Writing Articles: Three Areas in Which Everyone is a Qualified Expert

Three of Your Expert Areas
In the companion article post to this one, “How to Write Articles about What You Know When You Don’t Know Anything”, we discussed possibilities in four article theme topic areas. There are three distinct areas however, where absolutely everyone is a hands-up, qualified expert. These are: your home and personal travels, your teaching and learning experiences, and any personal pleasures, pastimes or pet peeves that you may have.

• Home and Travels
Where have you lived, visited, vacationed or traveled to? What’s it like to live, work, travel or study abroad? Can you speak a foreign language? How did you learn to do it? What mistakes did you make? How did you manage living in South America, Asia, Africa or Europe? What did you eat and drink? How do you prepare meals from those places? What tips or advice do you have for others who’d like to follow in your footsteps?

• Teaching and Learning
Have you ever taught something to someone else? Have you then, ever learned something unique, different or special in some way that is interesting? You can expound on that at length and in detail, can’t you? Do you have pictures, photographs or videos of these things too? Can you go back and get pictures, photographs and videos?

• Pleasures, Pastimes or Pet Peeves
What really ticks you off? How could people learn to avoid doing things like that to others? Express your opinion with ways, tips and techniques to develop the needed knowledge and skills to be better. Whether social skills like meeting people, etiquette, self-improvement, over coming fears or bad habits, among many others, there are possibly thousands upon thousands of people wanting to know what you know. Tell them by writing about it.

So You REALLY Don’t Know Anything?
With these three topic areas and questions, you can’t possibly say, “I don’t know anything.” You’ve found out several areas that you are an “expert” in which would interest others enough for you to write about. Be sure to have a look at, “How to Write Articles about What You Know When You Don’t Know Anything”, if you haven’t already. Now get to writing.

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 About What You Know When You Don’t Know Anything

Write About What You Know
What to write? Well, write about what you know. Right. How can I write, I don’t know anything? Really? I’ll bet you do know something. Not only that, but I’ll even bet that you’re a near expert on one or two topics too. “Oh no I’m not”, you say. So let’s just see about that. Here are four areas with questions to ask yourself that might just help you to find out what you are an expert in that would interest others enough for you to write articles about.

Here are Four Areas Where You May be an “Expert”

• Occupations
Where have you worked? What kinds of jobs have you done? Paid or not paid doesn’t matter, but length of time on the job might. If you’ve worked as a salesman, a cook, walked dogs, cared for other people’s children, made crafts, taught something to others or just generally lived and loved, you can talk – and write about it. Been living in a cave for years, you say? Then you’re an expert on caves and cave dwelling, living in the wilderness and in the dark.

• Hobby or Special Interests
What do you like to do? Can you paint, draw or create with your hands? Do you know cars, antiques or how to cook certain types of foods? Can you sew, knit, play music, sing or hum? How about fishing, hunting, bowling, other sports or photography? Do you dance, bird watch or garden? Have a good hand at raising earthworms, identifying butterflies and insects? Do you know about dogs, cats or other types of pets? Certainly there is something you like to do that you can talk and write articles about.

• Special Skills and Abilities
Have you learned or been specially trained to do something? Fix cars, tune motorcycles? Decorate cakes, make pies or rag dolls? Can you program or fix computers? Appliances or power tools? Do you know how to catch fish or make your own fishing lures? Can you tile a roof, make a bookcase or perhaps dance Salsa or Tango?

• Life Experiences
How about your life experiences? What have you done? What has happened to you, your family and friends over the years, that has truly had an impact on you? Can you tell others how to meet famous people? Find a good marriage partner? Care for an elderly sibling, spouse or parent? Buy a house or condo? Travel on the cheap? Do you know about credit ratings, bankruptcy and personal finance? Thousands of others may be waiting to know the information you have locked up in your heart and brain.

I Don’t Know Anything
After going through this quick list of potential topic areas and questions, certainly now you’ll no longer say, “I can’t write. I don’t know anything.” Hopefully by now, you’ve found out several areas that you are an “expert” in which would interest others enough for you to write about.


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.

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.

Home Schooling: Too Much of a Challenge?

