Chinese Students’ Obesession with English

Posted on: October 6th, 2011 @ 6:48 PM by christine
Learn to Read English in China

300 Million Chinese People are Learning to Read English

In a recent China Real Time Report, Chinese cities are littered with billboards and flyers advertising help with China’s newest obsession: learning to speak, write, and read English.

For many Chinese youth, TOEF, or Test of English as a Foreign Language is one of the most important, if not the most important, test they will take in their young lives.

Worried that this preoccupation with English is contributing to a decline in native language skills, officials at the Ministry of Education are now trying to get students to return to their linguistic roots.

There are around 300 million Chinese people learning English, China’s premier Wen Jiabao boasted in a 2009 speech. Last year, ETS, the creator of the TOEFL, said it saw a 30% increase year-to-year in the number of Chinese test takers.

McKinsey & Co. estimates that China’s foreign-language business is worth $2.1 billion annually.

Despite the considerable time and money spent, not all of 300 million of China’s English students are fluent. One report earlier this year by an English-teaching company gave China a “low proficiency” rating, ranking it 29th among 44 nations that speak English as a second language. Another company said many of the 11,000 people it surveyed in China wouldn’t be able to keep up with a business meeting conducted in English.

Chinese students aren’t the only ones who find themselves struggling with language skills. Statistics showed that the most recent U.S. graduating class of 2011 produced the lowest scores ever recorded for the SAT college-entrance exam thanks largely to record-low reading and writing results, while in 2009, only 38% of high-school seniors performed at or above a proficient English reading level.

Reading Horizons offers a research-based solution to teach students everywhere how to decode (break-apart sounds/letters) and encode (bring together sounds/letters) to make learning to read English simple, easy and affordable. Check out this free Word Builder Practice Tool >

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Room to Read: Zambia

Posted on: September 21st, 2011 @ 4:37 PM by christine

Teaching Phonics Makes the Difference

Literacy remains among the most neglected of all education goals, with about 759 million adults lacking literacy skills today.  According to the most recent UNESCO global statistics, illiteracy rates have increased by 5% for males and 10% for females in the least developed countries since 1990.

Room to Read seeks to do their part by improving the quality of reading instruction in the schools and countries where they work so that children acquire both the skill and habit of reading, thus becoming lifelong independent readers.

Zambia Case Study

Ms. Sharon Chanda sings instructions to her class.

It starts as a few students from the table underneath the mtondo (mango) sign scramble to the front of the room. They are soon joined by their classmates who sit below the dangling nanazi (pineapple). As they settle, they don’t miss a beat in the call and response routine.

As Ms. Chanda calls out in Chinyanja, the language of instruction for these first graders in Zambia, the students sing back a melodic reply. The exercise is one of many teaching methods Ms. Chanda learned through the in-service training she received as part of Room to Read’s Literacy Instruction program. “The students have always been eager to learn,” she shares, “but the Literacy Instruction program has inspired them to be more curious in their studies.”

While the first graders wait patiently on the mat, their fingers dance in anticipation of the phonics game they’ve gathered to play.  She hands out letter cards and has students match the letters to the sounds on the wall.  Ms. Chanda believes this interactive approach is working. “I have never seen my students have so much fun while in class”, she shares. “Reading and learning are no longer droning activity for them—it’s fun.”

As the phonics game comes to an end, select students report to Ms. Chanda to deliver the next exercise back to their respective tables. Once reunited, the teams work together to match the phonics in pairs with their corresponding vowel sounds—speaking each pair aloud to check their answers.  “Ba, be, bi, bo, bu,” they chant together, grinning from ear-to-ear.

You can access free phonics games, worksheets and activities to help you in your class here >

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Bringing Literacy to Nigeria’s People

Posted on: July 26th, 2011 @ 10:08 PM by christine

literacy and nigeria

Although Nigeria has made considerable progress towards Education for All, illiteracy remains a major problem, with an estimated 50 million adults who cannot read or write. Furthermore, some 8.6 million Nigerian primary-age children are out-of-school.

