Introducing Make Beliefs Comix
MakeBeliefsComix allows users to create their own comic strips online; it offers 15 fun characters with different emotions, blank talk and thought balloons to fill in with words, and story prompts.
Comics can be printed or emailed. In addition, click on the Writers Prompts button to find ideas that will stimulate students’ imaginations as well as one for graphic Printables on which they can write, draw and express their creativity.
Google and UNESCO selected MakeBeliefsComix as among the world’s most innovative sites to encourage literacy and reading. It is now being used by educators in 180 countries to teach English and other languages.
21 WAYS TO USE MAKEBELIEFSCOMIX IN THE CLASSROOM
1.
At the beginning of each new school year have students create a comic strip talking about themselves and their families or summarizing the most important things about their lives. Let each student select a cartoon character as a surrogate to represent her or him. After students complete their strips, encourage them to exchange their comics with classmates to learn more about each other. Students can also create strips that summarize what their individual interests to help a teacher to learn more about them.
2.
Have students create a comic strip story using new vocabulary words that are being taught. Having students fill in talk or thought balloons for different cartoon characters also helps students practice conversation and language structure in a meaningful context.
3.
Have students break up into pairs or group teams to create their comic strips together. This approach encourages teamwork and cooperation, with students complementing the skills of their colleagues. The site also provides a structure for students to work individually as they create their own cartoon worlds using their imaginations. Look upon the site as a resource for literacy development and to reach out to engage reluctant writers and readers.
4.
Having students fill in talk or thought balloons for different cartoon characters helps students practice conversation and offers a way to practice language structure and vocabulary in a meaningful context.
5.
Create comic scenarios, scripts, or stories for autistic students as a way to teach them different kinds of social behavior and to read emotions by observing the faces of the different characters selected for the cartoons. Says one teacher who works with high-functioning students with autism, "I used the comic strips to create social stories focusing on behaviors we want to modify." Creating cartoons in which the characters speak for the creator also provides a way to help autistic and deaf students to communicate.
6.
Have students who are learning new foreign languages write their text in languages they are studying. In addition to English, the site accepts characters and accent marks from languages such as Spanish, Latin, German, Italian and Portuguese. Additional languages will be added to the site in the future.
7.
Have students print or email their completed comics. Doing so validates the efforts they put into creating the strips and gives them a sense of ownership. The printed cartoons represent their hard-earned efforts and they can add the completed work to their school portfolios or share with friends and family. Think of the student sharing her cartoon with someone important to her and the smile this brings to the face of the recipient. Wouldn't such an experience reinforce learning?
8.
Use the cartoon strips to introduce students to the world of creative writing and the pleasure of using their imaginations more fully. When students create a comic strip, they are also honing their reading and writing skills in addition to tapping into their creativity. The act of creating cartoons allows students to learn in a pleasurable way.
9.
Encourage students to use the comic characters as surrogates for them to talk about and examine their lives, their problems, their challenges and their anxieties. In effect, students can see themselves in the comics they create. The comic strips also allow the students to express their feelings and thoughts about the learning that occurs in the classroom.
10.
Create comic books based on the strips that the students complete. Let the students serialize their comics by creating a new strip each day as part of a continuing story. They can color them, too.
11.
Create comic strips in which students can practice such real-life, practical scenarios such as looking for a job or learning how to interact with a difficult boss or fellow worker. As an example, create a comic in which a student applies for a job. What kinds of questions is the interviewer likely to ask her and what kinds of responses might be appropriate. An individual going to visit a doctor or emergency room can practice vocabulary that will be needed for such an encounter.
12.
Have students use the characters to create comic strips that comment on local or national politics. Perhaps these cartoons can be published in the school newspaper or newsletter.
13.
Create comic strips in the classroom just for the sheer fun of it, and as a way to help students deal with the stress of school and the everyday world. This provides a perfect activity for the end of the school day or week.
14.
After a student completes creation of a comic strip ask him to read aloud or act out the dialogue written for his characters. Doing so gives a student an opportunity and structure to practice public speaking and share thoughts with others.
15.
Have student create a comic in which the characters reflect on a particular experience the student has had, such as dealing with a school bully or with a problem at home or with a friend. The process of creating the strip provides a way for a student to think through and resolve these problems.
16.
Choose a theme for the day, such as My Top 3 Wishes or Ways to Improve the Environment, or focus on a theme for a unit that is being taught that day, and have each class member do a comic strip on that subject. Then have class members share what they have created so that students gain a better understanding of the many ideas and different points of views that their classmates have on a particular topic.
17.
Hold a Family Literacy Night or Day in which parents and students work side by side in your computer lab to create their own comic strips. The students will most likely begin helping their parents with the mechanics of working on the web site, while the parents will be helping the students in vocabulary and spelling. This creates an intergenerational bonding experience and provides a way to parents to share an activity with their children, and for parents and children to communicate more effectively with each other to create something new and imaginative.
18.
Use the strips to create story boards for an original story or to illustrate a book or play being read in class. Or, encourage students to create comic strips that change or go beyond the ending of the book they have just read. If students are creating short stories or novels, for example, they will find that comic strips provide them with a way to experiment with dialog that can be incorporated into their writing of text. The story comic strips can provide the first step in the creation of a much longer written piece of work or project. Or, have students use the comic strip as a book report summarizing or commenting on what they have been reading. You also can use the comic strips to assess students. knowledge of facts they are learning in the units you may be teaching.
19.
In reading a book or story have students in their comic strips assume the roles of two of the characters with each one's personality and voice and have them interact with one another. This helps students better understand the perspective of the characters in the book they are reading.
20.
Use the WRITER PROMPTS feature on this site for ideas for writing assignments in the classroom. Encourage your students to send copies of their writing to MakeBeliefsComix and we will reinforce their efforts by publishing some of their writings submitted on the WRITER PROMPTS blog.
21.
If you don't have regular access to a computer lab for your class, you can use our new feature - MAKEBELIEFSCOMIX PRINTABLES - where you can print out comix templates from this site and pages from my Make Beliefs books and use at home, school and in the office to write on and color - another way to have fun and express all the creativity within you. Just click PRINTABLES.
Above all, have fun!
If you have a suggestion on how to use www.MakeBeliefsComix.com in the classroom, please write to billz@makebeliefscomix.com and we’ll add them to the list with your permission.
Showing posts with label teach English. Show all posts
Showing posts with label teach English. Show all posts
Wednesday, May 06, 2009
Monday, April 02, 2007
A Teacher's Story
A Teacher's Story
True or not - who cares, How many times do we "misjudge" by appearance?
Her name was Mrs. Thompson. As she stood in front of her 5th grade class on the very first day of school, she told the children a lie. Like most teachers, she looked at her students and said that she loved them all the same. But that was impossible, because there in the front row, slumped in his seat, was a little boy named Teddy Stoddard.
Mrs. Thompson had watched Teddy the year before and noticed that he didn't play well with the other children. His clothes were messy and that he constantly needed a bath. And Teddy could be unpleasant. It got to the point where Mrs. Thompson would actually take delight in marking his papers with a broad red pen, making bold X's and then putting a big "F" at the top of his papers.
At the school where Mrs. Thompson taught, she was required to review each child's past records and she put Teddy's off until last. However, when she reviewed his file, she was in for a surprise.
Teddy's first grade teacher wrote, "Teddy is a bright child with a ready laugh. He does his work neatly and has good manners...He is a joy to be around."
His second grade teacher wrote, "Teddy is an excellent student, well liked by his classmates, but he is troubled because his mother has a terminal illness and life at home is a struggle."
His third grade teacher wrote, "His mother's death had been hard on him. He tries to do his best, but his father doesn't show much interest and his home life will soon affect him if some steps aren't taken."
Teddy's fourth grade teacher wrote, "Teddy is withdrawn and doesn't show much interest in school. He doesn't have many friends and he sometimes sleeps in class."
By now, Mrs. Thompson realized the problem and she was ashamed of herself. She felt even worse when her students brought her Christmas presents wrapped in beautiful ribbons and bright paper, except for Teddy's. His present was clumsily wrapped in the heavy, brown paper that he got from a grocery bag. Mrs.Thompson took pains to open it in the middle of the other presents.
Some of the children started to laugh when she found a rhinestone bracelet with some of the stones missing, and a bottle that was one quarter-full of perfume. But she stifled the children's laughter when she exclaimed how pretty the bracelet was, putting it on, and dabbing some of the perfume on her wrist.
Teddy Stoddard stayed after school that day just long enough to say, "Mrs. Thompson, today you smelled just like my Mother used to."
After the children left she cried for at least an hour. On that very day, she quit teaching reading, and writing, and arithmetic. Instead, she began to teach children.
Mrs. Thompson paid particular attention to Teddy. As she worked with him, his mind seemed to come alive. The more she encouraged him, the faster he responded. By the end of the year, Teddy had become one of the smartest children in the class and, despite her lie that she would love all the children the same, Teddy became one of her "teacher's pets."
A year later, she found a note under her door, from Teddy, telling her that she was still the best teacher he ever had in his whole life. Six years went by before she got another note from Teddy. He then wrote that he had finished high school, third in his class, and she was still the best teacher he ever had in his whole life.
Four years after that, she got another letter, saying that while things had been tough at times, he'd stayed in school, had stuck with it, and would soon graduate from college with the highest of honors. He assured Mrs. Thompson that she was still the best and favorite teacher he ever had in his whole life.
Then four more years passed and yet another letter came. This time he explained that after he got his bachelor's degree, he decided to go a little further. The letter explained that she was still the best and favorite teacher he ever had. But now his name was a little longer the letter was signed, Theodore F. Stoddard, MD.
The story doesn't end there. You see, there was yet another letter that spring. Teddy said he'd met this girl and was going to be married. He explained that his father had died a couple of years ago and he was wondering if Mrs. Thompson might agree to sit in the place at the wedding that was usually reserved for the mother of the groom.
Of course, Mrs. Thompson did. And guess what? She wore that bracelet, the one with several rhinestones missing. And she made sure she was wearing the perfume that Teddy remembered his mother wearing on their last Christmas together.
