In January of this past year I had the good fortune to travel to Siem Reap, Cambodia. It is an amazing place with warm, friendly people, this town is about to hit the big time. With hotels opening right and left and tourist visas easier than ever to obtain, the influx of foreign travelers increases by the month.

Why? 2 words: Angkor Wat. Home to some of the most impressive ancient temples and monuments in Eastern Asia, Siem Reap is finding itself caught between two worlds – one, a culture recovering from a violent and sad past, the other, a tourist culture working hard to meet the demands of its new industry.

But what about the people? In a rush to secure jobs and improve their livelihoods in what is likely to become as popular a destination as the Egyptian pyramids, everyone from children to older non-traditional students is learning English. The number of young people in their 20’s and 30’s who are working in the city only to be taking care of an entire family in the countryside, and the number of people recognizing the need for communication with tourists is impressive and they all have one thing in common: The people of Siem Reap need English to survive and they are ready to learn!

A lush, warm, tropical climate, delicious food, and centuries of history at your doorstep, Siem Reap [MAP] is located in Central Cambodia, a country bordered by Vietnam and Thailand to the west and east, Laos to the north, and the Gulf of Thailand to the south. With cheap eats and lodging, Siem Reap is an ideal location to use as a home base for exploring neighboring countries. But best of all, it’s a place where a teacher can teach students who actually want to learn, and that may prove to be the best reward.

To read about one teacher’s experience, visit HERE!

And for a list of teaching positions available, HERE's a quick guide to get you started:

The Official Site of the Cambodian Tourism Office can be found HERE!

Last, but not least, don't forget to check out the LonelyPlanet.com page for Cambodia HERE!

Been there? Want to? Let us know what you think in more detail HERE!

Proven tip #126:

Love to go out to dinner but find you’re spending more than you should? Tired of those late night meals that are still sitting in your stomach when you wake up the next morning?

To save a little money on food expenses, stop going out to dinner! Menu prices are usually higher for dinner than for lunch so why not enjoy a big lunch instead and have a light dinner.

Additionally, nutritionists recommend that eating larger meals earlier in the day when your body is active enough to burn calories is healthier than eating larger meals late at night when your metabolism is at its lowest.

Why not give it a shot and you’ll not only save a few bucks on dining, but you might just find yourself dropping a few pounds.

Tried this approach? Plan to? If so, please let us know how you do HERE!

Friends, do you:

• Want to share your ideas with colleagues?
• Want to meet some new folks who share your interests?
• Want to meet someone to commiserate with about large classes and low salaries?
• Want to be reminded why you’re a teacher?

Well then, get your buns over to a conference immediately! If you’re not attending conferences, you’re missing out on amazing opportunities for everything from learning about new materials to human connection. Participation in group events can be a powerful and sometimes even moving experience. When I need a bit of renewal and sometimes a kick in my own buns, I participate in a conference. No conferences in your area? Why not start one?

Go to conferences often? Good intentions? Take a moment and tell us why YOU love conferences (or Don't!) by leaving your comments on my feedback entry HERE!

What's all this "C.A.L.L." business you say?

In the ESL world, CALL is a well-used acronym for "Computer Assisted Language Learning." This is a hot area in our industry and here are 3 Easy steps you'll want to remember to ease yourself into CALL

1) Get to know the resources at your school. If you’re at a university or grade school, it’s likely there’s a computer room available for class use. Find out what technology is being used and spend some time on your own getting to know it.

2) Learn about how other teachers are using computers with their students: Here are some websites to get you started:

• American TESOL, CALL Interest Section - http://darkwing.uoregon.edu/~call

• The Internet TESL Journal - http://iteslj.org/links/TESL/CALL

3) CALL doesn’t have to be limited to computer use. As more and more people carry mobile devices, cell phones can become a useful and exciting resource for language teaching. Click HERE to get some information to get your creative juices flowing from Language Learning and Technology.

Had some experience with CALL in ESL that you'd like to share with the readers of ESL Instruct and/or ESL-Lesson-Plan? Anything I didn't cover? Let us all know HERE!