Without the ability to read, Nigeria will fall further behind in a technologically competitive world marketplace. While the government views literacy as a necessary component of its advancement in the global world, the rural inhabitants do not place great value upon it. The first and most obvious reason for the general apathy in literacy education is that it is not needed to “survive” in their indigenous environment. In order for Education for All to work for all, there must be rewards and incentives factored into the program.

Nigeria is just one of many countries such as Pakistan, Indonesia, and others who suffer from lack of basic needs including education. Reading Horizons has been an active participant in promoting literacy throughout the world. The company has provided online reading software and direct instruction materials to Rising Star Outreach, a school for children who come from India’s leprosy colonies.

Tell us what you are doing to promote literacy in your country?

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Great ESL Programs Make Happy ESL Students

Posted on: June 10th, 2011 @ 5:09 PM by admin

(This post was originally posted on our Reading Horizons Happenings Blog).

The other week we were discussing company culture and one of our employees mentioned the campaign: “Great Cheese Comes from Happy Cows.” There were a few blank stares so we pulled up YouTube:



After seeing this video footage from Cunard Learning Centre in Halifax, Nova Scotia (one of the centers that use our ESL program), there was no choice but to create a spinoff of the Happy Cows campaign called: “Great ESL Programs Make Happy ESL Students.”

If you want to create happy ESL students, here are some free resources you can use that Reading Horizons provides for ESL teachers:

  1. Webinar: “Why Phonics for ELL’s?” by Heidi Hyte
  2. Pronunciation Proficiency Tool (helps ESL students practice the different sounds in the English language)
  3. Reading Horizons Online Workshop for Teachers (provides teachers with a complete overview of Reading Horizons methodology and teaching tips)

Let us know what has worked for you to create happy ESL students!

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International Reading Tents

Posted on: May 19th, 2011 @ 5:10 PM by christine

interational reading tents

Originally started in Uganda in 2004, reading tents are a wonderful way to bring literacy to global rural areas.

Reading tents promote reading for leisure. The tent signifies the informal environment, which deviates from the formal way of learning. Books for both adults and children, literates and neo-literates, English and local languages, are displayed on stands, tables and mats for the public to access. Such events normally run for two to three days.

The Objectives for The Reading Tent are:

  • To make available a variety of reading materials to the community
  • To promote a shared enjoyment of reading for both children and adults
  • To donate follow-up reading materials for functional adult literacy learners
  • To donate books to participating schools to boost their school libraries
  • To donate books to communities that are ready to start community libraries
  • To give participants insight into the process of writing and other means of expression such as storytelling, poetry recitation, short dramas, songs and painting.

Other Ideas and Activities to Promote Reading

1) Read-aloud marathon which involves choosing a book of moderate length that appeals to the age group and asking each person to read aloud from the book for a set time or until the story reaches an exciting turn, then pass on the book to the next reader.

2) Storytelling, poem recitals, quiz, debates, spelling and other competitive activities for both primary and secondary school students

3) Creative work like clay molding, art work, and indoor games

4) Adult learners reading and telling folk tales to the children

5) Display of books and other information materials by local writers and booksellers, and any other interested persons.

6) Participants as authors, where participants are asked to write and illustrate their own stories. After writing, they bind their work into book form.

7) Book donations to participating schools.

8) Book donation to communities that are willing to start a community library.

We applaud the National Library of Uganda for their vision and support of literacy and encourage all nations to make English literacy a top priority.

Experience a top-rated, very effective phonics-based English reading system at an affordable price. Take a tour here >

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Short Stories for ESL Students to Read

Posted on: May 13th, 2011 @ 5:00 PM by christine

Short Stories for ESL Classrooms

An interesting way to help emerging readers enjoy reading English is to give them short stories to read. Pair students off and have one read while the other student writes notes about the main points of the story. Then switch roles by having the other student read and one write down the main ideas. These reading helps are for beginning ESL students.

Story #1

Lisa loves to go shopping. Tomorrow she is going shopping. She needs a new pair of shoes. She wants to buy a pair of red shoes. She thinks red shoes are pretty. She will buy a pair of shoes at the mall. Lisa usually shops at the mall. The mall is only a mile from her house. She just walks to the mall. It only takes her 20 minutes. Tomorrow she will go to four different shoe stores. Tomorrow is Saturday. The mall always has sales on Saturday. If the sale price is good, Lisa might buy two pairs of shoes.

