But you probably figured out quickly that, in a situation like this, you need to use some inventive methods to get them to understand you.

If you're struggling to get your absolute beginners to understand you, try the tips below.

• Speak slowly (not louder!)
• Use only the basic sentence structures (subject/verb/object)
• Use words that are most common. For example, if you want to say cat, don't use the word feline.
• Skip the pronouns in the beginning, and instead use the names of those people you are talking about.
• Use a lot of hand gestures. "Do you mean up?" Raise up your hands to help the students understand the word.
• Use sound affects. You may feel silly, but if you are trying to tell them that something blew up, using the sound "Ka-Plam!" will get your point across!

Start the class by announcing that your students have a new profession - marketing executives. Explain the term and give them a general job description. Tell them that their job will be to do their best to create an advertising promotion for a new product, which will be announced later. Ask them how they think they will do. (The more confident they are, the better.)

Next, group them into pairs, or for a larger class, groups of not more than four, and tell them that you are ready to assign them each a different and unique product. Now, present each group with a word, and tell them that their job is to sell the general public on whatever concept that word represents. (At this point, it's amusing to watch the confidence drain from their faces!)

In order for this exercise to be a success, you'll need to choose words that are difficult to define. Some examples are Grace, Pride, Unselfishness, and Mercy.

The student's job will first be to talk with the other members of their group, and come up with a concept, or a hook, for their campaign. Next, each group should be given a large poster board and paints or markers, and they will have to design a billboard for their "product." You should plan a long class for this lesson—at least a full hour for fast workers, and an hour-and-a-half for slower ones.

This exercise has worked fantastic in my advanced classes. It is a lot of work, but will help your students to think cognitively in English. Besides that, it's just plain fun.

But in this city, San Miguel De Allende, you won't be limited to only Spanish culture and its language. On your day off, you could visit the town’s library, complete with thousands of English books, stop by a few museums-where the local talent is both inspired and colorful-attend the English speaking Church, or hit a few garage sales put on by the American expatriates early in the morning.

The city is pricy, but there is a lot of wealth there, made obvious by the towering casas, and fanciful streets and buildings. In other words, if you wanted to live a better lifestyle and take advantage of the many coffee shops and boutiques in this charming city, you shouldn’t have too much trouble picking up some private students to supplement your wages.

If you’re thinking about teaching in Mexico, you shouldn’t make a decision until you’ve visited this city at least once!

P.S. I had a ton of great responses to last month's segment on teaching in Greece. If you have taught there or have some valuable information to share please do so here.

Unfortunately, not much.

But traveling on a teacher's salary is possible-with a little planning and savvy.

First, you should think carefully about where you can go in order to get the most for your money. If you live in a foreign land, you're probably surrounded by ancient sites or cities that are just waiting to be explored. If you live in the U.S., there are many small towns and states that offer a lot to see and do. But don't select a tourist destination, unless you have a lot of money to spare. Instead, look into the out-of-the-way locations that will allow you to mingle with the locals, share in the culture, eat down-to-earth (read: cheap) food, and have an experience that simply couldn't be matched in a destination filled with tourists.

Next, you should plan the timing of your vacation carefully. If you travel during the off-season, or the season between the peak and off-season, you will likely pay a lot less for your lodging and meals. That can sometimes be difficult, because teacher vacations are usually during the peak seasons. One way to overcome this would be to try and negotiate a different vacation schedule when interviewing for a position.

When's the last time you took a look at your resume?

Oftentimes people shudder at the thought of redoing their resume, but if it's been a while since you've updated yours, do yourself a favor and pull it out and shake the dust off of it.

Now, take a closer look—is it apparent that it's been some time since it was last worked on? (For example, is the last employment date 1979?) The first thing you should do is to add on any work experience, training and achievements that aren't listed.

Next, take a look at the format—is it in the tired structure of yesterday's resumes, or have you incorporated some great graphics and other eye-catching details?

Does your resume focus on your accomplishments, or simply your experience? There is a difference. For instance, consider these two statements. "I worked at a school in Japan teaching children." Or, "I worked with a classroom of children in Japan, and by the end of the school term, all of them were completely prepared to begin the next level."

Finally, it's wise to remember that your resume—no matter how perfectly created—won't be right for every job situation. You will likely have to "redefine" it for each job position you apply for.

Hey, what would it hurt to ask?

But before you go barging into the director's office demanding more money, you should be aware that are indeed some finer points of negotiation. Here are a few tips.

Know what you want before you begin negotiations. This may sound simplistic, but far too many ESL teachers accept a salary without knowing what the cost of living is in the area, or don't plan for their monthly expenses. It's vital that you understand exactly what it will cost you to live a comfortable life, and then make up your mind not to accept anything less than that. By knowing your bottom line BEFORE you walk in the door, you’ll be more likely to walk out with what you want-and need.

Don't be afraid of silence. It's an old adage that the first one to speak usually loses. The great thing about old sayings, is that they're true most of the time. Consider those silent times after the numbers have been laid out on the table as a kind of mental warfare. Speak too early, and you just might lose a healthy portion of your potential salary.

Want to know more? Check out a comprehensive article about negotiations here: http://www.hobbsherder.com/newsletter/enews-0012/janets-tip.htm

http://www.esl-lesson-plan.com/

For more information email Iteconft@umn.edu or call 612-626-8600 for details.

View the results of last month's poll here.

Answer: It's important to try and learn what you can about your student’s cultures, because most of their behaviors in class will stem from it. For example, did you know that students from a Buddhist background would take offense to your giving them a pat on the back or shoulders? It's because the head and shoulders are considered "holy" and touching that area on another person is considered offensive. If you are having some problems in your classrooms with your student's behavior, first check to make sure that it's not cultural.

Do you have any questions or issues that you just can't seem to find the answers to? Ask them here. Any dilemmas that you need help solving? This is the place. Each month, we'll post them here, and then do our best to answer them for you.

Answer: Ergophobia literally means a fear of work. It was first documented by Doctor W.D. Spanton and referenced in the 1905 British Medical Journal.