Why Home School?
Why do some parents consider switching from traditional school attendance to home schooling their children? For the most obvious reasons you need to keep up with the national news. In one place after another, there is increasing crime and violence in both public and private schools. Institutions of higher education don’t exactly escape the bad rap either. It seems almost every year there are more and more problems in colleges and universities with abuse of drugs and alcohol, rapes and other types of sexual misconduct and excessive acts of violence at rallies, sporting events and even seemingly for no particular cause during the normal scholastic year.

The “Problems”
Many “problems” are commonly associated with home schooling. Some of these may include:

• Quality of education
• Availability of high-level teachers and tutors for areas where parents may lack knowledge and skills
• Reduced interaction of home-schooled children with their peers
• Boredom
• Lack of motivation
• Parental fears over the home schooling process
• Difficulties with local, state and national laws and requisites
• Financial concerns
• Availability of adequate texts, resources and other materials
• Bilingual or multi-lingual education concerns

But for each of these concerns, although initially valid, has several viable solutions within the means of virtually every household. One increasingly difficult aspect of home schooling, however, deals with providing children with a bilingual or multi-lingual education.

Bilingual or Multi-Lingual Education
While in many parts of the world a bilingual or multi-lingual education is desirable or even an essential in many cases, it is quite possible to provide a quality bilingual education for home schooled children. Speaking a foreign language can be a tremendous asset in many walks or life and career paths. The same can be said concerning knowledge of a foreign culture. In a number of locations, education which includes elements of foreign languages is easily incorporated in the child’s everyday educational life, providing them with a solid basis for foreign language acquisition and practical use. A broad spectrum of foreign languages can be included incorporating languages such as:

• English (varieties from regional America, Britain, Australia, Jamaica, etc.)
• Spanish (spoken and written forms of Castellano can vary widely between the 21 countries where Spanish is spoken as a first or official language)
• French
• Chinese (Mandarin, Cantonese, or other forms)
• Arabic
• German
• Italian
• Portuguese
• Russian
• Greek
• Turkish
• And a host of indigenous or local dialects, Creoles and patois

Help, Resources and Assistance are Available
In most countries which allow home schooling of underage children there are programs available to inform and provide parents with information, curricular requirements and other types of assistance to help make the home schooling process a much smoother, effective and rewarding one for both the parents and the children. With home schooling too, parents are able to provide focus and direction in areas of which the child may have special interest, talents and abilities. It is possible to insert an increased number of field trips or attendance at inter-cultural or related events, seminars, conferences, workshops and special activities which may be unavailable to children and learners at traditional institutions. Home schooling parents likewise have the option of integrating learning alternates into their home schooling program.

Consider the Children Too
Rather than allowing themselves to be overwhelmed by the challenge of home schooling, parents should embrace the concept. The first step is to seek out those government agencies, resources and organizations which can provide the quantity of information and guidance needed to effect an intelligent decision on whether or not to home school, why and how. Home schooling is not too much of a challenge to be considered once proper investigation has been conducted on the part of the parents in consideration of the wishes, desires and attitude of the children. Parents could also use teaching and learning techniques not only with their children but also with themselves to make themselves smarter. Now wouldn’t that be nice?



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

These Additional Four Factors Can Also Negatively Impact English EFL or ESL Teaching and Learning

Additional Critical Impact Factors

Some of the key factors English or Foreign Language teachers face can include the following:

• Large class sizes

• Limited time

• Insufficient resources

• Mixed ability students

• Students with learning disabilities

• Behavioral problems

• Administrative demands

• Personal restrictions


In continuing, let’s consider the last four factors in turn and how they too can negatively impact an English EFL, ESL or foreign language teaching and learning class room setting.

Students with learning disabilities
On occasion, learners with have known or undiagnosed learning disabilities when they come to English class. They may be inadequately prepared or academically unprepared for the rigors and discipline they face when attempting to acquire a foreign language as young learners, teens or adults. This can strongly impact the teacher who may now be expected to compensate for deficiencies of learners while maintaining an “acceptable” pass rate of English or other foreign language acquisition skills.

Behavioral problems
While these can often be linked to external or motivational factors, behavioral problems can be highly disruptive in a foreign language class room setting. If behavioral problems result from learning disabilities, the disruption can be compounded beyond what the teacher may be able to successfully or practically cope with. Violence, inattention, excessive cross-talk with other learners, absenteeism, physically moving around the class room and other distractions are but a scarce few of the problems related to this category.

