TOURS/ITINERARIES BEFORE AND AFTER YOU TEACH ABROAD

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I set up my teaching gig through the Princeton-in-Asia program. Although the program is associated with Princeton University, you do not have to be a Princeton student to apply. PIA sends students to Teach English Abroad Recruiting, Japan , Hong Kong, Kazakhstan, South Korea , Malaysia , Singapore, Taiwan , Thailand, Vietnam, and Laos. They set up teaching positions and journalism, NGO, and business internships. There is a $30 application fee ($20 if you're a Princeton student) and, if you're accepted to the program, a $300 fee. Teachers and interns should be prepared to pay for transportation to and from the country they're assigned to and for all visa fees.

For more information on application procedures and deadlines, go to www.princeton.edu/~pia.

TWO BOOKS AND TWO WEBSITES I COULD NOT HAVE LIVED WITHOUT:

• Discussion Strategies: Beyond Everyday Conversation, by David Kehe and Peggy Dustin Kehe (Pro Lingua Associates; $16). This book is a series of 30 activities with stories, questions, and discussion topics. The exercises give students tips about phrases and ways to improve their conversational English. (The book can be used as a student book or as a teacher book, but I copied the exercises onto separate sheets of paper to hand out to my students.)
• 21st Century Guide to Improving Your Writing, edited by the Princeton Language Institute (Laurel; $19). This guide explains grammar in a very straightforward and user-friendly way. It also discusses sentence, paragraph, and essay structure, as well as instructions on how to write a resume, business and personal letters, and novels and short stories all in 251 pages. Perfect for writing classes.
• I could have used ESL Lounge (www.esl-lounge.com) as a resource for every lesson plan for the year. Activities are divided by student level and task.
• Boggle's World (www.bogglesworld.com) has lesson ideas for every age level, from children to adults.