To Be Effective, Participate


Written by - Guest Contributor
group of people with their hands in the centre of the table
image source: www.bigstockphoto.com

One of my TESL Professors told me that to be an effective educator you needed to participate in the community.  I’m not sure I’ve accomplished the first part yet, but I have certainly learned a lot from volunteering. What I love about being on the TESL Ontario Board is how it has enriched my knowledge of the diversity of our field.

I have been on the TESL Ontario board for nearly 6 years, which means that my time is drawing to a close.  When I reflect back on the last 6 years, the first thing that pops into my head isn’t Continue reading →

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Why I Joined


Written by - Guest Contributor
the word leadership written on a black background
image source: www.bigstockphoto.com

Having worked in various ESL/EAL sectors in Ontario over the past 20 years, I decided to apply for the TESL Ontario Board in 2015.  I had thought of applying to the Board for years before, recognizing the important role of TESL Ontario to support and advocate on behalf of our profession, its members, and the increasingly important role our profession plays in building bridges in Ontario/Canadian society.  As I had worked in the private, LINC and college/university EAP areas, I thought I’d be able to share perspectives from these complementary experiences to help shape the direction of the organization and the future of our exciting profession.  So in 2015 Continue reading →

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15 Sources of Canada Day Activities


Written by - John Allan @mrpottz

 Well, it is June and there is no better time to introduce the Canada Day holiday to your students.  I have searched the web and have asked colleagues about favourites for teaching about Canada and Canada Day.  Since150 would put this post way over the maximum word count, I have pulled together 15.  I hope this helps you and your students with your holiday preparation.   The resources are listed in alphabetical order. If you have any that I have missed please add them through the comments feature below.

Happy Canada Day! Continue reading →

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Getting on Board: Giving Back to ESL


Written by - Guest Contributor
group of people around a table
image source: www.bigstockphoto.com

It was nearly 5 years into my teaching career before I cautiously attended my first executive meeting for TESL Ottawa. I’ve attend conferences, lectures and workshops religiously from the very beginning. It was the best opportunity to meet and get to know other colleagues away from the photocopier. It was energizing to end the day with new tips and tricks for my own teaching toolbox to try out on Monday morning. It was also a chance to Continue reading →

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Bringing holidays into the classroom: Ramadan


Written by - Laila Al-Sbeinati @lailasbeinati
image source: bigstockphoto.com

I often think about newcomers to Canada, and specifically those coming from challenging circumstances who are building a new life in a new land. How are they settling into their new environment? Are they adjusting? Managing? Dealing? Healing?

Many of these newcomers are from the Middle East and are observing Ramadan, a holy month that’s observed by millions of Muslims around the world, where the central focus is fasting. Continue reading →

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PBLA: A Need for Task-Based Needs Analysis and a Study in Task Differentiation


Written by - Guest Contributor
Man stretched between two cliffs
image source: www.bigstockphoto.com

Portfolio Based Language Assessment (PBLA) is here to stay. “Teachers cannot opt out” (p. 58) and it is “an expectation of employment” (p. 71). Once implemented the way it was meant to be, the evidence suggests, it is an academically sound approach to teaching and learning. The PBLA programme, now being implemented in all ESL non-credit classes that are funded by Citizenship and Immigration, has two critical shortcomings which I have encountered Continue reading →

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Word Order Makes It in Kahoot’s Jumble Game


Written by - Cecilia Aponte-de-Hanna
image source: https://create.kahoot.it

 

Have you tried Kahoot’s new jumble game? It’s fun!

If you are an avid reader of TESL Ontario blogs, you would know Nadeen wrote about it in October 2015 – so yes! Kahoot has been around for a long time. You can read her blog here: Use Kahoot to spice up your lesson.

Now for the newness, which soon will be ‘the has been’ since technology moves faster than a speeding bullet (sorry . . . Superman).

Pick from an existing activity

The new Jumble game is great for students at any level who need to practice word order or any other type of sentence structure. Continue reading →

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Change the routine without disrupting the class – take a virtual field trip!


Written by - John Allan @mrpottz
image source: http://maxpixel.freegreatpicture.com

In the interest of planning a class field trip, I was reading Tara Benwell’s blog post, 25+ Field Trips for English Language Learners. She provides a variety of opportunities for live field trips. I am considering a few of these ideas.  However, I teach in a situation that has several obstacles to taking students on field trips.  Climate, cultural norms, transportation, scheduling, catering and budget can be issues in the Middle East.  I am sure that if you are reading this in Canada, you can identify with a few of these issues. Even if you do resolve the budget, scheduling, transportation, permissions and climate issues, then you are normally limited to locations 100km from your centre. Continue reading →

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TESL WW, May 2017 Conference: Thinking Critically


Written by - Beth Beardall

Teaching critical thinking through reading in the information age

image source: http://fourc.ca/critical-readers/#more-9409

Attending PD conferences of your local chapter of TESL Ontario is a great way to meet other teachers, network, and learn new ideas and techniques to add to your teaching toolbox. On May 13th, I attended the Waterloo-Wellington Spring AGM and PD event. The theme was “Thinking Critically” and the guest speaker for the plenary session, Tyson Seburn, spoke on the topic of teaching critical reading in an age of (mis)information and fake news. Tyson Seburn is Lead Instructor of Critical Reading and Writing in the International Foundation Program at New College, University of Toronto, and he recently published a book entitled, Academic Reading Circles.

In this blog, I want to share some of the strategies that Tyson raised in his address Continue reading →

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Language Proficiency – How much English does a teacher need?


Written by - Michael Karas

The issue of proficiency is always at the forefront for English language teachers. As English language teachers, we need a certain level of proficiency in the language to teach it so we can serve as models for our students, and provide them with valuable language input that can help them learn. However, there is still no agreed upon level of proficiency that an English language teacher needs to teach effectively, and there may never be. Continue reading →

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