Wednesday, April 30, 2008

English in Jamaica: Is That REALLY English?


Walk With Me
Along the white coral beach, palms sway in rhythm to tropical sea breezes while dust devils dance along stretches of vacant sand.

Can you hear it? Reggae beats drift through the air amid smells of spicy jerked pork barbequing over the red glow of charcoal grills.

Linger a bit longer and you just might catch a whiff of pungent “ganja” being smoked some where not too far away. There might be some Rastafarians nearby, you say to yourself.

Welcome to Jamaica.

English is the first language here, but without some specialized practice, fine-tuned ears and a healthy dose of linguistic patience, you very likely may not understand much of the local English “patois”.

“Is that REALLY English?” you might ask yourself. Yes, my dear, it is. And a proud variety of English it is too. Indeed, to talk Jamaican is a unique experience.

One of the inherent tasks of teaching EFL or of communicating world wide in English as a lingua franca, is to fathom the language in a variety of dialects, patois, pidgins and their accompanying accents. Try listening to this Reggae / Hip Hop patois English song video (linked here and posted below) by Sean Paul as one example.

Talking Jamaican
Would like to try your hand at “talking Jamaican”? Then try wrapping your tongue around these examples:

"A fe me cyar."
Translation: "It's my car."

"Mi a go lef tiday."
Translation: "I am leaving today."

"Sell mi wan bokkle a iyl."
Translation: "Sell me a bottle of oil."

"Dat a mi bredda."
Translation: "That is my brother."

"Coodeh, yuh see de big bud eena de tree?"
Translation: "Look at the big bird in the tree."

"Bwaay! Mi did tink de test wudda eazy."
Translation: "Boy! I though that test would have been easy.

"Mi like yuh cris cyar."
Translation :"I like your new car."

"Yuh did see dat?" "A who dat?"
Translation: "Did you see that?" "Who is that?"

"She a mi bess bess fren."
Translation: "She is my best friend."

"Oonu can cum wid mi."
Translation: "You all can come with me."

Listen to Jamaican Speech
To hear the speech and sounds for yourself and for some additional examples, visit the sites at: http://www.jamaicans.com/speakja/talk.htm

http://www.everytingjamaican.com/jamaicatalk/speak-jamaican/166-how-2-speak-jamaican-patois.html,

http://www.ehow.com/how_2088847_speak-jamaican-patois.html or

Speak Jamaican at: http://www.speakjamaican.com/


Interested in learning a foreign language quickly, easily and with a minimum of hassle? Then just click HERE.


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 80 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.






Tuesday, April 29, 2008

Part Two - Learning English or a Foreign Language: 6 Effective Ways to Use the Internet


Let’s Continue Learning English or Another Foreign Language Using the Internet

So, you can’t go live in a country where English or the foreign language you want to learn is spoken, attend a formal language class, get a private language tutor or use books and written materials because you may not have good access to any? We said in part one of this article post that some other ways to learn English or another foreign language are to listen to CDs or audio-cassette tapes, watch TV, movies and video programs. But available to almost all are the vast resources of the world wide web – the internet. We’ll continue here to examine three additional ways of using the internet to learn a foreign language.

Photo: A Language-learning computer room at the Santiago de Cali University in Cali, COLOMBIA

4. Help in developing listening skills
Considered to be the most difficult of the language skills to develop, listening cannot be taught. Rather, you must practice, practice, practice and then practice some more. Every week, twice a week I passed a street vendor at the same spot, absolutely clueless as to what he was saying. I knew what he was selling – I just peeked over at his wares. But his entreaties in street Spanish fell on my language-clogged ears for months. Then one evening, without warning, it happened. Just two days before, his cries were the same incomprehensible slur they’d been for months. That one evening however, when he launched into his huckster’s spiel I suddenly understood every word. My listening comprehension skills had clicked in. Why then? No one knows. Especially not me, and I’m a post-graduate-degreed Language Education Specialist!

Practice your listening skills with radio programs in your target language for a change at www.live365.com which has live global feeds 24 hours a day in multiple languages.

Foreign language internet radio and foreign news radio in 27 European, 4 Middle Eastern, 9 Asian languages and audio feeds from 19 African countries are broadcast on: http://www.multilingualbooks.com/online-radio.html

5. Playing games and having fun
Vocabulary is often referred to as the "building blocks" of language. Knowledge of vocabulary is one aspect that separates the language learning levels. The more vocabulary and lexis you know, the more communicative you are.

Here are some unique language activity sites that help build your language as you “play”:

• The http://www.manythings.org/ site offers “interesting things for ESL students” like songs, jokes, quizzes, word games, puzzles, slang and even podcasts to help stimulate English language acquisition.

• The foreign language course site at:

http://www.foreignlanguagehome.com/topics/courses/index.htm has activities in 27 languages including Finnish, Mandarin and Quechua.

• At the Transparent Language site you can play games in any one of more than 100 languages from Afrikaans to Farsi or Guarani to Yoruba. And yes, they have Zulu too. Check out all their listings here: http://www.transparent.com/games/

6. So what language tickles your fancy?
While the selection of language courses, tutorials, news feeds, music and other audio – visual materials online is extensive, ALL the world’s 6912 languages simply aren’t available. Sorry. But many are and here’s how to find yours if it’s online.

• 108 FREE online foreign language courses are posted at: http://www.word2word.com/coursead.html

• The PARLO language website offers courses in English, Spanish, French and Italian at: http://www.parlo.com/parlo21/home/courselist/courselist_en.asp

• The E. L. Easton Language Institute offers 14 languages online from Albanian to Japanese, Latin to Croatian to Russian and Spanish. The site is online at: http://eleaston.com/languages.html

• A plethora of language learning activities for the world wide web are online for practice activities from the University of Hawaii here: http://polyglot.lss.wisc.edu/lss/lang/nflrc.html

Although the internet may not be the complete answer to all your foreign language learning needs it nonetheless can be a tremendous resource in your efforts to “habla espaƱol”, “parlez francaise”, or “sprechenze Deutcsh”. The prestige, financial gains, personal satisfaction, envy and opportunities that frequently follow with knowledge of a foreign language are without equal. Why don’t you start today trying out some of these effective ways to use the Internet to learn English or a foreign language. By the way, if you do find Cochimi, Cibemba or Kukapa, please let me know – I’m still looking! Any other informative, constructive comments are also welcomed.