They hugged each other, and Dr. Stoddard whispered in Mrs.Thompson's ear, "Thank you Mrs. Thompson for believing in me. Thank you so much for making me feel important and showing me that I could make a difference."
Mrs. Thompson, with tears in her eyes, whispered back. She said, "Teddy, you have it all wrong. You were the one who taught me that I could make a difference. I didn't know how to teach until I met you."
Remember - that wherever you go, and whatever you do, you will have the opportunity to touch and/or change a person's outlook. Please try to do it in a positive way.
True or not - who cares, How many times do we "misjudge" by appearance?
Her name was Mrs. Thompson. As she stood in front of her 5th grade class on the very first day of school, she told the children a lie. Like most teachers, she looked at her students and said that she loved them all the same. But that was impossible, because there in the front row, slumped in his seat, was a little boy named Teddy Stoddard.
Mrs. Thompson had watched Teddy the year before and noticed that he didn't play well with the other children. His clothes were messy and that he constantly needed a bath. And Teddy could be unpleasant. It got to the point where Mrs. Thompson would actually take delight in marking his papers with a broad red pen, making bold X's and then putting a big "F" at the top of his papers.
At the school where Mrs. Thompson taught, she was required to review each child's past records and she put Teddy's off until last. However, when she reviewed his file, she was in for a surprise.
Teddy's first grade teacher wrote, "Teddy is a bright child with a ready laugh. He does his work neatly and has good manners...He is a joy to be around."
His second grade teacher wrote, "Teddy is an excellent student, well liked by his classmates, but he is troubled because his mother has a terminal illness and life at home is a struggle."
His third grade teacher wrote, "His mother's death had been hard on him. He tries to do his best, but his father doesn't show much interest and his home life will soon affect him if some steps aren't taken."
Teddy's fourth grade teacher wrote, "Teddy is withdrawn and doesn't show much interest in school. He doesn't have many friends and he sometimes sleeps in class."
By now, Mrs. Thompson realized the problem and she was ashamed of herself. She felt even worse when her students brought her Christmas presents wrapped in beautiful ribbons and bright paper, except for Teddy's. His present was clumsily wrapped in the heavy, brown paper that he got from a grocery bag. Mrs.Thompson took pains to open it in the middle of the other presents.
Some of the children started to laugh when she found a rhinestone bracelet with some of the stones missing, and a bottle that was one quarter-full of perfume. But she stifled the children's laughter when she exclaimed how pretty the bracelet was, putting it on, and dabbing some of the perfume on her wrist.
Teddy Stoddard stayed after school that day just long enough to say, "Mrs. Thompson, today you smelled just like my Mother used to."
After the children left she cried for at least an hour. On that very day, she quit teaching reading, and writing, and arithmetic. Instead, she began to teach children.
Mrs. Thompson paid particular attention to Teddy. As she worked with him, his mind seemed to come alive. The more she encouraged him, the faster he responded. By the end of the year, Teddy had become one of the smartest children in the class and, despite her lie that she would love all the children the same, Teddy became one of her "teacher's pets."
A year later, she found a note under her door, from Teddy, telling her that she was still the best teacher he ever had in his whole life. Six years went by before she got another note from Teddy. He then wrote that he had finished high school, third in his class, and she was still the best teacher he ever had in his whole life.
Four years after that, she got another letter, saying that while things had been tough at times, he'd stayed in school, had stuck with it, and would soon graduate from college with the highest of honors. He assured Mrs. Thompson that she was still the best and favorite teacher he ever had in his whole life.
Then four more years passed and yet another letter came. This time he explained that after he got his bachelor's degree, he decided to go a little further. The letter explained that she was still the best and favorite teacher he ever had. But now his name was a little longer the letter was signed, Theodore F. Stoddard, MD.
The story doesn't end there. You see, there was yet another letter that spring. Teddy said he'd met this girl and was going to be married. He explained that his father had died a couple of years ago and he was wondering if Mrs. Thompson might agree to sit in the place at the wedding that was usually reserved for the mother of the groom.
Of course, Mrs. Thompson did. And guess what? She wore that bracelet, the one with several rhinestones missing. And she made sure she was wearing the perfume that Teddy remembered his mother wearing on their last Christmas together.
They hugged each other, and Dr. Stoddard whispered in Mrs.Thompson's ear, "Thank you Mrs. Thompson for believing in me. Thank you so much for making me feel important and showing me that I could make a difference."
Mrs. Thompson, with tears in her eyes, whispered back. She said, "Teddy, you have it all wrong. You were the one who taught me that I could make a difference. I didn't know how to teach until I met you."
Remember - that wherever you go, and whatever you do, you will have the opportunity to touch and/or change a person's outlook. Please try to do it in a positive way.
Wednesday, February 21, 2007
Referral of ESOL learners for LD should NEVER happen!
Referral of ESOL learners for LD should NEVER happen!
My view is that the referral of ESOL learners for LD should NEVER happen. There are three major reasons for that, the first two of which are deeply intertwined :
1) I contend that it is essentially illegal to diagnose culturally and linguistically different learners using current methods in place for adults in this (USA) culture. According to US law (section 504), to be diagnosed with LD, a learner must have:
a) been diagnosed through use of validated, standardized tests designed for that purpose and
b)the tests must be administered by a qualified diagnostician.
No existing tests used in the diagnosis of LD have been validated on the adult ESOL learners in our programs. Tests published by commercial publishers will say that they have been normed (standardized and validated) on the percentage of ESOL learners that reflects the US population, but that population is NOT typical of the adult, many non or low-literate speakers of many languages and representatives of many cultures that are in your programs. If a test is not validated on the representative population, then the results do not tell anything meaningful about the person who took it compared to those on whom it was normed. To do this tests would have to be devised that were normed on low-literate Mexicans or Filipinos, high-literate Japanese, non-literate Hmong, etc etc--(but even as I write that, you can, I hope see, that that would be impossible, since development of a test for a non-literate culture like the Hmong is an oxymoron!! ) Not only is this a theoretical challenge in terms of language, it is more of a challenge in terms of how cultures interpret intelligence and difficulties in academic learning. In other words, cultures view learning difficulties in highly different ways-- so there is no guarantee that creating a test to reflect what we consider LD would in fact identify anything meaningful in people who speak another language and come from a different culture.
Furthermore, almost no diagnosticians are available who are qualified to do testing for learning difficulties in adults from other cultures who speak another first language. Just being bilingual does not necessarily qualify a diagnostician if she or he has not been well-trained in what cross cultural learning issues are and how languages impact learning English, etc.
Thus the conditions of the law are impossible to meet for most adult ESOL learners. Though some diagnosticians will tell you they can make the system work using pieces and parts of tests and other means, the results are always questionable because of 2.
2) Though moot because of (1) the second reason referral should not happen for ESOL learners is that the testing and evaluation process and tools are inherently biased for culturally and linguistically different persons. Testing bias, about which a great deal has been published, stems from unfamiliar formats, unfamiliar content and cultural values loaded into questions, and the level of language required to understand tests written for native English speaker by native English speakers. There is much to say about testing bias.
One of the reasons for linguistic bias is the result of one aspect of the normal linguistic pattern of two levels or vocabularies of language---BICS--which is basic interpersonal communication skills, or oral/survival English and CALPS or cognitive academic language proficiency skills, or the language needed for understanding tests, text books, directions and all other either uncontextualized language or the language of school and deep reading experience. CALPS levels are a significant and little heeded barrier it in adult ESOL--in all ESOL, actually--where learners are evaluated and essentially moved through program levels according to oral proficiency, and then encounter native language text in ABE or "pre-GED" classes. Typically the ESOL learners crash and burn --or are seen as having serious reading comprehension difficulties-- because they cannot manage the materials.
Just to give an idea of CALPS levels, at the college associated program where I taught for many years before moving into adult ESOL, our learners arrived with at least a high school education, and many had college or post-graduate educations in their language. When we tested these learners (many of whom had excellent oral English skills) in English reading using a test designed for native English speakers, their CALPS were typically at about 4th grade. Since they were attempting to be college students, our job was largely designed to improve CALPS through instruction in reading skills not decoding skills. The program was designed to bring them to about 8th grade level in 6 semesters --and give them good skills for continuing to build their reading vocabulary.
Research on CALPS indicates that usually it takes anywhere from 5 to 7 years under excellent ESOL delivery conditions for a learner's CALPS to be about equal to those of a native speaker of average achievement in school. BICS, on the other hand, are expected to be about optimal in 3 years or less.
3) This discussion leads to the third, and really the most important, reason why adult ESOL learners should not be referred for LD or even considered to have LD: there are a number of other critical factors which cause these learners to struggle and which, in my work, I find are almost always ignored.
