Tag Archives: language

Educational Success: Expectations are Key

My experience studying abroad When I studied at the Sorbonne in Paris in 1981-82, I realized that the French system of education (and likely that of other countries) expected a lot more of students compared to the American system. Here’s what … Continue reading

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From the Icelandic Volcano to a World School

A year ago, we received daily reports about the effects of the horrible earthquake… not the ones in Christchurch or Sendai, but in Port-au-Prince. And then there was the eruption of the volcano in Iceland, which disrupted aviation for a … Continue reading

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Please, say “thank you.”

A teacher named Dave organized a summer exchange program. My mother saw the ad in the paper, and we hosted a 17-year-old French girl for a month during the summer when I was 15. The next year, the exchange program … Continue reading

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The U.S. must come out of its monocultural cocoon

There’s an old joke, commonly known among linguists: What do you call someone who speaks 2 languages?—Bilingual. 3 languages?—Trilingual. Only 1 language?—American. School taught me a lot about western civilization and local history, but not much about the rest of … Continue reading

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It’s Groundhog Day: recognizing cultural differences

Today is Groundhog Day. Have you seen the movie “Groundhog Day,” starring Bill Murray and Andie MacDowell? The French title is “Un jour sans fin” — ” A Never-ending Day.” Here in New England, we seem to be living through The … Continue reading

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Welcome to Education Is Global!

This blog is for teachers, parents, students (at least 13 years old), usability specialists, and everyone who’s interested in improving the learning process. We’re living in an interesting time: education must integrate technology and become global. (I’ll explain why I … Continue reading

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