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 80 countries. Get your FREE E-books,"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.



Monday, April 28, 2008

Learning English or a Foreign Language: 6 Effective Ways to Use the Internet


There are many ways to learn a new language
There are many ways to learn a new language: you can go live in a country where the language is spoken, attend a formal language class, get a private language tutor or use books and written materials. Other ways to learn a foreign language are to listen to CDs or audiocassette tapes, watch TV, movies and video programs, memorize phrase books, use the Internet or employ a combination of all the above.

Photo: Student in a language-learning computer room at the Santiago de Cali University in Cali, Colombia

Can’t Go to Live in a Foreign Country?
But not everyone can arrange to live in a foreign country. Native speakers of the language may not be available. Written or recorded commercial materials may not be available in the language you’re interested in (Cochimi, Cibemba or Kukapa, anyone?). True, many major languages like Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese and English broadcast TV programs via cable. Even Korean, Catalan, Arabic and Japanese have venues available in cosmopolitan areas worldwide; but the vast majority of the world’s thousands of spoken tongues are simply not at large outside of their local areas. So what’s a prospective polyglot to do?

Use a Search Engine
One answer of course, is the internet. Plug “foreign language courses” into an internet search engine like Google or Yahoo and more than 7 million six hundred thousand hits instantly come up. From Afrikaans to Punjabi, and Hebrew to Zulu, thousands of listings lay before you only a mouse click away. How exactly then, can the internet be used to tackle learning a foreign language?

Start off effectively by using these six ways:

1. Do an initial evaluation
The first thing you may want to know is where you are in the scheme of learning the language. An initial language skills evaluation is in order; are you a raw beginner? False beginner? Intermediate level? Higher? Let’s take English as a second or foreign language as an example.

English proficiency diagnostics tests are free online at:

General English Test with instant results http://nll.co.uk/test/english.shtml
Parlo http://parlo.com/ (diagnostic tests in English, Spanish, and French)
Upper Intermediate Test
http://www.wordskills.com/level/caeform.html

If you score above 80% in this test, you should take the next one and also show your teacher or tutor a copy of the results.

2. Become familiar with language learning strategies
How do YOU learn? Knowing this can make the daunting task of foreign language learning less like study and more like play. Are you a Visual – Spatial learner who likes pictures, drawings, graphics and extensive use of color? A Musical – Rhythmic type that would benefit from having your lessons and materials set to music, rhythm or rhyme? Perhaps you’re the athletic type who’d derive more success with learning by motion, movement, mime or even dance? Playing the works of Mozart in the background while studying has been shown to enhance learning in a number of areas.

To find out more about your manner of learning visit these sites for starters:

Learning Styles Explanation http://www2.ncsu.edu/unity/lockers/users/f/felder/public/ILSdir/styles.htm

Index of Learning Styles Questionnaire http://www2.ncsu.edu/unity/lockers/users/f/felder/public/ILSdir/ilsweb.html

The Success Types Learning Style Indicator http://www.ttuhsc.edu/SOM/Success/LSTIntro.htm

3. Practice reading skills
Literacy is one of the 21st century’s most innately valuable compound skills. After all, you’re reading THIS now, aren’t you? Few would wish to be illiterate in their new foreign language so practice of reading skills is paramount. Online newspapers, magazines, newsletters and blogs can provide the needed practice and learning materials.

Check out these reading comprehension skills sites:

How to Read Your Textbook More Efficiently http://www.utexas.edu/student/utlc/lrnres/handouts/1422.html

Self-study reading lessons http://www.english-to-go.com/

Read the article in the following address: http://www.pacificnet.net/~sperling/quiz/read1a.html

In the address that follows, take the quiz to verify your understanding of the reading passage: http://www.pacificnet.net/~sperling/quiz/read1

To Be Continued …

In part two of this multi-segmented article post, we’ll continue to examine ways of using the internet to learn English or a foreign language by means of the internet.


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 80 countries. Get your FREE E-books,"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.



Friday, April 25, 2008

Getting Your EFL Learners to Read in English


Teaching English as a Foreign Language:
Getting Your EFL Learners to Read in English


Why Little Juanita Maria Can’t Read
If you teach English as a foreign language in a country or location where reading isn’t a particularly strong skill, getting your EFL learners to read can be a unique challenge. In Colombia, for example, a published report stated that 22% of homes said that they had NO books in the house as compared to Mexico, where only 4.1% of homes reported being without any books in the house. Even though reading can be promoted at home without having a home library, these statistics would indicate that reading is very likely NOT a highly promoted skill in many households. What too, if parents lack adequate reading skills?

Then too, many schools, especially those in impoverished areas worldwide, simply do not have ready access to an ample supply of books and other reading material. This can have even more of an impact where English is not a first or official language. When English is also not given any particularly high status in the school or learner curriculum, you have all the makings for LEP (Limited English Proficiency) learners with poorly developed reading and reading comprehension skills, probably in their first language (L1) as well as in English as a foreign language.

The Four Language Skills
Of the four basic language skills, reading, writing, listening and speaking; reading is certainly not a skill we’d want to neglect or minimize as English language teaching professionals. Here then are a few starter suggestions for getting your EFL learners to read in English.