Story #2

Fay went into the bathroom. She turned on the cold water. She turned on the hot water. Warm water came out of the faucet. She put her hands under the warm water. She rubbed her hands together. She picked up a bar of white soap. She rubbed the soap with her hands. She put the soap back. She washed her hands for half a minute. Then she rinsed her hands with the water. She turned off the hot water. She turned off the cold water. She dried her hands with a towel.

Story #3

She was angry. She was angry with her brother. Her brother didn’t help her. She needed to borrow $1,000. She had asked her brother to lend her $1,000. He said no. Her brother said he didn’t have $1,000. Her brother was lying. Her brother had $10,000. He had ten times $1,000. Why did he lie to her? Why didn’t he tell her the truth? Why didn’t he lend her $1,000? She said, “I know you have $10,000. All I want is $1,000. I will pay you back next year. You will get your money back next year.” He said no. He said people shouldn’t borrow money. He said people shouldn’t lend money. “But I’m not ‘people’,” she said. “I’m your sister!”

Story #4

Emma went to the market. She needed to buy food. She needed brown eggs. She opened a carton of brown eggs. She looked at the eggs. None of them were cracked. None of them were broken. All the eggs were okay. She closed the carton. She put the carton of eggs in her shopping cart. She needed red apples. She looked at a bag of red apples. She looked for dark spots on the apples. She looked for worm holes in the apples. She didn’t see any dark spots or worm holes. She put the bag of apples in her shopping cart.

Story #5

Christopher wrote a letter to his sister. His sister lived in another city. His sister did not have a computer. Neither did he. His sister didn’t like to use the phone. Neither did he. He wrote his sister a long letter. He told her the news in his life. He told her that he had a new job. He told her that he had a new girlfriend. He told her that he had a new car. He had lots of news for his sister. She would be happy to read his letter. Then she would send him a letter. Her letter would have lots of news, too.

Story #6

She won the contest. She won the Rose Queen contest. She was the new queen for the Rose Parade. She was so happy. She would be in the parade on New Year’s Day. She was so excited. She would be on TV. Millions of people would see her. She would wave to people on the sidewalks in Pasadena. Pasadena was the home of the Rose Parade. Every year, thousands of people spent New Year’s Eve on the sidewalks of Pasadena. They wanted to see the Rose Parade. Almost 50 floats are in the Rose Parade every year. All the floats are beautiful. They have lots of beautiful flowers. She would ride on a beautiful float. She would wave to everyone. Her parents and friends were so happy for her.

Learn about the Pronunciation Proficiency Tool that has been incorporated in the proven, research-based Reading Horizons v.5.

Stories courtesy of: http://www.rong-chang.com/nse/

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Categories: Classroom Tips, ESL Activities, English Pronunciation, Free Resources, Uncategorized
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American Culture in the ESL Classroom: Mother’s Day

Posted on: May 6th, 2011 @ 3:42 PM by christine
Flowers for Mom

Mother's Day in America

Today the American holiday of Mother’s Day is always designated as the second Sunday of May and is celebrated with gifts, cards, flowers, and chocolates. Your ESL students may be interested in learning how Mother’s Day came to be in the U.S.

The origins of this day for mothers began as a religious holiday, Mothering Day, held in England in the 1800’s, American Julia Ward Howe, who wrote the words to the Battle Hymn of the Republic, suggested the idea of an International Mother’s day to celebrate peace and motherhood in 1872.

Another American woman who worked to establish Mother’s Day as a national celebration was the mother of Anna Jarvis. Mrs. Anna Maria Reeves Jarvis held an annual gathering, that she called Mother’s Friendship Day, to heal the pain of the American Civil War. After she died in 1905, Anna continued her mother’s efforts by campaigning for the establishment of an official Mother’s Day to commemorate her mother.

Anna hoped that honoring mothers everywhere would encourage respect, love, and unity in American families. She presented her Mother’s Day idea to government leaders and businessmen.

