Steven ThomasJul 14, 20214 minLife and BasketballMy best friend growing up was Robbie Nourse. Robbie was a great friend, and we had one important thing in common: basketball. Robbie...
Steven ThomasJan 11, 20212 minImproving Our ServeSo much has been said about the saddening events at the US Capitol. In that throng were every variety, from para-military zealots in...
Steven ThomasJan 8, 20212 minTrust Me! I've been thinking a lot about trust lately. Americans are in a trust crisis. We've lost trust in our institutions: government, law...
Steven ThomasDec 30, 20204 minMoney 20202020 was a rough year for civilization. It wasn't 1347-1351 rough, when the Black Plague put to death more than 1/3 of the population,...
Steven ThomasJan 22, 20202 minWilliam P. Thomas, 1770-1824William P. Thomas was my 5th Great Grandfather, born in Bertie County, North Carolina. He was listed in the census as a "farmer", and...
Steven ThomasJan 10, 20203 minAnd Iran...Iran so Far AwayMy thoughts on Iran and on the week just passed: Persia, where Iran is now located and near where I’m currently located, is one of the...
Steven Walter ThomasJul 26, 20196 minTeaching Speaking and PronunciationHere are some interesting research notes from some articles I read recently on teaching speaking and pronunciation. I hope the findings...
Steven Walter ThomasJul 25, 20193 minIM vs TTT: Classroom Culture Clash of the Century(Spoiler Alert! Digital won a long time ago) When I was a younger student, I hated sitting in classroom where the teacher talk time...
Steven Walter ThomasJul 24, 20192 minTeaching Writing Self-AssessmentI did some assessment of my ability to teach writing, and of my own writing ability. I hope you can use it to see some areas of...
Steven Walter ThomasJun 1, 20186 minGrammar? We don't need no stinking grammar!The Role of Grammar Teaching in the TESOL Classroom More learned colleagues than I are putting forth the idea that pounding away at...
Steven Walter ThomasMay 19, 20184 minCultural Conquest in American HistoryThe history of English language education in the United States closely follows the evolution of the United States itself. Before...
Steven Walter ThomasMay 19, 20181 min'Foreign' accent? Congratulations!Communication is central to developing and maintaining cultural identity. Many non-native English speakers are saddled with two...
Steven Walter ThomasMay 19, 20183 minTTT is DOAEmbracing divergent communication styles is the current frontier upon which I am attempting to transcend to another level of teaching. ...
Steven Walter ThomasMay 19, 20181 minBritish Prescriptionism is so 1890'sCultural diversity is not only a buzz phrase, it's the reality of the world in 2018. Those who do not embrace it will be the losers in...
Steven ThomasMay 19, 20182 minMulti-lingualism or "English Only"?Every person at my school is there for the sole purpose of learning English, and the school has an "English Only" policy. Consequently,...
Steven Walter ThomasMay 19, 20182 minIndividualists vs Collectivists: A constant challenge in a multi-cultural classroomI absolutely love my Korean and Japanese students. They are studious, respectful and harmonious. They are collectivists. I also love...
Steven Walter ThomasMay 19, 20183 minCultural and Religious Issues with TEFLThere are three primary cultural and religious issues with which I must deal almost on a daily basis. Thankfully, I have wonderful...
Steven Walter ThomasFeb 15, 20184 minHow Do You Solve a Problem Like Syria?The Middle East is like three-dimensional chess. But, I'm trying for the first time in my life to understand it. Many, if not most, of...
Steven Walter ThomasNov 4, 20173 minAn American AbroadWorld News you probably haven't heard. Europe German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s “Ya’ll Come” open door policy has led to a backlash race...