• Read a captivating story aloud to them with an “installment” of the story being reading each class
• Have learners start by reading dramatic or attention-grabbing headlines from English language tabloids, newspapers or magazines
• Play a story or fairy tale on tape with learners following along in written transcripts
• Use short passages from novels, literature, magazine articles, news stories, even comic books to pique their interest and motivation
• Cut a printed story’s paragraphs into separate parts pasted on a sheet of paper or cardboard. Have learners re-organize the paragraphs to read the story aloud

Where to Get Reading Materials
Oh, you thought that I’d forgotten that part, didn’t you? No, I haven’t. First, try asking your learners to bring in something if they can. Old magazines and newspaper pages, flyers, printouts from online materials, letters, used books and whatever else they might be able to scrounge will at least get you started with some reading materials to work with. You, enterprising ELT professional that you are, might try a few downloads of news, articles or other reading materials from the internet. If you have a stash of materials like old novels, magazines and newspapers at home, now’s the time to put them into play with your EFL learners.

Start Off Short and Slow
Just remember to start off your reading program short and slow, using only five minutes or even less to start. Each week, build up the reading activity time by an additional three to five minutes until you have a steady pace of about 15 minutes during the class based on reading and reading comprehension skills development using as wide a variety of materials as you can accumulate. I’m sure you and your English as a foreign language learners will be pleased with the results.


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 80 countries. Get your FREE E-books,"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.


Thursday, April 24, 2008

Teaching English as a Foreign Language: 21st Century Skills EFL Teachers MUST Have


The Little Red One-Room School House

Like the little red one-room school house, the days of computer illiterate and digitally-challenged English as a foreign language teachers are gone. Nowadays English and foreign language teachers must routinely conduct any number of digitally-based or online tasks.

Digital and Online Tasks

• Conduct online class sessions
• Communicate with learners between class sessions using e-mails
• Create and manage online groups
• Develop and post digital EFL materials
• Create, write and post to blogs and websites like ESL Base
• Participate in online ELT discussion forums
• Conduct online reading and research
• Both upload and download EFL materials to and from ELT websites

The list could go on and on. The world of teaching English as a foreign or second language is now, by far, a digital - and global one.

Passing to the Forefront

If EFL teachers are to continue in their respective positions, have any thought to higher salaries beyond the traditional “standard of living” pay raises, or want any increased responsibility and recognition to be able to pass to the forefront of their fields, the time has long since come for their incrementing their digital and online skills.

Modern, Digitally Competent EFL Teachers

The modern, digitally competent English language teacher should be abreast of 21st century teaching and learning tools.

Ask yourself for example:

• Do you have a personal or English Language teaching website or blog?
• Do you give and receive assignments via e-mail or online class room site?
• How frequent or intensive is your participation in English language teaching forums online?
• Are you familiar with and make use of English language teaching materials available at online websites for teachers?
• Are you keeping up (or trying to) with what’s happening in the field of English and foreign language teaching theory by researching, reading journals, reports, and blog posts (like this one) on the internet?

It’s Almost Never Too Late

If you find yourself needing a boost in any of these skills, getting the upgrade assistance you need may be as simple as completing a free online course or two. You might also see what help is available at your school, company or institution. A quick Google search (you DO know how to do THAT, don’t you?) will turn up hundreds if not thousands of other options.


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 80 countries. Get your FREE E-books,"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.



Wednesday, April 23, 2008

English as a Foreign Language: Reading is FUN-Damental


English as a Foreign Language Teachers and Learners:
Did you know that today, Wednesday, April 23, 2008 is a national day for books and reading? Some places also call it “Language Day” or give tribute to England’s William Shakespeare and Spain’s Miguel Cervantes. Both writers, while born in different years, reputedly died on this same day in the year 1616.

In conjunction with a day for honoring, or at least remembering, two of literature’s most auspicious contributors, I thought I’d take the opportunity to divulge some recent statistics on reading published in Colombia. Some of them I found to be quite appalling. What is it like in the country where YOU live and teach?

Reading In Colombia
In a study done in 2005, Colombians read an average of only 1.5 (one point five) books per year! When polled as to why so few, technology and the internet were primarily cited as reasons most never cracked open a book. Television also bore a brunt of the blame for non-readers.

Back in the year 2000 however, the average number of books read was “up” to 2.4 (two point four) books per year in Colombia. This is still far below anything I read about before. Incredulous, I polled hundreds of my EFL learners and fellow ELT teachers.

“How many books did you have to read during your college or university years? I asked.

For me in the USA, most college majors required somewhere in the neighborhood of 400 or more books to be read and / or referenced during a four-year sojourn. Many Colombian colleagues and students cited approximately 20 – that’s right, twenty, books to be read during a five-year undergraduate program!

A Five-Year Periodic Study
Here are some more interesting statistics from the “Study of Reading Habits, Library Attendance Book Consumption in Colombia” (2005) which is conducted every five years. The next scheduled study is set for the year 2010.

22% of Colombians say they have NO books in their home in contrast with

4.1% of Mexicans who say they have NO books in their home

7.7% of Colombians said they have more than 100 books at home in contrast with

24.6% of Mexicans who said that they have more than 100 books at home

41% of Colombians older than 12 prefer reading books

26% prefer reading magazines and

32% prefer to read newspapers and other periodicals

79.7% of children and youths said that they read despite of the accessibility of technology and television

Colombian Cities Hosting Special Celebrations
There are 27 Colombian cities and municipalities reportedly hosting celebrations and special events today or during this week. These include the following as reported in “El Tiempo” newspaper, April 20, 2008.

The cities are: Armenia, Rio Hacha, Barranquilla, Buenaventura, Bogota, Bucaramanga, Ipiales, Leticia, Cali, San Andres,Cartagena, Santa Marta, Cucuta, Sincelejo, IbaguƩ, Valledupar, Manizales, Florencia, Medellƭn, Girardot, Neiva, Monteria, Pereira, Villavicencio, PopayƔn, Tunja and Pasto.