This month's 5-Minute Activity:

Turn Any Worksheet into a Conversation Activity!

Ever wonder how to make the most of worksheet activities? Here’s a fast and easy way to create more talking time for students at any level with almost any activity:

With students in groups or pairs, show them the following conversation and have them choose roles (A, B, C, etc) and practice the following:

For example:

Maria is "A"
Tomoko is "B"
Ken is "C"

NOTE: Speakers rotate after each question.

A: Hey (B/Tomoko), do you know the answer for number (#)?

Speaker B has three choices.

B1: Sorry (A/Maria), I have no idea.

[Note: If B chooses this option, A repeats the question, asking another speaker, or answers the question him/herself.]

B2: Ummm, I’m not sure, but I think it’s (answer). What do you think (C/Ken)?

B3: Yeah, it’s (answer). What do you think (C/Ken)?

Speaker C has two choices.

C1: I agree.

C2: I disagree. I think it’s (answer) because . . .

[NOTE: A or B then follow with: I agree/ I disagree . . . ]

Next, speaker B can switch to speaker A, etc. It’s a great feeling to have students reviewing and discussing their work together and a great way to decrease teacher talk time.

Everybody understand? Any questions or clarifications you'd like for this sample lesson plan? Maybe you've tried it and would like to share your results. Please do so HERE. We'd really appreciate it!

Picture Speculation Activities

SUMMARY: This lesson introduces target structures for creative self-expression via discussion of famous images (picture speculation and reflection) by impressionist artists. This activity can have a variety of outcomes: Students may create sentences or stories similar to poetry; students may issue opinions about the artists' intentions or abilities; and often students will express their dislike or approval of the images. Using the model question and answer formats, students frequently have entered into brief conversations that have resulted in surprising and imaginative speculations.

STUDENTS: Students should have experience with basic self-expression and sentence structure; High beginners and up.

MATERIALS: Images of impressionist paintings such as Seurat's famous "A Sunday on La Grand Jatte" or Van Gogh's "The Starry Night" (many images may be downloaded from the internet; one of my favorite sites is Artcyclopedia at http://www.artcyclopedia.com/history/impressionism.html).

TIME REQUIRED: 30-45 minutes.

ACTIVITY Warm-up: With students working in pairs, begin by asking them to find out who each other's favorite artists are and why. A sample conversation that may be pre-taught could include:

A: Who is your favorite artist?
B: I like (painter's name), how about you?
A: Ummm, I like (painter's name). Ummm, I can't think of the painter's name.

It is helpful to also spend about 5 minutes eliciting ideas about the words "impression" and "impressionists". At least one student is usually familiar with the genre of impressionist painting and can name one or two artists. Students can also build their vocabulary by reviewing such phrases as "first impression," "bad impression," etc. It may be useful to create a list of words that students can use for a dictionary/translation exercise (one of my favorite dictionary exercises is a contest where students see who can find the translation the fastest) to help build their vocabulary for later stages of this activity.

Main Activity: Provide a number of sample dialogues that can be used for discussion and reflection. For example:

1. Q: What does this make you think of?
A: It makes me think of...
2. Q: How does this make you feel?
A: This makes me feel...
3. Q: What does this remind you of?
A: This reminds me of...
4. Q: Do you like it?
A: I like/ dislike it because...

Next, show images (one at a time) of impressionist paintings. Model the conversation procedure by having a student ask the above sample questions and providing appropriate responses. I ask students to use their imagination to think of creative responses that reflect their own impressions using the sample sentences from above. The remainder of the activity may be spent encouraging student interaction though a brief restatement of lesson goals and a summary of lesson activities by the instructor are recommended. Regardless of the outcome, students have a chance to converse, build vocabulary, practice sentence structure, and most importantly, increase their abilities as impressionist speakers.

VARIATIONS: There are many possible approaches to using artwork in a language lesson. Photographs, drawings, or paintings of any genre may offer students a chance to enter into conversation and express themselves. Many forms of language may be emphasized, for example:

• metaphors or similes -
Q: "How does she look?"
A: "She looks as happy as a bride."

