An article written by Anaheim University TESOL graduate Okon Effiong has been published in a leading international magazine for language teachers. The article, "Tuning Learners up with 'Sweet Nothings' in the Language Classroom," offers strategies for helping students relax in class, overcome shyness, and feel comfortable with each other. It is featured in the December 2008 issue of Essential Teacher, the quarterly magazine of the TESOL association.
Mr. Effiong, 48, who graduated with his MA in TESOL from Anaheim University in 2008, based the article on his experiences teaching English at Kogakkan University in Japan and at Kantan English House, a small private language school he runs. He said: “I do things in the classroom to help my students relax sufficiently and feel comfortable with each other, enough to speak English with minimal or no inhibitions. We learn in a fun way and truly have fun in the classroom and the students do not even realize they are improving on a weekly basis, but I do. It is more like a family than a classroom.”
In particular, Mr. Effiong wants to help Japanese students overcome their shyness, and he stresses taking an unconventional approach to do so. “My mission statement is to make Japanese speak English, wherever I may be offered a chance to support their learning. If the tried and tested methods yield the same results, year in year out, why stick with them?
“I am particularly interested in finding out what learning strategies help individual learners achieve their learning goals, and how learners can be supported to discover unique, possibly inherent strategies which may not be apparent until they are triggered. My work then is to help the learners find or discover the switch that would trigger the realization or awareness of the strategy,” he said.
Mr. Effiong’s stress on an unconventional approach reflects his own unconventional life in general: born in Nigeria and speaking four Nigerian languages, he spent 34 years there before moving to England for 10 years, and finally moving to Japan four years ago. He now lives in Kyoto.
The holder of two Master’s degrees (TESOL and Botany) and a Postgraduate Diploma (IT and Management), he taught undergraduate genetics for six years at the Federal University of Technology, Minna, Nigeria, served as a research visitor at the University of Reading in the UK, and taught children with autism at the Loddon School, Basingstoke, Hampshire, in England. It was TESOL though that was to become his passion in life. Appropriately, he became interested in the field, in his words, “for the love of a woman.” While in England in 2002, he met Hiromi, a Japanese woman who was visiting England and who would later become his wife. He moved to Japan to be with Hiromi and obtained a TESOL Certificate to help him find his first teaching job there.
Mr. Effiong said he enjoys TESOL for several reasons including, “the flexibility it offers whereby you can try a teaching method that works well or adapt a particular style to different teaching situations.” He added: “I am an academic ‘jack-of-all-trades’, having attempted Master's in three different fields including IT and Management, and the snow-balling effect of the knowledge from the different fields simply makes me a different sort of teacher. I am never shy to try new things. If I do and it fails, I apologize to whoever is unhappy with my effort, but if it works, then everybody is happy.”
To be eligible for more challenging teaching opportunities, Mr. Effiong wanted to earn a Master’s degree in TESOL and chose Anaheim University. He now reflects fondly on his Anaheim experience: “Apart from being taught by very good professors, the program brought out the side I hardly knew existed in Okon. The way the program is run helps you to discover yourself, and this is what I am trying to do to my students. I help them discover the hidden talents and skills which laid dormant in them as a result of learning in traditional classrooms.
“A Certificate in TESOL is a good start but I would recommend the MA TESOL program that Anaheim offers to any aspiring and practicing teachers because it makes the scales drop off your eyes and you can see beyond conventional wisdom.”?
Mr. Effiong would now like to pursue a doctoral degree in TESOL while still finding time to spend with his wife, learn new web design tools, cook, and dance to R & B and hip hop music. He had also presented at conferences in France and Japan on issues related to intellectual disabilities including Asperger Syndrome and autism. With such a varied background to draw on, he is able to provide sound advice to his fellow language teachers. He advises: “If you are a language teacher, wherever you may be, try and make a difference. If you are not given enough responsibilities to challenge you, create one. Be happy, or create happiness for yourself because life is too short.”
