The second year of the ICC certified LANCELOT course will start in January 2009 and we warmly invite you to consider getting certified. Four months, a total of 120 hours, of which we spend together 26h in groups sessions, 26 hours in peer-to-peer work, 72 hours creating teaching and learning material, slides, podcasts, surveys and reflective writing for the portfolio, then the 20min live online assessment, a lesson plan and in the end a certificate as a LANCELOT trainer.
The question is, what do I learn in 4 months? Why so long? How do I fit this into my busy daily schedule? How much do I need to learn each week? What prerequisites are there for the course? How much does it cost?
...and then....
Can I really work as a live online language trainer after wards? What does this certificate stand for? What can I do with it? Is there a demand on the market for live online language learning? Will I see a 'return on my investment'?
... we also ask these questions ...
What is so special about teaching live online? Can not everybody with a Skype account teach? Where is the future of live online language learning? Does this complement or replace 'classical' e-learning?
We would really like to answer these questions for you. We have regularly scheduled Virtual Round Tables. Would you be interested in attending? If so, register and we will contact you with further information.
REGISTRATION
To reserve a virtual seat for a Virtual Round Table and have these questions answered, please register on our registration page.
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Myngle Demo
CWC Now is co-branded as a school in Myngle and I'm blown away by the demo that they just made and have started sharing. This shows exactly why I love live online language training! Check out the following link
Sunday, July 20, 2008
Vocabulary Activities
The following are free vocabulary games and activities that I just set up to share with the world! Share these sites with your friends and colleagues and especially your students. The topics include the following:
Business English Vocabulary
Bilingual Activities
IFRS Vocabulary Activities
Human Resources Management Vocabulary Activities
English & French Vocabulary Activities
English & Spanish Vocabulary Activities
English & Finnish Vocabulary Activities
English & German Vocabulary Activities
Finnish & German Vocabulary Activities
English & Italian Vocabulary Activities
Holiday English Vocabulary Activities
General English Vocabulary Activities
Biblical English Vocabulary Activities
Accounting Vocabulary
Grammar Activities
Listening Activities
Reading Activities
Trivia
Legal English
Business English Vocabulary
Bilingual Activities
IFRS Vocabulary Activities
Human Resources Management Vocabulary Activities
English & French Vocabulary Activities
English & Spanish Vocabulary Activities
English & Finnish Vocabulary Activities
English & German Vocabulary Activities
Finnish & German Vocabulary Activities
English & Italian Vocabulary Activities
Holiday English Vocabulary Activities
General English Vocabulary Activities
Biblical English Vocabulary Activities
Accounting Vocabulary
Grammar Activities
Listening Activities
Reading Activities
Trivia
Legal English
Sunday, July 13, 2008
Attitudes to Change!
The world, especially related to technology, is changing so fast. Most of us are painfully aware that when we buy a new computer, mobile phone or mp3 player that it will be outdated very quickly. With that in mind, I've started thinking a lot about change and our attitude to this change.
Years ago, when writing the final paper for my MA in Organizational Leadership, I looked at the language school where I was teaching and how the trainers (including myself) resisted any change brought about by the management. I remember when they changed the reporting system and actually made it easier to report our classes as it was all on the computer and how much we complained. The language school also started working on writing curriculum in order to help the trainers so that we would not have to continually look for vocabulary lists (or reinvent the wheel) as it should all be there--boy, we complained and complained. Now those courses are the easiest courses that particular language school has to teach because there are folders full of material the trainers can choose from. Boy did we complain when the system started. Anyway, I wrote a paper about how we, as language trainers, resist change.
The last couple of weeks, I've been thinking about this resistance to change in regards to 'live online language teaching'. How many potential teachers and language trainers do we have in our midst who would be wonderful 'live onliners', but are resisting a change from a tried and true system of face-to-face training to live online? Did the industry face resistance when language trainers went from the grammar-translation method to the audio-lingual and on to the communicative method? Do we still have language trainers out there that have stuck to the grammar translation or the audio-lingual method because they are afraid to change? Personally, I believe that there are more students out there who would be willing to try live-online training, but they don't know about it. I do know that not all students would want this type of training, but do the teachers' resistance to change and fear of technology prevent many students from finding out about the possibilities that are out there? I'm just wondering and thinking outloud...