If your area has any recognition of this day why not encourage your EFL learners to participate. If not, then why not prepare some activities for your English language learners?
English language teachers and Parents: If YOU don’t read, then your learners and children won’t see the value in developing this habit and skill. You need to set the example as well as helping them to develop reading for pleasure and reading comprehension skills .

And me? I read ten non-academic books over the end-of-the-year holiday break last December to January. But then, I like to read.

By the way, how many books do YOU read each year?


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 80 countries. Get your FREE E-books,"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.


Monday, April 21, 2008

Part 2 of Teaching English Abroad: Three More Important Things You Didn’t Know About


Letters to the Author
According to many of the letters to the author that I regularly receive, there are more than a few misconceptions about what life is or is not supposed to be like when living abroad. In keeping with the increasing trend towards people moving abroad to retire, change their lifestyle, experience new cultures, get closer to their “roots”, and in general to improve their overall living conditions. As mentioned previously, such a move, while having a number of benefits, can be the proverbial double-edged sword. These are more of a few “Caveat Emptors” to be reckoned with.

5. Don’t Expect a Perfect World Abroad
Don’t expect a perfect world abroad because we don’t live in one. You shouldn’t need me to tell you that, but just in case, there it is in black and white. In many countries you would expect to have well-provided services, you’re in for a surprise. Power fails and stays off for days. Water outages can occur. Water that is available may not always be potable with additional steps on your part. Phone service may be sporadic or unavailable. Also expect it to be more expensive than you’re accustomed to. Traffic as illustrated in the video of Panama City in Panama below, may be a nightmare most of the day with transit and vehicle insurance laws usually being unenforceable.

6. If You’re a Minority, You WILL Be Discriminated Against
As I mentioned earlier, as if you didn’t already know, we don’t live in a perfect world.
Blacks, women, nationalities from certain countries, religious and ethnic group members and “senior citizens can all experience discrimination in some form or other. You can however, prepare for it and take steps to circumvent or avoid it. It’s much harder (but not impossible) to get an EFL teaching position if you’re over 50 or so, are black or of certain religious groups. The importance of having good, well-recognized credentials cannot be over-emphasized in this regard.

7. Start Learning the Local Language
Start learning the local language NOW, even before you get any further along towards your prospective destination or new home. Use dictionaries, language guides, a community college or language institute short course. Try video and audio tape series and whatever else you can dig up. Practice something in the language everyday from now on. Listen to local radio stations from your target country on the internet if need be. Get a private tutor for a short intensive series of practical language lessons. Make no mistake, you WILL need it. If you need to learn a foreign language really quickly and easily, check out my eBook HERE.

This is Not to Discourage You
This is not to discourage you from considering, then acting upon a deep-seated desire to live, work or travel abroad. You should be as well-informed as possible before the move. Take a short “pilot trip” if you can. Sniff around, meet people, check out the local and regional newspapers and telephone directories for leads and information. Get a local cell phone number. Don’t give up, just don’t be anymore of a “victim” than you might have to be otherwise. Have fun, enjoy and good luck in your new destination, wherever that might be.


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 80 countries. Get your FREE E-book,"If you Want to Teach English Abroad, Here's What You Need to Know" by requesting the title you want 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.


Sunday, April 20, 2008

Teaching English Abroad: Seven Important Things You Didn’t Know About


Caveat Emptor
There has been an increasing trend towards people moving abroad to retire, change their lifestyle, experience new cultures, get closer to their “roots”, and in general to improve their overall living conditions. But such a move while having numerous benefits, can be the proverbial double-edged sword, cutting both ways. There are a few “Caveat Emptors” to be reckoned with. Just take a look at these …

1. Your TESOL Employment Options Can Triple, Quadruple or More with a Recognized TEFL Certificate
Just a couple of days ago I talked with a woman who still believes that “being a native speaker is enough to teach your language to others”. WRONG. It’s not and you can’t – at least not effectively enough to make a consistent stream of income from it. Schools, language institutes and government education departments are “wising up”; you may not even be able to get a legal, paying job teaching English without some recognized credentials. A CELTA or other well-recognized TEFL certificate is a minimum requirement to get at least a reasonably-well-paid job. You legal residence and working status could well be impacted too. And, trust me on this one, you DON’T want to go where that may lead.

2. A “Lower” Salary Doesn’t Mean a “Lesser” Life Style
“You’re only going to pay me WHAT!” You should see their faces when they first get the news. “I can’t possibly live off that!” Well actually, yes you can – and often quite well too. I also like the one when they hear, “We’ll pay you a million pesos!” Oh man. Great, they quip, eyes beaming. Then the other shoe drops when they find out that one million pesos is only five hundred dollars a month. What is said next is not repeatable here. When you get a salary offer, you need not necessarily cringe. Consider what you’ll be paid in light of the local cost of living. More often though, you’ll get a seemingly low sounding salary which is more than ample to enjoy living, traveling and enjoying life in your new digs.

3. Laws and Legal Proceedings Can Be Radically Different Abroad
The terms “justice” and “what’s right” can vary widely from one country to another. Legal systems are often directly related to the type of government a country is currently under. This too can change if there is a coupe d’etat, civil war, election, impeachment, death of a head of state or other form of governmental change. The ole U.S. of A, Canada, the UK, Australia and other major countries have centuries-old, well-established (and complicated) legal codes and systems which are enforced. Many countries world-wide do not, and may rely on a system of “justice” which does not favor you, the expatriate or foreigner.

4. “Culture Shock” is a Fact of Life Abroad
“Culture Shock” is a fact of life abroad so prepare yourself for it. No matter how well you live (or don’t live) now, relocating to a foreign country can be one of the most traumatic experiences of your life if you don’t properly prepare yourself for major change. Get several guidebooks on the country you’re considering. Then read them from cover to cover. Check out websites, government and tourist information web pages, history books, literature and almanac or yearbook data from as many sources as you can. Be an informed, knowledgeable expatriate BEFORE you go anywhere.

