resume and personal profile. (D. Sofsian, 2006)

Education Philosophy References

Before embarking on developing your own philosophy of education, reference these sites for more in-depth information and samples of Educational Philosophy statements.

• Samples of Philosophy of Education
http://www.wilderdom.com/philosophy/SampleEducationPhilosophies.html

• Materials on the Philosophy of Education
http://commhum.mccneb.edu/PHILOS/phileduc.htm

• Philosophy of Education links
http://dmoz.org/Society/Philosophy/Philosophy_of_Education/

Your Philosophy of Education

What is your philosophy of education? If you “don’t have one” now would be a good time to more thoroughly investigate aspects of one. Add your philosophy to all your teaching areas. Let it pervade what you do and how you approach your craft from every angle from preparation to class activities, problem-solving, discipline and assessment. Your philosophy helps set you apart from those who might just show up, do the minimum and collect their paychecks. In these days of increasing professionalism, increased requisites for teaching staff and higher expectations on the part of Educational Administrators, TEFL teachers, regardless of current status, simply cannot afford to be lax.


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.

How to Learn A Foreign Language in One Hour

How to Learn (But Not Master) Any Language in One Hour

In his article entitled, “How to Learn (But Not Master) Any Language in One Hour”, author Tim Ferris (pictured) details his techniques or what he calls “deconstructing” a foreign language. His argument is that by deconstructing the foreign language main elements such as alphabet, key grammatical structures, rules of pronunciation and sentence structure, you can gain a basic understanding of just how the foreign language functions. That way you can relatively easily determine if you will be able to pursue fluency in communicating in that foreign language within a reasonable amount of time.

How to Learn Any Foreign Language

His general belief system is similar to my own in that I state in my foreign language learning techniques book entitled, “You Can Learn A Foreign Language” that if a foreign language is similar in grammar and structure or pronunciation to your own first language (L1), then it should be fairly easy to acquire using your first language as a point of reference. An example would be a native Spanish speaker learning another foreign language such as Italian, Portuguese or even French. These foreign languages are all in the same language family.

On the contrary, if the foreign language that you are considering is vastly different in structure, grammar or pronunciation to your own, then you will likely tend to have increased difficulty in acquiring that foreign language. That is not to say that you cannot learn a foreign language radically different from your own first language, but simply that learning that foreign language will have greatly increased difficulty for you in comparison to a foreign language in your first language family group.

Languages Come in Families

Languages, like people, come in families. In my book, I go into detail about language families and which foreign languages are grouped into the same ones. English, for example, is in the same language family as German – not French and Spanish as many language learners initially believe. While there are a substantial number of true word cognates between the three languages, which often can help considerably with communications, there is a distinct “caveat”. What is it, exactly? It is the presence of a considerable number of false cognates. That is to say, words which look and are spelled in similar manner but have very different meanings in the two languages.

An Anomaly of the Chinese Language

But being in the same language family can also have its problems and idiosyncrasies for unwary foreign language learners. Chinese is a good example of this. Although there are nine major “dialects” of Chinese, most of them are virtually unintelligible to speakers of the other Chinese dialects or variants. Speakers of Cantonese cannot “talk” directly to speakers of Mandarin, although they can read the written form of Mandarin since most of the dialects in Chinese have the same written form! They can easily read and understand each other’s writing, but cannot speak to one another.

Treat Language as a Sport

Author Ferris advises would-be foreign language learners to “treat language learning as a sport”. Learn the rules of the language first to determine if you’ll be able to manage it, before investing any substantial amount of time in trying to learn a foreign language which may be somewhat “out of reach” or at the very minimum, a “broad stretch” for you to acquire up to even a mediocre level. His clearly laid out and well-defined points are well taken in my opinion.