Years ago, when writing the final paper for my MA in Organizational Leadership, I looked at the language school where I was teaching and how the trainers (including myself) resisted any change brought about by the management. I remember when they changed the reporting system and actually made it easier to report our classes as it was all on the computer and how much we complained. The language school also started working on writing curriculum in order to help the trainers so that we would not have to continually look for vocabulary lists (or reinvent the wheel) as it should all be there--boy, we complained and complained. Now those courses are the easiest courses that particular language school has to teach because there are folders full of material the trainers can choose from. Boy did we complain when the system started. Anyway, I wrote a paper about how we, as language trainers, resist change.
The last couple of weeks, I've been thinking about this resistance to change in regards to 'live online language teaching'. How many potential teachers and language trainers do we have in our midst who would be wonderful 'live onliners', but are resisting a change from a tried and true system of face-to-face training to live online? Did the industry face resistance when language trainers went from the grammar-translation method to the audio-lingual and on to the communicative method? Do we still have language trainers out there that have stuck to the grammar translation or the audio-lingual method because they are afraid to change? Personally, I believe that there are more students out there who would be willing to try live-online training, but they don't know about it. I do know that not all students would want this type of training, but do the teachers' resistance to change and fear of technology prevent many students from finding out about the possibilities that are out there? I'm just wondering and thinking outloud...
Monday, June 30, 2008
Expectations!
Lately, I've been wondering what people are actually expecting when they sign up for a live online language course. There are a lot of really good schools out on the web and I wonder if the students really get what they are expecting. As a LANCELOT trained teacher, I am trained to teach online using all four skills: reading, listening, speaking and writing. There are many really good virtual classrooms that allow me to teach this way. However, do the students expect this type of teaching or are they just expecting a chat, or a conversation over Skype, Yahoo, or MSN. When I first started looking into this type of teaching--that is what I thought. I've realized that many people think that live online teaching is just that--a conversation over Skype. Is that teaching? Is it effective? Why do the students keep coming back for that type of training? I have high expectations because of my training, but am realizing that until the students are exposed to this type of training--they are happy with free conversation in a simple virtual classroom that allows camera and a chat function or a class where we are just on Skype. Are my expectations too high?
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Don't Quit!
I've had one of those weeks and today I was talking to someone who has also faced disappointment this week and I was reminded of an old poem that was read at my high school graduation. Later, when I was ready to drop out of university my first year, my twin sister sent me the poem as a poster. This poster and the wisdom of this poem has traveled with me to three continents and four US states. Hope you appreciate it as much as I do:
Don’t Quit
When things go wrong as they sometimes will,
When the road you’re trudging seems all up hill,
When the funds seem low and the debts are high,
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,
When care is pressing you down a bit,
Rest, if you must-but don’t you quit.
Life is queer with its twists and turns,
As everyone of us sometimes learn,
And many a failure turns about
When he might have won had he stuck it out;
Don’t give up, though the pace seems slow--
You might succeed with another blow.
Often the goal is nearer than
It seems to a faint and faltering man,
Often the struggler has given up
When he might have captured the victor’s cup,
And he learned too late, when the
night slipped down,
How close he was to the golden crown.
Success is failure turned inside out--
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt--
And you never can tell how close you are,
It may be near when it seems afar;
So stick to the fight when you’re hardest hit--
It’s when things seem worst that you mustn’t quit!!
Don’t Quit
When things go wrong as they sometimes will,
When the road you’re trudging seems all up hill,
When the funds seem low and the debts are high,
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,
When care is pressing you down a bit,
Rest, if you must-but don’t you quit.
Life is queer with its twists and turns,
As everyone of us sometimes learn,
And many a failure turns about
When he might have won had he stuck it out;
Don’t give up, though the pace seems slow--
You might succeed with another blow.
Often the goal is nearer than
It seems to a faint and faltering man,
Often the struggler has given up
When he might have captured the victor’s cup,
And he learned too late, when the
night slipped down,
How close he was to the golden crown.
Success is failure turned inside out--
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt--
And you never can tell how close you are,
It may be near when it seems afar;
So stick to the fight when you’re hardest hit--
It’s when things seem worst that you mustn’t quit!!
