Classroom in Central Jakarta, Indonesia Flickr Photo by Shanghai Daddy

This month’s ESL Educators Blog Carnival is an open discussion for our participants. I’m opening this page up to my readers as well, so if you’ve got an interesting ESL article that you’d like to share, please get in touch with me via the Contact Page and I will add your URL, a short blurb about your article and an author box to this post. Don’t forget to check out last month’s carnival, which was published on Go Teach Abroad focused on Engaging Women in the ESL Classroom.

Tax Guide for Overseas Americans

No Plans: Teaching on a Whim and a Dare

When I ‘planned’ my last visit to Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula, I decided  to arrive without a plan – no itinerary, no specific purpose, and no set  destination. I was just going to fly into Mérida and take the local transportation wherever it would take me. I wasn’t going to teach. I wasn’t going to research. I was just going for a nice visit on a whim and a dare; and I decided I would find places to stay as I traveled the Peninsula. Life had other plans…

Maria Alvarez is the ESL Editor for Wandering Educators. She teaches  ESL/Bilingual Endorsement Courses at Quincy University, and is a tutor  and academic advisor IB/AP English and Spanish, College Prep.

Ten Icebreaker Activities for the ESL Classroom

Icebreaker activities for ESL are a great way to get to know your students on the first day of class. Walking into a room full of new students can be a bit nerve-wracking, especially if you don’t have a lot of ESL teaching experience. Don’t forget that your new students are sure to be a little nervous, too. Whether your students are so energetic that you can barely keep them in their seats, or so shy that getting them to say “Hello” is a challenge, it’s important to find a way to ease their nerves and let them get to know each other and their teacher. The right ESL icebreaker activities can be the perfect way to do it.

Stephanie Long is the Director of Recruiting for Georgia at Reach To Teach Recruiting. In addition to her work with Reach To Teach, Stephanie writes about her travels and adventures on her website, The Wandering Dragon. When she’s not busy writing, Stephanie spends her time playing music and planning her next adventure.

Dealing with Culture Shock

Teaching and living abroad can be the most incredible experience of your life or it can be the worst, depending on how you deal with the difficulties of living and working in a foreign country. Adjusting to a new country and a new culture can be trying, especially when we aren’t willing to adapt or be accepting of a culture that is completely different to our own. This can lead to feelings of depression, loneliness, isolation and complaining.

Originally from Ottawa, Canada, Carrie Kellenberger has kept a home base with her husband in Asia since 2003. She works as a full-time freelance writer, editor, and photographer in Taiwan. Visit www.carriekellenberger.com for more information.

This monthly series is designed for ESL educators in countries all over the globe. As part of a new Blog Carnival called ESL Educators, I will be posting an informative article on English as a Second Language on the 20th of every month. Check back for more articles, and if you’d that would like to contribute to our ESL Blog Carnival, please get in touch with me through the CONTACT page.