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As the leadership of TESOL and NAFSA have pointed out, In the face of challenging times it is important for us to remember why we do what we do and to live up to our ideals of a global professional community. Our society and our world desperately need people who can bridge...

I had the chance to contribute to a recent issue of Modern English Teacher magazine on the subject of reading. Here’s what I said: What is the most important skill for your EAP students? For most, the ability to read well may be the most important second language academic...

This spring marked the 50th anniversary of the TESOL International Association. The convention in Baltimore was sprinkled with various celebrations of the big event. One such celebration was a musical production, The Wizard of Oz: A TESOL Tale.  In this retelling of the Wizard of...

A number of years ago I was feeling very stressed. I had a lot of tension in my shoulders and neck. At my wife’s urging, I reluctantly agreed to try a yoga class. There was a beginning class just starting up in our town in Vermont. I went, and I was glad I did, partly because the...

I’ve been thinking lately about the role of the self in teaching. It’s hard to be true to yourself in the classroom when you feel like you’re performing. On top of everything, that critical voice in your head is always telling you that you can do better. In his book, The Inner...

I’m delighted to report that the second editions of both the Intro and Level 2 books of Q Skills for Success Reading/Writing are now in print. The second edition of the Special Edition of Reading/Writing 2 for Saudi Arabia is also now available. These new editions have a number...

I’ve been appointed to chair a task force for the TESOL International Association to look at how Interest Sections work within the association. I’ve often thought that these special interest groups are part of the heart and soul of how we work as an organization. But there are...

Thanks to all the teachers from Castilla-La Mancha who joined the State Department sponsored workshops in Albacete, Cuenca, Guadalajara, Ciudad Real, Thanks so much to all of the teachers in Castilla-La Mancha and Toledo. Special thanks to the bilingual coordinators. It was a...

I’m looking forward to meeting elementary and secondary teachers in Castilla-La Mancha, Spain for a series of workshops on CLIL (Content and Language Integrated Learning) between March 2nd and 13th.  I’ll be speaking in Albacete, Cuenca, Guadalajara, Cuidad Real, and...

Thanks to everyone who came to my talk at the American Space at the U.S. Embassy in Madrid on February 26th. I spoke about intercultural communication and language teaching and shared some ideas for how to help students deal with other cultures in the classroom.  Remember, if you...