Two publications of interest to English language educators

Here are two recent publications of interest to English language educators. The first is from the British Council and uses action research to integrate ICT and technology into the classroom. The second is from TESOL Press and deals with school leaders and how to equip them with effective, research-based strategies and best practices to help both ESOL and content-area teachers succeed in their roles. Includes Professional Development Guide and rich array of "Grab and Go" online resources. I have already started reading the second one. Both of these would be good additions to any school library. Click on the links in red for more information. 

  

https://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/article/using-action-research-explore-technology-language-teaching-international-perspectives?utm_source=TE_Facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=bc-teachingenglish 

 http://bookstore.tesol.org/

Two upcoming online conferences

Here are two upcoming online conferences that you can register for free. Both are sponsored by TESOL International. The first is a joint web conference on professional development between IATEFL and TESOL. The second is a policy summit for industry leaders, I don't know how useful this would be but it could be a good opportunity for networking. Click on the links in red for more information.  

 http://www.tesol.org/events-landing-page/2016/11/17/default-calendar/joint-iatefl-tesol-web-conference

 http://www.tesol.org/summit-2017
 

Online recordings of British Councils online conference

The British Council is offering links to recordings of their online conference. I attended the first ever conference. On the whole it was very good. There were some technical issues with audio and not having enough band width. Today is the last day of the conference. The individual talks are a bit short, with only 20 min for presenting and 10 for a Q and A. There were a wide range of topics over the 5 days of the conference. Many thanks to the presenters, moderators and all at BC who helped organize this. You can find a link to the recordings below. 

http://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/events/teaching-success-online-conference 



    

International TESOL Conference

This is the big one in our industry that everyone talks about. The best speakers and presenters and the reason why everyone goes is the networking and collaboration with other educators. Check out the links below for the conference and travel and research grants.   

http://www.tesol.org/

http://www.tesol.org/search?query=travel%20grants 

Tech tips from Larry Ferlazzo via British Council

This post has links for listening, reading, writing, and speaking. Check out the link below. 

 http://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/blogs/larry-ferlazzo/larry-ferlazzo-online-tools?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=bc-teachingenglish

Thai cops making home visits to fill ‘invasive’ immigration forms, foreigners say

This one also effects teachers in this country. More and more in many countries of the world our rights are infringed upon in the name of national security. It might get to the point where we as citizens of the world won't be able to enjoy any of our freedoms. 

https://asiancorrespondent.com/2016/09/thai-cops-making-home-visits-fill-invasive-immigration-forms-foreigners-say/ 

New test for English teachers, students

We first heard about this a few months ago. So when is it going to start? A year? Five years? How will the test be graded? If it is administered by the TCT can we expect grammar mistakes like the tests for license equivalency? How will we know it is fairly graded? Will it be difficult to pass? Most of the teachers at my school could not pass all 4 tests. How much will it cost? Where do teachers go to take it? Will the content of the test be relevant? Unlike the Thai culture course where teachers were forced to learn Thai dancing and cooking. Agreed there does need to be a system of making sure teachers are competent. But what about those who have already proven there competence? Those who already have a license and verified their degrees. English subject teachers aren't the only ones who teach in English. What about math and science teachers? What about Thai teachers? Every time a story like this comes out there are more questions than answers.      

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/general/1093725/new-test-for-english-teachers-students