On the second anniversary of her own mother’s death, Anna honored her mother during church services. She handed out her mother’s favorite flowers, the white carnation. In Victorian times this flower represented sweetness, purity, and patience.

Anna’s hard work finally paid off in the year 1914, when President Woodrow Wilson issued the first proclamation making Mother’s Day an official national holiday.

Initially the idea was that on Mother’s Day, the U.S. flag would be displayed on government buildings and at people’s homes “as a public expression of our love and reverence for the mothers of our country.” Over time, Mother’s Day has become very commercial. This was never Anna’s intent, she wanted the holiday to one of reverence and sentiment.

Regardless, mothers in every land deserve our thanks and appreciation.

American Culture – Applications for the ESL Classroom

After reviewing the history of Mother’s Day in America, point out some of the more interesting terms in the story and ask:

  • What is the Battle Hymn of the Republic?
  • What do you know about the American Civil War?
  • What are Victorian times and the language of flowers?

Listed below are some quotes and poems about mothers to share with your ESL class:

“Youth fades; love droops, the leaves of friendship fall; A mother’s secret hope outlives them all.” -Oliver Wendell Holmes

“My mother was the most beautiful woman I ever saw. All I am I owe to my mother. I attribute all my success in life to the moral, intellectual and physical education I received from her.” -George Washington

“Mama exhorted her children at every opportunity to ‘jump at de sun.’ We might not land on the sun, but at least we would get off the ground.” -Zora Neale Hurston

“I love you,”
said a great mother.
“I love you for what you are
knowing so well what you are.
And I love you more yet, child,
deeper yet than ever, child,
for what you are going to be,
knowing so well you are going far,
knowing your great works are ahead,
ahead and beyond,
yonder and far over yet.”

~Carl Sandburg

“Nobody knows of the work it makes
To keep the home together.
Nobody knows of the steps it takes,
Nobody knows-but Mother.”

-Anonymous

Mother’s Day has flourished in the United States has become one of the most popular days of the year. The idea of Mother’s day has spread to various countries of the world.

So whether you say Muttertag, La Festa della Mamma, Mothering Sunday, Fête des Mères, Día de las Madres, or any other language… Happy Mother’s Day from Reading Horizons!

You can sample the award-winning Reading Horizons reading software at no cost, and with no-obligation. Find out how to take advantage of this offer here!

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Categories: American Culture, ESL, ESL Activities, Holidays
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Earth Day Reading Activities for ESL Classrooms

Posted on: April 26th, 2011 @ 3:53 PM by christine
ESL-earth-day-activities

ESL Earth Day Activities

Every year on April 22, we celebrate Earth Day. You can help your ESL students understand this worldwide movement by talking about some environmentalists who have been the force behind ecology and conservation.

John Muir (1838-1914) had a lifelong passion for hiking and wandering in the wilderness of the western United States. He had a profound influence on American President, Theodore Roosevelt, and was one of the founders of the Sierra Club.

Aldo Leopold (1887-1948) worked for the U.S. Forest Service and was a defender of animals and wilderness management. His best-known book is, A Sand County Almanac.

Julia ‘Butterfly’ Hill (1974-) nearly died in an automobile accident in 1996. Since that time she has devoted her life to environmental causes. She lived in the branches of an ancient redwood tree located in Northern California to prevent it from being cut down. She named the tree Luna.

Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862) was one of America’s first writer-activists. He lived alone in a small house he built near Walden Pond in Massachusetts. He later wrote his book, Walden – A Life in the Woods.

Rachel Carson (1907-1964) graduated from John Hopkins University and worked for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. She wrote the highly controversial book, Silent Spring, in which she described the lasting effects of pesticides on the environment.

Other activities for your ESL class include:

  • Making an Earth Day flag
  • Picking up trash and garbage around the school building
  • Planting a small community garden

It’ so nice to celebrate Mother Earth with a special day or month of activities for your ESL students.

Need help with accent reduction? Try our free PronunciationTool!

