Sube Blog

When traveling around Asia it becomes clear that English is the language of choice among tourists from all over the world, and in business dealings. But does that mean that Americans are off the hook? In his 2010 Edutopia article, How Global Language Learning Gives Students the Edge, Dan Fost explains how learning foreign languages boosts brain development, bridges cultural connections, and gives us an economic edge, pointing to the multiple benefits of language learning. It also has an interesting fact. The U.S. State Department's National Security Language Initiative encourages the study of seven languages that are rarely taught in...

I took a workshop by David Perez on using Improv Games to build confidence in speaking and presenting. I had so much fun and as I was playing the games I realized that so many of the games would be perfect for second language learning. Improv is when you create something on stage from a suggestion. The games require that you respond on the spot to a situation, a word or an action. In his book 101 improv games for children, Bob Bedore explains how Improv develops confidence, the ability to adapt, and that sense that it is ok to...

This book, The Artistic Edge: 7 skills children need to succeed in a right brain world, by Lisa Phillips, focuses on how the arts are unique in developing 21st century skills. With all the push toward STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) to prepare ourselves and our students for the constantly shifting demands of this century, this is a welcome and necessary addition to the dialogue. Now we just have to get out there and find ways to make it happen with or without the constructs of 20th century school systems. Valerie Strauss offers this nice overview in her article...

In Thailand, ASEAN 2015, the economic union of ten Asian countries (Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Myanmar and Viet Nam) will have dramatic effects on education and everyday life. This union means that there will be open travel and work exchange between the countries, with English becoming the official language of the region. It will be more important than ever for Thai students to develop their 21st century and English language skills just to compete with the new intercultural workplace. In response, Thailand’s new educational goals are focusing on student centered learning, critical thinking skills,...

Do you think teaching English to Thai children in Thailand would be different than teaching Spanish to Mexican immigrants in New Mexico? I discovered that we are not as far apart as we might think. More importantly, we can learn so much from each other. I met Juckrawooth Attanawanich (Ant) from Yamsaard School, at the ThaiTESOL conference in Khon Kaen, Thailand where I was accepted to present about the Sube Methodology & Teaching Strategies. Ant graciously invited me to do a teacher training at his school in the outskirts of Bangkok. This absolutely gorgeous Thai-owned school was fully equipped with...