Just briefly these factors are:
a) Poor phonological skills -- this is NOT phonics!! Phonological skills are the pre-literacy skills that support literacy and language acquisition: phonological awareness and phonological memory. These skills may be weak because of low education levels, difficulty transferring them from first language or a fundamental weakness--the only real LD we know of--i.e. dyslexia--but the latter instance is, in my experience, rare. Phonolgical memory is often impacted by the normal difficulty an adult learner has hearing new sounds in a new language and remembering them.
b) Adult language learners' needs are not being met: adult learners do not learn language as children do. Their brains are neurologically different and process sound differently. Also, adult learners are far more analytical than child learners. They want to know why. Thus they need to have direct, explicit instruction in the sound system of the language and they need language presented in clear, logical, linguistically manageable order. They also need a lot of support building the CALPS mentioned above. Just exposing them to language through conversation and randomly chosen reading is not sufficient. Instruction in decoding using methods and materials designed for adult struggling learners is also not helpful.
c) Cultural differences in learning and ideas about learning and teaching are not given sufficient attention. Adult ESOL learners often come from highly authoritative education systems which require memorizing, where teachers have all the power, and where interactive learning is never used. They are often dismayed, then, by our approach to education. This is not to be taken lightly. There is a new book out about how college foreign students have such a hard time doing college assignments the way their professors want them to. They very often end up doing the assignments they way they culturally interpret them. Homework expectations are often where adult ESOL teachers feel the cultural difference, although they usually do not recognize the difficulties as culturally based. They see learners as unable to be independent learners in the American model, or as uninterested in helping themselves learn, when in reality, these learners have never been asked to do independent learning and need, in my experience and observation, a great deal of explicit training in how to do that.
d) Educational differences/levels and experiences are not taken sufficiently into account. We as a culture have a very hard time comprehending the implications of coming from a preliterate culture or of being extremely low literate. I am often asked to consult on learning difficulties in learners who have no educational experience, no phonological skills that are normally built up as learners begin to prepare for literacy, and no world knowledge of the type gained through education ( and the CALPS that go with that) and are assumed to have LD because they cannot learn things for which they have no preparation. IN contrast, learners with higher literacy skills but low oral skills are most often treated just like the low or preliterate with low oral skills--and consequently get very bored or distressed because their real learning needs and desires are not met in the very basic oral conversation and basic ESOL literacy classes they end up in.
e) Health, physical functioning and mental health issues are impacting learning. ESOL learners typically ( but not always) have neglected their vision and hearing health and do not wear glasses or have old glasses. They do not realize how difficult learning is because of poor vision. Similarly, adults normally experience some hearing loss with advancing age, and others have been in situations or had illnesses that have compromised their hearing. Another problem is visual stress syndrome, where there is high sensitivity to fluorescent lights or bright light and things move or jiggle on the page. No one ever asks learners what they SEE when they look at a page. In my experience, learners relatively often report that things move, or there are flashes, or things smudge or many other problems. All of these types of vision problems are readily addressed with professionally designed colored plastic overlays. Health issues, too, can cause a lot of difficulty for learners, but because of cultural hesitance to bring attention to themselves as a problem learner or other reasons, they do not tell their teachers. Finally, many of our learners have experienced extreme trauma before they got here, or are suffering from significant culture shock for many months-- even years. Programs do not routinely screen adult learners for these issues nor teach teachers how to spot them, so they go unchecked.
f) The final category of problems causing adult ESOL learners to struggle so they look as if they have LD are what are politely called "pedagogically induced learning problems"--I did NOT invent this term!! It is used by others who write about this topic ( ESOL learners who may or may not have LD) in K-12. This includes having teachers who are not language teachers, who are not trained to work with culturally different adults, and who engage in counter productive practices such as using only visual and auditory channels for learning and ignoring all of factors 1 through 5.
If I ordered these factors in terms of impact, it would be tied for 2, 3 and 6, with the others coming in a close second.
For more on these issues, especially health etc. see the Focus on Basics Issue for November, 2005 ( ncsall.net) the article "Taking a closer look at ESOL learners who struggle." Also, see recent discussions on the English Language Learner discussion listserv hosted by NIFL, where I have explained some aspects of these issues in more depth.
Robin Lovrien Schwarz M.Sp.Ed:LD
902 S. 4th Avenue Wausau, WI 54401
715-298-0289 - 614-582-7673 - Fax: 715-2980538
My view is that the referral of ESOL learners for LD should NEVER happen. There are three major reasons for that, the first two of which are deeply intertwined :
1) I contend that it is essentially illegal to diagnose culturally and linguistically different learners using current methods in place for adults in this (USA) culture. According to US law (section 504), to be diagnosed with LD, a learner must have:
a) been diagnosed through use of validated, standardized tests designed for that purpose and
b)the tests must be administered by a qualified diagnostician.
No existing tests used in the diagnosis of LD have been validated on the adult ESOL learners in our programs. Tests published by commercial publishers will say that they have been normed (standardized and validated) on the percentage of ESOL learners that reflects the US population, but that population is NOT typical of the adult, many non or low-literate speakers of many languages and representatives of many cultures that are in your programs. If a test is not validated on the representative population, then the results do not tell anything meaningful about the person who took it compared to those on whom it was normed. To do this tests would have to be devised that were normed on low-literate Mexicans or Filipinos, high-literate Japanese, non-literate Hmong, etc etc--(but even as I write that, you can, I hope see, that that would be impossible, since development of a test for a non-literate culture like the Hmong is an oxymoron!! ) Not only is this a theoretical challenge in terms of language, it is more of a challenge in terms of how cultures interpret intelligence and difficulties in academic learning. In other words, cultures view learning difficulties in highly different ways-- so there is no guarantee that creating a test to reflect what we consider LD would in fact identify anything meaningful in people who speak another language and come from a different culture.
Furthermore, almost no diagnosticians are available who are qualified to do testing for learning difficulties in adults from other cultures who speak another first language. Just being bilingual does not necessarily qualify a diagnostician if she or he has not been well-trained in what cross cultural learning issues are and how languages impact learning English, etc.
Thus the conditions of the law are impossible to meet for most adult ESOL learners. Though some diagnosticians will tell you they can make the system work using pieces and parts of tests and other means, the results are always questionable because of 2.
2) Though moot because of (1) the second reason referral should not happen for ESOL learners is that the testing and evaluation process and tools are inherently biased for culturally and linguistically different persons. Testing bias, about which a great deal has been published, stems from unfamiliar formats, unfamiliar content and cultural values loaded into questions, and the level of language required to understand tests written for native English speaker by native English speakers. There is much to say about testing bias.
One of the reasons for linguistic bias is the result of one aspect of the normal linguistic pattern of two levels or vocabularies of language---BICS--which is basic interpersonal communication skills, or oral/survival English and CALPS or cognitive academic language proficiency skills, or the language needed for understanding tests, text books, directions and all other either uncontextualized language or the language of school and deep reading experience. CALPS levels are a significant and little heeded barrier it in adult ESOL--in all ESOL, actually--where learners are evaluated and essentially moved through program levels according to oral proficiency, and then encounter native language text in ABE or "pre-GED" classes. Typically the ESOL learners crash and burn --or are seen as having serious reading comprehension difficulties-- because they cannot manage the materials.
Just to give an idea of CALPS levels, at the college associated program where I taught for many years before moving into adult ESOL, our learners arrived with at least a high school education, and many had college or post-graduate educations in their language. When we tested these learners (many of whom had excellent oral English skills) in English reading using a test designed for native English speakers, their CALPS were typically at about 4th grade. Since they were attempting to be college students, our job was largely designed to improve CALPS through instruction in reading skills not decoding skills. The program was designed to bring them to about 8th grade level in 6 semesters --and give them good skills for continuing to build their reading vocabulary.
Research on CALPS indicates that usually it takes anywhere from 5 to 7 years under excellent ESOL delivery conditions for a learner's CALPS to be about equal to those of a native speaker of average achievement in school. BICS, on the other hand, are expected to be about optimal in 3 years or less.
3) This discussion leads to the third, and really the most important, reason why adult ESOL learners should not be referred for LD or even considered to have LD: there are a number of other critical factors which cause these learners to struggle and which, in my work, I find are almost always ignored.
Just briefly these factors are:
a) Poor phonological skills -- this is NOT phonics!! Phonological skills are the pre-literacy skills that support literacy and language acquisition: phonological awareness and phonological memory. These skills may be weak because of low education levels, difficulty transferring them from first language or a fundamental weakness--the only real LD we know of--i.e. dyslexia--but the latter instance is, in my experience, rare. Phonolgical memory is often impacted by the normal difficulty an adult learner has hearing new sounds in a new language and remembering them.
b) Adult language learners' needs are not being met: adult learners do not learn language as children do. Their brains are neurologically different and process sound differently. Also, adult learners are far more analytical than child learners. They want to know why. Thus they need to have direct, explicit instruction in the sound system of the language and they need language presented in clear, logical, linguistically manageable order. They also need a lot of support building the CALPS mentioned above. Just exposing them to language through conversation and randomly chosen reading is not sufficient. Instruction in decoding using methods and materials designed for adult struggling learners is also not helpful.
c) Cultural differences in learning and ideas about learning and teaching are not given sufficient attention. Adult ESOL learners often come from highly authoritative education systems which require memorizing, where teachers have all the power, and where interactive learning is never used. They are often dismayed, then, by our approach to education. This is not to be taken lightly. There is a new book out about how college foreign students have such a hard time doing college assignments the way their professors want them to. They very often end up doing the assignments they way they culturally interpret them. Homework expectations are often where adult ESOL teachers feel the cultural difference, although they usually do not recognize the difficulties as culturally based. They see learners as unable to be independent learners in the American model, or as uninterested in helping themselves learn, when in reality, these learners have never been asked to do independent learning and need, in my experience and observation, a great deal of explicit training in how to do that.
d) Educational differences/levels and experiences are not taken sufficiently into account. We as a culture have a very hard time comprehending the implications of coming from a preliterate culture or of being extremely low literate. I am often asked to consult on learning difficulties in learners who have no educational experience, no phonological skills that are normally built up as learners begin to prepare for literacy, and no world knowledge of the type gained through education ( and the CALPS that go with that) and are assumed to have LD because they cannot learn things for which they have no preparation. IN contrast, learners with higher literacy skills but low oral skills are most often treated just like the low or preliterate with low oral skills--and consequently get very bored or distressed because their real learning needs and desires are not met in the very basic oral conversation and basic ESOL literacy classes they end up in.
e) Health, physical functioning and mental health issues are impacting learning. ESOL learners typically ( but not always) have neglected their vision and hearing health and do not wear glasses or have old glasses. They do not realize how difficult learning is because of poor vision. Similarly, adults normally experience some hearing loss with advancing age, and others have been in situations or had illnesses that have compromised their hearing. Another problem is visual stress syndrome, where there is high sensitivity to fluorescent lights or bright light and things move or jiggle on the page. No one ever asks learners what they SEE when they look at a page. In my experience, learners relatively often report that things move, or there are flashes, or things smudge or many other problems. All of these types of vision problems are readily addressed with professionally designed colored plastic overlays. Health issues, too, can cause a lot of difficulty for learners, but because of cultural hesitance to bring attention to themselves as a problem learner or other reasons, they do not tell their teachers. Finally, many of our learners have experienced extreme trauma before they got here, or are suffering from significant culture shock for many months-- even years. Programs do not routinely screen adult learners for these issues nor teach teachers how to spot them, so they go unchecked.
f) The final category of problems causing adult ESOL learners to struggle so they look as if they have LD are what are politely called "pedagogically induced learning problems"--I did NOT invent this term!! It is used by others who write about this topic ( ESOL learners who may or may not have LD) in K-12. This includes having teachers who are not language teachers, who are not trained to work with culturally different adults, and who engage in counter productive practices such as using only visual and auditory channels for learning and ignoring all of factors 1 through 5.
