Teachers back then passed out mimeographed handouts that they had run off on a spirit master machine. I am a frequent conference presenter at international and regional TESOL events.Īt a very early age, I loved teacher worksheets. I'm certified secondary (English & French), and one of my favorite events is working with hundreds of K12 teachers every summer in Arkansas through an amazing program with the Arkansas Department of State. In addition, I've conducted teacher training workshops all over the globe, from Argentina to Uzbekistan. Now think about that combination for a moment! In fact, I once taught Spanish in Japan IN JAPANESE. I've taught English as Second/Foreign Language in the US, Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, Kuwait, and Japan. Language is perhaps one of the most human interactions we have, yet I completed German 1 with a computer, an online textbook, and youtube videos.įor more than 40 years - a number I cannot truly believe - in the US and abroad. I've come to realize and appreciate how hard it is to learn a language by yourself. This course has no Zoom and therefore no human interaction of any kind. Most recently, I have been learning German through my university course, which is 100% online due to COVID. (The other was "Sesame Street.") I studied Japanese and had to use it in my daily life there.
While living in Malaysia, I studied Malay, often by watching subtitles of the TV show "Dynasty" because it was one of only two shows on TV in English with Malay subtitles. I learned Spanish, eventually doing my master's thesis in dialects of Spanish in Nicaragua, Honduras, and El Salvador. I was naturally good at languages, which led me to continue studying them. In the process of all this studying and learning, I have come to know a lot more about good teaching and good learning. A WHOLE LOT! More recently, I have started learning another language online.
Other languages were learned by hanging out with native speakers and practicing a lot. Some were in a classroom setting with a teacher, a book, and other students. Learning languages comes naturally to me and have studied six. There was something inspiring about how she taught, which made what she taught so interesting and impactful on my life - and isn't that what all of us teachers hope to accomplish? Emily de Montluzin, who was my first foreign language teacher many years ago. I am especially grateful to my high school French teacher, Mrs. I love teaching, and I am thankful to the many dedicated teachers I've had over the years. I grew up primed to notice language nuances. Beaucoup (boocoo), the neutral ground (the median in a road), and passing by someone's house (meaning: to stop and visit someone) were all a normal part of my dialect. (We speak a similar dialect of English and eat the same food I grew up on gumbo, red beans and rice, and jambalaya.) As a kid, I knew that we talked different. I was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, and grew up on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, which is really a linguistic extension of New Orleans. I've always been interested in language and languages. Important Notice: Media content referenced within the product description or the product text may not be available in the ebook version. The new guided online writing activity takes students through the entire writing process with clear models for reference each step of the way. Part 5: New Test Prep section gives a test-taking tip and timed task to prepare for high-stakes standardized tests, including IELTs and TOEFL. Part 4: Writing activities allow students to apply what they have learned by guiding them through writing, editing, and revising. Part 3: Building Better Sentences helps writers develop longer and more complex sentences. Part 2: Building Better Vocabulary provides practice with carefully-selected, level-appropriate academic words. Each unit includes: Part 1: Elements of Great Writing teaches the fundamentals of organized writing, accurate grammar, and precise mechanics. Updated in this Edition: Clearly organized units offer the practice students need to become effective independent writers. With expanded vocabulary instruction, sentence-level practice, and National Geographic content to spark ideas, students have the tools they need to become confident writers.
The new edition of the Great Writing series provides clear explanations, extensive models of academic writing and practice to help learners write great sentences, paragraphs, and essays.