• vocabulary -
"Name as many adjectives/adverbs/verbs for this image as you can think of."

• action speculation -
"What happened before this point in time?" or "What will happen next?"

• title speculation -
"What would be a good title for this image?"

Did you find this activity suggestion useful? Any feedback you'd like to share? Please do so HERE!

Welcome to the Free Stuff!

Here, I'll list the best free resources and opportunities for learning in classrooms, on the web and around the world.

Did you know that many publishers will send you sample copies of their most popular titles for free? That’s right – free! A great way to examine a book and decide if it meets your needs, a quick phone call or email to a publisher can have you searching through a variety of texts in no time! Here are 4 websites to help get you started, just find the contact information for a representative in your country. If you explain your needs to your representative, they’ll often make recommendations for you – it couldn’t be easier!

Oxford University Press - http://www.oup.com

Cambridge University Press – http://www.cambridge.org

MacMillan English - http://www.macmillanenglish.com

Thomson Heinle - http://www.heinle.com

Good Luck!

How'd you make out? Like an ESL bandit with a load of pirate booty? Give us the lowdown (and any places we've missed) HERE!

Dear Readers,

Marlen indeed spoke wisely about the importance of attending conferences. If you'd rather start small, then why not try this symposium if you happen to be in the Western PA area next month?

Indiana University of Pennsylvania will be sponsoring a presentation and discussion of pre-circulated work entitled "The NCATE/TESOL Teacher Education Standards: A Critical Review and Counter Proposal" by Dr. David Hanauer and Dr. Michael Newman.

The big questions: "What are the current NCATE/TESOL teacher education standards?" and "What are the alternatives?"

Please listen or contribute to the answers for these issues this Thursday, March 2, 4:30-5:45 in the Nicholson Library, Leonard Hall, Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Indiana, PA 15705

For more information, please visit this link:

http://www.english.iup.edu/events/colloquium.htm

To read the full-text of the paper before you attend, please click HERE.

Hope to see you there,

Lee Hobbs, ABD
Editor-in-chief, ESLemployment Publications
E-mail: lee.hobbs[at]eslemployment.com
Blog: http://www.english-blog.com

Attended (or plan to attend) this event and care to share your impressions? Maybe you just read Dr. Hanauer's article and would like to comment. Please feel free to do either or both HERE!

This month's survey asks if, as an ESL professional, you support the ESL theories that advocate an English-only environment.

The debate about the efficacy of an English-only language classroom vs. regular use of the students’ native language is likely to be ongoing. Perspectives vary, so feel free to not only choose as many of the following statements as you wish, but to elaborate on this topic in the comments section on our blog. Perhaps we can shed some light on the variety of viewpoints.

Question: "Should ESL Classes Utilize an English-Only Environment?"

1) Native languages should be avoided at all costs; English-only is the way to go.
2) Native language use is a necessary evil.
3) Native language is useful for class administration and instructions.
4) How can you build rapport with students if you don’t speak their language?
5) It depends on the students and the situation.
6) “English-only” is a silly idea that’s simply too difficult to put into practice.

-----> Please enter YOUR answer HERE!

Click HERE to see the dramatic results from Michelle's survey last month about Discrimination in the ESL Industry

A poster on the ESL-Jobs-Forum asks:

"What kind of qualifications do I need to teach at a Japanese University?"

My answer:

Speaking from my own experience, a Masters in an Education-related field is required for contract (usually 10 classes a week, 3-5 years non-renewable) and part-time work (1-5 classes a week), though a Bachelors and sufficient experience may be adequate. Currently, a Doctoral degree is preferred for tenured instructors, though not always necessary, and tenured positions are becoming rarer with more and more schools choosing to hire teachers contractually. Increasingly, universities are preferring candidates with communicative ability in Japanese. For part-time work, universities prefer that qualified applicants already have a working visa; for contract and tenure positions, universities will generally offer sponsorship.