More Information Coming Up Soon
In the second of this two-part article post, we’ll consider three more important considerations for teaching English as a foreign language abroad that “you didn’t know about”. So “Don’t Expect a Perfect World”, “If you’re a Minority …” and “Start Learning the Local Language” will be briefly addressed. 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 80 countries. Get your FREE E-books,"If you Want to Teach English Abroad, Here's What You Need to Know" by requesting the title you want 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.


Wednesday, April 16, 2008

Are Course Book Dialogues Useful in EFL Speaking Practice?

Speaking Practice Dialogues
The purpose of practicing dialogues English or other foreign language learning is generally to promote the use of grammar or structure in context. While there are those who are both in favor of and against its strict use, I personally favor the use of course book dialogues by EFL learners in conjunction with “free”, “unrestricted” or “unguided” practice. It's important to provide EFL and foreign language learners with regular, extensive speaking practice using a variety of modes. Pronunciation aspects involved in or related to the dialogues being practiced by learners must also be included. This is especially true if a “problem pronunciation” sound occurs during the spoken discourse.

Video Example
Watch this video example (see video window below) of two intermediate level English as a foreign language learners recorded reading an Interchange series course book dialogue aloud. Then as an ELT professional or EFL practicing learner, decide for yourself how any connected speech problems might be addressed. An EFL class or group of learners might also be asked, “What would you have done in Rich’s situation?”

The Dialogue Transcript:

April: “Rich, you look exhausted!”

Rich: “I know. I didn’t get much sleep last night.”

April: “What happened?”

Rich: “Remember those guys I told you about?”

April: “The ones that just moved in next door?”

Rich: “Yeah. They had another party, and the noise kept me awake all night.”

April: “Well, something had got to be done.
This has happened every weekend since they moved in!”

Rich: “Yeah. Tell me about it. I finally had to call the police.”

April: “I would have done the same thing.
They shouldn’t be allowed to disturb people like that.
And anyway, they should have at least invited you to the party!”



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 80 countries. Get your FREE E-books, "If you Want to Teach English Abroad, Here's What You Need to Know” by requesting the title you want 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.


Tuesday, April 15, 2008

The Day I Almost Met Gregory Hines


Over the Years
Over the years I’ve had chance encounters, quick views and near-run-ins with a number of celebrities and sports personalities. Like former boxing heavyweight champions Muhammad Ali who I saw entering the Black Muslim mosque in Baltimore in the late 1960’s. Mike Tyson sat in a small restaurant at the table next to mine in Chester, Pennsylvania saying “excuse me when he accidentally bumped into me while seating himself. Another former heavy weight boxing champion, Evander Holyfield was at a private cookout I attended in Atlanta, Georgia. Joe Frazier had a small fast-food joint on City Line avenue in his home town of Philadelphia where I also lived in the late 1970s.

Malcolm X
Black political activist Malcolm X was also at the Black Muslim mosque in Baltimore, Maryland which was located three blocks from where I lived at the time. I passed the mosque often on my way to the market and shopping districts. Actor Martin Kove walked past me and up the stairs to his hotel in New York city. I didn’t recall who he was until a few minutes later. Jazz musician Grover Washington performed live in front of me in a small club in Philadelphia. R & B pop recording star Patti LaBelle who also lives in Philadelphia often shops locally and is often encountered casually by fans like I did. Singer Sarah Dash is the aunt of a buddy I hung out with while living in Philadelphia too. Little Anthony (of the Imperials) and 1960’s soul music singer Mary Wells who died a few years later of cancer, I chatted with both at after-concert casual settings at different times (with Mary Wells in Cleveland).

I Loved Jazz Then, and Still Do
Jazz drummer and legend Art Blakey performed at a tiny jazz club in south Philadelphia on a stage so close to my front-row table that he nearly stepped on my outstretched hand when he shifted positions while playing (Thanks Priscilla). World land speed record holder (at the time) - Craig Breedlove autographed my program at a car show. Although I never actually met him, as a teenager I got a signed “Thank You” letter from then FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover. I saw Queen Elizabeth in person once too, in a parade for her birthday while I was living in London (1972). Prince Carlos of Spain passed in front of me outside the Hilton Hotel in Quito Ecuador. Actress Halle Berry addressed a small crowd I was standing in when she was promoting the film debut of “Cat Woman (“Gatubela” in Spanish) in Barcelona, Spain.

And Now About Gregory Hines
And the late great hoofer Gregory Hines, well I was sitting in my parked car downtown in Allentown, Pennsylvania when he walked around the corner towards me while taking a break from a show he was performing in. I was so stunned I said nothing – I just stared, wondering what he was doing there. He chatted casually with the lady who accompanied him briefly before returning to the theater. I never got out of my car to speak to him and no one else was around or on the street. I missed my chance to meet him even though I enjoyed his dance routines and movie roles. Born on February 14, 1946 (Valentine’s Day) he died from cancer on August 9, 2003 in Los Angeles.

Epilogue
That afternoon in Allentown I was waiting for my girlfriend to arrive at the bus terminal which is located next to the theater. When she got into the terminal shortly thereafter, I told her the story of what had just recently happened but she didn’t believe me. We got married in July of that same year. After all these years, she still doesn’t believe me. You do though, don’t you?


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 80 countries. Get your FREE E-books,"If you Want to Teach English Abroad, Here's What You Need to Know" or "7 Techniques to Motivate Your English Language Learners and Make Your Classes More Dynamic" by requesting the title you want 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.