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Categories: Accent Reduction, American Culture, Classroom Tips, ESL, ESL Activities
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Conversation Partners Help ESL Students with English

Posted on: April 22nd, 2011 @ 9:46 PM by christine
Native English Speaking Partners

Use Conversation Partners to Practice English

The success of using conversation partners in the ESL classroom relies heavily on the ability of the instructor to locate native English speakers who are willing to donate an hour of time each week.

So, what exactly are conversation partners?

Conversation partners provide opportunities for international students to practice their spoken English with an American or native English speaking adult outside of the classroom. Partners can also promote intercultural understanding and awareness.

Although conversation partners may occasionally find that they are explaining English language points, they should not be expected to function as an ESL teacher. Instead a good partner will give students plenty of speaking practice and help build confidence. Encourage conversation partners to:

  • Speak at a Natural Pace – 
Slow down only when absolutely necessary. An ESL student will probably not understand everything, which provides an opportunity for the student to practice by asking for clarification.
  • Check Comprehension – 
Many students will nod as the conversation partner speaks even though they don’t understand what they are saying. If an ESL student nods a lot, gets a blank look, or becomes silent, the partner should ask whether he or she understands. If not, the partner may need to slow down or at least simplify the vocabulary.
  • Elaborate Topics – Partners should stay on one topic as long as they can. This helps an ESL student learn to carry on a conversation rather than just answering a series of unrelated questions.
  • Minimize Error Correction – 
Constant correction slows down conversation and hinders the development of fluency. Partners should correct only those errors that block communication.

An adaptation of this popular English teaching strategy is to locate a few native English speakers who can meet as the leader of a group of 3-4 ESL students once a week for an hour.

Using Skype as method of delivering conversation partners to the classroom is another viable approach.

Have you successfully used conversation partners in the ESL classroom?

If you missed the free Phonics for ELL’s webinar, you can access it here!

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Categories: Accent Reduction, American Culture, ESL, ESL Activities, English Language Learners, English Pronunciation, Pronunciation, Teaching English
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Learn to Read English Without Fear

Posted on: April 14th, 2011 @ 7:36 PM by christine

Understanding Foreign Words

My husband is a native English speaker, but he also speaks French. English is my first and only language. However, I have had the wonderful opportunity to spend time in Brazil, Switzerland, Italy, Austria, and Germany.

Thinking back on those trips with little more than the will to learn my way around and a good foreign language dictionary, I remember having a few moments of doubt and fear.

One time in particular I wanted to go inside a bank in Germany. The glass doors into the bank were each marked with a word, StoBen and Ziehen. It took me a few minutes to realize that one word meant “push” and the other meant “pull.” I tried to push the correct door when I should have pulled and vice-versa for what felt like 20 minutes but really only could have been less than one minute. And I have to admit that I did start to panic.

Then there was the time I went into a Chinese restaurant in Germany only to find that the menu was printed in both Chinese and German but not English. No one working at, or patronizing, the restaurant spoke English either. I started to feel apprehension as I pointed out the words on the menu. To this day I cannot tell you what I ate.

So yes, I understand the concept of fear when it comes to reading a language that you are unfamiliar with.  But there are things that ESL students can do to master reading and speaking in English without fear.

  • Listen to English Music and Books on CD or an MP3 Player – The best way to do this is to get a copy of the lyrics or written words and read along as you listen. This exercise will help improve reading comprehension and fluency.
  • Watch American Films and Television – Viewing American films or television can expand your vocabulary and help you understand cultural nuances and accents.
  • Surround Yourself with Native English – Whenever possible, read English out loud and speak with every native speaker you can find. One reason is that this will help with retention and with a natural flow to your accent and speech.
  • Use Free Online Reading Resources – The Free Reading Horizons Pronunciation Tool helps ESL, English Language Learners, and struggling readers improve their speaking abilities. The tool visually shows the proper tongue placement when sounding out letters of the alphabet. It also allows the user to record their voice and compare it with the correct pronunciation.

Whatever you do to improve your English speaking and reading skills, relax and enjoy the process. It’s true – there really is nothing to fear but fear itself.

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Categories: Accent Reduction, American Culture, EFL, ESL, ESL Activities, English Language Learners, English Pronunciation
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