Learn a Foreign Language

Can you learn a foreign language in one hour? Normally, most certainly not. But you could do enough deconstruction of a foreign language in one hour, more or less, to determine how well or how difficult it would potentially be for you to learn that foreign language. This could definitely go a long way in helping to avoid the disappointments and frustrations of trying to learn a foreign language that was too far out of your league for easy acquisition. And that my dear potential foreign language learner, is certainly something well worth considering.



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.

How to Evoke Imagery, Emotions and Ideas in Writing Poetry That Captures Your Readers Imagination

Key Steps to Write a Poem

In another article post, “How to Write Poems That Capture the Heart and Imagination of Your Readers”, we said that poems express ideas, experiences or emotions in a more concentrated form than ordinary articles, prose or speech. They can rhyme or be in a rhythmical composition of words. They are one of language’s most powerful forms of expression. So how can you write a poem that truly expounds what you want to say? Here are some key elements in composing and developing the poetic form. Although you may not write poetry like ee cummings (pictured), you can follow these key steps to write a poem that will captures your emotions, ideas and experiences as heart-stirring word imagery.

Capture Imagery Ideas in Writing

Poems are about creating images in the mind of the reader. Use a variety of imagery ideas to like the following, to help you to accomplish this.

• Allusion – a form of indirect reference usually done in different phrases, lines or sentences

• Simile – is used to compare two or more things which are not alike by using the word “like” ((her hair is like a sparkling flow of coffee in the mountain sunlight)

• Symbolism or Metaphor – is used to compare two or more things which are dissimilar using “as” or “is” such as “all the world’s a stage”, “red as a rose”, “black as midnight down in a Cypress swamp”, etc.

Establish a Logical Progression of Thought to be used in the Poem

The lines, thoughts, and ideas expressed in your poem should flow smoothly from one to the next. Don’t jump around illogically. Let your poem flow rhythmically like a gentle stream tumbling through the smooth stones of a softly babbling brook in a grassy meadow.

State the Poem’s Theme in One Verse

Create a “theme verse” which can be used repeatedly in your poem to help unify its stanzas. Your poem will flow and sound much better as it is read using this key aspect. A love poem theme verse might be one which begins or ends with something like:

• Have I told you that …
• As always, thoughts of you …
• Any key word or phrase used repeatedly to begin or end a verse or stanza

Other Highly Useful Aids

To help you write your poem, try using these dynamic aids:

• A rhyming dictionary – invaluable for finding rhymes for low-frequency or difficult to rhyme words

• A Thesaurus – an indispensable tool to aid you in broadening the vocabulary used in your poem (personally, I like the Rodale’s far better than Roget’s)

• Alliteration – repetition of a consonant sound in two or more words in a phrase or line such as: beautiful bubbling brown sugar or shafts of shimmering sunshine

• Assonance – similar sounds, like alliteration, but used in the internal syllables of a string of words (birthday weather, father’s brother, further mathematics, etc. to give you an idea)

• Consonance – repetition of certain stressed syllables in a pair, group or string of words (taker, baker, maker, shaker, Quaker but not quicker)

• Onomatopoeia – words which by their pronunciation imitate sounds. Words like whistle, tweet, boom, bag, pow, crash, crunch, slam, zoom, snap, crackle, pop, and zing among many others, fit into this category

These steps will help you along in writing poetry that stirs the feelings and emotions of your readers and can help your poetry writing to excel. For other tips and techniques on composing this most-elusive form of language in context, see the companion article, “How to Write Poems That Capture the Heart and Imagination of Your Readers”.


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.

How to Write Poems That Capture the Heart and Imagination of Your Readers

How to Write Poems in English

Poems express ideas, experiences or emotions in a more concentrated form than ordinary articles, prose or speech. They can rhyme or be in a rhythmical composition of words. They are one of language’s most powerful forms of expression. So how can you write a poem that truly expounds what you want to say? Here are some key elements in composing and developing the poetic form. Follow these key steps to write a poem that will capture the heart and imagination of your readers as did those of Robert Frost (pictured).

