#103, Article: ‘Teaching Conversational English in Japan – ESL Teacher Tips’ by Lisa Jenkins

ELTWeekly Vol. 3 Issue#103 | October 31 | ISSN 0975-3036

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The Far East was once a mystery to foreigners. Many countries had closed their borders for fear the “Western influence” would corrupt the value system of its citizens. That ideal is changing and countries are opening their doors to Western influence. Japan is one of those countries. They welcome native English speakers who desire to teach English in their country.

Many people in Asia realize that in order to function well and be successful in international business relations, their businessmen and women need to be able to speak English. Conversational English lets them interact with foreign business contacts more easily than their native tongue. Teachers, with and without formal training or experience, are sought after to do the job.

Before choosing where to go overseas to teach, ask yourself some questions. Will I find a job? Is living in a foreign culture for a year what I want to do? How will I learn the language? What kind of structure do I like? (more…)

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#103, Article: Reflective teaching: Exploring our own classroom practice

ELTWeekly Vol. 3 Issue#103 | October 31 | ISSN 0975-3036 Subscribe to ELTWeekly (FREE) Reflective teaching means looking at what you do in the classroom, thinking about why you do…

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#103, Article: Using poems to develop productive skills

ELTWeekly Vol. 3 Issue#103 | October 31 | ISSN 0975-3036

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You and your students might already enjoy reading and listening to poetry in your own language and perhaps in English too. Poems are, after all, authentic texts. This is a great motivator. Poems are often rich in cultural references, and they present a wide range of learning opportunities. For me, the aim is to teach English through poetry, not to teach the poetry itself, so you don’t need to be a literature expert.

Most of the tried and tested activities used regularly by language teachers can be adapted easily to bring poetry into the classroom. (more…)

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