Administrative demands
“Enough is enough!” Teachers often cry when the necessity for completing numerous forms, surveys, permission slips, highly detailed attendance records or over-zealous “fund-raising” campaigns are required of them. A teacher’s job is to teach and while certainly, some administrative procedures must be maintained, all too often administrative demands wreak havoc in the EFL teacher’s lesson plans.

Personal restrictions
Each of us on occasion needs to attend to personal matters, go for medical or dental appointments. We get sick; catch colds or the flu, sprain an ankle, break a bone or suffer from one or more f a myriad of health or social problems. We suffer from stress, have family problems or even become distraught over the ailments of a loved one or pet. Any or all of these can affect our class room performance, unwilling though we may be to allow it to do so.

These final four factors that we have considered here can also have a substantial impact on the effectiveness of the English EFL or ESL language teacher. As stated earlier, with more and more students in fewer and fewer classes and even those classes are expected to be taught with less and less resources or fewer and fewer hours. The results however, both on the part of learners and the administration, is to produce better and better English language production skills. The need then still, is for solutions to an ever-worsening series of growing problems. This will require the full cooperation of both teachers, administrators and to some extent, the learners themselves.

Good luck to us all. We'll need it.


Larry M. Lynch is an English language teaching and learning expert author and university professor in Cali, Colombia. Now YOU too can live your dreams in paradise, find romance, high adventure and get paid while travelling for free. For more information on the lucrative, fascinating field of teaching English as a Foreign Language, send for his no-cost, full multi-media, hypertext-linked pdf ebook, “If You Want to Teach English Abroad, Here’s What You Need to Know”. Send an e-mail with "Free ELT EBook" in the subject line to: lynchlarrym@gmail.com

These Additional Four Factors Can Also Negatively Impact English EFL or ESL Teaching and Learning

Additional Critical Impact Factors

Some of the key factors English or Foreign Language teachers face can include the following:

• Large class sizes

• Limited time

• Insufficient resources

• Mixed ability students

• Students with learning disabilities

• Behavioral problems

• Administrative demands

• Personal restrictions


In continuing, let’s consider the last four factors in turn and how they too can negatively impact an English EFL, ESL or foreign language teaching and learning class room setting.

Students with learning disabilities
On occasion, learners with have known or undiagnosed learning disabilities when they come to English class. They may be inadequately prepared or academically unprepared for the rigors and discipline they face when attempting to acquire a foreign language as young learners, teens or adults. This can strongly impact the teacher who may now be expected to compensate for deficiencies of learners while maintaining an “acceptable” pass rate of English or other foreign language acquisition skills.

Behavioral problems
While these can often be linked to external or motivational factors, behavioral problems can be highly disruptive in a foreign language class room setting. If behavioral problems result from learning disabilities, the disruption can be compounded beyond what the teacher may be able to successfully or practically cope with. Violence, inattention, excessive cross-talk with other learners, absenteeism, physically moving around the class room and other distractions are but a scarce few of the problems related to this category.

Administrative demands
“Enough is enough!” Teachers often cry when the necessity for completing numerous forms, surveys, permission slips, highly detailed attendance records or over-zealous “fund-raising” campaigns are required of them. A teacher’s job is to teach and while certainly, some administrative procedures must be maintained, all too often administrative demands wreak havoc in the EFL teacher’s lesson plans.

Personal restrictions
Each of us on occasion needs to attend to personal matters, go for medical or dental appointments. We get sick; catch colds or the flu, sprain an ankle, break a bone or suffer from one or more f a myriad of health or social problems. We suffer from stress, have family problems or even become distraught over the ailments of a loved one or pet. Any or all of these can affect our class room performance, unwilling though we may be to allow it to do so.

These final four factors that we have considered here can also have a substantial impact on the effectiveness of the English EFL or ESL language teacher. As stated earlier, with more and more students in fewer and fewer classes and even those classes are expected to be taught with less and less resources or fewer and fewer hours. The results however, both on the part of learners and the administration, is to produce better and better English language production skills. The need then still, is for solutions to an ever-worsening series of growing problems. This will require the full cooperation of both teachers, administrators and to some extent, the learners themselves.

