August 31, 2010
The Prelinger Library
One of the intriguing aspects of learning a language is how much one learns about the culture the language emerges from. One obvious example is how different British English is from North American English.
Each of those traditions....
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August 22, 2010
Best English Learning Blogs
Teaching and learning English can be difficult, complicated and - at times - isolating.
Sometimes all we need most is a sense of how other people are handling similar situations. The problem often however...
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August 15, 2010
Sing-Along English Lessons
To say that learning English is difficult just might be the ultimate understatement. We, as teachers and learners, struggle...
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August 01, 2010
Word Clouds
Would you like to keep a visual record of how often you or your students use...
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July 27, 2010
Between You And Me - Or Is It Between You And I
Personal pronouns can get very confusing. "Between You And Me or I" is a very common problem area. So which is it? Well......
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July 22, 2010
Where Words Come From - Refudiate?
I love the English language for exactly the same reason I, and many others, find it frustrating. There are multiple words for almost any...
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July 17, 2010
Great Teachers And Great Ideas
Looking for some inspirational teachers? Want to see how some of the best teachers from some of the best universities in the world connect with their students? If you are.....
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July 11, 2010
What's Your Social Media Quotient ?
Everyone I know loves, hates, uses or avoids using social media. Whether it is Myspace, Twitter, Facebook, Youtube or...
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June 25, 2010
Yet Another Collection of Online ESL Resources
Yes, you might think you know everything about ESL, but I have found yet another (nearly) comprehensive ESL related website. Yes, I know, there a lots of websites out there, some are private and some are related to universities or agencies. Here's one that...
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June 20, 2010
One-Stop Resource for ESL
Looking for a single source with piles of resources and useful links? I found...
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June 15, 2010
Learning English Can Be Enjoyable
"Learning English Can Be Enjoyable" - that was the title of a series of books and recordings I worked for several years ago in China. Yes, learning English (or any language) can be enjoyable. English in particular has a wealth of resources and approaches that help both teachers and learners. Here are just a few....
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June 10, 2010
Routes (and Puzzles) of English
Ever wonder how the English language got to your particular corner of the world? Or puzzle over some of the odd sounding words that make up the moving parts of our language? If you have any of these questions, I have a website for you. This site traces the various routes.....
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May 28, 2010
Take Me To Your Reader
I teach a lot of writing classes. If there is one thing that can make the biggest difference in someone's life, it is the thrill of seeing one's own words and thoughts published and shared with the world.
Writing can be very intimidating. My students tend to veer from being overly clinical to embarrassingly personal.
And then there is the dreaded 'writer's block' where all ideas seem to....
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May 23, 2010
Beware of the Grammar Girl!
There are many grammar and language related websites. Some deal with vocabulary, some with usage...
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May 18, 2010
Documentary Films - Long & Short - New & Old
One of the aspects I like best about working with international students - or in international situations - is learning new things. One way to do it on a budget is with films - especially films online. One great resource is...
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May 13, 2010
What's Up Doc? Some Great (Mostly) Short Films
I don't know about you, but I am always looking for new sources of information and unique approaches to learning. I love films, bit it can be difficult to find films that are long enough to tell an interesting story, but short enough to...
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May 08, 2010
Website or Web Site? Which is correct?
Learning the vocabulary of a language is difficult enough, but when the language itself shifts and changes, it can make you want to...
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April 19, 2010
AWAD - A Word A Day - Every Word Tells A Story
Everyone who is learning a language - or expanding their knowledge of their own native language - is always learning new words - or the stories behind them. One of my favorite websites for learning new words - and good stories about words is...
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April 16, 2010
Where Words Come From
Ever wonder where words came from, or how they came to have particular meanings or usages? The English language is full of stories, mysteries and....
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April 11, 2010
ESL Sing-alongs And Other Activities For Children
I've only worked with little kids a few times in the world of ESL; the usual short-term language camps or summer programs.
Generally the pay isn't the best, you don't always get the most respect from other teachers....
