Welcome to the ESL blog by the owner of www.esl-lab.com. Share ideas about learning English as a second or foreign language. Study abroad, ESL programs, accent reduction, ESL study Tips . . . Anything related to learning English and cultural understading!
Many homes have one or more television sets in them, and some people spend a great deal of time watching them. However, what are the benefits (advantages) and disadvantages of watching TV? Is it all bad? How can parents and individuals monitor what they watch? Has the content of TV changed over the last 30 years or so? Share your ideas on this topic.
In this poll, I asked visitors who does most of the cooking at home. Perhaps, the answer wasn't a surprise, but over 80% of you said your mother. Keeping this in mind, additional questions might be:
Probably the most often asked question I receive is how students can learn to improve their listening and speaking skills in their home countries. To me, improving these skills must be an active process, rather than a passive one, in which students are interacting with people in the language. Yes, watching movies can help, but it is normally a passive idea in which you just sit, eat popcorn, and watch the move; however, an even better idea is to watch short sections of video with friends and then discuss the movie with them using specific language skills that group has been studying. A few years ago, I wrote this short article about this topic at http://www.esl-lab.com/research/ways.htm. It list other ways of learning languages in situations where the target language isn't English. So, please share your ideas on how to improve listening and speaking skills in your own countries. Randall
Getting ESL/EFL students to read sometimes can be a challenge, particularly if their only experience has been years of intensive reading that has been way over their head. In other words, students are sometimes asked to read articles or books that are way too difficult for them, and students then have to use their dictionaries to figure out the meaning of every other word. So, while we thing students are improving their reading and vocabulary, they just end up hating reading entirely and never read for just pleasure.
There are movements around the United States to make English the official language where any government business can only be done in English (e.g., getting a driver's license). This could spread to the workplace or other situations. However, do such laws help foster unity within a society---a sign of patriotism, or do the become a divisive issue. What do you think?
In a somewhat joking way, I recently asked how many of my students have native English speakers as roommates, and I replied by saying, "Oh, that's too bad." They were surprised by my response, but I commented on how often native speakers (regardless of language) are not perfect role models of how language should be used. This, of course, can lead learners to learn the language incorrectly and/or question what the right usage is. For example, which sentence is correct?
Generation gaps occur throughout the world as innovation, technology, and other advances take place. Such changes can affect society in a huge way. Personally, I was born in the early 1960s, and one of the biggest changes has been in how students study and do research. When I first was in college, students wrote their papers using a typewriter, and if you made a mistake, then you'd have to start all over again or try to correct it by erasing the errors. This was before the revolution of home computers and even the Macintosh personal computer in 1984. Now, many students have their own laptops or home computers. Furthermore, to do research, I always went to the library and used the card catalog to find the information I needed. Nowadays, students' first step is to browse the Internet. These changes bring their own challenges. I find that unless students know how to conduct good research and identify quality sources, they often can't judge what is accurate or not. So, please share your ideas on how time and generation gaps have affected your countries and areas.
In this poll, I asked visitors which search engine they use first to find information on the Internet, and it wasn't surprising to see that Google came in first. This has been due, in part, to Google's simple design and efficiency. However, after showing many students and teachers other search engines with specialized features, they are surprised to discover that these engines often give better focused results that are not determined by link-popularity alone. In fact, websites like vivisimo.com group search results by clusters to help users brainstorm new ideas, and www.ask.com presents information of all types in your search results. Try searching something like "China" in both of these search engines and see what results you get. Share your ideas on the topic. Students and teachers can benefit from learning how to search the Internet more effectively.
As an ESL teacher in the United States, I have worked with thousands of international students over the years, whose main goal is to enter North American universities to get a college degree. Unfortunately, a number of these students never reach their goal, in part because of unrealistic expectations on how easy it is to pass the TOEFL and deal with the rigors of academic life. In this poll, 35% of respondents believe entering the university is possible within the first nine months of language training, but from my experience, the timing is longer due to many factors including the students' natural ability to learn, how much the student actually integrates into the community, personal motivation, and the types of courses a student takes. In other words, it is generally much more difficult than students think, and students often feel undue pressure from parents or sponsoring governments or schools to pass the TOEFL If learning how to order a burger from a restaurant is your goal, then this can be accomplished quickly. By raising your language to the level of participating in academic lectures is something very different. What do you think?
