New Year, New Challenges

Welcome to the first issue of ESL Magazine in 2010. In this number, we lead with a feature from our regular contributor, Doug Evans, who focuses on the important topic of teaching public skills to ESOL students. In his article, Doug reminds readers that, as ESOL teachers, they are in a powerful position to help students learn critical skills such as public speaking while simultaneously becoming proficient in other areas of their language development. After presenting a series of effective strategies that address the challenge of encouraging students to overcome any fears they may have of facing the public, Doug concludes that, with proper planning, helping ESOL students become more effective public speakers is an exercise which will help them become better English speakers – truly a “no-lose” effort!
Kahlil Gibran wrote that, “Wisdom ceases to be wisdom when it becomes too… grave to laugh…”. For EFL students hoping to improve their knowledge of English, the use of humor in the classroom can be an effective tool as Majid Hayati explains to us in his article “Comic Relief: Using TV Comedy in Listening Comprehension.” Majid’s research, carried out in conjunction with a colleague, reveals that students who were exposed to English through the medium of a situation comedy centered on students learning EFL, improved their aural comprehension skills to a greater extent than those students who were limited to traditional methods.
ESL teachers sometimes find themselves in the unenviable position of having to teach a class for far longer than they had anticipated. This challenging situation can arise as a result of timetable scheduling problems, staff shortages or even an oversight on the part of school administrators. Whatever the reason, the last thing a teacher wants is to find him or herself left stranded in front of a class without appropriate activities or tasks to engage students for the remainder of the allotted period. In “Time for Change: Tips for Teaching Long Lessons.” Andy Starck presents some solutions for the teacher of lengthy classes that not only get students to think about also gets up them up and our from behind their desk, a welcome respite from sitting for hours in the same place.
Turkmenistan is a great unknown even for intrepid teachers of EFL. A former constituent of the Soviet union, this vast central Asian republic is opening its doors slowly to the world as it works to strengthen its indigenous language and culture after centuries of outside influence. As the Turkmens’ confidence grows in their own national identity, there is increasing recognition of the value of English as the global lingua franca. In their report. “At The Linguistic Crossroads: ESL in Turkmenistan,” Valerie Sartor charts the development of English language programs in a country which is looking to the future while honoring its past and preserving traditions.
Many teachers have harbored the desire to write and publish their own materials. Tim Thompson, inspired by his enthusiasm for dragons, actually fulfilled his ambition and created a series of picture books for young EFL learners. Getting his work published by a mainstream company was a difficult task so Tim decided to take his work online and in his article “Getting Your Book Idea Off the Shelf and Onto the Internet,” Tim explains how he turned his dream into a reality that readers can share and emulate themselves.

Ben Ward

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