Choose the Poetic Rhythm Type

Identify the type of poetic rhythm you will use for your poem. Three commonly used types include:

• Iambic Pentameter – a poetic form of five measures or long and short unaccented syllables i.e., to strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield)

• Iambic Tetrameter – a poetic form of four measures or long and short unaccented syllables

• Haiku – a poetic form in English of three unrhymed lines of 5, 7 and 5 syllables respectively with a total of 17 syllables

Determine the Stanza Type

Identify the verse grouping you will use for your poem. Three commonly used verse grouping types include:

• Couplet – two lines that rhyme one after the other, i.e.,
“Twinkle, twinkle little star
How I wonder what you are … “

• Tercet – three lines that can rhyme in different ways

• Quatrain – a stanza or poem of four lines often rhyming as abab, abba, or abcb

Choose a Primary Rhyming Pattern

How will the lines of your poem rhyme within a stanza? Several different line rhyming patterns can be used especially if your poem will be a Quatrain. Three simple line rhyming patterns are:

• abcb
• abab
• aabb

Select a Main Theme for the Poem

What is your poem going to be about? It should focus on one theme or topic such as:

• Love
• Life
• Nature
• An Emotion
• A Person

Identify the Primary Words to be Used in the Poem

What are some key words you want to use in your poem? Write down as many as you’d like to include in your poem. Try to use as many as you can comfortably use: Three or four may suffice for a short poem, while longer words can easily include up to a dozen related key words. Some examples of primary words in a love poem might be:

• Passion
• Desire
• Loneliness
• Beauty
• Honesty
• Sincerity

These steps will get you started in writing poetry that gets read and noticed and will help set you apart from the “word butchers” who don’t conform to rules or form that can help their poetry writing to excel. For more tips and techniques on composing this most-elusive form of language in context, see the companion article post, “How to Evoke Imagery, Emotions and Ideas in Writing Poetry That Captures Your Readers Imagination”

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.

The Twisted Tongue-Twisting Trials of the Tongue English as a Foreign Language Teaching Lesson

Using Tongue Twisters in Teaching English as a Foreign Language Pronunciation

One of my most interesting and fun EFL speaking and pronunciation lesson series is one that makes frequent use of tongue-twisters. These are a tremendous aid in forcing and reinforcing the positions needed by combinations of speech organs in order to correctly pronounce quirky, difficult and low-frequency dipththongs, triphthongs and other sound combinations in the English language.

There are several good books you can easily turn to as references. Also some “children’s” book authors like “Gulliver’s Travels” author Jonathan Swift, “Alice in Wonderland” author Lewis Carroll, Theodore Suess Geisel (Dr. Seuss – pictured above) and Shel Silverstein, among numerous others, heavily make use of jaw-stretching, tongue wrapping sound combinations to provide an extra element of fun o their literary works. More “serious” poets like e e cummings are hardly exempt either, warping words in wild weird winsome ways of wistful wacky wonder. Elements of connected speech and phonics can easily be taught, demonstrated and practiced in this way.


Not only English as a foreign language, but teaching and learning other foreign languages can be made more dynamic in this way. There are tongue-twisters, rhymes, riddles, limericks and short, clean jokes available in most modern languages.

Key Poetic Elements in the English Language

As you may recall from your trappings with poetry and poetic elements in English, there are several distinct linguistic aspect associated with poems and poetry: rhyme, alliteration, and onomatopoeia being some major ones. Let’s take a brief look at these.

• Rhyme – This is most simply words which have the same or very similar ending sounds. It’s one of the best known pronunciation practice use forms. Words like play, day, slay, whey, clay, may, bay, hay or hey, and say are examples.

