Raising Children: What's the secret?

Raising healthy and emotionally-sound children isn't as easy as you might think, and most young couples have really no idea of what they are getting into when they first get married. In fact, while babies and young children require time, older children in their teenage years and even into adulthood need just as much, and sometimes more, time and understanding.

Therefore, what do you think are the keys to raising children in our day and age? What did your parents do to raise you that worked or didn't work? Share your ideas. You can also listen of an activity on my Website on this topic at:

http://www.esl-lab.com/children/childrenrd1.htm


Randall

About English Teachers: If you could change one thing . . .

This topic is specifically for English students. If you could change one thing about your English teacher (teaching style, classroom management, interaction with students, grading system), what would it be and why? W hat is your image of the perfect or ideal teacher? Tell us about one teacher you have had that influenced you most.

Randall

Home Security: How do you protect yourself?

Crime, particularly robbery and burglary, can be found in most places around the world, and learning to deal with it----including protecting yourself----is an important concern. Furthermore, as you travel to new places, you need to take precautions to minimize your risk of theft. Here is my newest listening activity on the topic at my site, www.esl-lab.com:

• http://www.esl-lab.com/securitysystems/securitysystemsrd1.htm

Although the conversation is somewhat humorous, the topic of crime and theft can never be taken lightly. So, let's suppose you have an international friend that has just moved into your area. What advice can you give the person to protect himself/herself from theft?

Randall

Time Machine: Where would you go?

If you had a machine that could take you back to one specific point in the past, where would you want to go and why? Personally, this would be a difficult decision to make, but one point in time I would like to visit is a place called Grand Gulch in Utah, USA. This is the location of many old indian ruins abandoned hundreds of years ago. Because I like hiking and old civilizations, I would be interested to go back and time and learn about these times and people directly from them. What did they eat? How did they live day to day? Why did they leave the area? You can learn more by visiting this link: Grand Gulch at http://www.utah.com/playgrounds/grand_gulch.htm.

Plagiarism: How big of an issue/problem is it?

Plagiarism, or copying exact words or concepts of others without giving credit, has become an important issue throughout the world, and in particular, the United States where many international students have attending school. In working with such students for many years, many struggle with the language and either copy material from the Internet because(1) they believe they can't write effectively on their own, (2) don't understand the issues and concept of plagiarism, and/or (3) don't see anything wrong with it because so many people do it anyway.

But, of course, this isn't just an international student issue as well; native English speakers engage in the practice. So, my question is on how we can best train and educate students to better do research and improve their writing skills so they can avoid the problem of plagiarism and the potential penalties of engaging in such a practice. Please share your ideas and experiences.

Randall

Daily ESL: Learning English for Everyday Use

Students often complain that the English they're learning in their classrooms has little value outside in the real world . . . at least for everyday use. In other words, although some textbooks have topics on undersea creatures in the Arctic region or the life of a rare butterfly in the rain forest, students rarely feel that this information is useful to them to order a burger at a restaurant or meet new people ("So, nice party, isn't it? How about talking about the life of the Wawu Butterfly in the rain forest?") Now, honestly speaking, all topics have value, and I'm not saying that ecology isn't valuable to all of us. I'm just saying that students often want language that is very practical . . . the kind that can be quickly used once you step off the airplane in New York City.

For these reasons, I created my site, Daily ESL (http://www.dailyesl.com) to help students learn common expressions, dialogues, and vocabulary for everyday use. Give this site a try. Here is one example:

http://www.dailyesl.com/apartment.htm

I'm still developing the site, but this page should give you an idea on the types of activities and lessons I'm working on. There is a listening activity, discussion questions, a vocabulary quiz, and even an Internet Exercise.

Best,

Randall

Volunteer Work and Service: How common is it?

Most of our lives are spent taking care of our own needs, but I once read the following quote, often attributed to Winston Churchill:

"You make a living by what you earn;
you make a life by what you give."

What do this mean to you and have you done anything in your life for others that made their lives better? I'm speaking specifically things done for other people outside of your family or immediate relationships (wife, husband, partner, girlfriend, etc.). I remember years ago one of my sons picked apples off his grandfather's apple trees (with his grandfather's permission, of course), sold the apples to neighbors, and then gave all of the money he earned to our church to help the poor in our area. I think he remembers that experience, and it also affected those who perhaps didn't really need all of the apples they bought, but they saw that his efforts might help other people.

So, what things have you personally done or have seen done in your area to help others? Is this type of volunteer work common? Please share your ideas.

Randall