English as a second language is a challenge – NewTimes.com
Cody Xu came to Ridgefield last year when his family moved from China. He was 15, spoke Mandarin and Cantonese Chinese, but could only count to 10 and say a few words in English.
“I wondered if other students appreciated how well I knew the subject when I’d answer in class,” Cody said recently, noting his poor command of English made it impossible for him to fully convey his knowledge,
“Then, as I was in classes more and picked up more and more English, it became more comfortable” to take part in class discussions, he said.
Although he might still ask to have some thingd repeated, he seems to have an easy time learning languages. He is studying Japanese this year as a sophomore at Ridgefield High. Read the complete news item…
Can Obama’s New Requirements Keep Pace with English Language Learner Student Needs? –PRWeb.com
Professional, Interactive Teacher Training Programs key to equipping Educators with Tools to meet the goal of President-elect Obama’s Accountability for Limited English Proficient Student Graduation Plan
Phoenix, AZ (PRWEB) December 7, 2008 — As President-Elect Obama transitions into the White House, one major area of focus is the state of education in the United States. While many changes are planned with respect to the No Child Left Behind Act, a key focus area is the graduation rates of English Language Learners. In his comprehensive plan to reform education, Obama believes that schools should be held accountable for the success of their ELLs.
Proper teacher training is vital to the success of this program for the Obama administration. However, there has historically been a disconnect between teacher preparation programs and what it really takes to teach students who are learning a second language. Read the complete news item…
Rethinking global Englishes in the context of globalization – The Jakarta Post
The rapid spread of English worldwide sends an obvious signal — the English language is protean and fluid as today’s living language.
So fluid and flexible is English that it pervasively permeates global, regional, national and local levels. The notion of Englishes has emerged, demonstrating the vitality of English which grows and develops mainly as a local language variety.
Although closely tied to the processes of globalization, it is too simplistic to account for its spread from the sole context of globalization, Americanization, imperialism or world Englishes and homogeneity. Read the complete news item…
Universities urged to improve English language skills for students – VietNamNet Bridge
Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Education and Training Banh Tien Long has asked universities to help students improve their English so that they can use it confidently and competently by 2015.
Mr Long made the statement at a seminar held in Hanoi on December 5 with a focus on English language training for students at universities in Vietnam. The event was co-organised by the Ministry of Education and Training (MoET) and the Educational Testing Service (ETS) Global.
Mr Long said that to improve the quality of teaching and English language skills, universities should attach more importance to upgrading infrastructure and English teaching facilities. In addition, teachers should improve their teaching methods and their knowledge to encourage students to get involved in studying English. Read the complete news item…
‘We plan to come more often to India’ – The Financial Express
INTERVIEW : GENA NETTEN, SENIOR MARKETING MANAGER, ETS
Gena Netten is the senior marketing manager at ETS (Educational Testing Service), a non-profit organisation, which conducts the world-famous Toefl (Test of English as a Foreign Language), GRE (Graduate Record Examination) and scores of related tests was in India recently for ETS’ four city ‘Go Anywhere’ India Tour. An MA in Applied Linguistics and Teaching English as a Second Language from the university of Minnesota, Natten, a Toefl veteran, has been with ETS for fifteen years. In New Delhi, Natten met up with FE’s Vikram Chaudhary, where she talked about ETS, Toefl and her India experience. Excerpts:
Tell us about the various standardised tests ETS develops in the US for K-12 and higher education?
The list is very long, though some of the main assessment tests for K-12 are the Middle Grades Assessment, the Major Field Tests and so on. Then we have Praxis Series, which is a set of validated assessments that provides accurate and reliable information for the use of state education agencies when they make licensing decisions. California department of education has chosen ETS to develop, administer and score the California High School Exit Exam, which assesses if students who graduate from high school can demonstrate grade level competency in reading, writing and mathematics. Read the complete news item…
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