• Alliteration – repetition of a consonant sound in two or more words in a phrase or line such as: beautiful bubbling brown sugar or shafts of shimmering sunshine

• Assonance – similar sounds, like alliteration, but used in the internal syllables of a string of words (birthday weather, father’s brother, further mathematics, etc. to give you an idea)

• Consonance – repetition of certain stressed syllables in a pair, group or string of words (taker, baker, maker, shaker, Quaker but not quicker)

• Onomatopoeia – words which by their pronunciation imitate sounds
Words like whistle, tweet, boom, bag, pow, crash, crunch, slam, zoom, snap, crackle, pop, zip and zing among many, many others, fit into this category

If you want to delve into more details regarding elements of poetry, you might want to check out two other article posts I’ve done on the topic as a sort of “primer”. One is entitled, “How to Evoke Imagery, Emotions and Ideas in Writing Poetry That Captures Your Readers Imagination”. The other article post is entitled, “How to Write Poems That Capture the Heart and Imagination of Your Readers”.

In the next related article posts, we’ll continue looking at this little-used, fun and dynamic way to allow your English as a foreign language learners to enjoy their foreign language learning even more.

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.

Part 2 Bad Habits That Spoil the Development of Good English Language Speaking Skills

More Bad Habits That Spoil the Development of Good English Language Speaking Skills

In the first part of this article post, we began a discussion of seven bad habits which spoil the development of good English or other foreign language speaking skills. In this second part, we’ll continue with some additional aspects to be considered when teaching and learning to speak English or another foreign language.

4. Leaning Face, Chin or Head Against Hand, Fingers or Palm

By all means, learners need to avoid leaning their head against their arm, fingers, palm or hand when speaking. This prevents correct enunciation in a number of ways which can be easily avoided. Be sure that you and your foreign language learners sit or stand up straight during speaking practice sessions with hands and arms away from the head or face.

5. Having Generally Poor Posture

When speaking, neither you nor your foreign language learners should stoop, slump or be hunched over in any manner. Bad Posture restricts the chest cavity, overly compresses the diaphragm and muffles breathing and tone production.

6. Elision, Slurring or Generally Poor Enunciation of Spoken Sounds

If the practice of “cutting off” or eliding word endings is common in your or the EFL learners first language (L1), careful attention should be paid to avoiding this habit crossing over into the speech of English or other foreign language. One technique that is very helpful with this is the “mirror technique”. Briefly, a mirror is used by the foreign language learners to watch themselves speaking and pronouncing in the target foreign language. You can also imitate an English teacher or videos of correct spoken dialogues, conversation or English language sounds pronunciation.

7. Not Correcting “Problem Sounds” When Speaking

When someone is learning English as a foreign language, they tend to get stuck on a certain series of problem sounds in English. These “problem sounds” tend to be quite specific depending on the first language (L1) of the learner. Since these problem sounds are predictable, for the most part, in a particular L1 language group, the English as a foreign language teacher must take care in teaching their correct formation and pronunciation. Native Spanish speakers, for example, will need to work on the correct formation and pronunciation of letters and sounds such as: sh, ch, x, g, w, p, b, v and “th”, among others. Below is a "g" sound pronunciation video from one of my classes.

Promoting the Development of English or Foreign Language Speaking Skills

One final point for now in regards to good speaking skills development is the use of dental prosthetics. If your learners have them they can either be removed, if possible, during English class as an aid to better pronunciation, if applicable. Alternatively, the EFL teacher and EFL learner must take impediments caused by dental or other prosthetics into account when practicing speech and pronunciation in English or other foreign languages. Be sure to consult with a qualified Dentist or Orthodontist too in order to better understand the inter-related relationship between dental mechanics and speech production.


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.

7 Bad Habits That Spoil the Development of Good English Language Speaking Skills

Development of Good English Language Speaking Skills

When you say that you “know” a language, this more likely than not expressly means that you are able to both speak and understand that language. Even if you don’t read and write the foreign language as well as you speak it, you can still say that you know that language. So then, development of good English or other foreign language speaking and listening comprehension skills is of paramount importance. It follows then, that you need to minimize or eliminate any habits which might be potential barriers to the development of good English or other foreign language speaking skills.