If I ordered these factors in terms of impact, it would be tied for 2, 3 and 6, with the others coming in a close second.
For more on these issues, especially health etc. see the Focus on Basics Issue for November, 2005 ( ncsall.net) the article "Taking a closer look at ESOL learners who struggle." Also, see recent discussions on the English Language Learner discussion listserv hosted by NIFL, where I have explained some aspects of these issues in more depth.
Robin Lovrien Schwarz M.Sp.Ed:LD
902 S. 4th Avenue Wausau, WI 54401
715-298-0289 - 614-582-7673 - Fax: 715-2980538
http://teachenglishblog.blogspot.com/
Sunday, February 18, 2007
New Sentence Master Games Blog
Welcome to Sentence Master Games
English writing is now more important than ever before. The Internet has enabled millions of people to communicate in writing via email, BBS forums and text messaging. Having the ability to communicate correctly and efficiently is now more important than ever. The old formula of 90% oral and 10% writing has morphed to about 60% oral and 40% writing for most professions. To succeed in the professional digital age correct English writing is mandatory.
Sentence Master Games for Teachers
Sentence Master is the first writing game that facilitates and reinforces the learning of: the parts of speech, phrases, clauses and complete sentences.
The Sentence Master games are structured to provide full interactive English communicative-methodology educational experiences for all game players. The levels of difficulty are structured to be challenging for all ages and all English language proficiencies.
Sentence Master games can be used to instruct and reinforce grammar rules and can be adjusted by teachers to cover specific grammar modules and topics. Using the Sentence Master Games will enable English teachers to focus grammar lessons on specific lessons, rules or topics.
The Sentence Master game is fully compatible for use in communicative ESL teaching formats and group work. Sentence Master Games are designed to allow communicative group interaction during English writing and grammar skills instruction and provides fun applications of all English grammar skills. Using Sentence Master will provide students with the ability to practice, practice and practice again all the variables necessary to construct proper sentences.
New Sentence Master Games Blog
http://sentencemaster.blogspot.com
English writing is now more important than ever before. The Internet has enabled millions of people to communicate in writing via email, BBS forums and text messaging. Having the ability to communicate correctly and efficiently is now more important than ever. The old formula of 90% oral and 10% writing has morphed to about 60% oral and 40% writing for most professions. To succeed in the professional digital age correct English writing is mandatory.
Sentence Master Games for Teachers
Sentence Master is the first writing game that facilitates and reinforces the learning of: the parts of speech, phrases, clauses and complete sentences.
The Sentence Master games are structured to provide full interactive English communicative-methodology educational experiences for all game players. The levels of difficulty are structured to be challenging for all ages and all English language proficiencies.
Sentence Master games can be used to instruct and reinforce grammar rules and can be adjusted by teachers to cover specific grammar modules and topics. Using the Sentence Master Games will enable English teachers to focus grammar lessons on specific lessons, rules or topics.
The Sentence Master game is fully compatible for use in communicative ESL teaching formats and group work. Sentence Master Games are designed to allow communicative group interaction during English writing and grammar skills instruction and provides fun applications of all English grammar skills. Using Sentence Master will provide students with the ability to practice, practice and practice again all the variables necessary to construct proper sentences.
New Sentence Master Games Blog
http://sentencemaster.blogspot.com
Blog URL
http://teachenglishblog.blogspot.com/
Thursday, February 01, 2007
Effective Communication Skills Workshop
Effective Communication Skills Workshop
Saturday, February 17th, 2007
Have you ever had difficulty expressing yourself, especially with strangers, even though you knew what you wanted to say?
Are you aware of the need to get your point across concisely - the first time?
Would you like to learn how to stop that minor panic attack in business meetings and social events?
After this interactive workshop you will take control and build rapport, listen effectively, watch and use body language, and communicate effectively with anyone, everytime!
Our Workbook Chapters:
1 - Understanding the communications process - how does miscommunication occur?
2 - How to understand someone else's view of the world
3 - How to communicate with different types of people
4 - How to be a great communicator and build up rapport
5 - How to make small talk with anyone
6 - Giving and receiving feedback
By now, you are probably seeing the social and career advancements that result with sharpening your awareness and interpersonal skills! I invite you to join me for a half-day professional development workshop to enhance your communication, speaking and listening, body language, and rapport-building skills with anyone, so that you can meet people with confidence.
When? Saturday, February 17th, 2007. 10:00am to 2pm (4 hours).
Where? 268 Adelaide Street West (at John), Toronto, ON. Look for the BizLaunch sign. There is parking across the street, and TTC users can walk 8 minutes from St. Andrew Station.
Why? Because you want to become an effective communicator and reap the rewards!
Who? Anyone, native or non-native English speaker, student or professional, immigrant or native Canadian.
Cost? $150.00. (Deep discount!) Tax and material cost (47 page course workbook) included. Receipts available upon request for tax or company reimbursements. However, if you pay online with PayPal or major credit card, the cost is presently discounted to $130.00.
Saturday, February 17th, 2007
Have you ever had difficulty expressing yourself, especially with strangers, even though you knew what you wanted to say?
Are you aware of the need to get your point across concisely - the first time?
Would you like to learn how to stop that minor panic attack in business meetings and social events?
After this interactive workshop you will take control and build rapport, listen effectively, watch and use body language, and communicate effectively with anyone, everytime!
Our Workbook Chapters:
1 - Understanding the communications process - how does miscommunication occur?
2 - How to understand someone else's view of the world
3 - How to communicate with different types of people
4 - How to be a great communicator and build up rapport
5 - How to make small talk with anyone
6 - Giving and receiving feedback
By now, you are probably seeing the social and career advancements that result with sharpening your awareness and interpersonal skills! I invite you to join me for a half-day professional development workshop to enhance your communication, speaking and listening, body language, and rapport-building skills with anyone, so that you can meet people with confidence.
When? Saturday, February 17th, 2007. 10:00am to 2pm (4 hours).
Where? 268 Adelaide Street West (at John), Toronto, ON. Look for the BizLaunch sign. There is parking across the street, and TTC users can walk 8 minutes from St. Andrew Station.
Why? Because you want to become an effective communicator and reap the rewards!
Who? Anyone, native or non-native English speaker, student or professional, immigrant or native Canadian.
Cost? $150.00. (Deep discount!) Tax and material cost (47 page course workbook) included. Receipts available upon request for tax or company reimbursements. However, if you pay online with PayPal or major credit card, the cost is presently discounted to $130.00.
Saturday, January 27, 2007
Teacher as Language Learner
Teachers have opinions sometimes influenced by learning experience and results and sometimes by teaching experience and results.
I prefer teachers that are able to integrate their own learning experience and qualified teaching methodologies.
This first teacher is expressing emotion "I'm appalled that anyone would believe that giving students books would help them learn how to write an essay. Learning (and teaching) a second language is MUCH more complicated than encouraging students to read."
This second teacher is supporting his opinion with experience and methods.
I believe that nobody can improve their writing without spending most of their time reading. The challenge for the teacher is to find ways to encourage, facilitate or stimulate their students' reading. Providing advice and feedback may be necessary for a majority of students, but, in my view, reading is the most important activity. This is based on my experience as a language learner and as a language teacher.
I have learned many languages, mostly by reading and listening. I would not go to a class to learn how to write better in any language. I would read more, and I would listen more. I would choose content with the style and use of words that I want to learn from. I would notice words and phrases and save them for review. I would consult articles on the Internet, or books
which explain the style that is most appreciated for the language I am learning and the kind of writing that I need to do. These materials abound, especially for English writing. I would do it all on my own. Reading would be my most important activity and where I would spend most of my time.
When teachers learn second languages they have the opportunity to self experiment with different methods and measure the effectivness relative to their personal learning style and abilities.
It should make teachers better students and better Teachers.
http://teachenglishblog.blogspot.com/
Monday, January 22, 2007
Introduce Coolhood as an ESL Teaching Tool for Teachers
Introduce Coolhood as an ESL Teaching Tool for Teachers
Coolhood is a site offering ESL teachers the ability to organize online learning for their students. The proprietry materials have been prepared and organized with quizes and feedback to both students and teachers.
This is the Coolhood intro: It is a free online community for people that study English as a second language. On this site you can access interesting articles, video and audio files that will improve your language skills. All of the material is designed to be fun, because that’s exactly what learning should be.
Give students the opportunity to practice English outside of class. We do all of the work and report the results to you. And best of all, it’s totally free for both you and your students.
To goto this site: http://www.coolhood.com
ESL in Canada Education Blogs
Sentence Master Games
English Language Exercises
ESL in Canada News Blog
Study English in Toronto
Learn English Blog
English Schools in Canada
Toefl Toeic Ielts Cambridge Tests
English Idioms Blog
English 4 Cooking
Teach English Blog
Study Work Live Retire in Canada
Overseas to Canada
Advice and logistics information to help you travel to Canada.
Cities in Canada
University in Canada
College in Canada
Best Education & Career Training Programs Workshops
High School in Canada
Schools in Canada
Jobs in Canada
Jobs in Canada can be permanent jobs, temporary jobs, contract jobs, professional jobs, administration jobs, technical jobs or internship work experience. Info includes work visas, job openings, work permits, criteria for health and medical clearances, language proficiency, employment standards, education requirements, work experience requirements, job skills, job duties and responsibilities.Saturday, January 06, 2007
Teachers’ Overseas Recruiting Fair
19th Annual Teachers' Overseas Recruiting Fair February 9-11, 2007
The Queen's Placement Office sponsors the Teachers' Overseas Recruiting Fair, which is for certified teachers with at least two years of full-time elementary or secondary classroom experience. Teacher candidates from other universities and teachers without two years experience are welcome to apply and will be accommodated as space allows.