Monday, April 14, 2008

What EFL Learners Dislike About English Language Teachers

Let’s Continue With Our Series …
In a previous article post entitled, “Common EFL Classroom Problems and What to Do About Them”, we discussed three distinctive examples of EFL classroom-related problems and some suggested management strategies for them. In this related article, we’re going to turn the tables and talk about idiosyncrasies that learners find in English or foreign language teachers. It’s not only EFL teachers who can have the “patience of Job”, but EFL and foreign language learners too may have to endure some disparate teaching traits and conditions.

Video Clip: USC Prof. MacArthur Gomez demonstrates successful interaction with a group of learners

First of all, don’t get me wrong. I think that a variety of teaching styles can be a good thing for learners. This is just one of the ways that learners can benefit from input sessions using a broader spectrum of methods and techniques than might necessarily occur by having only one a or very few teachers using only a limited number of teaching resources.

Problems however, can begin to arise when the teaching styles of a group vary enough so that they impact the overall quality of a curriculum. This brings up some aspects that EFL learners said they disliked about EFL teachers. Of the several predominant points the learners mentioned, here are some of the most recurrent.

1. Teachers Who Are Obviously Unprepared for Class
These teachers may be guilty of:

• Having few or NO prepared lessons, resources or activities to conduct classes
• Often being late for class
• Frequently having a disheveled, unkempt personal appearance

2. Boring Teachers
You know the ones they mean- you know what they’re going to do class today, this week, next week, next month or even next year for that matter because it’s always the same – BORING. Dynamics? why they seem to never have heard of the word. So learners “fight back” by bringing an unending stream of technology from mp3s, iPods and mp4s loaded with their favorite music to class just to “survive” these lackluster sessions.

3. Teachers with Poor Speech or Heavy Accents
This is one aspect that many EFL learners brought up which I could really relate to; Why? Because, years ago I had an Eastern-European-born Robotics professor who spoke English with such a heavy accent we just couldn’t understand anything he said, whenever he talked. To make matters even worse, he talked continuously from the start of class until the end of class (and beyond). His idea was to literally “tell” us everything that we needed to know for the class. Talk about a real bummer. The only two true saving graces of the course were:

• 1. He was very highly knowledgeable in his field. No one ever questioned that he lacked depth in his area of expertise. In robotics programming languages he was “off in the ozone” somewhere. Certainly at levels we never planned or hoped to go.

• 2. He wrote EVERYTHING he said on the blackboard as he said it. When he filled up the two boards with writing, he promptly went back to board number one, erased it, and started filling it up with writing again often without so much as a glance in our direction.

There Are More of Course
Certainly the list of EFL learner pet peeves doesn’t stop here. We could discuss some others in another article post. The point is, don’t YOU fall into the category of being a boring, unprepared EFL or foreign language teacher in any of the afore-mentioned aspects. As is being demonstrated in this video, teachers should strive to interact with learners, engage them and ensure their interest and participation in class sessions.

Strive to make your EFL of foreign language classes an interesting, dynamic, enriching experience for your learners and you’ll ultimately have nothing much to worry about; at least, not in these areas.


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 80 countries. Get your FREE E-books,"If you Want to Teach English Abroad, Here's What You Need to Know" or "7 Techniques to Motivate Your English Language Learners and Make Your Classes More Dynamic" by requesting the title you want 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.


Saturday, April 12, 2008

Common English as a Foreign Language Classroom Teaching Problems and What to Do About Them


Not “In It” For the Money
Most practicing English language teachers, especially EFL teachers are not “in it for the money”. Instead, they have other aspects of teaching English as a foreign language that reward or satisfy them such as shorter work weeks, extensive vacation and holiday schedules, and travel abroad opportunities, among many others. Nonetheless, EFL learners can irk even those with the patience of Job.

Here are three distinctive examples of EFL classroom-related problems and some suggested management strategies for them:

1. Students Don’t Have a Course Book
This can be an especially acute problem when teaching a course book-based program.

Try some or all of these strategies:

• Write all key lesson material on the board for learners to view and perhaps copy into their notebooks
• Project course book pages on a screen or the board using an Overhead Projector (OHP) or opaque projector for learners to note key items and exercises
• Make use of realia or alternative teaching methods for the theme being taught

2. Students Don’t Prepare Properly for English or Foreign Language Classes
If the number of class contact hours per week is very low, say for example less than four or five hours per week, there may be few other options available to the teacher outside of assigning homework or projects to be done outside of class hours. If EFL or foreign language learners consistently come to class with incomplete or undone assignments, both they and you suffer the results. So why not try “prodding” them gently by:

• Giving frequent or regular written and oral reviews
• Scheduling mandatory tutorial or listening laboratory sessions
• Announcing a quiz for the next , or soon upcoming class

3. Students Regularly Copy the Work of Others
Foreign languages in particular, require individual effort and participation to acquire. Simply copying the work of other learners will not promote foreign language acquisition.

• Give learners individual workshops (or worksheets) which are not identical to be completed in class and outside of class hours
• Assign individual or small group projects to EFL learners
• Use individual-based web quests as assignments
• Use dynamics and practice materials prepared in class for each learner or small groups

Other Problems Exist
While surely a multitude of other EFL related classroom problems exist, those presented here are among the fairly common ones. Depending on the regulations of the institution and the government where you may be teaching, some of these suggested solutions may be more or less practical than others. What are YOUR solutions to these or other EFL teaching classroom problems that YOU have? Although there are aspects EFL teachers dislike about students, there are also aspects that EFL learners dislike about EFL and foreign language teachers as well. We’ll consider some of these in upcoming articles.


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 80 countries. Get your FREE E-books,"If you Want to Teach English Abroad, Here's What You Need to Know" or "7 Techniques to Motivate Your English Language Learners and Make Your Classes More Dynamic" by requesting the title you want 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.


Friday, April 11, 2008

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


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 six useful keys to help you in re-vamping your lifestyle, improving your health and boosting your mental capacity.