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April 01, 2010
Knowing They Know That You Know: Triangularization in Fiction
Most of us like to read fiction, but sometimes I wonder why. Is there something inherently intriguing about someone else's story? Or do we like to get lost in another world - in the case of fantasy or science fiction - for example?
Or is there something else going on?
A recent article might shed some light on what it is about fiction that appeals to us, and it might not be...
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March 28, 2010
FOUND Any Good Stories Lately?
Ever find a crumpled note somewhere and wonder where it came from? Did the writer change his or her mind? Did the reader find it and throw it away in rage, sorrow or disappointment?
Sometimes a stranger might leave a note intended for a specific person....
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March 23, 2010
Can You Speak American?
The English language is constantly changing and there are many little "pools" of English speakers with their unique vocabulary.....
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March 17, 2010
'Let's eat Grandma!' or, 'Let's eat, Grandma!' Punctuation saves lives!
Yes, grammar - and punctuation - can completely change whatever it was you intended to say.
'Let's eat Grandma!' or, 'Let's eat, Grandma!', to put it mildly, have quite different meanings. The first sentence use Grandma as the object (both of the sentence - and of the menu) while the second sentences addresses Grandam and invites her to join the eating - not to be eaten. That little comma makes all...
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March 07, 2010
And The Winner Is....Oscars 2010
People around the world seem to love movies. One way or another, most of my students, no matter where they live or what their budget allows, always seem to to know about....
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February 26, 2010
Another Film About Food: FRESH
Every one of us eats - and some of us are beginning to care more about where our food has been before it reaches us. And many of us are taking steps to learn about or even change how we think about food.
When it comes to learning a language, I like to use something we can all relate to. Food is an ideal subject.
A great class or group project would be to work together to buy, prepare, or even....
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February 21, 2010
Read a Good Book Lately?
I love books. In fact I have more books than anyone should have in any one place.
I give books away, trade them in at book stores, but I seem to have more every time I look around around my house.
My main problem is, I know that the next book has someone's wonderful solution or brilliant insight that I need. And the great thing about book is that you never know...
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February 16, 2010
What Do Teachers Make?
Ever get frustrated with a teacher?
Ever get frustrated being a teacher?
Just as being student can be frustrating and difficult being a teacher can be worse - or some times wonderful.
Taylor Mali, a former eighth grade teacher has some interesting insights on the frustrating and wonderful world of teaching. You can see some of his thoughts and observations...
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February 04, 2010
Language Lovers and Word Nerds
If you are intrigued by word histories and the sometimes contradictory usage of common words, do I have a treat for you.
Check out A Way With Words. You can find them at...
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December 13, 2009
Classic Holiday Films
For almost every culture around the world, this is a season of holidays. This generally means a time of travel, gathering with friends and family and ...
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November 28, 2009
More Books and Films about Food
Do we really need more recipes for beef stew, polenta, and ratatouille? If they're the result of the work and creativity of famed restaurateur and "food activist" Alice Waters...
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November 24, 2009
Great Food Films
Across North America - and wherever North Americans congregate around the world - this is the season for gathering with friends and family - and of course - eating. To get you in the mood - at least for the eating part....
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November 19, 2009
The Ultimate Universal Language - Food
Every nation and culture is rightly proud of its food. The style, taste, seasoning, and of course...
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November 08, 2009
Hands-on Language Learning; Writing Your Own Story
For hands-on learners, there is no better way to learn a language than by using it - and using it by writing is probably the best...
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November 03, 2009
All Things Considered - And More
Are you fishing for ideas and inspiration?
As a working teacher, I know I always am. My favorite source for snippets of unlikely and useful information and provocative questions is...
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October 24, 2009
Listening Across The Years - Old Time Radio
In more ways that we can even think about, the internet has changed how we look at language and interacting with people around the world. One aspect I like about the internet is not only how to connect with people thousands of miles
but how about connecting with people from many years ago?
Yes, it's possible. Take a look at...
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October 18, 2009
TED: Ideas Worth Spreading
Want to share some great stories? Want your students (or yourself) to hear some great speeches? If you do, you have to check out...
