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Category Archives: ESL
The Time Of A Song
All our classes were asked to come up with a skit for an end-of-class performance, so my ESL students the first week were came up with two really hilarious skits, both using quite limited English and ending with clever bicultural puns. … Continue reading
Posted in Boston, ESL, Taiwan
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Experience
Me, as a first-year teacher: Teaching is a noble calling, and I will change lives in the classroom. I will share my love of language and literature, and I’ll encourage my students to be their best. Decades later, my students … Continue reading
Posted in Boston, ESL, Teaching
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Travians on SeeJaneGame
I have a review of the addictive little browser game Travians up over on SeeJaneGame: The game opens with a message from your Travian’s uncle Horatio, asking you to come and help him with the ancestral estate. As he sends … Continue reading
Posted in ESL, Game Reviews, New Jersey, Raleigh
Tagged dead romans, ESL, Game Reviews, my other writing, New Jersey, Raleigh, SeeJaneGame, Sims, travel, Travians
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Reasons To Work In China
In the belief that such things are very Western, my school encourages me to wear jeans, sneakers and t-shirts to work. Subscribe to Violet Eclipse by Email
Posted in ESL, Teaching
Tagged China, ESL, jeans, mail, teaching, teaching teenagers
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My Sister The Pirate
My sister Bethie just returned from three months of sailing the high seas, so naturally when I got to talk to her tonight, I asked her all about her pirate life. “Did you call your friends, ‘me hearties’? Do you … Continue reading
Posted in ESL
Tagged Bethie, ESL, mail, my sister Bethie, teaching, teaching language
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English Assignment
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Universal Behavior
I did some Mad Libs with my new teenage class. This is secretly a test to sort out English speakers from nodders. I can’t even fault them for faking it… I spent most of my high school chem class pretending … Continue reading
Yes
I’ve already talked about using “Yes” as a synonym for “I have no idea what you’re saying”. This entry from Tim Johnson’s blog quotes a letter from a 1920s missionary in China, and shows that the ubiquitous Chinese yes is … Continue reading
Meanderthal
Meanderthal — 1) n. A dull-witted student moving through his workbook at his own special pace. 2) v. The behavior of such a student. Usage: John’s parents were so wealthy and well-connected that he meanderthaled through three years of English … Continue reading
Posted in ESL, Teaching
Tagged Chinese life, dictionary, ESL, Lexicon, moving, new words, teaching, teaching ESL, teaching in China, teaching language
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Test Scores
I hate state-required testing, and I don’t think it measures anything, and I think it’s a waste of my students’ time… except when works in my favor. I got my students’ test scores back today and they were awesome! The … Continue reading