Good luck to us all. We'll need it.


Larry M. Lynch is an English language teaching and learning expert author and university professor in Cali, Colombia. Now YOU too can live your dreams in paradise, find romance, high adventure and get paid while travelling for free. For more information on the lucrative, fascinating field of teaching English as a Foreign Language, send for his no-cost, full multi-media, hypertext-linked pdf ebook, “If You Want to Teach English Abroad, Here’s What You Need to Know”. Send an e-mail with "Free ELT EBook" in the subject line to: lynchlarrym@gmail.com

Four Factors Which Can Negatively Impact English Language Teaching and Learning

Pity The Poor English Language Teacher?

The poor English teacher of today, with so many demands on their time and expectations. At times we hardly know where to turn. There are more and more students in fewer and fewer classes and even those classes are expected to be taught with less and less resources or fewer and fewer hours. The results however, both on the part of learners and the administration, is to produce better and better English language production skills.

Some Critical Impact Factors

Some of the key factors English or Foreign Language teachers face can include the following:

• Large class sizes

• Limited time

• Insufficient resources

• Mixed ability students

• Students with learning disabilities

• Behavioral problems

• Administrative demands

• Personal restrictions


Briefly, let’s consider each one in turn and how its negative impact on English or foreign language teaching and learning is felt.

Large class sizes
How many learners are in your EFL or ESL classes? 10, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 50 or even more? Average class sizes continue to sneak upwards as administrators attempt to extract the maximum profits from gross institute or departmental revenues. The EFL or ESL teacher then is caught in the middle struggling to teach English or foreign language skills to a growing number of learners in each class group.

Limited time
Ouch! According to statistical data from language research institutes, the minimum number of hours for an English EFL, ESL or foreign language class to be successful is around five – that’s the minimum, they say. In an increasing number of universities, language institutes and primary / secondary schools, the class room contact hours are going down. Many such places now pose learners with only three hours or less per week of actual language instruction.

Insufficient resources
“How many of you have all the resources you need to teach your English classes?” When I posed this question to a group of my students in an EFL Teacher training course, none answered to the affirmative. Not only do they lack sufficient contact hours, but are lacking sufficient teaching resources as well.

Mixed ability students
No matter what level you may teach from pre-kinder to kinder, from primary to secondary school or at the university and adult levels, learners within a particular course group will be of varying or mixed ability. There is virtually no such thing as a “homogenous” group of learners in a class. Even when learners come from the same socio-economic background, are from the same country, ethnic or language group there are bound to be vast inequalities in their abilities.

These four factors can have a substantial impact on the effectiveness of the English EFL or ESL language teacher. With more and more students in fewer and fewer classes and even those classes are expected to be taught with less and less resources or fewer and fewer hours. The results however, both on the part of learners and the administration, is to produce better and better English language production skills. The need then is for solutions to an ever-worsening series of problems. This will require the full cooperation of both teachers, administrators and to some extent, the learners themselves. Some additional factors which can negatively impact the EFL or ESL class room, teaching and learning will be addressed in the next part of this series.

Larry M. Lynch is an English language teaching and learning expert author and university professor in Cali, Colombia. Now YOU too can live your dreams in paradise, find romance, high adventure and get paid while travelling for free. For more information on the lucrative, fascinating field of teaching English as a Foreign Language, send for his no-cost, full multi-media, hypertext-linked pdf ebook, “If You Want to Teach English Abroad, Here’s What You Need to Know”. Send an e-mail with "Free ELT EBook" in the subject line to: lynchlarrym@gmail.com

You Call THAT Music?

You Call THAT Music?
Using Music to Teach English as a Foreign or Second Language

You Call THAT Music?

“What are you listening to? I asked a student in a seeming state of euphoria from the sounds being fed into his ear.

“I’m listening to some music.”

“I’d like to hear what you’re listening to”, I remarked.

He hesitatingly passed me the other earphone dangling from his shoulder. I listened, but what assaulted my ear was neither melodic, pleasant or discernable.

“You call THAT music?” I blurted out incredulously.

He laughed a bit, then grinned sheepishly. “You kinda have to get used to it”, he added.

“Kinda”?

