I’m so thankful for…
Everyday, we express our gratitude to various people in a multitude of everyday situations, sometimes sincerely, other times less so. As Canadian Thanksgiving is today… Read More »I’m so thankful for…
commentary
These posts contain links to and commentary about aspects of the language teaching industry.
EAP for credit
Should EAP courses be worth university credit?
I’d like to believe that the work my colleagues and I do with our students in their EAP year at the International Foundation Program (IFP) at University of Toronto greatly contributes to their eventual appearance in a convocation parade, but officially, it really doesn’t. Our contributions to their official transcript don’t exist, like they didn’t spend a tough year with me and my colleagues, its success only inferred from the other numbers that appear there.Read More »EAP for credit
Observations are opportunities
I’m always a little surprised when teachers remark that they get nervous when being observed, be it by a director, peer or teacher trainee. It’s… Read More »Observations are opportunities
The new ELT job board
I’ve had to place a few jobs ads here and there looking for teachers and in doing so, I realised there are few options beyond local organisations and the bigger more generic job sites like Workopolis and Monster. Three problems tended to occur: 1) Some are unreasonably expensive. 2) Some get no hits. 3) Some keep the ads online longer than I want, so candidates keep applying even after the position has been filled. I’d already begun using the #eltjobs hashtag on Twitter to talk about employment issues in our industry, so it came to me: open an affordable, Canadian-focused job board with flexible durations.Read More »The new ELT job board
#eltchat site may move.
#eltchat’s website domain has been disabled through not fault of the great individuals who are dedicated to its upkeep. For the backstory and plan to… Read More »#eltchat site may move.
Literally following instructions
For some time, I’ve been increasingly feeling like we suffer from the warm, fuzzy, everything-is-wonderful syndrome. We pat each other on the back when it’s deserved, but also when it’s not, and though this accomplishes what it sets out to–we feel good about ourselves–it also breeds mediocrity. This spills over into our classroom philosophies as well. Are we really helping our students achieve their potential with language or are we unintentionally filling in the gaps and overlooking errors they make because comprehensibility alone is the goal? I subscribe to Underhill and Scrivener’s Demand High ELT, which looks at “ways of getting much greater depth of tangible engagement and learning” and in a recent conversation with my colleague, Katherine Anderson, she reminded me of a great activity that pushes students to be better.
Is EAP more serious than general English?
During the last #EAPchat, we talked about the difference between general ESL/EFL and EAP in terms of seriousness and credibility at large. You can see the transcript here. If asked, how would you answer this question: Out of general English and EAP, which is more serious?
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Referring to loved ones who’ve passed
July 11 has a very special meaning for me. It’s a day with happy memories, but also more recently, nostalgia. With these feelings comes a curious language moment and more than likely a cousin to one of the PARSNIPs. More broadly, this post perhaps contains a social commentary on an often uncomfortable but common part of life. How do we talk about and refer to family no longer with us? Let me lead by example.