Bad Habits That Spoil the Development of Language Speaking Skills

Do YOU or any of your learners have any of the following bad habits? They are some highly counter-productive habits which can foster poor development of English or other foreign language speaking skills. Every effort should be made on the part of both the English or foreign language teacher and EFL learner to avoid them while speaking.

1. Chewing Gum While Speaking

Whatever the ages of your learners, they simply should not be chewing gum while engaged in English or other foreign language learning speaking practice. It distracts from proper formation of the speech-production organs and structures. Get learners into the habit of throwing away chewing gum before entering your English as a foreign language classes. The same holds true for hard candy and lollipops.

2. Holding Any Foreign Object in the teeth, Lips or Mouth

Are you, or any of your English language learners in the habit of pencil, pen or perhaps toothpick chewing? You’ll then need to find a strategy to cease and desist from the practice – at the very least, during English or other foreign language classes. Learners should be speaking in an on-going manner throughout English class. It’s important then, to shut down this type of habit during the entire English or other foreign language class.

3. Thumb-Sucking

Even though I teach at a university, believe it or not, I still get an occasional case of habitual thumb-sucking among my English as a foreign language learners. Once a person reaches adolescence or even adulthood, if can be a tough habit to halt. You’ll have to tackle the challenge though, at least during your English or other foreign language classes. Not only does it impair proper pronunciation of many labial, palatal and fricative sounds, but makes plosive and dental combination diphthongs, triphthongs and combination sounds virtually impossible to do. Ultimately, thumb-sucking can deform the proper formation and alignment of the teeth, soft palate and alveolar ridge, all of which are essential to good speaking and pronunciation skills.

More Bad Habits That Spoil the Development of Good English Language Speaking Skills

In this part one article post, we began a discussion of seven bad habits which spoil the development of good English or other foreign language speaking skills. In the following second part, we’ll continue with some additional aspects to be considered when teaching and learning to speak English or another foreign language.

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.

Do English Teachers World Wide Remember September 11th?

What Happened in New York City on September 11, 2001?

When I posed this question to my classes of EFL learners today, their responses were swift and pointed. Colombia, the country where I currently live and work, is also a location under the heavy hand of terrorism and repeated terrorist acts. EFL learners here are all too keenly aware of terrorism in its many forms in a number of other countries worldwide. Mexico may lead the world in kidnappings, but Colombia is a not-too-distant second. The Middle East endures its share of car bombings, public explosions and other types of terrorist acts. Colombia too has been experiencing an unwelcomed increase in its already too high kidnapping rate and the quantity of “incidental” bombings of public buildings, shopping centers and military or police-related installations. Support towers for high-tension power transmission fall to explosives, blacking out energy sources for hundreds of thousands of consumers. Here however, it may take days or at times weeks, to restore power to remote communities.

A Quick Recap of Events

As you might well recall, at 8:46 am on the morning of September 11, 2001, two airliners, American Airlines flight 11 crashed into the North tower and United Airlines flight 175 crashed into the South tower of the World Trade Center in New York City seventeen minutes later at 9:03 am. This deliberate act of terrorism officially caused the deaths of some 2749 people. Some of these victims had no remains to be buried and some others may never be identified. In the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, another flight, American Airlines flight 77 was crashed into the Pentagon near Washington, D.C. A fourth suicide mission by Al-Qaeda was attempted with the hijacking of United Airlines flight 93 but that effort was thwarted by courageous actions of the passengers and crew who all died in the ensuing crash at Shanksville, Pennsylvania as heroes in their efforts to avert another major tragedy and massive loss of life. The Twin Towers as they are often referred to, were the tallest buildings in the world from 1972 to 1973.

Two of my friends died in the WTC that day. However, out of my continued respect for their families and to aid in avoiding a reccurance of the pain and sorrow their deaths caused, I will not name them here.