Got a question for Marlen? Be sure to post it HERE and perhaps you'll see it in next month's edition of ESL Instruct.

This issue's hot-topic:

The "Frame" of Relationships

G. Bateson (1972) was one of the first to explore the importance of the "frame" of a relationship, specifically with regard to interpersonal communication. It's quite a simple concept really, but one that is challenging to maintain in practice: The frame is the set of boundaries or the container for the permissible behaviors within a relationship. The counselor begins to set the frame early in the relationship with rules like "As a counselor, I don't talk about my personal life with my clients," or "If a client wants to cancel a session and not be charged, he or she must provide notice at least 24 hours in advance." But the frame is much more than just a set of rules. It also defines the roles to be played and actions to be taken by not just the client, but the counselor as well. In a teaching setting, it is as much about the teacher's behaviors as it is about the students'.

For teachers, this frame is especially important for classroom management. For example, Student A forgets his homework, and the teacher allows the student to bring it the following week. Then, Student B forgets his homework and tells the teacher, "You allowed A to bring his homework a week late, so you have to let me bring mine a week late." Of course, this is a very simplified example, but for teachers, especially those who work with children and adolescents, the frame is of vital importance in that it serves as the boundaries - ethical, professional, behavioral - of the teacher-student relationship. Many newer teachers are unsure of their frames and this can often cause difficulty with regards to roles. We'll come back to this in later newsletters when we explore the roles of the teacher.

It is a challenge to keep the frame consistent throughout the relationship, for with each change the instructor makes, and each challenge presented by the student, the frame can widen, which can result in confusion regarding expectations and responsibilities. While a strong frame is no guarantee for success, it is certainly a tool that will help both the teacher and student better understand their roles. The bottom line: Consistency and clear ideas about roles in a classroom can sometimes be a teacher's best friends.

Source: Bateson, G. (1972). Steps to an Ecology of Mind. New York: Ballantine Books.

Comments about Bateson or Marlen's take on him? Leave them HERE and let's kick up some discussion!

Cursive Handwriting Practice – It's Not Just for Kids!

When asked to teach a writing class to 2nd year university students in Japan, I immediately began brainstorming activities for the classroom that would be fun supplements to the standard skimming, scanning, etc.

Only about 25% of my students had previously learned cursive handwriting and of those, few were able to use it routinely. At the end of the semester when asked what some of their favorite activities were, many students noted the cursive handwriting practice. Why? Comments included, “I feel more grown-up”; “it was fun to practice”, and “I want to be able to do what my native friends do when I study abroad.”

Here are three websites that offer free, downloadable worksheets to help you teach cursive handwriting to your students:

*EnchantedLearning.com http://www.enchantedlearning.com/letters
Highlight: Simple, and easy to use. Includes separate letters (capital and lowercase) and words.

*HandwritingforKids.com http://www.handwritingforkids.com/handwrite/cursive.htm
Highlight: Animated examples show how to create the letters. Great for use in a CALL environment.

*LearningPage.com http://www.learningpage.com/free_pages/menu_basics/alpha_cursive.html
Highlight: Similar to Enchanted Learning but worksheets also include images.

Have you come across something that belongs with this list? Please add the resource you know about HERE!

Marlen Elliot Harrison originally hails from South Florida but has lived abroad in both Europe and Asia. He studied international education at Kingston University in Surrey, England and, in 1995, earned his B.S. in Psychology from Appalachian State University. In 1997 Marlen was awarded the M.A. in Education and Human Development from George Washington University. Currently, he is pursuing a doctoral program in TESOL after four years of teaching in a variety of settings in Western Japan.

Marlen is the author of Basenotes.net’s “Addicted” column, regular contributor to the NowSmellThis blog, and creator of Scenteur7: The Scented World from a Man’s Perspective.

In addition to his liberal arts and educational background, Marlen is also a member of the Japanese Association for Language Teaching, acting as Co-Coordinator for their Learner Development special interest group. Marlen is excited to be a new contributor to ESL Instruct and welcomes your comments and suggestions.

To contact him, please leave a message for him HERE!