ESL Lesson Plan

Hey Marlen,

Nice picture of Venice there. Still on my list of places to go. Closest I've been so far is the fake Disneyland recreation in Las Vegas.

Heard that the water there is really stinky in the summer; have you found that to be true?

Best,

Lee

28 March 2006

Dear Mr. Harrison (M.A.),

I have no idea just what it is that you are an "M.A." in, but it cannot be English. Just look at the glaring illiteracy in your first sentence below. I have reproduced it in its entirety just to be fair.

Anyway, you wrote in your first sentence: "...it's famous past..." That is clearly incorrect, for you did not mean "it is famous past." You meant "...its famous past..." Did you not learn at about age 10 that the possessive form has no apostrophe?

Regards,

A Real English Teacher

March 22, 2006
DreamTeaching Location – Venice, Italy
"Ah, Venezia! Historic, unique and beautiful, aside from it’s famous past, Venice has not only one of the most lavish film festivals in Europe, but it also has the distinction of being Europe’s first (1932)! With a number of small historic towns easily accessible from Venice, this region of North-eastern Italy is a prime location for ESL teachers looking for work at international schools and universities, small private schools and summer camps. Though Italy does have pretty strict policies about exclusively hiring EU citizens, the general advice seems to suggest..."

Continue reading "DreamTeaching Location – Venice, Italy"

Posted by mharrison at 07:33 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)

Hey Lee,

I was there in late spring and actually did find a bit of a funk in some of the areas...but I'd settle for a little funk in exchange for a whole lotta atmosphere and history!

Marlen

William Jones,

My goodness, based on the manner in which you offer criticism, I would sure hate to be one of your students. But thanks so much for inspiring me to write a future blog entry about responding to expectations of perfection merely because one is an "English teacher".

Warmly,
Marlen

Marlen -

Prior to beginning this post, I checked to see that my nose was pointed appropriately toward the sky. Having done so, I am prepared to respond to the post from Mr. Jones.

I share his belief that a post by and for teachers of English should be grammatically correct. I also recognize that we are not in the classroom when on this site, and that some informality might be expected.

I find the sort of vituperative post made by Mr. Jones to be offensive. I teach in China. We have more than our share of English teachers without portfolio, many of whom have lied about and/or forged their qualifications. We now have evidence that the field of ESL can be a refuge for the maladjusted. Few seem to care. Native speakers do have something to offer. In China, most students have a good grasp of grammar by the time they reach college. What they don't have is the ability or confidence to speak fluently, and native speakers can help with that.

The point is that everyone has value.

Many years ago a colleague of mine went on a rant about how homosexuals had ruined a perfectly good word in the English language. He believed it no longer possible to use the word "gay" to describe a condition of being happy or merry. I submit that Mr. Jones has done the same. While I have never felt the need to describe myself as a "real" English teacher, I will now never be comfortable doing so. What is that, anyway?

To 'A REAL ENGLISH TEACHER"

I think Marlen is being too kind in his reply to your comments.

Louise