April 2002
One: A Discourse Strategy for Building Discussion SkillsWhen West Tokyo JALT had its first meeting of the year on March 17th, ESL MiniConference reported it. Read a summary of Valley Peters's workshop on activating student discussions through discourse awareness.
Two: Meet Marianne Celce-Murcia
The first in our new series of "Achievement Profiles" is an exclusive interview with Dr. Marianne Celce-Murcia. (Also, read further profiles: Betty Azar / Edward Erazmus / Renee Lajcak / Robert O'Neill)
Three: Does SLA Have Any Real Relevance for Classroom Practice?
The debate got lively on the TESL-L listserv the other day when Charles Nelson suggested there is a big disconnect between linguistic theory and ESL practice. Mr. Nelson revised the message he posted and contributed the new version as an article for ESL MiniConference Online. (Also, read Bob Yates's response, and two further comments from Kevin Dellit and Charles Jannuzi!
Four: The Conversation Bus Activity
Common sense dictates that we've got to give students an opportunity to practice using English as part of our lesson plans. But how can a teacher effectively manage a classroom full of conversation, so that it doesn't degenerate into lackluster performances.
Five: The Top 10 Sessions Not to Miss at Salt Lake City
Do you have a busy schedule already planned at TESOL 2002 for getting together with friends, sipping plenty of coffee and visiting the exhibits? Here are several key sessions each day which will make the conference a learning experience as well.
Six: Basketball, Basketball, Basketball
Believe it or not, ESL teachers can learn a lot from the challenges faced by coaches guiding their teams through the NCAA tournament to the Final Four.
Other April articles:
Is Shakespeare relevant today for ESL?
Shakespeare Rocks! (by Anthea Tillyer)
We're All Children of Shakespeare (by David Himmelstein)
ESL Students Want Culture--And Will is It! (by Eugene Spoconi)
Monday is My First Day on the Job Teaching ESL--What Do I Do?
A Cognitive Trick to Remain Calm (by Lori Hokkanen)
Laying the Ground Rules with a First-Day Brainstorm (by Caroline Gwatkin)
What Should We Teach ESL Students About the Modal "Will"?
A Native-Speaker Standard Is No Longer Practical (by Paul Roberts)
Is Stephen Krashen's "Input Hypothesis" Valid?
The Natural Approach is Still Relevant Today (by Hasanbey Ellidokuzoglu)