Friday, May 23, 2008
Thoughts
I've been thinking a lot this week as to why I really enjoy live online language training and I think I've figured out one reason. I'm happiest when I'm at home and when I'm with people, which is exactly what live online language training brings. Sometimes I feel like this type of training is an open house as people from many nations are coming into my home where I am the most comfortable. This past week, I have had 'visitors' from Palestine, Brazil, Japan, the USA, Germany, and several others. Most of them have met my dog and know just a little bit about me that my face to face students and colleagues have probably never seen. I am really enjoying this adventure!
Monday, May 19, 2008
Google Docs
I'm really excited. I've been looking for a solution for the students to come to my website and just choose times and or for me to add a form to an email and I found one. Google Docs! All I have to do is use the spreadsheet function and then I can send the form to the prospective student or can link it to my website. It is really great! I have received five appointments today because of this! Yay!
Friday, May 16, 2008
Friday, May 9, 2008
Teaching
The following was sent to me as an e-mail forward. It is about teaching and gives a great insight to what teachers need to remember, especially for live online language teaching!
A teacher teaching Maths to seven-year-old Arnav asked him, "If I give you one apple and one apple and one apple, how many apples will you have?"Within a few seconds Arnav replied confidently, "Four!"
The dismayed teacher was expecting an effortless correct answer (three). She was disappointed. "Maybe the child did not listen properly," she thought. She repeated, "Arnav, listen carefully. If I give you one apple and one apple and one apple, how many apples will you have?"
Arnav had seen the disappointment on his teacher's face. He calculated again on his fingers. But within him he was also searching for the answer that will make the teacher happy. His search for the answer was not for the correct one, but the one that will make his teacher happy. This time hesitatingly he replied, "Four…"
The disappointment stayed on the teacher's face. She remembered that Arnav liked strawberries. She thought maybe he doesn't like apples and that is making him loose focus. This time with an exaggerated excitement and twinkling in her eyes she asked, "If I give you one strawberry and one strawberry and one strawberry, then how many you will have?"
Seeing the teacher happy, young Arnav calculated on his fingers again. There was no pressure on him, but a little on the teacher... She wanted her new approach to succeed. With a hesitating smile young Arnav enquired, "Three?"
The teacher now had a victorious smile. Her approach had succeeded. She wanted to congratulate herself. But one last thing remained. Once again she asked him, "Now if I give you one apple and one apple and one more apple how many will you have?"
Promptly Arnav answered, "Four!"
The teacher was aghast. "How Arnav, how?" she demanded in a little stern and irritated voice.
In a voice that was low and hesitating young Arnav replied, "Because I already have one apple in my bag."
"When someone gives you an answer that is different from what you expect don't think they are wrong. There may be an angle that you have not understood at all. You will have to listen and understand, but never listen with your mind already made up."
A teacher teaching Maths to seven-year-old Arnav asked him, "If I give you one apple and one apple and one apple, how many apples will you have?"Within a few seconds Arnav replied confidently, "Four!"
The dismayed teacher was expecting an effortless correct answer (three). She was disappointed. "Maybe the child did not listen properly," she thought. She repeated, "Arnav, listen carefully. If I give you one apple and one apple and one apple, how many apples will you have?"
Arnav had seen the disappointment on his teacher's face. He calculated again on his fingers. But within him he was also searching for the answer that will make the teacher happy. His search for the answer was not for the correct one, but the one that will make his teacher happy. This time hesitatingly he replied, "Four…"
The disappointment stayed on the teacher's face. She remembered that Arnav liked strawberries. She thought maybe he doesn't like apples and that is making him loose focus. This time with an exaggerated excitement and twinkling in her eyes she asked, "If I give you one strawberry and one strawberry and one strawberry, then how many you will have?"
Seeing the teacher happy, young Arnav calculated on his fingers again. There was no pressure on him, but a little on the teacher... She wanted her new approach to succeed. With a hesitating smile young Arnav enquired, "Three?"
The teacher now had a victorious smile. Her approach had succeeded. She wanted to congratulate herself. But one last thing remained. Once again she asked him, "Now if I give you one apple and one apple and one more apple how many will you have?"
Promptly Arnav answered, "Four!"
The teacher was aghast. "How Arnav, how?" she demanded in a little stern and irritated voice.
In a voice that was low and hesitating young Arnav replied, "Because I already have one apple in my bag."
"When someone gives you an answer that is different from what you expect don't think they are wrong. There may be an angle that you have not understood at all. You will have to listen and understand, but never listen with your mind already made up."
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