Pair

09/04/14

Learning

English is spoken in

many countries – so which is the “right” English?

English has

official/special status in 75 countries (2 billion speakers)

Numbers and their

implications: more non-native speakers than native speakers

(probably…)

ESL students from

English-speaking countries: what does that say about us (the ESL

programs)?

Grammar snobbery

There’s a time and

a place to get it right (formal vs. informal English)

Prescriptive grammar

vs. descriptive grammar

Privileges:

education, class, race, L1 vs. L2, ability

Language evolution

Sources:

LinkedIn Group:

English Skills and Language: Discussion: “India is the single

largest English speaking population on Earth. Do you agree?”

(discussion started by GB Singh, 8/18/14)

“FAQs The English

Language” – British Council

(http://www.britishcouncil.org/learning-faq-the-english-language.htm)

“Why Grammar

Snobbery Has No Place in the Movement,” from 5/2/14

(http://everydayfeminism.com/2014/05/grammar-snobbery/)

[20:50]

PowerPoint, taboo?

Pros

Visual aid –

especially helpful to visual learners

Keeping the lesson on

track/organized

Accessible (can be

saved in Bb and referred back to later)

Interactive

(sometimes… depends on who made it!)

Student use

Cons

One-way

learning/teacher-centered classroom

Inhibits organic

discussion

Visual

pollution/over-saturation of slides

“Overly formal”

vibe

Over-simplifies the

material (reduces critical thinking)

Tips

Guy Kawasaki’s 10,

20, 30 rule – 10 slides, 20 minutes, 30-point font

Keeping it simple –

but not simplifying the material

Make it interactive

(to avoid “one-way learning)

Spice it up!

Set expectations

(i.e., students shouldn’t just sit and copy from the slides)

Take breaks

Sources:

“Does PowerPoint

Help or Hinder Learning?” by Maryellen Weimer, PhD in Teaching

Professor Blog

(http://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/teaching-professor-blog/does-powerpoint-help-or-hinder-learning/)

Blog post from Guy

Kawasaki, December 30, 2005 (blog.guykawasaki.com)

[41:35]

The downside of being

an adjunct

Lower pay

No retirement plan or

benefits

No job

certainty/guarantee

No/less input to

department decisions

“Adjunct Faculty

Loan Fairness Act”

Student debt is a

problem for most people, but adjuncts (who have less job certainty

and low pay) have an especially hard time paying off their loans

2007 – Congress

created PSLF (Public Service Loan Forgiveness), to offer loan

forgiveness to people in public and non-profit sectors

Many adjuncts don’t

qualify for PSLF because you have to work an average of 30 hours a

week/year, and adjuncts don’t always get enough hours

The Adjunct Faculty

Loan Fairness Act would allow adjuncts to access PSLF, regardless of

hours worked

Sources:

“Adjunct faculty

exploring unionization,” by Koran Addo, St. Louis Post-Dispatch

(http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/education/adjunct-faculty-exploring-unionization/article_5691bb7b-08b7-5f36-9e48-c52544c840c8.html)

“Big News: Sen.

Dick Durbin Introduces Adjunct Faculty Loan Fairness Act,” from

Adjunct Action

(http://adjunctaction.org/2014/07/big-news-sen-dick-durbin-introduces-adjunct-faculty-loan-fairness-act/)