Minimize the Stress in Your Life
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.

Become More Mentally Active
Do brain teasers, work a variety of different games or puzzles. Try your hand at some crosswords, anything to get that grey 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

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.

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.

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 checkups

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, author and speaker. He has written ESP, foreign language learning, English language teaching texts and hundreds of articles used in more than 80 countries. Get your FREE E-books,"If you Want to Teach English Abroad, Here's What You Need to Know" or "7 Techniques to Motivate Your English Language Learners and Make Your Classes More Dynamic" by requesting the title you want 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.


Wednesday, April 09, 2008

Fun but Simple Creative Toys You and Your Young EFL Learners Can Make


Rainy Day Blues?
Have you got the rainy day blues? Cabin fever? Stuck in a rut, or just looking for some affordable outlets for your tots, toddlers and perhaps their older siblings? Looking for some really fun activities for your young learners in EFL classes? Would you like some ideas on producing some unique, economical toys and amusements? Ideas for new, different and creative toys can come from virtually every corner of the house or class room. You may just need a healthy “how to” push in the right direction. Try these ideas for recycling common household items for starters.

Soda Bottle Trucks
As rain pounded into the black sands of the Pacific coast fishing village where I was passing my vacation, I noticed the downpour never stopped the kids. What I also noticed was their ingeniously crafted toy trucks fabricated from water or soda bottles. Each boy ran along rivulets of water pulling a sand-loaded truck. Converting the plastic bottle into a truck was childishly simple. Four bottle caps served as wheels. Two axles were formed from two three and a half inch long pieces of coat hanger wire. The wires were run through the sides of the bottle and through a plastic bottle cap on each side. The ends of the wire were bent up to hold the bottle cap wheels on. A portion of the other side of the bottle was cut away to create a cargo bay. String was tied around the bottle neck. Load up the cargo bay with sand, rocks, marbles, small figures, screws, nuts and bolts, whatever - and the truck was ready to go.

Shake, Rattle and Roll
Empty metal, cardboard or plastic containers make great noise maker toys for the tots. Round containers from cereals, powdered or dry, granulated and some liquid products work well especially if they have re-sealable tops. You can partially fill them with gravel, marbles, clean sand, seeds, dried beans, rice, etc. to create different sound effects. Be sure to super glue or otherwise permanently seal the assembly to keep inquisitive toddlers from opening and potentially swallowing the contents. They’re washable too, so they can be easily washed or cleaned. Your imagination is the only limit to what you can come up with.

Flying High
An all-time favorite toy with children and adults alike, kites have been around for more than 4000 years since their invention in China. Originally made from paper and bamboo, kite-making materials now run the gamut from the original paper and bamboo to nylon, cloth, plastics, and even metal foils. Not strictly for kids, Benjamin Franklin flew a kite into scientific history. Fifth century BCE Greek scientist Archytas of Tarentum is credited with introducing kite-flying into Europe.

Here are some reference web sites to get you up, up, and away:

http://www.skratch-pad.com/kites/make.html Have ever wanted to build a kite? Well, here is a simple kite you can make your self!

http://www.ehow.com/how_1288_make-kite.html How to make a kite. While kites are inexpensive to buy, making one adds to the fun. You'll be especially proud when your diamond-shaped creation takes to the sky.

http://www.aloha.net/~bigwind/20kidskites.html These are the complete time tested instructions to get kids making their own kites and flying them in 20 minutes.

http://www.planemath.com/activities/flykite/kiteplans.html Here are more simple kite plans to help get you and your kids started

http://scsc.essortment.com/howtobuilda_rlrf.htm Kites are fun for young and old alike. You can build your own kite, or help your young learners build one by reading this article!

Airport Central
It’s hardly much of a jump from kites to planes. Inexpensive and easy to produce, flyable planes can be made from paper, plastic or Balsa wood available at hobby shops, building and craft supply stores and hardware stores. Just like kites, they’re intriguing, tons of fun and a snap to make. Flying them can be a bit trickier, but who cares? Time sure flies when you’re having fun!

Try these web sites for a quick take off:

http://www.cdli.ca/CITE/paper.htm This page lists some of the best Web sites on how to make and fly paper airplanes.

http://paperplane.org/ Ken Blackburn, web site to share what he knows about paper airplanes. He holds the Guinness record for time aloft for paper airplanes.

http://www.exploratorium.edu/exploring/paper/airplanes.html T he most amazing thing about a paper airplane is that all you need to make one is a sheet of paper—nothing more.

www.paperairplanes.co.uk/ Alex's paper airplanes Cobra Paper Airplane The Planes - This is an index listing all the paper airplanes currently on the site ranked by how easy they are to make.

So there, you have some ideas on producing some unique, economical toys and amusements for your tots, toddlers and their older siblings. Ideas for new, different and modified versions of your creations will flow from virtually every corner of the house. Who knows, you might even develop something saleable. The toy conglomerates are always looking for the next super fad item.

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 80 countries. Get your FREE E-books,"If you Want to Teach English Abroad, Here's What You Need to Know" or "7 Techniques to Motivate Your English Language Learners and Make Your Classes More Dynamic" by requesting the title you want 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.


Monday, April 07, 2008

Teaching English as a Foreign Language: 7 Tips for Using Popular Movies


Movies and Videos in the EFL Classroom
If you’re looking to expand the role of movies and videos in your EFL classroom, what better way to expand the learners’ communicative skills, grammar and vocabulary than by using clips from popular movies? Try using these seven tips for stimulating learner motivation while enjoying a favored pastime of children and adults alike, watching short scenes or clips from popular movies.



Photo: Sebastian High School students in Cali, Colombia watch a video clip in EFL class


1. Use pre-viewing activities

Before the video, warm up your learners to the theme and grammar using pre-viewing activities. A variety of these might include puzzles, photos and images, short games like “concentration” or TPR activities, a story or anecdote, or activating the schema of the learners’ in a number of other ways.