The recruiting fair provides a forum for teachers to have face-to-face interviews with administrators of international schools or their representatives.
The schools have been screened and we do not accept all schools or organizations interested in recruiting at this event. As a result of the screening process, the administrators are an impressive group. Good schools attract both good administrators and good teachers.
The Queen's Fair is organized by educators for educators. The planning committee of 25 people consists of faculty, staff, education students, and alumni and all are committed to this event and to international education. As a mid-sized fair, it is large enough to offer a wide range of opportunities while avoiding the stress and problems associated with larger events.
As a non-profit educational institution, we charge low fees to candidates, essentially for cost-recovery purposes. Our mission is educational and professional, aimed at providing a valuable professional development component throughout the weekend.
Registration Fees
The registration fee is $100 (CDN) for the weekend, $50 if currently enrolled in the B.Ed. or M.Ed. program at Queen's (a limited number of places will be reserved for current Queen's B.Ed. students who are served by the Placement Office). There are no subsequent placement fees for candidates. The university — and the event itself — are non-profit and the registration fees are for cost recovery. Please see Registration Instructions (above), certified cheque or money order required.
http://educ.queensu.ca/placement/torf/eligibility/index.shtml
The Queen's Placement Office sponsors the Teachers' Overseas Recruiting Fair, which is for certified teachers with at least two years of full-time elementary or secondary classroom experience. Teacher candidates from other universities and teachers without two years experience are welcome to apply and will be accommodated as space allows.
The recruiting fair provides a forum for teachers to have face-to-face interviews with administrators of international schools or their representatives.
The schools have been screened and we do not accept all schools or organizations interested in recruiting at this event. As a result of the screening process, the administrators are an impressive group. Good schools attract both good administrators and good teachers.
The Queen's Fair is organized by educators for educators. The planning committee of 25 people consists of faculty, staff, education students, and alumni and all are committed to this event and to international education. As a mid-sized fair, it is large enough to offer a wide range of opportunities while avoiding the stress and problems associated with larger events.
As a non-profit educational institution, we charge low fees to candidates, essentially for cost-recovery purposes. Our mission is educational and professional, aimed at providing a valuable professional development component throughout the weekend.
Registration Fees
The registration fee is $100 (CDN) for the weekend, $50 if currently enrolled in the B.Ed. or M.Ed. program at Queen's (a limited number of places will be reserved for current Queen's B.Ed. students who are served by the Placement Office). There are no subsequent placement fees for candidates. The university — and the event itself — are non-profit and the registration fees are for cost recovery. Please see Registration Instructions (above), certified cheque or money order required.
http://educ.queensu.ca/placement/torf/eligibility/index.shtml
http://teachenglishblog.blogspot.com/
Monday, January 01, 2007
Welcome to Sentence Master Games
Welcome to Sentence Master Games
Writing is now more important than ever before. The Internet has enabled millions of people to communicate in writing via email, BBS forums and text messaging. Having the ability to communicate correctly and efficiently is now more important than ever. The old formula of 90% oral and 10% writing has morphed to about 60% oral and 40% writing for most professions. To succeed in the professional digital age correct writing is mandatory.
Sentence Master Games for Students
Sentence Master provides a fun practical hands-on learning experience that will help students practice their English grammar and improve their writing.
Sentence Master has four levels available for elementary, middle school, high school and adults. The Sentence Master game will help students practice grammar applications and writing skills. Regular Sentence Master game playing will increase literacy from beginner to fluency levels.
The basic Sentence Master 1000+ most essential English word version is of special importance to elementary students and ESL students. The game will provide opportunities to practice all the basic writing skills.
Special Sentence Master game versions and themes will include terms and vocabulary for computers, sports, environment, movies and current events.
Sentence Master Games for Teachers
Sentence Master is the first writing game that facilitates and reinforces the learning of: the parts of speech, phrases, clauses and complete sentences.
The Sentence Master games are structured to provide full interactive English communicative-methodology educational experiences for all game players. The levels of difficulty are structured to be challenging for all ages and all English language proficiencies.
Sentence Master games can be used to instruct and reinforce grammar rules and can be adjusted by teachers to cover specific grammar modules and topics. Using the Sentence Master Games will enable English teachers to focus grammar lessons on specific lessons, rules or topics.
The Sentence Master game is fully compatible for use in communicative ESL teaching formats and group work. Sentence Master Games are designed to allow communicative group interaction during writing and grammar skills instruction and provides fun applications of all grammar skills. Using Sentence Master will provide students with the ability to practice, practice and practice again all the variables necessary to construct proper sentences.
Monday, November 27, 2006
Teach & Study Abroad Horror Stories
Teach and Study Abroad Problems for Many
There is a huge difference between commercial schools and university departments and "language programs" as seperate faculties servicing universities. There are
huge and significant differences between the commercial schools too with some paying slave wages and housing teachers dormitory style, others paying hourly wages with no benefits and zero job security, and many schools operating openly outside all legal standards and regulations.
A friend of mine on his blog, Englishteacher... , wrote a story about a new teacher spending the first 24 hours in her Flat crying.
My mom's friend, a divorced mother in her fifties on somewhat of a whim, headed to Vietnam to become an English teacher and got violently ill while there and came back three months later for the holidays and just didn't return. She had had enough with getting sick, with the culture shock, and with the loneliness and her dislike for her co-workers and the American expatriate community in Vietnam. She thought she'd meet tons of interesting people but instead met angry, bitter, unhinged Americans who were there basically to run away from something back in the States. Not all experiences are bad, but you definitely have to do your research beforehand.
The last one was an "established" major national university in.....
No heat or hot water until spring (solar heating), no food, no plates or silverware or glassware, no telephone, no mail, no chalk or paper or pencils, no books and no syllabus. I had to pay the university to use my own computer in my office. Personal death threats from other university faculty. Racist threats from the doctor at the local church clinic. No pay and no return ticket (and accusations of fraud when requesting pay, and bills for electricity for using an electric heater). No work visa and illegal strip searches. No letter of employment after leaving. Gun battles at night and weekends, but free satellite TV. And from time to time, food (cooked and fresh-picked, and fresh eggs and cheeses at the door left by students' and their parents after dark.
Not all is perfect in The USA
When I got out of the plane in Greensboro in the US state of North Carolina, I would never have expected my host family to welcome me at the airport, wielding a Bible, and saying, ‘Child, our Lord sent you half-way around the world to bring you to us.’ At that moment I just wanted to turn round and run back to the plane.
Things began to go wrong as soon as I arrived in my new home in Winston-Salem, where I was to spend my year abroad. For example, every Monday my host family would gather around the kitchen table to talk about sex. My host parents hadn’t had sex for the last 17 years because — so they told me — they were devoting their lives to God. They also wanted to know whether I drank alcohol. I admitted that I liked beer and wine. They told me I had the devil in my heart.
There is a huge difference between commercial schools and university departments and "language programs" as seperate faculties servicing universities. There are
huge and significant differences between the commercial schools too with some paying slave wages and housing teachers dormitory style, others paying hourly wages with no benefits and zero job security, and many schools operating openly outside all legal standards and regulations.
A friend of mine on his blog, Englishteacher... , wrote a story about a new teacher spending the first 24 hours in her Flat crying.
My mom's friend, a divorced mother in her fifties on somewhat of a whim, headed to Vietnam to become an English teacher and got violently ill while there and came back three months later for the holidays and just didn't return. She had had enough with getting sick, with the culture shock, and with the loneliness and her dislike for her co-workers and the American expatriate community in Vietnam. She thought she'd meet tons of interesting people but instead met angry, bitter, unhinged Americans who were there basically to run away from something back in the States. Not all experiences are bad, but you definitely have to do your research beforehand.
The last one was an "established" major national university in.....
No heat or hot water until spring (solar heating), no food, no plates or silverware or glassware, no telephone, no mail, no chalk or paper or pencils, no books and no syllabus. I had to pay the university to use my own computer in my office. Personal death threats from other university faculty. Racist threats from the doctor at the local church clinic. No pay and no return ticket (and accusations of fraud when requesting pay, and bills for electricity for using an electric heater). No work visa and illegal strip searches. No letter of employment after leaving. Gun battles at night and weekends, but free satellite TV. And from time to time, food (cooked and fresh-picked, and fresh eggs and cheeses at the door left by students' and their parents after dark.
Not all is perfect in The USA
When I got out of the plane in Greensboro in the US state of North Carolina, I would never have expected my host family to welcome me at the airport, wielding a Bible, and saying, ‘Child, our Lord sent you half-way around the world to bring you to us.’ At that moment I just wanted to turn round and run back to the plane.
Things began to go wrong as soon as I arrived in my new home in Winston-Salem, where I was to spend my year abroad. For example, every Monday my host family would gather around the kitchen table to talk about sex. My host parents hadn’t had sex for the last 17 years because — so they told me — they were devoting their lives to God. They also wanted to know whether I drank alcohol. I admitted that I liked beer and wine. They told me I had the devil in my heart.