The Effects of Terrorism Locally and Abroad

The ongoing and residual effects of terrorism locally and abroad may not seem to be a relevant EFL topic at first, but many learners find it a cathartic release for discussing many related problems in globalization. If the problem is particularly poignant in your locale, it might be a topic students wish to speak out on. Any act of terrorism or violation of Human Rights, wherever it may occur in the world, should be condemned. Open discussion of this and related topics may not always be pleasant, but are often stimulating and can evoke genuine emotion from learners like few other topics can. I took the time to broach the events of September 11, 2001 with my EFL learners today and during other days this week. Whether or not you choose t do so, you should be aware of the possibilities for expressing opinions and evoking discussions with your learners on controversial topics. Perhaps some of your EFL learners were too young or ill-informed to remember these events. If you feel it would be useful and appropriate, have them investigate and report on these or other related events. They can view videos, read news reports and survivor, eyewitness or family accounts on the internet. You just might be surprised at what a difference it might make to your EFL learners.



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 Tomato: An Important Tool for ELT and Foreign Language Teachers

A Tomato: An Important English as a Foreign Language Teaching Tool? Really?

What has a tomato got to do with English or foreign language teaching? Try this. Take a tomato, display it prominently in front of your English or foreign language students. Now ask them to tell you about it. “Ask, “What things can relate?” If one of your learners asks, “Teacher, can I touch it or pick it up or handle it?” you should say “Yes”.

Just don’t let them eat it. No prop, no class you see.

Using a Prop For English language Teaching

The idea is to generate the use of the four basic language skills using a known prop or piece of realia. With the exception of Antarctica and possibly the Himalayas, I don’t know of any other continent or geographic region where the tomato might not be known. The learners then, must come up with as much tomato-based input as they can. From some individual learners there may not be much, but collectively, the input generated could be considerable.

Brainstormed Tomato Themes

Here are some allowable input themes my learners have brainstormed using this exercise.

• Tomato dishes
• Allergies, especially food allergies
• Cooking methods used with tomatoes
• Tomatoes in songs and movies (Remember “Attack of the Killer Tomatoes”?)
• Collocations with “tomato”
• Countries where tomatoes are grown or heavily used
• Chemicals and nutrients in tomatoes
• History of tomatoes
• Tomato-colored objects
• Idioms and expressions using “tomato”
• Tomato statistics and records (world’s largest, smallest, etc.)
• Famous people who liked tomatoes (like Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis who reportedly put catsup on everything she ate)
• Companies that feature tomato products
• Tomato stories and anecdotes
• Words that can be made using the letters in the word “tomato”
By now I’m sure you get the idea.

Use The Power of Your mind

Try this visualization exercise right now. Close your eyes. Picture a tomato. Can you see it? In your mind, touch it. Pick it up and move it around in your hands. What does it feel like? Is it warm or cold? Can you smell it now? Describe the fragrance of your tomato. Okay, now you can take a bite. How does it taste? Do you want another bite? Would you like to sprinkle some salt or sugar on your tomato? Go ahead. Help yourself. If you’re getting hungry or otherwise reacting during this exercise, great, your learners will too. Even more so with a real tomato on hand.

English as a Foreign Language Stimulation

So try this English as a foreign language-stimulation exercise to get your learners talking and using English or another target language to actively communicate. It’s been a great help to me with my learners in generating speech and related topics during language class or Conversation Clubs. Other colorful fruits or vegetables will work too, especially if they are local or highly seasonal in variety. I’ve tried zapote, guanabana, granadilla, uchuvas, pitaya and several other exotic Colombian fruits, but so far the tomato has really worked out the best.

How about you and your English as a foreign language learners?


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.