2. Have learners complete a chart while viewing

While they are watching a short video or movie segment you might have the learners fill in key information in a chart. Items like names of characters, occupations, family relationships, clothing and settings can be easily recorded this way. This allows the learners to focus more on the communicative aspects and less on actually writing.

3. Select a grammar point repeatedly demonstrated in the movie clip

There’s no need to leave grammar out of a video-based lesson or stage. If a usable grammar point or structure is repeated or prominent during the movie clip you plan to use, all the better. Just remember to pre-teach that grammar or structural element, even a class or two before the video, so that it will be recognizable in context.
Using Movies to Improve Your English Language Speaking Skills in One Week or Less
4. Have a list of six to eight lexis
Select a list of from six to eight or ten vocabulary words, idioms and expressions from the movie clip or video you plan to use. Pre-teach these during the pre-viewing stage of the lesson. When the learners then hear them used in context during the video viewing session, the lexis will have added impact.

5. Make use of visual input
A popular movie clip is an audio-visual experience, so use it as such. While learners are watching and listening for general and detailed spoken information, include visual aspects for them to skim and scan for as well. How many? How much? When? Where? Who? How and why are good starters for capturing visually-presented information from the movie clip or video segment.

6. Allow learners to select their preferred movie clip
It can be quite a dilemma. There you have perhaps two or three or more movies from which to choose, but you’re not sure which your learners would prefer. So I have an idea, do you choose, let them do it. Take three movies for example, show the learners only the first five minutes of each, and then let them choose which they’d like to work with. If you have a clip in mind from each of the movies, show each clip and give them a choice. You can work up your activities and lesson stage plans confident in having your learners’ interest and motivation. So who’s it going to be, Clint Eastwood or Whoopi Goldberg?

7. For post-viewing discussion:

If not addressed during pre-viewing activities, now is the time to talk about favorite actors, actresses, similar plots and stories from other movies, and what might be different or better outcomes for what as seen. Stage re-enactments, altered dialogues and plot twists your learners might come up with. Be imaginative, be creative, be bold or even funny, but get them communicating about their experience.

Prepare a Worksheet
You can prepare a one or two page worksheet to be photocopied and used by the learners for the video session. Alternatively, learners can copy the format into their notebooks. Just be sure to plan your pre-viewing, while-viewing and post-viewing activities well and your English language video clip-based lesson is sure to be an award-winner.


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 80 countries. Get your FREE E-books,"If you Want to Teach English Abroad, Here's What You Need to Know" or "7 Techniques to Motivate Your English Language Learners and Make Your Classes More Dynamic" by requesting the title you want 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.


Friday, April 04, 2008

Here’s a List of Links I Like














Links I Liked

Since I regularly browse the internet and read a dozen or more blogs, articles and RSS feeds each week, I thought that I’d cull some of the best or most interesting ones to share them with my fellow readers, writers, teachers and foreign language learners. These readings tend to be on a wide range of topics and styles from academic to humorous and educational or non-fiction, but each one nonetheless, provides its own value to thinking people and professionals from many different walks of life.

Photo: A stone-carved Olmec Head in Xalapa, Mexico

Here’s what’s current on my list:

http://heleninwales.livejournal.com/322860.html
Helen's musings on life etc. by means of her online blog journal

http://www.internetmarketingsweetie.com/download/
Internet Marketing Sweetie information for women in business

http://www.dailywritingtips.com/
Daily Writing, English Grammar and Punctuation tips This is a good site to pick up some tips and interesting information on English language grammar, punctuation, spelling and word origins.

http://kenlevine.blogspot.com/2008/03/it-seemed-like-good-idea-but-not-as.html
The World as Seen by a TV Comedy Writer
If you’re at all familiar with American TV sitcoms (comedies) you’ll enjoy some of the background this writer provides online.

http://www.ibankcoin.com/peanut_gallery/index.php/2008/03/30/american-dream-killing-me-softly/
The Peanut Gallery (definition: A group of people whose opinions are considered to be unimportant) Humorous views, opinions and ideas

http://thechronicleherald.ca/Books/1046504.html
Being a writer in Canada challenging, says Richards
Do you want to know what being a writer is like? Then check out this page

http://www.examiner.com/a-1309070~Interest_in_Hunting__Fishing_Dropping.html?cid=rss-Vermont_Headlines
Interest in Hunting, Fishing and Outdoors is Dropping …
Why do you think fewer and fewer people are developing an interest in the outdoors and outdoor activities such as fishing, hunting, hiking and others? One opinion is here for you to read.

http://www.ehow.com/
How to Do Just About Everything
If you want clear, simple instructions on how to do a huge variety of everyday tasks from tying a tie to making an apple pie, then this is the site for you.

http://www.yourfirstarticle.com/
Article Writing and Article Marketing by Jeff Herring, a writer with hundreds of free articles posted online

http://mountainmystic.wordpress.com/2008/04/01/from-imp-to-imp/#comment-39
From Imp to Imp
Blog site with a cute little “story poem” you might enjoy.

http://hackyourday.com/2008/04/01/5-steps-to-managing-a-blog-writers-workflow/#comment-1255
5 steps to managing a blog writer’s workflow
http://ragnar111.wordpress.com/
Ragnar111’s Weblog updates ancient wisdom with the help of the laws of Quantum Physics

Feel free to check out any or all of the links that may interest you. Each month a new series of links that I’ve scoured from the internet will be posted for your information and perusal. If you run across any interesting links you particularly like or enjoy during your own online surfing, please feel free to let me know too.


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 80 countries. Get your FREE E-books,"If you Want to Teach English Abroad, Here's What You Need to Know" or "7 Techniques to Motivate Your English Language Learners and Make Your Classes More Dynamic" by requesting the title you want 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.