Less taxing to start English earlier

TOKYO, JAPAN–Students who start to learn English as a second language from an early age expend less brain energy when using the language than those who start later, according to an article by a group of Japanese researchers published Wednesday in Human Brain Mapping, a U.S. science magazine. Kuniyoshi Sakai, an associate professor at the University of full story

Cop recruits benefit from ESL program

CALAGARY, CANADA–Calgary police may be helping them hone their English skills, but a number of new recruits will be offering plenty of payback on the streets, bringing a plethora of languages and cultural currency with them to the force. Const. Josef Chudy is one of about full story

Police ESL class teaches jargon, confidence to recruits

CALGARY, CANADA–Growing up in Slovakia, Josef Chudy was awed by shiny police cars, and he fulfilled a childhood dream by joining the Calgary Police Service to help others. “When I was a child, I wanted to join the service because they had a nice uniform and flashy cars, but now it’s more about the exciting job. I like people; I like to help people,” he said on Thursday. “I also full story

Mason praises its ESL success

MASON, OH–Mason City Schools officials say their teachers of English as a Second Language are top-notch. Teachers help English learners ease into their new American lives, starting with school life. “We’re working hard to get our kids into the mainstream,” said Pat Sutton, director of Mason’s program. There are 343 students in the program from 38 countries who speak full story

Ealing seeks common standards for a common language

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM–Ealing is a diverse London borough with a large migrant population. In 2005 we had about 12,000 arrivals, and more than 100 languages are spoken in our schools. Without speaking English it is very difficult for migrants to find employment, and it makes it harder to integrate socially. In the borough, we have many different providers of English full story

English suited for specific needs

KUALA LUMPUR–My last article on gender-free language generated a lot of discussion and even questions. One question that was raised was “What is ESP?” I rejoiced at the question because it is a subject that is close to my heart and a topic that I believe needs some discussion. If people are about to enter university in a country where they will pursue tertiary studies in English, full story