Teacher training, ESL & EFL
I am collecting evaluations of various teacher training programs for this section of my site. If you'd like to share your expereince in a teacher training program, please email jtrotta@gmail.com.
I've completed two teacher training programs, my CELTA in 2001 and my Master of Applied Linguistics in 2004. While I learned something during each program, I was not satisfied with either. Currently, I am a teacher trainer in the TESOL certificate program at Sookmyung Women's University.
I hope to collect articles in this section of my site to help teachers make informed decisions about enrolling in teacher training programs and to help teacher trainers improve their programs.
Since I hate saying only a little, why not see if the latest entries on my Teaching English in Korea blog are of any interest to you?
The "man code" - does it cross cultures?Maybe an interesting discussion topic - comparing the American man code to what's expected in other cultures. This list is extensive and some things are jokes and/or too dirty for most ESL classes but pick say 10 or 15 of...Lying to have sex, smile like you got laid last night, and the Fit TuckersThis article might be the basis of a future discussion class. Basically, an Israeli court found a man guilty of rape (rape by deception which is not punished as severely as rape by force as I understand) because he told...A few US degree programs related to intercultural communication / international educationI wanted to look at degree programs related to education and TESOL but slightly different. This Vanderbilt PhD has a strong focus on literacy but also works with oral communication and ESL. UMBC Masters in Intercultural Communication - 2 year...Heroes and Monsters: Understanding Live Action Role Playing GamesInteresting article here about a UW class on Liave Action Roleplaying. I've actually done this so it may be more interesting to me than to people who have no idea what it is, but it certainly doesn't seem like an...Call to actionWrite a close for the following presentation. Be specific about what you want the listeners to do:...American shopping mallsMall of America images: The mall I went to as kid: Bridgewater Commons and the Phillipsburgh Mall:...Discussion on Japanese fashion and cultureInteresting article here about a skirt that unfolds into a coke machine disguise so women can hide from attackers like ninjas used to. And a very interesting quote from the designer: While British women might prefer to take self-defence classes,...American engagement videoHere's a nice little engagement video I plan to show my conversation students so that they can compare Korean engagements with American ones. I understand that in Korea the diamond ring is not an essential part of the engagement (though...Intercultural discussion or roleplay: Korean men are touch-feelyThis is a short, but great YouTube video for generating some discussion or setting up a roleplay based on cultural differences. These guys are Americans on a show called FightQuest. They go to foreign countries and learn a fighting style...School took lots of secret pics of kids at home?New information on a story I linked to in February: Lower Merion School Dsitrict still thinks they have a chance to stay out of trouble:An attorney for the district declined to comment last night on the Robbinses' latest motion, except...Things your kids' teacher won't tell youMost of the list may be pretty tame - there are certainly bigger concerns out there but some of the items are worth discussing: 3. We’re sick of standardized testing and having to “teach to the test.” 4. Kids used...Public speaking tips and examplesPublic speaking tips: The importance of short sentences: Good vs. bad presentation. Biden-Palin debate - voice and tone. Public speaking advice - some funny, some serious (some slang)....Describe this video of a dog attacking a police carJust an idea. Play this video and ask students to describe the action: Vocabulary: pit bull, bumper, patrol car, cop car, police car, reverse, let go, pull, tear, rip, attack...Discussion / debate topic for ESL studentsInteresting article here arguing that the International Olympics Committee should "make sure that some of this money can go directly to the athletes." In other words, athletes from the USA have an advantage thanks to a $25,000 cash prize for...Lower Merion school spying on students inside their homesApparently one school is facing a lawsuit for spying on students and their families. The school issued laptops to each high school student and allegedly remote activated web cams to see what each student was up to. It seems a...
