PenPalAmis Language Exchange Website

Here's an interesting foreign language exchange website to consider:

I would like to suggest the following website: http://www.penpalamis.info/

PenpalAmis is a pen pal language exchange where anyone looking to learn a language, can find pen pals from around the world to practise with, which in my opinion is one of the most effective ways to learn a language, second to living in the target country itself.

Because the website currently has only around 300 pen pals including a broad range of countries, ages and interests, this doesn't mitigate the value of the website - the website is simple to navigate and doesn't require registration which makes it quick, simple and easy for those that want to use it - whether being someone who has hardly used a computer before. Most lanuguage exchange/penpal websites require that you pay to contact others, such as mylanguageexchange, however PenpalAmis is and will remain completely free. The whole purpose of the website is to find language exchange pen pals - not to make money. (Thanks to site owner Jake Stainer for that, especially in today's "profits-oriented" online world.


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 135 countries. Get your FREE E-book, “If you Want to Teach English Abroad, Here's What You Need to Know" by requesting the title at: lynchlarrym@gmail.com Need a blogger or copywriter to promote your school, institution, service or business or an experienced writer and vibrant SEO content for your website, blog or newsletter? Then E-mail me for further information.

The Best Countries to Teach English In - Second Part

What’s the best Foreign Country to Teach English In?

So what’s the best country to teach English as a foreign or second language in? Your own personal interests, tendencies and personal goals will tell you. If you’re a francophone and want to delve more deeply into the French culture in all its forms, France is hardly your only option. Why not likewise consider Guadeloupe (a department of France), St. Martin or one of the French-speaking countries of West Africa, such as the Ivory Coast, Cameroon or Morocco on Africa’s north coast?

Equatorial New Guinea boasts Spanish as a major language right up there with Spain and Latin America. There’s also the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico and I’d keep an eye out for some upcoming opportunities in Cuba too with the way things have been trending recently.

Teach English Abroad: “Lucky” Number Thirteen

Egypt may be an over-crowded oven, but other Saharan countries are woefully under-served. Many Arabic-speaking countries are also getting an undeserved bad rap. Contact the embassy of a country you might be interested in, in Washington, DC or your country’s capitol in order to inquire about pursuing possibilities. Whatever and wherever you may finally opt for, remember that there are 235 countries worldwide with more than 6912* spoken languages used among them, don’t get caught up simply “going with the flow”, expand your horizons, then give a non-traditional destination a shot. Finally, in case you’re wondering, the USA was “lucky” number thirteen on the UNDP Index.

For more quick info on teaching English abroad, check out this video clip.





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 135 countries. Get your FREE E-book, “If you Want to Teach English Abroad, Here's What You Need to Know" by requesting the title at: lynchlarrym@gmail.com Need a blogger or copywriter to promote your school, institution, service or business or an experienced writer and vibrant SEO content for your website, blog or newsletter? Then E-mail me for further information.

The Best Countries to Teach English In - Part 1

< style="font-weight:bold;">The Best Countries to Live In/>

Earlier this week the UN Development Program released its annual index of the best countries to live in of 182 surveyed countries as part of its Human Development report. This would indicate countries which have a high combined index in the areas of school enrollment, gross domestic product per capita, and the country’s literacy rate according to a release by the AP available online at “And the Best Country to Live In Is …”

Quality of Life: Who’s on First?

Just in case you’re interested, some countries that made the list and their respective positions are:

• Norway – number one
• Australia – number two
• Iceland – number three
• Niger – dead last

The following countries rose by three positions or more from previous standings:

• China
• Colombia
• France
• Peru
• Venezuela

These countries however dropped by two or more positions:

• Belize
• Jamaica
• Lebanon
• Luxembourg
• Ecuador
• Malta and
• Tonga (Tonga? Yeah, I couldn’t believe it either)

Iran and Nepal also improved the respective positions on the list. For the first time, Afghanistan was added to the UN list although it was ranked at the bottom of the pack along with Sierra Leone. So how does this impact a prospective English as a foreign language teacher to one of these countries? Well, opportunities may in fact be greater in countries which are “lower” on the list although the humanitarian and social rewards will likely far outweigh the financial ones.