In one of my surveys on accent, I ask visitors whether they thought it were possible to completely eliminate one's accent when learning English, and I was somewhat surprised at the number of people who really think it is impossible. In fact, in my 20 years of teaching ESL, I have come to realize that accent elimination, contrary to what some might think, is nearly impossible for most people. On the other hand, reducing accent and improving comprehensibility is quite possible, and this should be the goal of most students. Unless students have realistic expectations on how much they can reduce their accents, they will always feel discouraged. So, what is your opinion on this topic?
An interesting video at http://www.campaignforrealbeauty.com called Evolution Film shows have our images of physical beauty are often distorted and cause us to create unrealistic images of what beauty is all about. Furthermore, the idea of physical beauty can vary from culture to culture. Please take a look at the short movie and share your ideas on what the image of beauty is from your cultural perspective.
More and more people are carrying cell phones around the world, and now companies are trying to turn them into a new tool for learning English or other languages. However, whenever considering the potential of such tools, you have to ask yourself if the technology can be used in a sound, pedagogical way. In other words, just because people have cell phones and we can put audio on them, can people think of good, effective ways to learn a language through them? Are companies just trying to increase their profits, or are they truly concerned about end users: students and teachers. Do you have any opinion on this topic? Please share your ideas.
Although many English textbooks teach students to say, "Hello. What's your name?", how often do we really begin conversations this way? Almost never. Imagine you are on a bus, and someone asks you, "Hello. What's your name?" I would be taken back and very surprised. So, how would you strike up a natural conversation in any one of these situations?:
Not too long ago, my kids encouraged me to give Gmail (www.gmail.com) a try to communicate with them, and I'm glad I did. One of daughters is at college, and I find the Gmail chat feature very helpful, especially since it keeps a record of the chat session. For language learning, I can see this as a very useful tool in that a teacher and student could share a live conversation which is recorded, and the student could review the chat session later. How about you? Do you have any favorite online tools, including email, to communicate and learn English?
Although people talk a lot about Apple's iPODs, one of the best MP3 I have seen is Creative Zen V Plus by Creative labs (see review at http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,127376/article.html:
I asked the following question recently about the qualities that make an ideal teacher, and most visitors feel that patience is the most important trait in a teacher. Why do you think might be so? For you personally, what do you think? Can you share some personal experiences about a teacher from your past that made a difference in your life?
In my travels around the world, I have noticed different behaviors in driving, some more orderly than others from my own experience. However, what would a visitor from another country finding interesting, different, or frustrating in trying to drive in your city? What behaviors are considered acceptable in certain situations? What are some unacceptable manners? What about honking, running lights, speeding, and parking illegally? Share your ideas and experiences.
My recently polled visitors on the average class size of English classes in their high schools, and interestingly enough, 37% of classes average over 30 students. In fact, 11% of classes have more than 50 students. The question I have is to what extent this has an impact of learning and ideas on what teachers can do to improve learning despite the numbers. In other words, teachers have little choice as to the numbers of students in their classes, so what can they do in such situations? Share your ideas.
Time travel isn't possible, but IF you had the opportunity to go back in time, when and where would you go and why? Personally, I enjoy family history research, and I would probably go back almost 100 years ago to visit with a great-grandmother who died without people knowing much about her. I probably would go back to that time period, interview her, and find out as much as possible about her life so I could share this with my own posterity. Our lives and those of your ancestors are very much connected, and we can learn so much from their experiences. So, how about you? Where would you go and why? Share your ideas. Randall
One way to improve your listening comprehension skills is to combine watching music videos with the lyrics to the songs. One important element of music videos is that learners can watch the visual cues or clues in the videos to help them piece together some of the meaning. Then, if you read the lyrics of the song before watching, you have music, words, and pictures to help the learner. One site to watch videos is http://www.launch.com/. Do you have any suggetions or comments on music and English learning?
For many international students, their past experience in reading has been very intensive reading well beyond their abilities to comprehend and digest the material. In other words, teachers sometimes give students a newspaper article on some abstract topic, and then the students struggle with their dictionaries in hand looking up every other word to understand the passage. This is very discouraging and counterproductive. On the other hand, extensive reading is reading for pleasure at or below the level of students so they learn the joy of reading and are able to see vocabulary and grammar again and again for everyday use.
Listen carefully and write what you would do in this situation. I'm sure you have a number of unique ideas to share.
