| ESL guide for About.com, Kenneth Beare talks about | | | | content development, I'm not sure if what I'm doing |
| his work as an ESL (English as a second language) | | | | always makes sense pedagogically. We will be at a |
| teacher and educational writer. | | | | turning point ten years down the road as people grow |
| Dorit: Kenneth, thanks so much for participating in | | | | into the technologies. |
| today's interview. What is your background in ESL? | | | | Dorit: Yes, it's certainly is interesting food for thought. |
| Kenneth: I worked as an ESL teacher for 20 years. I | | | | What are you thoughts about teaching needs |
| started teaching in Germany in 1984 and continued in | | | | common to both EFL and ESL teachers? |
| New York City for the New York Association | | | | Kenneth: Often the meeting point between EFL and |
| teaching Russian immigrants of the former Soviet | | | | ESL is when teachers teach vocational materials |
| Union vocational English, as well as in Italy in the 90s. | | | | involving shared materials and setting similar |
| For the past ten years I've been developing English | | | | instructional goals. Language chunks and standard |
| language teaching materials for special courses | | | | phrases, and particular jargon to various areas are all |
| administrative purposes. I haven't been teaching for the | | | | part of this development of global English. The cultural |
| past five years. I also work as a content creator and | | | | consideration of the status of English should also be |
| consultant for English language development products. | | | | taken into consideration as English is used more and |
| With regard to my work at About.com, I was lucky to | | | | more as a lingua franca. It is also important to take |
| be at the right place at the right time. Since 1997, I've | | | | other issues into consideration such as needs analysis |
| developed thousands of pages of curriculum free of | | | | as students recognize their own particular learning |
| charge for ESL teachers and students to use. | | | | goals. For example, are they learning English to |
| Dorit: Your answer actually leads me to my next | | | | successfully perform in a job? |
| question. What are some of the primary needs and | | | | The needs analysis is very important and that dictates |
| concerns of ESL students and teachers who visit your | | | | your curriculum, your teaching purpose and finally, |
| site? | | | | determines success. |
| Kenneth: 60-70% of the students want to improve | | | | Dorit: The same needs analysis is also important for |
| their communicative skills in speaking. They also come | | | | teachers, right? |
| with a more traditional mindset when it comes to | | | | Kenneth: Yes. You need to have instructional |
| learning English and love the traditional quizzes on a | | | | objectives in order to achieve goals and in different |
| wide variety of topics. | | | | cultural classrooms, teachers need to think about this. |
| The ESL teachers are using industry specific dialogues | | | | Adding materials and completely going off on your |
| such as specific situational content at the dentist office | | | | own shows on one hand that you are a motivated |
| which has become a huge hit. ready to go lesson | | | | teacher but too often, teachers do not set appropriate |
| plans are also very popular with teachers. I also have | | | | cultural standards for the needs of their students. For |
| requests for EFL learning and teaching resources and I | | | | example, do students need and want to learn about |
| will point people to those resources. | | | | British culture in an EFL setting? |
| Dorit: How do you see the development of online | | | | In high school, a lot of students wanted English learning |
| language teaching and learning? | | | | material on a global level that opened itself to |
| Kenneth: I've been involved in a number of startups | | | | contextual communication such as discussing what is |
| and I'm amazed by the lack of entrepreneurial spirit | | | | happening in Iraq now. |
| with regard to online language teaching. Teachers | | | | Dorit: Well we're out of time for now but I'm sure your |
| need to be aware of how their online personalities | | | | information will be very helpful to ESL and EFL |
| come across. You have to engage and help and | | | | teachers and students if it hasn't been already. Well, |
| create a relationship. That is where I see the future of | | | | thanks so much Kenneth for your time and |
| online language training moving. | | | | participation in this interview. I always enjoy speaking to |
| On the other hand, students expect teaching to be | | | | passionate teachers and educational writers like you. |
| traditionally taught online. With regard to my online | | | | Kenneth: Thank you, Dorit. |