Anaheim University's faculty of globally acclaimed linguists were hosted by California State University Fullerton at an open TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) Seminar on Saturday, November 1st. The sessions were conducted by professors from Anaheim University's Graduate School of Education including Anaheim University's Dean Dr. David Nunan, Chair of the School of Education Dr. Rod Ellis and TESOL Professor Dr. Kathleen Bailey. Dr. David Nunan is former President of the world's largest language teaching organization TESOL and the world's leading author of over 100 English language teaching textbooks and journals with worldwide textbook sales exceeding 1,000,000,000. Dr. Rod Ellis is known throughout the world as one of the foremost thought leaders in Second Language Acquisition and Dr. Kathleen Bailey is a former TESOL President and renowned American linguist.
The event, which was held on the campus of California State University Fullerton was open to the public at no charge. TESOL faculty and students from local colleges and universities including UCLA, USC, California State University Long Beach, California State University Fullerton, California State Polytechnic University Pomona, Alliant International University, University of California Irvine, California Baptist University, Chapman University, Soka University, Long Beach City College, Orange Coast College, Irvine Valley College, Santiago Canyon College, were in attendance. During the session, Dr. Rod Ellis spoke on Learning Beliefs and Language Learning, Dr. Kathleen Bailey spoke on What is this thing called innovation and David Nunan spoke on Shifting Sands: The evolving story of qualitative research in ELT, followed by a Q & A session with the 3 renowned linguists. The event concluded with Anaheim City Councilman Harry Sidhu presenting awards to the faculty of Anaheim University, California State University Fullerton and Alliant International University commemorating the event.
According to Anaheim University President Dr. William Hartley, We are extremely pleased to have been invited by California State University Fullerton to speak to the local Southern California TESOL community. Since 1998 we have been pioneering the field of online education and have been focusing our efforts on promoting English language education in Asia where we have worked with local governments to run these types of workshops. With the overwhelming number of language problems faced in today's multi-cultural and multi-lingual classrooms, we are happy to see our work coming back home where we have a lot of work to do here in Southern California.
California State University Fullerton
Participants network after the TESOL seminar at California State University Fullerton
Anaheim City Councilman Harry Sidhu (Right) presents award to Anaheim University Dean of the Graduate School of Education Dr. David Nunan (Center) and Anaheim University President Dr. William Hartley (Left)
AU Chair of the Graduate School of Education Dr. Rod Ellis (Center) receives award from Anaheim City Councilman Harry Sidhu (Right)
Anaheim University City Councilman Harry Sidhu (Right) presents award to California State University Fullerton Dept. of Modern Languages & Literatures Teaching and Learning Coordinator Dr. Juan Carlos Gallego (Center)
Alliant International University Systemwide Systemwide Director of TESOL, Dr. Mary Ellen Butler-Pascoe (Left) receives award from Anaheim City Councilman Harry Sidhu (right)
AU Dean of the Graduate School of Education Dr. David Nunan speaks on "Shifting Sands: The evolving story of qualitative research in ELT"
Anaheim University TESOL Professor Dr. Kathleen Bailey speaks on "What is this thing called "Innovation"?"
Local TESOL community from Orange County and Los Angeles attend Anaheim University - California State University Fullerton - Alliant International University joint TESOL Seminar
Dr. Rod Ellis, Chair of the Anaheim University Graduate School of Education spoke on behalf of Anaheim University at Seoul National University on Tuesday June 17th. As the second part in the Seminar Series of the TESOL Alliance between the Seoul National University Foreign Language Education Research Institute and the Anaheim University Graduate School of Education, Dr. Rod Ellis gave a lecture entitled "Written Corrective Feedback" on the campus of Seoul National University in Seoul, Korea. In attendance were students, faculty and the general public.
Summary:
How teachers correct second language (L2) students' writing is a topic that has attracted enormous interest from researchers and teachers alike. However, as a recent review of feedback on L2 students' writing (Hyland and Hyland 2006) makes clear, despite all the research there are still no clear answers to the questions researchers have addressed. In this talk I examine the various options (both familiar and less familiar) for correcting students' written work. I will focus on just one kind of correction - the correction of linguistic errors - and consider studies that have examined the different options by way of illustrating how they have been investigated and the limitations in the research to date. I will argue that identifying the options in a systematic way is essential for both determining whether written corrective feedback is effective and, if it is, what kind of corrective feedback is most effective.