When traveling to a new country, you have to learn how to shop and buy the things you want and need. However, bargaining or trying to get the shop owner to lower the price is not a universal custom around the world. In some countries, you can try to convince the shop owner to give you a better deal on some jewelery or other items, and some of these exchanges can become heated. In the US, bargaining over the price of an item is rare, except at garage sales or some flea markets. In most cases, the price listed is the price you pay. So, what about in your country? What should visitors know about shopping? Can you haggle (bargain) over the price? If so, under what conditions and situations? Share your ideas. Randall
In my latest poll, I asked you, my visitors, to select where they are most interested in studying English abroad. As you can see from the results, most visitors chose the United States as their first preference, followed by England, and Canada. Why do you think the United States is a popular destination for students? Why are students attracted to other countries as well? What do students consider when studying overseas (e.g., cost, safety, visa requirements, etc.)? Share your ideas on this interesting topic.
One of the most confusing customs is knowing when to tip for a particular service in the United States. For example, customers normally tip between 15-18% when dining at a restaurant, and how much you tip will depend on your feelings about the service. However, for large groups, the restaurant will automatically add the tip to your bill, so you don't really have a choice on how much you tip. Another place where tipping is not so uncommon is at beauty salon or barber shop. There is often a jar on the counter where you can drop in a tip for the stylist. What makes tipping sometimes confusing is that this is not a universal custom around the world. So, please share something about your culture when dealing with tipping? Is it a common practice at all? If so, when do people tip and how much do they leave? If people don't tip, do people do anything instead? Randall
Today, more and more students carry cell or mobile phones while at school; however, as a teacher, I find it sometimes difficult to keep students on task because cell phones go off during class, and students sometimes text their friends during the lessons. The question is whether schools should ban cell phone in schools. So, what rules, if any, do schools have in your country to deal with the growing issue of cell phones. Share your ideas.
Having children is a wonderful, yet often nerve-racking, experience for the man and the woman; however, the man's role in the birthing process can vary from culture to culture. When I had my first daughter years ago, it was the expectation that I would go into the operating room, hold my wife's hand, and give your comfort and encouragement as she was having the baby. Furthermore, the doctors asked me to help clean and wrap the baby in warm blankets immediately after she was born However, when we had our other children in Japan several years later, I was asked to wait outside until the baby was born. In other words, the father had less of a role in the birthing process, particularly when the woman underwent a cesarean section (an operation by creating an incision to remove the baby). So, what about in your cultures? What is the man's role when a woman gives birth? Is he present in the same room? Does he help the doctors in any way? Share your ideas.
One of things I have discovered is that raising children in different cultures is often shaped by social expectations and family background. When I was a child, parents in the US tended to use an authoritarian style where they led the family like a military leader and lectured ("my way or the highway") and often punished physically. With my own father, he gave us a look, and we knew we had to obey. No questioning. I really respected my father, so I tended to obey.
Many of you might have taken my recent poll on the factors that contribute to faster learning, and according to the survey, most people feel that motivation is the most important factor . . . even more important that the amount of exposure to the new language.This is very interesting because this reflects my own experience as a teacher in the ESL classroom. Often, some students who come from overseas to study in the US only see that living in the US is the key to improving their English; however, in some cases, they often do not make much progress because as soon as they leave my class, they pair up with other students from the same country and start speaking their native language again. The problem isn't that they are just associating with people from their country, but that they don't speak English when they do so.
Only the other hand, I have met many students who have made great progress in learning English because they are very motivated to do so and find every opportunity to study and put into practice their new skills. In fact, I know students who have learned English very well without having lived in an English-speaking country.
So, what has your experience been like? What are the factors that help students learn more quickly? Share your ideas.
Randall
Although dating is common throughout the world, its practices are not universal. In fact, in many cultures, dating, as many of us see it, is not encouraged, permitted, or desired. However, when we don't understand the behaviors and values of other cultures, we often misjudge people and what they do. Furthermore, the concept of the ideal date can differ within the same culture, depending on the interests, age, educational background, and experiences of the individual. For example, one might enjoy going out to eat and catching a movie. In my case, before I got married, I enjoyed doing things in the outdoors like packing a lunch and going on a hike in the mountains. I chose this kind of date not because of my culture, but of my personal interest in enjoying nature outside. So, what about you? What is your image of the ideal date? What dating activities are acceptable in your culture, and which are not? Share your ideas.
For many years, computer and software companies have claimed that computers can help students learn, but some say that many of the studies to show this have been done by the companies themselves. Is the computer industry just trying to sell computers, or is there real evidence to prove this? Have computers help you learn English? If so, share your experiences.
