ESL School http://www.esl-school.com/ What ESL School Owners, Employers, Administrators, DOS & Hiring Managers Should Know Copyright 2008 Mon, 12 May 2008 13:50:55 +0000 http://www.movabletype.org/?v=3.2 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Earthquake in China Hello again,

The recent natural disasters in Burma and China are devastating for all those affected. It may be that teachers are among the victims. What should family and friends do if they are fearful for the safety of a teacher working in the disaster zones?

The first point is...

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In teaching English for business, trainers normally organise the courses around typical business activities such as meetings, presentations, negotiations, telephoning, report writing and the like. This focus on activity has advantages...

]]> http://www.esl-school.com/archives/2008/05/language_strategies.php http://www.esl-school.com/archives/2008/05/language_strategies.php ESL Language Issues Tue, 06 May 2008 09:59:10 +0000 Taboo or not taboo? Hello again,

Should we censor the English we teach? I suppose if our students are under a certain age, we should avoid any coarse and vulgar expression but adults might well demand a smattering of oaths and rude words, if not to use, at least so...

]]> http://www.esl-school.com/archives/2008/05/taboo_or_not_taboo.php http://www.esl-school.com/archives/2008/05/taboo_or_not_taboo.php ESL Language Issues Thu, 01 May 2008 15:19:58 +0000 Literature in the clasroom Hello again,

The English-speaking world is rightly proud of its rich and diverse literature. However, ways of incorporating it into the English curriculum are not easy. The complexity of...

]]> http://www.esl-school.com/archives/2008/04/literature_in_the_clasroom.php http://www.esl-school.com/archives/2008/04/literature_in_the_clasroom.php ESL Language Issues Tue, 29 Apr 2008 11:30:10 +0000 Learner-friendly classrooms Hello again,

As I said last time I want to explore this topic further. The individual teacher’s own milieu, the classroom, is the...

]]> http://www.esl-school.com/archives/2008/04/learnerfriendly_classrooms.php http://www.esl-school.com/archives/2008/04/learnerfriendly_classrooms.php ESL Classroom Management Fri, 25 Apr 2008 11:34:40 +0000 What makes a learner-friendly school?
Hello again,

The title might seem like a strange question: after all, English language schools exist for their learners. But the point is that learners...

]]> http://www.esl-school.com/archives/2008/04/what_makes_a_learnerfriendly_school.php http://www.esl-school.com/archives/2008/04/what_makes_a_learnerfriendly_school.php ESL Expert Q and A Tue, 22 Apr 2008 07:27:56 +0000 Lesson content Hello again,

To continue my ideas for teaching about the language I want to make some suggestions for lesson content. Language–based topics are a legitimate source of material for listening and reading comprehension and for various classroom ...

]]> http://www.esl-school.com/archives/2008/04/lesson_content.php http://www.esl-school.com/archives/2008/04/lesson_content.php ESL Language Issues Thu, 17 Apr 2008 07:49:56 +0000 Teaching about the language Hello again,
It is a long-held tenet of direct method that we teach the language, not “about” the language. I have no quarrel with this. We are charged with helping...

]]> http://www.esl-school.com/archives/2008/04/teaching_about_the_language.php http://www.esl-school.com/archives/2008/04/teaching_about_the_language.php ESL Language Issues Sun, 13 Apr 2008 07:50:12 +0000 Idioms Hello again,

I was asked recently by a teacher for some ideas on teaching idioms. Idioms enliven language and students enjoy learning them. I find it useful to sort idioms into categories, and as an example...

]]> http://www.esl-school.com/archives/2008/04/idioms.php http://www.esl-school.com/archives/2008/04/idioms.php ESL Language Issues Wed, 09 Apr 2008 07:24:39 +0000 Why students complain Hello again,

People complain mainly when they perceive a gap in their expectations and reality. When it comes to language schools there are two kinds of expectation. First there are basic ...

]]> http://www.esl-school.com/archives/2008/04/why_students_complain.php http://www.esl-school.com/archives/2008/04/why_students_complain.php ESL School Administration Fri, 04 Apr 2008 10:48:53 +0000 Is intonation neglected in the classroom? Hello again,
When teachers discuss language issues with me, intonation never seems to crop up. And I can’t think of an example of intonation teaching in lessons I have observed recently, yet intonation is a systematic means of adding...

]]> http://www.esl-school.com/archives/2008/03/is_intonation_neglected_in_the_classroom_3.php http://www.esl-school.com/archives/2008/03/is_intonation_neglected_in_the_classroom_3.php ESL Language Issues Sun, 30 Mar 2008 08:34:27 +0000 Communication skills for the D.O.S. Hello again,
As I suggested in my last entry, the D.O.S. occupies a somewhat uncomfortable position, being sandwiched between the teachers and the senior management. I think this has implications for the communications skills...

]]> http://www.esl-school.com/archives/2008/03/communication_skills_for_the_dos.php http://www.esl-school.com/archives/2008/03/communication_skills_for_the_dos.php ESL Professional Development Thu, 27 Mar 2008 08:41:40 +0000 What are the qualities needed to be a D.O.S? Hello again,

The director of studies’ post is a coveted step up the career rung for many teachers, but is promotion to this role something every teacher can handle? It’s worth...

]]> http://www.esl-school.com/archives/2008/03/what_are_the_qualities_needed_to_be_a_dos.php http://www.esl-school.com/archives/2008/03/what_are_the_qualities_needed_to_be_a_dos.php ESL Professional Development Sun, 23 Mar 2008 14:56:09 +0000 Long-term orientation: Confucian values Hello again,

Hofstede's fifth cultual dimension, long-term versus short-term orientation, is very much an east/west division. Confucianism looks at life in the long-term rather than the short-term. Confucian teaching...

]]> http://www.esl-school.com/archives/2008/03/longterm_orientation_confucian_values.php http://www.esl-school.com/archives/2008/03/longterm_orientation_confucian_values.php ESL Classroom Management Wed, 19 Mar 2008 15:14:19 +0000 Culture and uncertainty Hello again,
Uncertainty avoidance, Hofstede (2001), is “the extent to which the members of a culture feel threatened by uncertain or unknown situations.” Members of high uncertainty avoidance nations feel a stronger threat from uncertain and unknown...

]]> http://www.esl-school.com/archives/2008/03/culture_and_uncertainty.php http://www.esl-school.com/archives/2008/03/culture_and_uncertainty.php ESL Classroom Management Sun, 16 Mar 2008 15:41:02 +0000