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October 06, 2009
World Have Your Say - International Radio
Ever wonder how people around the world might respond to current events?
We all hear news that is produced by news agencies and major broadcasters - but what about normal people?
Wouldn't you like to let the world know what you think about a recent news event?
If so...
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October 01, 2009
Not Quite What I Was Planning
As a writing teacher, I see that my students groan when they hear the usual required length of the standard essay.
What they don't realize is that the shorter the essay is, the tougher it is to write.
Try writing a full story - or your own memoir - in six words. It can be done....
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September 11, 2009
Finding Your Muse
Some of my favorite things are things that I have found without looking them - or even looking at all. Some of my favorite music, for example, is stuff that jumps in front of me when I am...
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September 07, 2009
One-Stop Resource
Ever look for a single resource that seems to hold almost everything a teacher might need? I just ran into a book that seems to cover every detail of language learning and teaching. At over 500 oversized pages...
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August 27, 2009
Listen to the Music!
Nothing embodies or expresses a culture more fully - and more enticingly - than its music. As I mentioned in a previous post, my dream job would be to host a radio program where I could share my love of music across the 20th Century (and more). Thanks to the internet...
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August 22, 2009
Pology & Tales From a Small Planet
There are several online journals related to travel and encountering cultures around the world. It is a good idea to have as much advance information as possible. Every culture and people group has its own style and flavor - and each one see "foreigners" differently.
Here are just a few...
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August 17, 2009
Playing With Words - Vocabulary, Anagrams & Inventing Our Own Words
As we have all noticed, English, and presumably every living language, shifts continually.
My students speak in fear of "Old English" but what they don't realize is that English as they know and use it is VERY different from even that of their parents and certainly....
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Posted by mmorf at 12:21 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
July 12, 2009
Arabic, Pashto, French or Dari, Anyone?
Most TESOL instructors get their training and background in the civilian world, but when it comes to learning the less common languages like Arabic, Pashto, and Dari, you might be advised to look...
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June 21, 2009
More Great Music from Around the World.
I recently reviewed some of the music collected and produced by Putumayo. They have compiled some great regionally themed music by a variety of artists. There is another music company you should be aware of...
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June 02, 2009
Is There life After Google?
Goggle has become so common that it has become a verb - it has become a truism to say that we can "google it". But there are search engines that do more...
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May 25, 2009
Tell me a Story
Everybody like to hear stories - and when learning a language, there is nothing better than HEARING a story to learn how native speakers not only speak....
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May 19, 2009
Ixtapa - "Fostering Cultural Awareness and Learning Competencies in EFL & ESL"
Anyone up for a trip to Mexico the fall? How does this sound?
"Fostering Cultural Awareness and Learning Competencies in EFL & ESL" October 1-4, 2009
If you'd like to do a presentation, send your information here - http://anupi.org.mx/Ingles/CongCallform.php. The deadline is May 30th so you better hurry.
You can see the speakers and topics of previous conferences...
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May 15, 2009
"The Blues are the Roots; Everything else is the Fruits. Willie Dixon
As part of my series on music - and how it represents cultures - I'd like to let you know about a book I just stumbled into at my local library. With a focus on the indigenous music of North America...
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May 10, 2009
Preparing Language Teachers for the 21st Century
"Designed for practitioners and researchers involved in the preparation and ongoing professional development of language teachers, LTE 2009 will address the education of teachers of all languages, at all instructional and institutional levels, and in many national and international contexts in which this takes place including: English as a Second or Foreign Language (ESL/EFL) instruction; foreign/modern/world language teaching; bilingual education; immersion education; indigenous and minority language education; and...
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May 05, 2009
Tangled up in Blue - the Words of Bob Dylan
You might not usually think of Bob Dylan and ESL in the same sentence, but sometimes a master of language can teach us - or reach us - in unexpected ways. Dylan will almost certainly be nominated for a Nobel Prize in literature some time soon. If he is, he will certainly stretch the definition.....
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