Teaching English in Mexico: A Roundup of Possibilities

English Language Teaching professionals with CELTA Certification

English Language Teaching (ELT) professionals with CELTA certification are constantly in demand worldwide. A key world market for English EFL teachers who are native or near-native level is Mexico. The need for teachers there is virtually insatiable. Here is a sampling of the types of English language teaching positions that are available throughout Mexico almost at any particular time of the year.

PICTURE YOURSELF WORKING IN MEXICO:


What’s on tap from Mexico City, Torreón, Puebla, Chiapas, and Oaxaca




LSET Mexico
104 Gorriones
Mexico city, DF 55720

Telephone: 865 - 6468
Fax: 865 - 6468

Contact: Director

An EFL teacher for teaching at companies to adult learners is needed. A communicative dynamic approach is absolutely necessary for this position. Also some experience is required. There are excellent bonuses and salary available. For more details and immediate consideration, write, call or fax a cover letter and resume / CV to Catalina Soria Ramirez at LSET Mexico.

Colegio Alemán
Calle Mar #675
Col. Torreón Residencial
Torreón, Coahuila 27240

Telephone: (871) 720 - 4660
Fax: (871) 720 - 4660
Contact: English Program Director

An experienced Biology / Health Teacher preferably with a science background is being sought by this colegio. Although a Canadian national is preferred all strongly qualified candidates will be considered. The person would teach grades seven through nine. Class hours are from 7:45am - 2:30pm from Monday to Friday. Salary offered is $670 US dollars per month plus bonuses with free housing and insurance. Some travel expenses would also be paid. The contract will run from January 7th to June 30th.

Berlitz Puebla
Av. 39 Pte. # 3302, Loc. 36,37 and 38 (Entrance on 33 Sur)
Las Ánimas
Puebla, Puebla 72400

Phone: 249 - 8838
Fax: 249 - 8475

Website: http://www.berlitz.com/
E-mails: NorthAmerica.careers@berlitz.com or
LatinAmerica.careers@berlitz.com

For more than a century, people from around the world have looked to Berlitz for business, pleasure, and travel language and cultural training. They know Berlitz will teach them any language quickly, enjoyably, and effectively, in just about any location. Berlitz's expertise is based on 125 years of experience. Though Berlitz is headquartered in Princeton, N.J., they have more than 400 locations all around the world, so their job opportunities can vary from one country to the next. If you would like to learn more about specific positions available in Mexico, use the navigation bar on the left of their webpage to select the Mexico homepage, then click on the employment button to access local opportunities.

A spokesman for Berlitz says that they’re always looking for qualified candidates to lead their language and cross-cultural programs, and for positions at their corporate headquarters. Please e-mail your resume and position of interest to the appropriate address for your desired geographic area.

Universidad de la Sierra AC Av. de los Tecnicos s/n
Fracionamento El Paraiso
Huauchinango, Puebla 73160

Telephone: (7) 7622 - 4888
Fax: (7) 7622 - 4888


The USAC Huauchinango is looking for an English Coordinator. The person hired would be in charge of organizing programs and managing the other EFL teachers. Both EFL teaching and administrative experience would be helpful, as would an advanced degree in TOEFL or a related field. Huauchinango is in a flower-growing region located approximately midway between Pachuca and Poza Rica on a direct route from Mexico City. The area has a high percentage of Totonac and Nahua Indians. Although the region is quite scenic, it tends to be foggy at times due to the high altitude. There’s a flower festival in the spring and plenty of locally-produced fruit wine.

North Pacific English
Arroyo Ch. No. 105
Col. Alameda
Celaya, Guanajuato 38050

Telephone: 011 52 461 608 - 0301
Fax: 011 52 461 608 - 0301


Are you a fast-on-your-feet thinker? Do you have a CELTA or TEFL certificate? Looking for adventure? Apply today, two English Motivator positions are available. One is for working with kids. Any experience with children and teacher certification would be an asset. Celaya is located on the road between Irapuato and Queretaro and is near San Miguel de Allende.

