Winter 08-09
Thanksgiving Reflections
The Night After Christmas
Teach Where You Are
Nick Ellis and LEA
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Winter 2008-2009
Filling Those Pesky Gaps in Naturally Acquired LanguageIn a recent article "The Dynamics of Second Language Emergence: Cycles of Language Use, Language Change, and Language Acquisition" (Modern Language Journal, 2008), Nick Ellis explains "an emergentist account of second language acquisition," i.e., why language learners who are taught without explicit attention to form tend to hit a ceiling in their proficiency below what is required for academic success in the second language. ...
Feeding Your Spirit in Times of Famine
...While I have worked at some great programs over the years, I have never found a curriculum or communication system like that first one--and I wouldn't be surprised to find it no longer exists at the AEC in the same form either. But I have heard similar models being described, yearned for involvement in such an exciting teaching and learning experience, and come very close on several occasions in my 25-year career.
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What Thanksgiving Means
...Rosemary Schmidt shared this note with her ESL students in Charlotte, North Carolina, and forwarded her reflections to a list of family, friends, and colleagues at Thanksgiving time. She has given her permission to have this wonderful text reprinted as an article in the ESL MiniConference newsletter...
The Night After Christmas
...Did Sasha and Seriozha have a good Christmas? For months they were so happy, looking forward to the birthday of Prophet Issah al-Messiah, peace be upon him! They were enthralled by commercials, TV movies, fake snow, the landlady’s candy canes left at their door...