Education Department eyes youth volunteers for literacy campaign

MANILA (PNA)—The Department of Education (DepEd) is looking for 360 bright and committed youth volunteers who will help the department intensify efforts in improving literacy nationwide. The project is in response to the call of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to create a national service corps.

Education Secretary Jesli Lapus said on Friday that these young men and women, to be called literacy volunteers (LVs), will be tasked to assist in the delivery of alternative learning system (ALS) programs, particularly in areas with low literacy rate.

“The LVs will cater to the learning needs not only of the adults who cannot read and write, but also to out-of-school children (OSC) and out-of-school youth (OSY),” he said.

“They will offer Basic Literacy Program, which will make learners functionally literate. They will also teach modules on Accreditation and Equivalency (A&E) Program which will help prepare learners in taking the upcoming A&E exam,” Lapus added.

Full story...

Skills of English, math, science teachers in Mindanao upgraded

ZAMBOANGA CITY (PNA)—Hundreds of Muslim and Christian teachers in public elementary schools in various schools divisions of Western Mindanao (Region 9), Central Mindanao (Region 12), and Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) are slowly but surely becoming competent in their instructional capabilities.

Thanks to the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) which, through its Mindanao-based project “Education Quality and Access for Learning and Livelihood Skills" (EQUALLS), has been conducting a series of separate professional training programs for Muslim and Christian teachers handling Mathematics, Science and English subjects in identified public elementary schools in the three Muslim-Christian-populated regions.

USAID since the past two school years has undertaken English training programs on English teaching, mostly held live-in in Zamboanga City in coordination with the Department of Education (DepEd) which earlier conducted in the city a “Training of Teachers” (TOT), a component part of the agency’s National English Proficiency Program (NEPP).

Full story...

Accreditation and equivalency test scheduled for this October

MANILA (PNA)—Education Secretary Jesli Lapus on Tuesday announced that the Department of Education (DepEd) will conduct the Accreditation and Equivalency (A&E) test in the four Sundays of October 2009 to measure the competencies of those who have not finished formal elementary or secondary education.

“Passing the test will pave the way for their re-entry to formal schooling or allow them a chance to pursue other productive endeavors,” Lapus said.

“The A & E test is one of the many ways to make education accessible to all learners and is part of our commitment to the goals of Education For All (EFA) by 2015,” the education chief added.

The A&E test is given free. Registration of examinees started last July and has been extended to August 31, 2009. Examinees should register in any of the 199 designated registration and testing centers nationwide.

Full story...

Many teachers using summer to learn

Many of Arizona's 50,000 teachers have been returning to classes this month better prepared for the coming school year.

Over the summer, they often hear the same wistful comment: It must be great being a teacher and having summers off.

But that's becoming less the case.

With technology revolutionizing classrooms, the state creating new regulations for schools and education generally becoming more complicated, many teachers find they have to work for weeks in the summer just to keep up with changes.

They take college classes, attend workshops or do independent research to stay on top of their subject matter as well as the latest rules on how to deliver that information.

Full story...

Specialized teacher training is key to success with English language learners

Phoenix, Arizona (Vocus/PRWEB )—A national education expert contends that school districts can better teach English Language Learners by using specific, research-based tools that aren't taught in teacher preparation programs.

Many studies indicate that while the numbers of English Language Learners (ELLs) is rising, teachers across the country are unprepared to adequately teach them.

Yet there are specific actions school districts can take to ensure that their teachers have the knowledge that they need, said Anne Swigard, president of Educational Training Specialists, LLC (www.elltraining.com) based in Phoenix.

Full story...

Tesol and Tefl join hands for English-language teaching in Asian countries

By Purich Trivitayakhun, The Bangkok Post

Thailand Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages (Thailand Tesol), in collaboration with the Asian Association of Teachers of English as a Foreign Language (Asia Tefl), organised the 7th Asia Tefl and 29th Thailand Tesol International Conference 2009 at the Imperial Queen's Park Hotel, Bangkok, from August 7 to 9.

The three-day conference drew hundreds of academics from Asia and beyond. "This conference enabled us to build on and expand our existing knowledge in the region in very creative and collaborative ways," said Thailand Tesol's president, Prof. Dr Akara Akaranithi.

This was the first time that Thailand Tesol had joined hands with Asia Tefl in hosting the conference. "We wanted to give an opportunity to regional English-language teachers to expose themselves in the international arena, and through this kind of exposure, we could develop their professionalism in the English-language teaching profession," said Prof. Dr Hyo-Woong Lee, president of Asia Tefl.

Full story...

Quangos blackball ... oops, sorry ... veto ‘racist’ everyday phrases

By Chris Hastings, TimesOnline.co.uk

It could be construed as a black day for the English language — but not if you work in the public sector.

Dozens of quangos and taxpayer-funded organisations have ordered a purge of common words and phrases so as not to cause offence.

Among the everyday sayings that have been quietly dropped in a bid to stamp out racism and sexism are “whiter than white”, “gentleman’s agreement”, “black mark” and “right-hand man”.

The Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission has advised staff to replace the phrase “black day” with “miserable day”, according to documents released under freedom of information rules.

Full story...

Mind your language

By Gbenga Olorunpomi

Adedayo Olugbemi is what Nigerians would call "omo butter" (privileged child). He and his three sisters have spent all their lives in Lagos and in their family, everyone interacts in English.

His parents, who are from Isanlu, a village in Kogi State, never taught their children how to speak their language, Yagba.

"Daddy didn't want us to look local," said the University of Ilorin graduate. "Now he is angry we can't speak the language and compares us with his friends' children who can."

Mr. Olugbemi is not alone. Quite a number of Lagosians have little or no cultural connections to their roots. Some understand their native languages, but can hardly carry a conversation in it. Some only leave Lagos when it's time to go to university and have never been to their ancestral homes.

Full story...

High-point teen discovers musical way to teach English

By Jimmy Tomlin, High Point Enterprise, N.C.

Joseph Terrell left for college this weekend, just another eager, slightly apprehensive freshman who's not yet sure what he wants to do with his life.

But for two months this summer, the 19-year-old Terrell knew exactly what he wanted to do—and he had a blast doing it—earning himself the unofficial designation as Rwanda's coolest English teacher.

Terrell, of High Point, just returned from Shyira, a small town in the mountains of western Rwanda, where he employed a most unusual tool—an acoustic guitar—to teach English to Rwandan children at a primary school.

"I found music to be the perfect tool," says Terrell, a 2008 graduate of High Point Central High School.

Full story...