English Center Crescencio Rosas 15
Centro
San Cristobal de las Casas, Chiapas 29250

Telephone: (967) 678 - 8468
Fax: (967) 678 - 8468
Contact: Director

Two English teacher Positions are still currently available for teaching in their 6 week long level programs that run up to 16 levels. Program makes use of a text book, work book, CD audios, VHS videos. Classes are for one hour per day from Monday through Friday or four hours on Saturdays. Extensive experience is helpful but not absolutely essential. A TEFL certificate would be a useful qualification, however.

Universidad del Mar
Kilometro 1.5 Carretera Zipolite
Puerto Angel, Oaxaca 70902

Telephone: 52 958 584 - 3049
Fax: 52 958 584 - 3049
Contact: Coordinadora de Idiomas

This small university on the coast of southern Mexico near Puerto Escondido still seeks an experienced ESL teacher with at least BA degree (in any field). Some experience is also required. Salary information is available on request. The town is a fairly small (population around 15,000) fishing village with a laid-back atmosphere near a number of good beaches. The popular lay-back-and-do-nothing beach area of Zipolite is only a couple of kilometers away.

Numerous possibilities for English Language Teaching abound throughout Mexico all times of the year with demand being especially heavy in January, July and August. Consider the possibilities and picture yourself living, teaching English and enjoying the vast cultural richness of the USA’s grand neighbor to the south.


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 How to Read Your Way to Foreign Language Fluency in 30 Days or Less

Let’s Get Started Reading Your Way to Foreign Language Fluency

In this part two we now get into more precise details of what you’ll need to do in order to effectively read your way to foreign language fluency in 30 days or less. Either online or an actual printed newspaper, if available in your target foreign language, will get you started nicely.

Read the Newspaper Aloud Daily

Get a newspaper in your target language, in our example case Spanish. Read articles from it aloud – daily. Do this for at least one hour daily in sessions of 15 minutes or 30 minutes if necessary. If your schedule allows time for more; 90 minutes or a couple of hours or so of reading aloud daily, then do it when you can. Remember, you’re only going to keep this up for 30 days at the most. Start off by reading a short article or classified ad aloud and be sure to record yourself doing so. You’ll use the recording later to prove to yourself that this technique actually does work. And yes, it really does work and work quite well, as a matter of fact. Just be sure to read each and every day, without fail, for the entire 30-day period. Record yourself (digitally or on cassette tape) no more than once at the end of each week. When your 30-day period is up, record yourself at the end of the month. Now listen to the first recording you made of yourself and then compare it to your latest recording. After listening to and comparing both, feel free to grin like a Cheshire cat and generously pat yourself on the back as much as you’d like. You deserve it.

Where to Get the Reading Materials

If you happen to live in a location where Spanish or your target foreign language newspapers are not available, don’t fret. Just go online and dig up one or two. For Spanish as a second or foreign language, here are some online Spanish daily newspapers for starters:

1. El País (España)
2. La Nación (La Argentina)
3. El Pais (Colombia)
4. El Tiempo (Colombia)
5. El Universo (Ecuador)
6. El Nacional (Venezuela)
7. El Siglo (Panamá)
8. El Clarín (La Argentina)
9. Listín Diario (La Repúbica Dominicana)
10. El Nuevo Día (Puerto Rico)

An Interesting, Fun and Informative Exercise

This can truly be quite a fun and informative exercise when done regularly, as your foreign language skills grow almost daily. Not only will your Spanish or other foreign language vocabulary, pronunciation and communicative skills rocket skyward, but you’ll be developing an in-depth knowledge of the foreign language in context along with geography, cultural and lifestyle elements too if you focus on a particular country. Do the crossword puzzles, read the comics, check out the classifieds and try out the recipes too. Just remember to have lots of fun and enjoy the experience. If you need any assistance or would like more suggestions, just drop me an e-mail. I’ll be happy to help if I can.

Good Luck.


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.