TOEFL JR–What is TOEFL Junior?
What is TOEFL Junior? A lot of people are asking about the TOEFL Junior test these days. I’ll tell you what I think, as someone who wrote the book on it. (Yes. I literally wrote the English section of a book on it! I am actually a freelance textbook writer by day.) TOEFL JR is a...
Another Side to Student Loans
Student loans are a big problem, and suddenly the media has noticed it. But let’s look at them from another angle. Who is profiting from these loans? The government, yes, they are making money on them. Businesses, yes, they are also. Most people know this. (Though it is not as simple as you...
Double the number of US college students studying abroad? Generation Study Abroad
Generation Study Abroad That’s the new campaign from the IIE, the Institute of International Education. The aim is to double the number of US college students going overseas. In ten years. Why? The number of US students who went overseas in 2011-12 was 295,000. It’s pitiful. By comparison, China has 235,000 in the US, and...
Japanese Students in US Colleges Will Triple in the next Ten Years
I teach in Japan. Looking at the trends here, what is certain to happen, I have no doubt that the number of Japanese studying in international colleges will increase, by 300%, over the next ten years. The growth will come mainly in universities in English-speaking countries, in particular the United States. Why? Japan’s current...
The Dangers of Teachers Having BIG Egos
You have seen the teachers with the giant egos. You know who they are. You might even be one. If you are a student, you’ve had one or two. We all have. An ego can be a good thing–you are proud of your work. Your confidence in what you are teaching, your passion, will...
Why learn writing?
Why teach writing? Why make kids learn it? Writing is humankind’s most difficult form of communication. Simply by interpreting lines on a page, we learn facts, imagine experiences, and transmit messages. We can learn the thoughts of people thousands of years gone, from other cultures, and express thoughts that millions of people can read....
Have High Expectations!
I was talking to a teacher from America last week, and was disappointed and shocked by what I heard about her school’s expectations for students. Unfortunately, low expectations or no expectations are common. Teachers do not give bad grades, such as Fs or anything below 60. Mediocre effort is awarded a good score and...
Coursera and Four Reasons to Love it
Four reasons to love Coursera Do you love learning new things? It think that most teachers love to learn. If so, you should try Coursera. 1. Coursera is great because you can take college courses that interest you in many subjects. They have cooking courses, psychology courses, literature courses, computer language courses, and many...
Passion is everything.
Passion, enthusiasm, motivation, is everything. Passion is essential in any job, any part of life, and it is vital in education. Think. We’ve all had boring teachers, and I hope we’ve had some that are exciting. What is the difference? Passion of course, but where do we get it? You need to get excited...
International Students in the US at a Record High, US Students Overseas Increase
More students from overseas are coming to the US to study, according to a new study that was released today by the Institute of International Education. The report also says that more US students are going overseas to study. The International student data is from 2012/13 while the US student data is 2011/12. The...