There Was a Time
There was a time, I pondered, when in order to be called a singer, you actually had to be able to sing. That is, you needed a good voice and a melodic way of producing lyrics. This required some natural talent, likely some voice training and an extensive amount of practice. Even emotion was conveyed through songs; sadness, joy, concern or worry and regret came through clearly in the singer’s voice.

Nowadays, much of what passes for music relies on high volume background instrumentals overlaid with what sounds like a “vocalist” screaming at the top of their lungs. Either that or “raps” with lyrics that feature a stream of profanity that could make a sailor blush.

Using Songs as an Aid to Teaching and Learning EFL
Let’s consider using songs as an aid to teaching and learning English as a foreign language. The same principles could easily be applied to teaching and learning almost any foreign language as well. For using songs, there are a number of useful possibilities. Some adaptable ones include:

• Illustration and modeling of connected speech aspects
• Pronunciation practice
• Use in lowering the learner’s Affective Filter
• As part of a grammar or other themed lesson plan (holiday, festival, vocabulary, etc.)
• Vocabulary acquisition or reinforcement
• Simply to have a bit of fun in the EFL classroom

What Kind of Music?
Just what kind of music works best in teaching or learning English or other foreign language? That depends on many different factors of course, but certainly songs and lyrics should:

• Be clear and understandable
• NOT contain profanity or objectionable language
• NOT contain or “promote” violence, explicit sex, race hatred, crime or other objectionable themes
• Be a positive influential element on the learners
• Provide some discernable didactic value

One era which is ripe with large numbers of enjoyable songs is the American 1970’s. Music produced by such artists as the following. I’ve also provided some links to audio or video examples so that you can listen for yourself.

• The late Minnie Riperton (pictured above) who was famous for her ability to sing very high notes.
Song: “Inside My Love”
Link: http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=LJwgffbjjsU

• The Isley Brothers
Song: “Footsteps in the Dark”
Link: http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=dXkP5Bae3xg

• The Emotions
Song: “Don’t Ask My Neighbor”
Link: http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=9u7O1LBFICE

• Teddy Pendergrass
Song: “Come Go With Me”
Link: http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=S1Q8izAflak

• Toni Braxton
Song: “Another Sad Love Song”
Link: http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=LN9R2HB1J68

• Isaac Hayes
Song: “Never Can Say Goodbye” also popularized by the Jackson 5
Link: http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=P-yKMgG-DRw

• Dionne Warwick
Song: “Déjà vu”
Link: http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=nvJ1NggZ0bM

Not only are these and many songs from this era useful for teaching English as a foreign or second language, but are in themselves, beautiful to listen to. They will certainly provide a soothing alternative to what in many instances passes for “music” in our present era. So listen, enjoy and make use of these and other examples to practice English with you learners. Now these and many other examples from this era are what I call music.


Larry M. Lynch is an English language teaching and learning expert author and university professor in Cali, Colombia. Now YOU too can live your dreams in paradise, find romance, high adventure and get paid while travelling for free. For more information on the lucrative, fascinating field of teaching English as a Foreign Language, get your copy of his no-cost, full multi-media, hypertext-linked pdf ebook, “If You Want to Teach English Abroad, Here’s What You Need to Know” by sending an e-mail to lynchlarrym@gmail.com with "free ELT Ebook" in the subject line. Need professional, original content and photos or images for your blog, newsletter, e-zine or website? Want more information, have a comment or special request? E-mail the author for a prompt response.

Using Right and Left Brain Activities in English Language Teaching and Learning

In my English language teaching experience I’ve found it to be highly effective to use a multi-modal approach (D. Lazear) combined with multi-media based activities for maximum effect and language acquisition on the part of the learners. I’ve also found it important to develop skills and abilities seated in both hemispheres of the brain. Here is what to consider and how you might approach this.

Theory of Dual Psychology
The theory of Dual Psychology or “Split Brain Theory” as it is sometimes called, states that each of the brain’s two hemispheres operate independently, performing different functions. An inter-connective structure called the Corpus Callosum allows exchange of information and processes between the two hemispheres. Development of the Corpus Callosum is not uniform between men and women. In women, for example, information passes between the two hemispheres via a broad “super highway”. In men however, the path is more like a machete-hacked trail through the jungle, which helps to explain why women are more intuitive and emotional while men tend more to be physical and logical.

