Michael McCarthy in Ecuador

Michael McCarthy, author of the popular series Touchstone, English Vocabulary in Use, as well as various other famous titles, will be in Quito and Guayaquil next week. Come meet the author of these ELT books and learn more about Corpus Linguistics at his seminar, "Spoken Fluency in Theory and Practice", in Guayaquil on October 10, 4-7 pm in Centro Empresarial Las Cámaras, Salón Las Cámaras, or in Quito on October 11, 4-7 pm, Centro Cultural de la Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador. Reservations through the Quito-Guayaquil offices need to be made in order to ensure seating.
From the seminar invitation:

Fluency is a word we use a lot in language teaching and speaking a language fluently is seen as the ultimate goal for many learners. But what exactly is fluency in spoken language? Is it that language just "flows" from us without our needing to practice or rehearse? Is it the ability to speak fast, to speak smoothly, to speak without faltering and hesitating? If so, then many native speakers fail the test. in this presentation we look at notions of fluency, present examples of antive- and non-native spoken fluency, and conclude that fluency is a property of conversations rather than jsut a talent of individuals. We look at how fluency can be promoted in the classroom.

No jobs for Anglophones (English-speakers)

The French are known for being protective of their language and a bit "anti-American", but is this going too far? Kim Willsher writes an article for The Guardian about how a number of Anglophones in France feel that they are being discriminated against and not allowed to teach English in select universities because of elitism. Some Americans are crying foul at the French system, claiming that they need to have perfect French in order to pass the exams that allow them to teach English (which, in their opinion, doesn't make sense). While it may not be the exact situation here in Ecuador, it raises some important questions:

• Should any English-speaker be allowed to teach English, or should they go through rigorous training such as that in France?
• Is it necessary for English teachers to know the language of the country they teach in?
• Should public universities and schools restrict the number of native English-speakers that can teach in their institutions, in order to give more opportunities to the non-native teachers?
• If the number of Anglophones working in a public institution is restricted, is this fair to the students? Will this affect their learning English?

I think we need to hear from the students themselves. Post a comment below if you have an opinion!

Prospective Teachers

Why are you learning English? Is it for a job? Is it because you plan to work or study abroad? Is it because you simply like the language? There are as many reasons for studying English as there are people, but one thing you all have in common is that, once you've mastered the language, you could become potential English teachers. Maybe this option is the one for you.

In Ecuador, many college graduates find a hard time getting into their field. But, if you know English, you always have something to fall back on, since there never seems to be a shortage of institutions needing English teachers or tutors. One thing you will need to teach English, however, is a TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) Teacher Training Certificate. CEC-EPN's TEFL course can help you with this requirement. This 120-hour certificate is officially recognized by Juniata College of Huntingdon, Pennsylvania, and is offered 2-3 times a year. The price you pay for this course is a steal in comparison with other courses of the same caliber. Better yet, Ecuadorian residents get a 50% discount!

If you have an interest in teaching English, or are already a teacher yourself and would like to learn new techniques, trends and methods in the field, our TEFL course is right for you. Check it out at our web site, leave a message here in the comments field, or send me, Kari, an email message with TEFL in the subject line and I can get you more information.

CEC also welcomes people from other countries who would like to come and obtain their TEFL certification while learning Spanish and traveling Ecuador. Contact us today!