Teach English as a Foreign Language Where?

Then where should you plan on teaching English as a second or foreign language? Most strongly, I recommend that EFL teachers strive to live and work in a country where they have intense or vested interest in the language, culture, food, history, lifestyle and other integral aspects of the country. This will, of course, mean many different things to many different EFL teachers. If you don’t want to get embroiled in the complexities of Asian tongues like Japanese, Thai, Vietnamese or Chinese, then for goodness’ sake don’t even consider a teaching job in that region of the world. I don’t care how much money it pays. Ultimately, you’ll be sorry. Just ask my friend Richard R. about his two-year, ultra-highly-paid stint in a part of the world which went against the grain for him, leaving him a broken, emotional wreck at the end of it.

Opt instead for Europe, Africa, Latin America or the USA where you’ll focus on English as a Second Language instead. Trust me, you’re going to have more than enough problems in avoiding (or minimizing) culture shock and adjusting to the idiosynchrasies of a foreign locale as it is without also burdening yourself with inherent prejudices or malfeasants you might already unwittingly harbor.

We'll continue with more on this topic in the next post. See you again then.

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

100 Best Open Source Apps for Educators

Open Source applications are a great resource for educators not only because they’re free, but many times you can find specific applications for your students needs. Many teachers and schools have embraced the endless opportunities open source has to offer. From reducing administrative costs to promoting student and teacher interaction, instructors around the world are singing its praises. We have created a list of what we think are the best available apps out there and have categorized them into the following:

Science, Language, Math, Administrative & Content Management, Interactive & Online Classrooms, Study Aids, Video & Imaging, Music, Multimedia, Geography & History, and Mapping Tools.

View the complete hypertext list of Open Source Opps for Edducators here or click on:

http://www.accreditedonlineuniversities.com/100-best-open-source-apps-for-educators/

The Bilingual English Teacher's Family - Left Out and Neglected?

Can Your Family Members Speak Another Language?

As yet another summer vacation season closes with the passing of the Labor Day holiday weekend, I'm again prodded by a segment of the speech President Barak Obama gave during his campaign. As English as a foreign language teachers or foreign language teaching professionals, we need to be even more conscious of the bilingualism - or lack thereof, of our own families. Too often I meet seemingly "passionate" English as a foreign language teachers at seminars and conferences whose own family members cannot even say a basic greeting in English.

Oh, they say they'd like to be able to speak English, so what happened?

Remember as teachers, we shouldn't neglect our family members. If there are so many advantages and benefits to speaking a foreign language, then why don't we make more of an effort to pass along those same benefits and advantages to our loved ones?

"Oh, my husband / wife / children don't respond well to my efforts to "teach" them", you say?

"Poppycock!"

They simply represent a type of foreign language learner with perhaps a different type of motivation. What if they were paying learners in one of your classes? Ah, I'll bet we'd see the other shoe drop then! Especially so if your job or your pride were on the line. Which, by the way, it should be.

At least, if truly need be, you can put in a class or with another teacher so they can avail themselves of the option of speaking a foreign tongue. After all, when you travel who do you travel with, your classroom learners or your family? Don't you think they'd benefit from being able to enjoy a trip to, say, Mexico, Ecuador or Panama, with some Spanish under their belt? I don't allways want to charge around Quito or Acapulco with my wife (whom I taught English to BEFORE I married her, by the way) while she shops. Although it might be one form of safeguard, come to think of it.

Then too, one of my daughters is learning Spanish at the university. No, I'm not teaching her, but I'll be delighted to hone and polish her Spanish skills with a summer, semester or two abroad. The beach in Cancun is an excellent Spanish language classroom. Then follow it up with more total immersion as you wend your way through the delights and intricacies of dealing with everyday life in a foreign language. Hey, it worked for me in learning French and Spanish during different decades. It worked for my wife too when tackling English along with me and my cattle prod. Undoubtedly, it'll work for you and your family too when combined with additional methodologies.