Saturday, November 25, 2006
Suggestions for Business English Texts
Suggestions for Business English Texts
1. Market Leader - New Edition - Practice Files, Test Books, Videos
2. Business Objectives and Video
3. New Business Matters plus video
4. Everyday Business Writing ( Longman)
5. Business Grammar and Practice ( Oxford )
6. Big City Video ( Oxford )
7. Business Builder ( McMillan )- three volumes
8. Executive Listening ( Nelson )
9. Management and Marketing ( Thomson )
10. Key Terms in People Management ( York )
Also Good References
Common European Framework of Reference for Languages:
Learning, Teaching, Assessment Council of Europe
Cambridge University Press, 2001
Business Vocabulary in Practice
Harper Collins 2004
English for Business Studies
Ian MacKenzie
Cambridge University Press, 1997, 2002
Intelligent Business
Tonya Trappe, Graham Tullis
Pearson Education, 2005
International Legal English
Amy Krois-Linder
Cambridge University Press, 2006
The Corporation
Joel Bakan
Simon & Schuster, Inc, 2004
Management and Marketing
Ian MacKenzie
Thomson ,1997 (LTP)
Financial English
Ian MacKenzie
Thomson, 1995 look for updated editions
Presenting in English
Mark Powell
Thomson, 2002
Business Matters
Mark Powell
LTP 1996 - Thomson 2004
The In Company series
MacMillan
1. Market Leader - New Edition - Practice Files, Test Books, Videos
2. Business Objectives and Video
3. New Business Matters plus video
4. Everyday Business Writing ( Longman)
5. Business Grammar and Practice ( Oxford )
6. Big City Video ( Oxford )
7. Business Builder ( McMillan )- three volumes
8. Executive Listening ( Nelson )
9. Management and Marketing ( Thomson )
10. Key Terms in People Management ( York )
Also Good References
Common European Framework of Reference for Languages:
Learning, Teaching, Assessment Council of Europe
Cambridge University Press, 2001
Business Vocabulary in Practice
Harper Collins 2004
English for Business Studies
Ian MacKenzie
Cambridge University Press, 1997, 2002
Intelligent Business
Tonya Trappe, Graham Tullis
Pearson Education, 2005
International Legal English
Amy Krois-Linder
Cambridge University Press, 2006
The Corporation
Joel Bakan
Simon & Schuster, Inc, 2004
Management and Marketing
Ian MacKenzie
Thomson ,1997 (LTP)
Financial English
Ian MacKenzie
Thomson, 1995 look for updated editions
Presenting in English
Mark Powell
Thomson, 2002
Business Matters
Mark Powell
LTP 1996 - Thomson 2004
The In Company series
MacMillan
http://teachenglishblog.blogspot.com/
Thursday, November 02, 2006
Canada ESL Tutor Info on the Net
Canada ESL Tutor Info on the Net
Tutors and tutoring are subjects with many mixed messages. Using any of the big four search engines with the words "Canada tutor" will obtain a variety of results.
MSN provided 10 of 10 Canada tutor search results. DMOZ provided 5 of 6 sites about tutors in Canada. Google gave us a page with 4 Canadian, 2 UK and 10 USA sites.
Yahoo's top 4 "ad" links were USA with 7 of 10 results from Canada.
Some Canada Search Engines were even less usefull.
Amray had 0 zero tutors in their first 10 sites.
Canadaone had 2 resources & zero search results.
Categories had no matching links
When we searched for Canada Tutor in Directories:
This tutor listing service charges $25.
There are 41 tutor(s) that meet your criteria.
You searched: Any level, ESL, Any in Ontario
***
There are 60 tutor(s) that meet your criteria.
You searched: Any level, ESL, Any in BC
++++++++++
This UK site promised rates of pay.
BAND 1 CAN$22 - CAN$26
BAND 2 CAN$24 - CAN$31
BAND 3 CAN$36 - CAN$43
BAND 4 CAN$36 - CAN$43
Then they told you
Tutor Registration fee $50 payment
no promise of students
**********
This USA site was hyping their "certificate" The best a private tutor can do is read books on tutoring, talk with other tutors, and practice. Though all of these are worthwhile activities, none lead to any sort of certificate that the private
tutor can show to prospective clients.
Listen to this hype
Want to place yourself "a cut above" your tutoring competition? Want to improve your confidence and tutoring skills at the same time? Want something tangible to show clients that you're the best? No promise of students and no national recognition by any educational organization. This guy should go back to selling used cars.
There appears to be a real need for certification of Canadian tutors who train ESL students.
It is time to organize a national "Tutor Organization" with representatives from the provincial Ministries of education, the various teachers unions, the various faculties of education and the Federal CIC LINK program.
This org would require a team that approves existing education programs, materials and tutors and assemble tutor training program standards. Having a website that promotes standards, professional development opportunities and lists contact information would be a real boost for the individual members.
Tutors and tutoring are subjects with many mixed messages. Using any of the big four search engines with the words "Canada tutor" will obtain a variety of results.
MSN provided 10 of 10 Canada tutor search results. DMOZ provided 5 of 6 sites about tutors in Canada. Google gave us a page with 4 Canadian, 2 UK and 10 USA sites.
Yahoo's top 4 "ad" links were USA with 7 of 10 results from Canada.
Some Canada Search Engines were even less usefull.
Amray had 0 zero tutors in their first 10 sites.
Canadaone had 2 resources & zero search results.
Categories had no matching links
When we searched for Canada Tutor in Directories:
This tutor listing service charges $25.
There are 41 tutor(s) that meet your criteria.
You searched: Any level, ESL, Any in Ontario
***
There are 60 tutor(s) that meet your criteria.
You searched: Any level, ESL, Any in BC
++++++++++
This UK site promised rates of pay.
BAND 1 CAN$22 - CAN$26
BAND 2 CAN$24 - CAN$31
BAND 3 CAN$36 - CAN$43
BAND 4 CAN$36 - CAN$43
Then they told you
Tutor Registration fee $50 payment
no promise of students
**********
This USA site was hyping their "certificate" The best a private tutor can do is read books on tutoring, talk with other tutors, and practice. Though all of these are worthwhile activities, none lead to any sort of certificate that the private
tutor can show to prospective clients.
Listen to this hype
Want to place yourself "a cut above" your tutoring competition? Want to improve your confidence and tutoring skills at the same time? Want something tangible to show clients that you're the best? No promise of students and no national recognition by any educational organization. This guy should go back to selling used cars.
***********
There appears to be a real need for certification of Canadian tutors who train ESL students.
It is time to organize a national "Tutor Organization" with representatives from the provincial Ministries of education, the various teachers unions, the various faculties of education and the Federal CIC LINK program.
This org would require a team that approves existing education programs, materials and tutors and assemble tutor training program standards. Having a website that promotes standards, professional development opportunities and lists contact information would be a real boost for the individual members.
Tuesday, October 31, 2006
Homestay tutor program for students and Homestay families
ESL in Canada has been busy surveying students while here in Korea and is recommending the homestay tutor program for students studying in Canada.
This is the best educational value for international ESL students and provides an excellent stable environment for language learning.
Homestay Tutor program
This program is designed for homeowners to add real value to the "Homestay Experience" of international students who travel to Canada to study English as a second language.
Homestay in Canada can be a wonderful experience for students to receive real one-on-one tutoring in English pronunciation, language rhythm, tone and timing. The student can hear oral demonstrations and practice their basic conversation skills in a positive nurturing environment that no mass language class in Canada can duplicate.
Homestay students have stated that they have learned between 0% and 90% of all English during their stay in Canada at the Homestay. ESL in Canada is interested in developing the positive aspects of individual tutoring for students and help homestay families be properly compensated for the true value of their contributions.
The typical language student travelling to Canada pays from $600 to $1500 for 100 hours of ESL classes, pays $600 to $900 for homestay and a variety of registration fees from $200 to $500. The first month for the typical language student costs from $1400. to $3000. Canadian dollars.
Because of the high costs most language students stay in homestay for one month then move to an apartment with other students where very often the native language is spoken. The language students have been forced to a totally negative language-learning living situation because of basic economics. The typical language student sits in a class with 10 to 25 other students and receives from 0 to 10% teacher help. If we use the 10% and 100 hours formula - the typical language student pays $60 to $150 per hour for their individual teacher attention.
ESL in Canada wants to change the economics for language students to help them learn more for less. The basic economics for homestay tutoring is very simple. Costs of a room range between $200 to $400 per four week period, the price for Meals is $300 per four week period and the price for 40 hours of tutoring is $600 or 60 hours
for $900 per 4 week period. The Total Cost to the student is $1100 to $1600 Canadian dollars per four week period.
The language students can also study TOEFL, Cambridge, TOEIC, Business English, Career English or advanced grammar for 2 hours per day at the language schools for $250 to $400 per month or they can volunteer at the ESL in Canada Social club for free language exchanges.
The homestay tutoring program will save students $300 to $800 each month. The combination program will provide 30 additional hours of individual attention each month. This combination will allow language students to stay in the homestay and remain in the 100% positive language learning environment for the entire study period
in Canada.
Real Benefits for Homestay Tutors
The first benefit is the personal satisfaction that is generated from watching a fellow human being succeed using the information and skills obtained from your teaching.
The knowledge that you will help your students save lots of money and learn more with you.
The students will stay with you for three to twelve months instead of changing every 2 or 4 weeks.
Monthly Tutor compensation for two students should range up from $2400. depending on location, meals and tutoring program.
By registering a Homestay tutor business with ESL in Canada you can use the extra $2500 to $10,000 in tax deductions the business will use to shield the additional tutor income.
I enjoy getting back taxes from Ottawa - you should too!!!
Blog URL
http://teachenglishblog.blogspot.com
This is the best educational value for international ESL students and provides an excellent stable environment for language learning.
Homestay Tutor program
This program is designed for homeowners to add real value to the "Homestay Experience" of international students who travel to Canada to study English as a second language.
Homestay in Canada can be a wonderful experience for students to receive real one-on-one tutoring in English pronunciation, language rhythm, tone and timing. The student can hear oral demonstrations and practice their basic conversation skills in a positive nurturing environment that no mass language class in Canada can duplicate.
Homestay students have stated that they have learned between 0% and 90% of all English during their stay in Canada at the Homestay. ESL in Canada is interested in developing the positive aspects of individual tutoring for students and help homestay families be properly compensated for the true value of their contributions.
The typical language student travelling to Canada pays from $600 to $1500 for 100 hours of ESL classes, pays $600 to $900 for homestay and a variety of registration fees from $200 to $500. The first month for the typical language student costs from $1400. to $3000. Canadian dollars.
Because of the high costs most language students stay in homestay for one month then move to an apartment with other students where very often the native language is spoken. The language students have been forced to a totally negative language-learning living situation because of basic economics. The typical language student sits in a class with 10 to 25 other students and receives from 0 to 10% teacher help. If we use the 10% and 100 hours formula - the typical language student pays $60 to $150 per hour for their individual teacher attention.
ESL in Canada wants to change the economics for language students to help them learn more for less. The basic economics for homestay tutoring is very simple. Costs of a room range between $200 to $400 per four week period, the price for Meals is $300 per four week period and the price for 40 hours of tutoring is $600 or 60 hours
for $900 per 4 week period. The Total Cost to the student is $1100 to $1600 Canadian dollars per four week period.