Right Brain
Functions which are primarily seated in the right brain hemisphere include:

• Insight
• 3-D three dimensional thinking and concepts
• Art, visuals, images and graphics
• Imagination
• Music
• Control of body’s left side

Left Brain
Functions which are primarily seated in the left brain hemisphere include:

• Number skills
• Written language
• Reasoning
• Spoken language
• Scientific thought
• Control of body’s right side

With an understanding of these split-brain-related aspects we can then prepare a palette of activities that aid in the use and development of both brain hemispheres fostering more balanced overall intellectual development.

Summary
Knowing how the brain functions, how memory works and determining the key strengths, intelligences and learning styles of your learners are important to English and foreign language teaching professionals. It can significantly impact in the preparation of curriculum, lesson planning, use of facilities, resources and the implementation of classroom-based activities or didactics. As such, this is an area of investigation which cannot be persistently ignored. Other didactics, intellectual development and intelligence theory models as well as their application to English and foreign language teaching and learning, such as the Theory of Multiple Intelligences (Gardner, 1984), Hermann’s Brain Dominance Indicator (N. Hermann), and the Triune Brain Model (P. MacLean), will be examined in this continuing series. Also, a selection of didactic activities and their application will be discussed in a sequence of upcoming article posts.


Larry M. Lynch is an English language teaching and learning expert author and university professor in Cali, Colombia. Now YOU too can live your dreams in paradise, find romance, high adventure and get paid while travelling for free. For more information on the lucrative, fascinating field of teaching English as a Foreign Language, get your copy of his no-cost, full multi-media, hypertext-linked pdf ebook, “If You Want to Teach English Abroad, Here’s What You Need to Know” by sending an e-mail to lynchlarrym@gmail.com with "free ELT Ebook" in the subject line. Need professional, original content and photos or images for your blog, newsletter, e-zine or website? Want more information, have a comment or special request? E-mail the author for a prompt response.

Moving to Mexico? Here’s where to Get Information in English

Questions From Readers

If you’re thinking of moving to Mexico, here’s where to get information online in English. These questions were sent in by some of my readers, who wrote:

We, as a family, have an interest in potentially moving to Mexico. First, we are looking for a southern California type climate; low humidity without the scorching heat. Secondly, we are looking for lower crime rate as we come from a small mid-west town. Finally, we are looking for a site(s) with an all around knowledge of Mexico and her weather.


Photo: the Parrish church of San Miguel at the Parque del Castillo in Orizaba



My Response

Having spent four years researching and writing about living and English language teaching employment opportunities in Mexico, I found the country to be interesting, climatically quite varied, culturally diverse and exceptionally livable. Although individual (and family) preferences will vary, with thousands of cities and towns, and almost every imaginable climate represented across a population of more than 100 million people, there are certainly a considerable number of choices available to you not matter what.

Briefly, there are three main sites in English you should try first.

If you read Spanish there are many more interesting sites searchable on Google which will allow you to listen to as well as watch local documentaries, radio and news.

First check out these three available in English:

http://www.visitmexico.com/wb/Visitmexico/Visi_Home?show=regions
http://esp.mexico.com/eng/index.html

http://www.enjoymexico.net/

The Heat and Humidity

If you're concerned about the heat and humidity (and who wouldn’t be?), then northern Mexico and cities such as Monterrey and Hermosillo are likely not for you. Cities and towns in or near desert areas like the cities of Chihuahua or Torreon will also not likely make your list. Perhaps you'd find mountain and / or mountain valley locations like mid-sized Xalapa (also sometimes spelled Jalapa), the mountain vista town of Orizaba, at the base of Mexico’s highest peak, Pico de Orizaba, or the city-in-the-clouds, San Cristobal de las Casas, more suitable. Even if you choose a smaller town like colonial Tlaxcala or mystic Tepoztlan, you should try to be near enough to a large city for a least a day or weekend trip. Central Mexican colonial towns like Morelia, Queretaro or Irapuato may lack sufficient entertainment, shopping or technological resources for you, but that would be up to you.

The Top Three

Mexico City, Guadalajara and Monterrey are very large metropolitan areas and do not offer anything even remotely close to a “small town” living atmosphere. You may however, want to consider a nearby smaller suburban community. The Lake Chapala region near Guadalajara supports a 50,000 plus population of English-speaking ex-pats. The cities of Puebla and Toluca are commuting distance from Mexico City and allow for a slower pace of colonial life while being in proximity to the world-class facilities offerings of Mexico’s largest metropolis.

