Claire wrote her first books while still a teacher in Fort Lee, New Jersey, She started out as a self-publisher as Eardley Publications when 38 publishers turned down Dangerous English…as well, too dangerous. After marketing the book herself for several years along with What’s So Funny? and Three Little Words: A, An, and The, Claire sold rights to Delta Systems, one of the largest ESL distributors in the U.S.

Her next book, “Hi! (the English Children Need)”, was written in 1984 for her elementary ESL students at School Four in Fort Lee, using her classroom experiences to create materials geared for students immersed in an English language environment. The first two hundred copies of “Hi!” were printed by students at Hackensack Technical High School for the use of Claire’s own ESL students for the next few years…then the rights were bought by Minerva Books, Limited.
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Thirteen years ago, California voters approved a law mandating that students be taught “overwhelmingly” in English.

But about 2,400 Coachella Valley students — about 3 percent — learned at least part of their lessons this year in their primary language — Spanish.

The law allows parents to request a waiver to place their child in a bilingual class if they meet certain criteria.

The majority of the bilingual classes were in the Coachella Valley Unified School District, which last year granted more than half of Riverside County’s total waivers. (more…)

The percentage of Hispanic 18- to 24-year-olds who are not enrolled in high school and don’t have an equivalent degree was 22 percent in 2008, down from 34 percent in 1998. Meanwhile, the number attending a two-year college increased 85 percent, from 540,000 in 2000 to 1 million in 2008.

“There’s more financial aid available today, and I think that’s why more Hispanics are going to college,” said Valencia, whose academic exploits earned her a $36,000 scholarship to attend the University of South Florida.

“I think there’s more incentive for everybody in the country to graduate – not just Hispanics,” Valencia said. “It’s too difficult to get a job without a high school diploma.” (more…)

Hong Kong’s primary language is Cantonese, and uses such Chinese language extensively: newspapers and news broadcasts, medium of instruction in school, session at the legislative hall, and just about everywhere. Therefore, it is understandable that there is demand for foreign English teachers to aid the local education system in maintaining a good level of English literacy in the city.

Although Hong Kong is a former British colony, as evidenced by bilinguals signs visible everywhere, I experience some degree of difficulty communicating with certain groups of people because they prefer to talk in local tongue. In another former British territory, Singapore, English is widely adopted and I had no problem chatting with locals in English. But this is probably because the Lion City is using English as major medium of communication. (more…)