About Dr. Rod Ellis
Dr. Rod Ellis is Chair of the Anaheim University Graduate School of Education. A renowned linguist, Dr. Ellis received his Doctorate from the University of London and his Master of Education from the University of Bristol. A former professor at Temple University both in Japan and the US, Prof. Ellis has taught in numerous positions in England, Japan, the US, Zambia and New Zealand. Dr. Ellis, who is known as an expert in Second Language Acquisition, has served as the Director of the Institute of Language Teaching and Learning at the University of Auckland. Author of numerous student and teacher-training textbooks for Prentice Hall and Oxford University Press, Prof. Ellis's textbooks on Second Language Acquisition and Grammar are core textbooks in TESOL and Linguistics programs around the world.
ABOUT ANAHEIM UNIVERSITY
Anaheim University is a pioneering online institution of higher learning, founded in Orange County, California in 1996. The University operates under the approval of the State of California in accordance with the requirements set forth by the Bureau for Private Post-Secondary and Vocational Education, and is authorized to grant graduate degrees at the master level under the degree-granting authority of the Bureau for Private Post-Secondary and Vocational Education. The University currently offers an Online Masters degree in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (MA TESOL) as well as an Online Global Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree. With its administrative offices located in the city of Anaheim, the University hosts a state-of-the-art High Definition Digital Film and Editing Studio for live online broadcasting and online learning resource creation in Irvine, California. In addition, the Anaheim University Akio Morita Learning Center's classroom facilities, located in the Minami Aoyama area of Minato-ku, Tokyo offers local support services for students in Japan. The University, through its state-of-the-art computer-mediated learning environment, provides opportunities for students around the globe to interact with the most renowned experts in their fields allowing them to both further their knowledge and advance their professional skills in a user-friendly and interactive environment. 100% of the University's professors are experienced professionals holding doctoral degrees from accredited universities.
Anaheim University, California State University of Fullerton and Alliant International University, have come together to co-host an English language teaching seminar and four-day workshop featuring Anaheim University's world-renowned faculty. The sessions will be conducted by professors from Anaheim University's Graduate School of Education, including Anaheim's Dean Dr. David Nunan, former President of the world's largest language teaching organization TESOL and the world's leading author of over 100 English language teaching textbooks and journals with worldwide textbook sales exceeding 1,000,000,000; Anaheim University Chair of the School of Education Dr. Rod Ellis who is known throughout the world as the Father of Second Language Acquisition; and former TESOL President and renowned American linguist Dr. Kathleen Bailey. The event will be held in Orange County, California at Alliant International University's Irvine Learning Center and on the campus of California State University of Fullerton. Teachers of English as a Foreign Language from all over the world will be flying in to attend this event from October 30th through November 2nd 2008 with a seminar open to the public at no charge being held on the campus of Cal State Fullerton on Saturday, November 1st.
Anaheim University's Chair of the Board of Advisors, Dr. Clive L. Grafton, who was a Professor and Associate Dean of the School of Education at the University of Southern California for 23 years, stated, "I'm truly pleased with the worldwide impact of our English teacher training programs. We have been working with Alliant International University for the past 8 years and we are pleased to cooperate with Cal State Fullerton. To date our focus has been on promoting English language education in Asia where we have worked with local governments to run these types of workshops. We have launched a major initiative in Japan and South Korea where we have run seminar alliances with some of Asia's most prestigious institutions including Sophia University in Japan and Seoul National University in Korea. We are currently a market leader in English teacher training in Japan where we host a learning center and our programs are growing rapidly. We have recently entered into an agreement with our Korean partner E-Future, a publishing company focusing on children's English language education, and are launching teacher certification programs to both teachers of adults and children in Korea with plans to launch programs in China, Malaysia and Taiwan in 2009. However we are happy to see our work coming back home where we have a lot of work to do here in Southern California. Cut backs in public funding have resulted in less resources and learning opportunities for our local school teachers and we are here to address this problem. We welcome public and private school teachers and university faculty from all California schools to take part in this exciting opportunity."