The language students can also study TOEFL, Cambridge, TOEIC, Business English, Career English or advanced grammar for 2 hours per day at the language schools for $250 to $400 per month or they can volunteer at the ESL in Canada Social club for free language exchanges.
The homestay tutoring program will save students $300 to $800 each month. The combination program will provide 30 additional hours of individual attention each month. This combination will allow language students to stay in the homestay and remain in the 100% positive language learning environment for the entire study period
in Canada.
Real Benefits for Homestay Tutors
The first benefit is the personal satisfaction that is generated from watching a fellow human being succeed using the information and skills obtained from your teaching.
The knowledge that you will help your students save lots of money and learn more with you.
The students will stay with you for three to twelve months instead of changing every 2 or 4 weeks.
Monthly Tutor compensation for two students should range up from $2400. depending on location, meals and tutoring program.
By registering a Homestay tutor business with ESL in Canada you can use the extra $2500 to $10,000 in tax deductions the business will use to shield the additional tutor income.
I enjoy getting back taxes from Ottawa - you should too!!!
Blog URL
http://teachenglishblog.blogspot.com
Sunday, October 29, 2006
Who is responsible for the students' learning?
Who is responsible for the students' learning?
Kids do not take responsibility for their learning.
At a national Social Psychologists Conference a group of researchers presented a study they'd done on learning mathematics in four different countries. It had been inspired by the results that U.S. students scored much worse than students in other countries.
The students in the other countries were studying, because THEY wanted to. American students reported studying because it was expected of them and to please their parents. American students used externally motivating reasons not internal.
Some of the established student trends of low grades, vandalism and disrespect is partially due to the fact that parents give students too many things. Parents do not teach students the experience of wanting something, saving up for it and the pleasure of finally getting it. Life for some students is so easy that they just coast through it, absorbing as little as possible, throwing away possessions, friendships and opportunities because they think there'll always be another one waiting around the corner.
Bored teens are setting fires to cars, fighting and doing drugs. I think kids who have to work to get what they have will value it more because of the planning and effort it took them to get it. This teaches respect for other people's possessions and achievements.
Who is responsible for the students' learning?
The true answer lies with whomever has the power to exert the most control over the variables associated with learning. This depends on the age of the student. The 13-18 year olds have increasing control over whether or not they learn and teachers
have decreasing control.
It has always been my education goal to empower students by teaching them
to take advantage of the controls they have over learning. Students must realise that this control exists and they need to create independence. This independence is real because of variables over which teachers have little or no control with adolescents.
I hold students accountable for their learning. Students have to do the work, to the best of their ability at that time, location and pace of my instruction.
I hold myself accountable for providing the means by which this learning occurs by teaching how to learn, by providing accessible instruction, by providing appropriate feedback and fair performance measurements.
Learning is obviously a partnership, but it is not in the student's interest to over-emphasize dependence on a teacher to learn. Witness the high school honour students who go fail miserably as college Freshmen because they cannot learn independently.
Contributed by a hard working teacher
Edited for blog posting
Kids do not take responsibility for their learning.
At a national Social Psychologists Conference a group of researchers presented a study they'd done on learning mathematics in four different countries. It had been inspired by the results that U.S. students scored much worse than students in other countries.
The students in the other countries were studying, because THEY wanted to. American students reported studying because it was expected of them and to please their parents. American students used externally motivating reasons not internal.
Some of the established student trends of low grades, vandalism and disrespect is partially due to the fact that parents give students too many things. Parents do not teach students the experience of wanting something, saving up for it and the pleasure of finally getting it. Life for some students is so easy that they just coast through it, absorbing as little as possible, throwing away possessions, friendships and opportunities because they think there'll always be another one waiting around the corner.
Bored teens are setting fires to cars, fighting and doing drugs. I think kids who have to work to get what they have will value it more because of the planning and effort it took them to get it. This teaches respect for other people's possessions and achievements.
Who is responsible for the students' learning?
The true answer lies with whomever has the power to exert the most control over the variables associated with learning. This depends on the age of the student. The 13-18 year olds have increasing control over whether or not they learn and teachers
have decreasing control.
It has always been my education goal to empower students by teaching them
to take advantage of the controls they have over learning. Students must realise that this control exists and they need to create independence. This independence is real because of variables over which teachers have little or no control with adolescents.
I hold students accountable for their learning. Students have to do the work, to the best of their ability at that time, location and pace of my instruction.
I hold myself accountable for providing the means by which this learning occurs by teaching how to learn, by providing accessible instruction, by providing appropriate feedback and fair performance measurements.
Learning is obviously a partnership, but it is not in the student's interest to over-emphasize dependence on a teacher to learn. Witness the high school honour students who go fail miserably as college Freshmen because they cannot learn independently.
Contributed by a hard working teacher
Edited for blog posting
http://teachenglishblog.blogspot.com/
Tuesday, October 24, 2006
Teaching ESL in North America
Being a new ESL teacher is difficult. Career ESL teaching in North America is not easy and not available overnight with most professional organisations.
Most ESL schools are marketing organisations. They like to sell their school as the best (in everything) to the international students. The schools like to present themselves as established, well organised, professional, with highly qualified & experienced teachers, proven curriculums, lots of resources and a history of happy students.
If you want to teach ESL in the competitive private school industry then you have to realise that as an ESL teacher you are part of a packaged commodity. For most ESL teachers to get a job in North America you have to have a combination of personal qualities, education and teaching experience.
The ESL schools that try to cover 10 levels, 45 electives, activities; and self-directed programs are usually stretched because of budget restrictions. Many schools are on low-margin, high-volume programs and cannot afford to make hiring mistakes. The ESL schools are risk adverse and concentrate on revenue retention.
To be a successful career ESL teacher you can look at the stages most teachers go through. The start can be wonderful or ugly. It depends on your preparation.
Many successful career ESL teachers tutored while they finished their university and teacher education programs. As a tutor you can really learn how to help a student. You can see their struggles and provide the solutions.
The next step is the classroom. The leap from one student to 25 is major and requires all the theory and methodology necessary to operate as a classroom professional. You have to do this in person. Get the practicum supervision and corrections necessary to teach ESL professionally.
Experience can be gained in North America as a community volunteer, operating your own classes, coop classes, teacher observation, or travelling internationally where experience is not required.
After two years of mistakes and corrections, continuing education, workshops, professional exchanges, brainstorming, team teaching, collaboration, students calling you wonderful, others not so happy - then the higher paying professional organisations consider you job - ready.
Comments, questions or complaints should be Emailed to info@eslincanada.com
Original Post
December 2001 ESL in Canada
Most ESL schools are marketing organisations. They like to sell their school as the best (in everything) to the international students. The schools like to present themselves as established, well organised, professional, with highly qualified & experienced teachers, proven curriculums, lots of resources and a history of happy students.
If you want to teach ESL in the competitive private school industry then you have to realise that as an ESL teacher you are part of a packaged commodity. For most ESL teachers to get a job in North America you have to have a combination of personal qualities, education and teaching experience.
The ESL schools that try to cover 10 levels, 45 electives, activities; and self-directed programs are usually stretched because of budget restrictions. Many schools are on low-margin, high-volume programs and cannot afford to make hiring mistakes. The ESL schools are risk adverse and concentrate on revenue retention.
To be a successful career ESL teacher you can look at the stages most teachers go through. The start can be wonderful or ugly. It depends on your preparation.
Many successful career ESL teachers tutored while they finished their university and teacher education programs. As a tutor you can really learn how to help a student. You can see their struggles and provide the solutions.
The next step is the classroom. The leap from one student to 25 is major and requires all the theory and methodology necessary to operate as a classroom professional. You have to do this in person. Get the practicum supervision and corrections necessary to teach ESL professionally.
Experience can be gained in North America as a community volunteer, operating your own classes, coop classes, teacher observation, or travelling internationally where experience is not required.
After two years of mistakes and corrections, continuing education, workshops, professional exchanges, brainstorming, team teaching, collaboration, students calling you wonderful, others not so happy - then the higher paying professional organisations consider you job - ready.
Comments, questions or complaints should be Emailed to info@eslincanada.com
Original Post
December 2001 ESL in Canada
http://teachenglishblog.blogspot.com/
Monday, October 23, 2006
ESL Teacher Information Articles
ESL Teacher Information Articles
Some interesting "2006" facts for new ESL Teachers
The world has definitely changed since September 11, 2001.
Overseas travel is still down 20% (5 years later)
Teachers interested in Middle East positions has declined 95%
Good News for ESL Teachers
Worldwide demand for English language training has increased over 10%.
Samsung will use English as the head office language by 2007
China needs another 1,000,000 English speakers for the 2008 olympics
China wants 300,000,000 English speakers by the year 2020
Worldwide requests for overseas teachers up 300%.
Teachers' salary in China - 2001 was $2500RMB now is $5,000RMB up 200%.
Bad News for the ESL Industry
Estimated % of individuals using fake certs to get overseas jobs 60%
Number of fake teachers deported from Korea for fake degrees 416
Best estimate for fake certificates sold in Asia to native English
speakers since 1980: 42,000.
Number of Asian agents selling fake certs charged, convicted, jailed 0.
Cost of fake degree, TESL cert, transcripts and special university
hotline phone number to verify degrees: $600.
Estimated % of worldwide illegal ESL language schools that are not
properly registered, licensed or operating 40%.
In the mad rush to get a good TOEFL score before the speaking section
becomes manditory - the cost for a Korean pro test writer to create fake ID and write a 600 score: $1,500 USA and the cost to bribe a Chinese test proctor to complete your test after the exam: $10,000 RMB.
Most obvious nonsense school ads: good looking English teachers to teach older gentlemen English at their home during the evenings.
Most brutal stories of Middle East ESL teacher mistreatment include: locked up in apartments with no food, water or heat, strip searches, robbery, assaults, death threats.
Most evil fraud: using J1 program to send underage prostitutes to the USA
Being a new ESL teacher is difficult
Most North American ESL schools are marketing organizations. They like to sell their school as the best (in everything) to the international students. The schools like to
present themselves as established, well organized, professional, with highly qualified and experienced teachers, proven curriculums, lots of resources, a history of happy students.
