Language for Peace Forum
English
International Essay Contest for Young People
We live in a world with many complex problems, both local and global. What kind of education and learning would help us address these challenges and create a sustainable world and a better life for all? Describe your concrete ideas for an ideal education. Continue reading
TESOL’s Electronic Village Online Courses Available to Public
Check out TESOL’s 2016 EVO sessions coming soon! Topics include Classroom-Based Research for Professional Development, Flipped Learning in the ELT classroom, and Media Resources and Emotions in Teaching and Learning. Visit Electronic Village Online for more details and for registration coming in January. The five-week online classes are free of charge and available for anyone interested.
ESL Resource: News Stories for Beginner- Late Intermediate Levels
I wanted to share an online resource for ESL/EFL that is useful for those of us who have struggled with finding material to fit many different levels within a single class body. Newsela is a website that has news and stories of interest geared at 2-6th grade reading levels. Simply sign up for a free-for-30-days … Continue reading
World English Classroom Resource
Here is a useful resource for those of us who are English language instructors and would like to introduce the different ways that English is spoken around the world in our classrooms. This list is by no mean comprehensive in the least, but it is a small smattering of the different types of voices speaking … Continue reading
Learning about the Rainforest in German: A Lesson in Empathy (Teacher Interview)
“Empathy is a tricky element in teaching. Many would agree it is essential to truly great teachers, as it underlies deep connection and rapport between student and instructor. That said, it is also not something likely to manifest itself without some sort of shared experience.” -Josiah Long, TESOL Instructor. Consider the above quote as you … Continue reading
What It Takes (And Means) To Learn English As An Adult
In listening to an old NPR news story from 2013, I got a good reminder of the difficulties that language learning presents for older learners. It’s exciting sometimes working with children, noting sometimes quite fast progression and the steady building of language knowledge. I remember the moments in my classroom after teaching a new question … Continue reading
Northeast Asia Youth Peace Camp
In 2009, MCC sponsored the very first Northeast Asia Youth Peace Camp, a gathering where teens from China, South Korea and Japan spent a week together, hearing each other’s stories and breaking down walls of previously held prejudices and dislike. The pilot Peace Camp was held in Nanchong, in Sichuan province in China, and since … Continue reading
What a difference a word can make: How a single word can change your conversation
This article from TED about the nuances of language could have interesting implications for teaching or learning language from a peace perspective. What would it mean to recognize these cues in conversation and then look for opportunities to transform moments of misunderstanding and conflict? What would awareness of this in teaching bring to a language … Continue reading
English and Formal Education Ministry Opportunities
Mennonite Mission Network posts all available ministry positions for English and formal education on their site. Check back frequently for new opportunities.
A Picture of English in China
Joel Heng Hartse’s article English in China: A Miraculous and Conflicted Encounter reviews three books and includes reflections on his own experiences of teaching English. His review suggests that the three books “offer a picture of different yet overlapping areas of English in China Continue reading
Language for Peace Forum 