Hunt for ‘fake’ English teacher

COOCH BEHAR, INDIA–Police are trying to trace an alleged imposter after one of the two Class IX students he had befriended committed suicide in Cooch Behar on Friday. The dead girl’s parents told police she took sleeping pills after being “tortured” by her school principal for her association with the man.“Besides using filthy language, she hit my daughter. full story

Tufts campus a ‘cocoon’ for Indian freshmen

MEDFORD, MA–Like virtually every incoming college student, Tufts University freshmen Esha John and Samujjal “Shayan” Purkayastha worried about how they would fit in and interact as new students on a college campus. But for these two students, college represented a particularly full story

Lincolnshire is facing major problems with – or without – its immigrants

LINCOLNSHIRE, UK–While they are putting a massive strain on public services, creating resentment among local residents, struggling to ‘adapt’ to British culture and plagued by Eastern European gangsters, they are essential to the county’s main industry – agriculture. full story

Sladek honored with Texas TESOL Award

SAN MARCOS, TX–Texas State University-San Marcos Intensive English Language Program (TSIE) professor Beverly Ingram Sladek has been recognized as the 2008 Texas Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) Region III Teacher of the Year.The Texas TESOL is a regional chapter of TESOL, a global association of instructors who teach full story

President Lacks Specific Steps to Promote Wider Use of English

SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA–A professor said Wednesday that President Lee Myung-bak’s initiative to promote wider use of practical English is a step in the right direction but it lacked specifics in achieving that goal. Myongji University Professor Ahn Young-sup made full story

Program at elementary school helps parents, students learn English

JACKSON, MI–Azucena Mata has a hard time helping her three daughters with homework because of the English language barrier. “From what I’ve learned, I can help them a little bit,” said the 31-year-old Mata as translated by English language learner (ELL) teacher Maureen Peters. “If I could learn to write and read better (in English), that would be great.” full story

Joliet schools make progress but English learners lag behind

JOLIET, IL–Joliet Grade School District made progress on state assessment tests in all student subgroups except in reading among students who have a limited proficiency in English. The only area where the district saw a decrease in scores was with its students who do not read English, but were required to take the Illinois State Achievement Test which is administered in the spring. full story