I hope this information is sufficient to get you started in your possible Mexico relocation plans. Also, detailed city and cultural information on Mexico is occasionally posted here at my English language teaching and learning blog.

Please let me know if there's anything else I can do for you.


Prof. Larry M. Lynch is an English language teaching and learning expert author and university professor in Cali, Colombia. Now YOU too can live your dreams in paradise, find romance, high adventure and get paid while travelling for free. For more information on entering or advancing in the fascinating field of teaching English as a Foreign or Second Language send for his no-cost pdf Ebook, “If You Want to Teach English Abroad, Here’s What You Need to Know”, by sending an e-mail with "free ELT Ebook" in the subject line. For comments, questions, requests, to receive more information or to be added to his free TESOL articles and teaching materials mailing list, e-mail: lynchlarrym@gmail.com

Using Songs as Authentic English Language Texts

In English as a foreign or second language teaching (EFL, ESL), if you ever need to come up with an authentic English text of any kind, i.e., newspaper, magazine, movie clip, etc. that you need to present to the class and you’ve been powerfully influenced by music your whole life you might chose to take the song approach. You'll be okay using a popular song as authentic language text - which it certainly is. I'd go with popular songs, like "Imagine" by John Lennon, which have more appeal. You can get some additional mileage out of the song using cultural aspects as well as some others. Profiling, doing a biography of and discussing John Lennon as an example in this case.

Here are some ways to go about it.

Select and Concept Check the Lexis

Be sure to select at least six to eight key lexis (minimum) from the song. To aid in concept checking you should create a series of short exercises such as:

• a True - False exercise
• a short matching exercise and perhaps
• a fill in the blanks exercise

In each of these exercises you’ll be using the lexis (vocabulary) you've chosen. You might also try to find a few pictures or photos to visually - graphically illustrate both the key lexis and themes or phrases from the song. You can also prepare a re-order exercise using the song lyrics by cutting the lyrics into strips, mixing them up and having the learners re-order the lyrics line strips of the song by listening to it.

Re-Ordering Sequences

Play the song again afterwards to have learners check their re-ordered sequence. Try to have a picture or drawing that represents each of your chosen lexis for you to use to help elicit the key lexis from the learners before they hear the song. For a REAL test of this system (which I regularly use, by the way) is to find and use a song that you think the learners don't know!

You'll get kudos for this one for sure. It’s especially effective when the class is multi-cultural; that is, composed of learners from different countries and diverse language backgrounds. (Russia, Iran, South Korea, Mexico, and so on) Using a snappy but “unknown” song will help to ensure a ample amount of “learning” on the part of your students, in more ways than one.

Finding Unique Songs

So how would you find such songs – easy; just check out songs from other genres, songs sung in other varieties of English and popular songs from past eras aka “oldies but goodies”.

Some suggestions you might consider include:

• country and western
• oldies from the 40’s, 50’s, 60’s and 70’s
• jazz vocals
• soul or rhythm and blues songs (especially from previous eras)
• comedy songs
• Bluegrass songs
• Folk songs
• Ballads

Process Need Not Be Difficult

If you don’t have the time or inclination to do the extra preparation you can just go with the activities I've mentioned for your presentation. The process needn’t be overly difficult at all.
Let me know if you need any further guidance or some actual exercise examples.

I’ll be happy to send you some.

Good luck.


Larry M. Lynch is an Intellectual Development Specialist, ELT Teacher Trainer, expert author, photographer and experienced world traveler who teaches language at a university in Cali, Colombia. He helps language teachers to improve their skills and develop dynamic language classroom teaching techniques. His writing has appeared in Transitions Abroad, South American Explorer, Escape from America, Mexico News and Brazzil magazines, in addition to hundreds of online websites. He is the author of the astonishing new English language teaching system; “The BREAKTHROUGH! English Language Teaching System: Dynamic Techniques & Strategies for Teaching English to Any Learner Anywhere in the World”.

For no-obligation information, questions or comments send an e-mail to: lynchlarrym@gmail.com After today your language teaching will never be the same.