Think about it: are YOU an English teacher whose family can't speak any English? Are you a Spanish, French, or other foreign language teacher whose family is still typically "mono-lingual"? Do you think that just might reflect negatively on you? If you're such a good teacher, why can't you teach them? So, what are you and they, going to do about it?

In case you missed President Barak Obama's speech I referred to earlier, here it is.



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.

Greenville Spanish Teacher Wins Award

By KATHERINE DYER
The Greenville News

GREENVILLE, SC – As a student, Kelly Nalley was an overachiever.

She was valedictorian of her high school graduating class and was voted "most likely to succeed" by her peers.

But on her first day as a first-year middle school Spanish teacher, Nalley stapled her finger to the bulletin board. She was 21 years old, and the class was scheduled to arrive 10 minutes later.

That year, she also spent many afternoons crying in her supply closet, exhausted and frustrated.

"Nothing had ever been negative in my life before," she says. "Everyone had always been nice."

In her professional biography she wrote, "After that first year, I decided that I would commit to teach for five years, and if I was still crying in my supply closet, I would find a new career."

It's been 12 years, and on Aug. 14, Nalley was on stage – a far cry from any storage closet – receiving an award as the 2009-10 Greenville County Teacher of the Year.

"She's just one of those teachers who's so naturally good at what they do," said Reem Alnatour, a fellow Fork Shoals Elementary School teacher.

She said Nalley is soft-spoken but effective in classroom management, is in touch with students' emotions, has a good sense of humor and above all, is engaging.

"Whether you're a teacher or a student, she manages to make you feel like you're No. 1," Alnatour said. "She talks to you as if you're the only person around."

She also praised Nalley's classroom activities.

"She tries to bring in the Spanish culture, not necessarily just the language," Alnatour said.

Nalley visits Alnatour's third-grade class twice weekly for Spanish lessons. Alnatour's personal favorite is the lesson on chocolate.

But unlike traditional foreign language classes, Nalley uses a new program called KITE-LL (Kids Interacting Through Early Language Learning), developed three years ago by ETV and the South Carolina Department of Education.

The program integrates foreign language into what students are learning in other subjects. For example, she covers a unit on weather while the students are learning the water cycle in science.

"They're learning the lessons in context," Nalley said. "I'm not stopping to explain how to conjugate verbs or 'how this grammar fits' or how it's comparable to English. We just speak it."

She says it's been incredible to see the difference in how much children learn through this method. Her fifth-graders are on par with students she taught in high school, she said.

"I think in the great scheme of things, I've learned that everything doesn't have to be perfect, because I'm a perfectionist," Nalley said. "That was a hard lesson to learn."

Offering advice for the new school year, she encourages teachers to work together and share ideas.

"You're not an isolated professional in education; you're a team," she said.

Jack Webb Schools Barack Obama on Healthcare

Jack Webb Schools Barack Obama on Healthcare

This composite video of the late Jack Webb from his renowned "Dragnet" TV series came to my attention recently. Also featured is the late Harry Morgan as his partner. This show was a favorite of mine in years past.

This video editing technique ties in well with an exercise I conduct in which English language learners "interview" a famous person. Preferably the famous person is deceased (but sometimes not and learners frequently choose people like Jesus Christ or one of his 12 apostles, Adolph Hitler, Mahatma Ghandi, Abraham Lincoln, President John F. Kennedy, Julius Caesar, the Roman Governor Pontius Pilate - who interviewed Jesus Christ is also a burgeoning favorite, as are Marcus Garvey, Bob Marley, John Lennon, Princess Diana, Celia Cruz and a growing host of others for their interviews. Using video clips of famous people and some video editing software, one can easily "simulate" an "interview" or "conversation" between any two people, living or deceased. In my classroom-based activity, one English language learner acts as an interviewer while the other takes the role of a famous personality. Both can ask each other questions on their life, points of view, etc. and give the best, most accurate response possible in character.

You'll get the idea from watching this video of three people talking who don't actually know each other.

Youtube original video site: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m4r6YCUtxfs