If you want to teach ESL in the competitive private school industry then you have to realize that as an ESL teacher you are part of a packaged commodity. Remember that most ESL schools pay for advertizing, marketing, salesmen, agents, flashy brochures and have to travel to expensive international student education fairs to recruit students. ESL schools pay from 25 to 50% to get ESL students in the door.
For most ESL teachers to get a job in North America you have to have a combination of personal qualities, education and teaching experience. The ESL schools that try to cover 10 levels, 45 electives, activities, and self-directed programs are usually stretched because of budget restrictions. Many schools are on low-margin, high-volume operations
programs and cannot afford to make hiring mistakes.
To be a successful career ESL teacher you can look at the stages most teachers go
through. The start can be wonderful or ugly. It depends on your preparation. Many successful career ESL teachers tutored while they finished their university and teacher education programs. As a tutor you can really learn how to help a student. You can see their struggles and provide the solutions. The next step is the classroom. The leap from one student to 15 is major and requires all the theory and methodology necessary to operate as a classroom professional. You have to do this in person. Get the practicum supervision and corrections necessary to teach ESL professionally.
Experience can be gained in North America as a community volunteer, operating your own classes, team teaching classes, teacher observations, or tutoring. Travelling internationally where experience is not required can be exciting and educational - however one has to consider the dramatic life-style changes and risks which accompany these opportunities.
After 2 years of mistakes and corrections, continuing education, workshops, professional exchanges, brainstorming, team teaching, collaboration, students calling you wonderful, others not so happy - then many of the higher paying professional organizations consider you job-ready. Career ESL teaching in North America is not easy and not available overnight with most professional organizations.
New ESL teachers should take an internet tour of teacher white, grey and black lists, personal webpages and blogs to see good, bad and ugly teaching experiences.
May the force be with you.
Original Post: ESL in Canada
Friday, September 29, 2006
Teachers as Professional Baseball Players
It always amazes me to hear about "Teacher Performance Ratings" especially when you consider the criteria used, the questions asked, qualifications and or the agendas of the evaluators.
I like to use professional baseball statistics as a basis for comparisons. Baseball statistics are usually very simple to understand.
The batter goes to the plate and is presented with a number of pitches or opportunities. We can use pitches and students as the base unit.
There is the "wild pitch" that is dangerous to the batter, catcher, umpire, spectators and without proper safety equipment or reflexes can lead to serious injury or even death. We have all read the headlines when the students murder teachers and students.
The lead hitters are placed early in the batting order to take advantage of their established performance rankings. Many of them are baseball's best and yet they fail over 70% of the time they are at bat.
We know that statistics from medical sources, psychology sources, IQ testing and academic potential testing sources show that only 40 to 60% of the population can actually graduate from high school. These can be compared to baseballs "balls" and we know them as the generally "un-hitable" pitches that come our way.
Many unrealistic politicians, new age consultants and self-deluded idealists say that teachers have to bat 100% with all of their students.
Can you imagine any politician trying to make a rule that pro baseball players have to hit 100% of the pitches or successfully hit 100% of the time that they are up at bat. These politicians would be laughed out of the stadium, laughed out of office, made fun of by Stone, Jay, David and Conan.
To properly evaluate teachers we have to use a real criteria that evaluates what the teacher starts with, what the potential of the student is, what learning actually took place.
It would be nice to see teachers properly credited with helping students over achieve and perform at 110% of their potential or even turn students from being chronic underachievers at 20% up to 80% of their potential as students.
Teachers need a new Commissioner, a new league and trained umpires to protect the integrity of their game.
Original post at: ESL in Canada
I like to use professional baseball statistics as a basis for comparisons. Baseball statistics are usually very simple to understand.
The batter goes to the plate and is presented with a number of pitches or opportunities. We can use pitches and students as the base unit.
There is the "wild pitch" that is dangerous to the batter, catcher, umpire, spectators and without proper safety equipment or reflexes can lead to serious injury or even death. We have all read the headlines when the students murder teachers and students.
The lead hitters are placed early in the batting order to take advantage of their established performance rankings. Many of them are baseball's best and yet they fail over 70% of the time they are at bat.
We know that statistics from medical sources, psychology sources, IQ testing and academic potential testing sources show that only 40 to 60% of the population can actually graduate from high school. These can be compared to baseballs "balls" and we know them as the generally "un-hitable" pitches that come our way.
Many unrealistic politicians, new age consultants and self-deluded idealists say that teachers have to bat 100% with all of their students.
Can you imagine any politician trying to make a rule that pro baseball players have to hit 100% of the pitches or successfully hit 100% of the time that they are up at bat. These politicians would be laughed out of the stadium, laughed out of office, made fun of by Stone, Jay, David and Conan.
To properly evaluate teachers we have to use a real criteria that evaluates what the teacher starts with, what the potential of the student is, what learning actually took place.
It would be nice to see teachers properly credited with helping students over achieve and perform at 110% of their potential or even turn students from being chronic underachievers at 20% up to 80% of their potential as students.
Teachers need a new Commissioner, a new league and trained umpires to protect the integrity of their game.
Original post at: ESL in Canada
http://teachenglishblog.blogspot.com/
How to Add our Blog RSS to MyYahoo
How to Add our Blog RSS to MyYahoo - For those of you that have a My Yahoo page the process of adding an RSS feed is simple.
1. Go to your "My Yahoo page" and log in.
2. When your MyYahoo Page is open click on "Add Content".
3. Click the link at the right "Add RSS by URL"
4. Paste the URL into the form and click "Add" This is an example URL for an atom RSS feed. http://eslincanada.blogspot.com/atom.xml
5. Click on back to "My Yahoo" - your page should reopen.
6. Click on the new RSS Feed Link with the Blog Title and Story title.
7. That is it - success - you can read RSS Feeds Yahoo has made the process of reading Blogs very easy by bringing the recent posts to your MyYahoo page.
The Three ESL in Canada Blogs can be added by pasting the URL into the "Add RSS by URL" form. You have to add content, add RSS by URL and paste for each blog to be added to MyYahoo.
1. http://eslincanada.blogspot.com/atom.xml
ESL in Canada News, information articles, reports, opinions, observations, warnings for English ESL students, teachers, agents, homestays and schools
3. http://teachenglishblog.blogspot.com/
1. Go to your "My Yahoo page" and log in.
2. When your MyYahoo Page is open click on "Add Content".
3. Click the link at the right "Add RSS by URL"
4. Paste the URL into the form and click "Add" This is an example URL for an atom RSS feed. http://eslincanada.blogspot.com/atom.xml
5. Click on back to "My Yahoo" - your page should reopen.
6. Click on the new RSS Feed Link with the Blog Title and Story title.
7. That is it - success - you can read RSS Feeds Yahoo has made the process of reading Blogs very easy by bringing the recent posts to your MyYahoo page.
The Three ESL in Canada Blogs can be added by pasting the URL into the "Add RSS by URL" form. You have to add content, add RSS by URL and paste for each blog to be added to MyYahoo.
1. http://eslincanada.blogspot.com/atom.xml
ESL in Canada News, information articles, reports, opinions, observations, warnings for English ESL students, teachers, agents, homestays and schools
3. http://teachenglishblog.blogspot.com/
English Teacher News, information articles, reports, opinions, observations, warnings for English ESL teachers, agents, and schools
How to Add a Blog RSS to your MSN Sympatico MyPage
For those of you that have Hotmail with MSN Sympatico and My Page the process of adding an RSS feed is simple.
1. Go to MSN Sympatico or Hotmail or use the myMSN link: http://sympatico.my.msn.com/
2. Log in using your proper ID
3. You will see a MyPage link on top left - click on this to open your MyPage.
4. When your welcome page is open click on "Add Content".
5. A MyPage - Change Content - Web Page Dialog pops up.
6. Click on the tab labeled Search - this opens a Search for Content form.
7. Paste the URL for the feed into "search for content" form. This is an example URL for an atom RSS feed. http://eslincanada.blogspot.com/atom.xml
8. click on the green arrow to the right.
9. A confirmation box lists the Blog title and feed - click the box then OK at the bottom of page.
10. My Page re-opens - check to see if your RSS Feed is listed
11. Click on the new RSS Feed Link with the Blog Title and Story title.
12. That is it - success - you can read RSS Feeds
MSN has made the process of reading Blogs very easy by bringing the recent posts to your MyPage.The Three ESL in Canada Blogs can be added by pasting the URL into the "Search for Content" form. You have to add them one at a time.
1.
http://eslincanada.blogspot.com/atom.xml
ESL in Canada News, information articles, reports, opinions, observations, warnings for English ESL students, teachers, agents, homestays and schools
2. http://teachenglishblog.blogspot.com/
1. Go to MSN Sympatico or Hotmail or use the myMSN link: http://sympatico.my.msn.com/
2. Log in using your proper ID
3. You will see a MyPage link on top left - click on this to open your MyPage.
4. When your welcome page is open click on "Add Content".
5. A MyPage - Change Content - Web Page Dialog pops up.
6. Click on the tab labeled Search - this opens a Search for Content form.
7. Paste the URL for the feed into "search for content" form. This is an example URL for an atom RSS feed. http://eslincanada.blogspot.com/atom.xml
8. click on the green arrow to the right.
9. A confirmation box lists the Blog title and feed - click the box then OK at the bottom of page.
10. My Page re-opens - check to see if your RSS Feed is listed
11. Click on the new RSS Feed Link with the Blog Title and Story title.
12. That is it - success - you can read RSS Feeds
MSN has made the process of reading Blogs very easy by bringing the recent posts to your MyPage.The Three ESL in Canada Blogs can be added by pasting the URL into the "Search for Content" form. You have to add them one at a time.
1.
http://eslincanada.blogspot.com/atom.xml
ESL in Canada News, information articles, reports, opinions, observations, warnings for English ESL students, teachers, agents, homestays and schools
2. http://teachenglishblog.blogspot.com/
English teacher News, information articles, reports, opinions, observations, warnings for English ESL teachers, agents and schools.
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