My latest essay for VNExpress International about the subpar results of the August national high school graduation exam for English. Think of it as a reality check on what is generally a favorable situation in comparative perspective. One of my key suggestions is that foreign language study be made optional at the K-12 level. An … Continue reading Resetting the Debate About English Instruction in Viet Nam
Articles
Racism in China (& Viet Nam) the Result of “Naivety & Ignorance”
Photo: Alex Leung I was inspired by the story of Jasmine Cochran, a young African-American woman who has been teaching teaching English literature and language since 2016 to students aged 14 to 16 in China, where she lives with her husband and two children. It was serendipity that I came across a BBC profile of … Continue reading Racism in China (& Viet Nam) the Result of “Naivety & Ignorance”
2019 Article Awarded 2nd Prize in Vietnam Competition
A 2019 article of mine entitled On the outside looking in: A US American in Vietnam (Người Mỹ tại Việt Nam) won a 2nd prize in the 2019 National External Information Service Awards competition, the results of which were announced earlier this week. The English and Vietnamese versions originally appeared in VNExpress International and VNExpress, … Continue reading 2019 Article Awarded 2nd Prize in Vietnam Competition
Promoting Study in the USA in Trying Times
Hot off the digital press, here is my latest essay. I kick it off with one of my favorite quotes from Senator Fulbright about international educational exchange: There is nothing obscure about the objectives of educational exchange. Its purpose is to acquaint Americans with the world as it is and to acquaint students and scholars … Continue reading Promoting Study in the USA in Trying Times
“We Are More Than Your Paycheck: The Dehumanization of International Students in the United States”
Photo by Katie Moum on Unsplash Here's some (more) recommended reading for anyone interested in the current situation of international students in the US. The authors are Santiago Castiello-Gutiérrez and Xiaojie Li, both Ph.D. students at the University of Arizona’s Center for the Study of Higher Education. This excerpt may whet your appetite to read the article in … Continue reading “We Are More Than Your Paycheck: The Dehumanization of International Students in the United States”
“Why Democracies Do Better at Surviving Pandemics”
The COVID-19 pandemic has intensified the debate over whether authoritarian states are gaining the upper hand across the world. In contrast, democracies are showing capacity for innovation and adaptation. Seriously? When I first saw the title, I thought it was satire. It's downright Orwellian along the lines of war is peace and freedom is slavery. … Continue reading “Why Democracies Do Better at Surviving Pandemics”
A Childhood Without Play & Imagination
As television shows and professional competitions targeting kids mushroom, many wonder if children are being exposed to too much limelight too soon, scarring what should be a carefree childhood. This quote appeared in a 19 June 2020 article Growing up too soon in media age. The vanishing childhood applies not only to children whose parents … Continue reading A Childhood Without Play & Imagination
“Six ways a drop in international students could set back US higher education”
Here's a short, sweet, and spot-on analysis by David DeMaria, associate vice provost for international education, University of Maryland, Baltimore County. You can either follow this link to read the original article or read the copy/paste version below. It appeared in the 26.5.20 issue of The Conversation. I've told more than one US colleague since … Continue reading “Six ways a drop in international students could set back US higher education”
Let America Be America Again
Minneapolis, Associated Press The shocking on camera murder of George Floyd and the subsequent protests, riots, and looting reminded me of this poem written in 1935 by the poet, novelist, fiction writer, and playwright, Langston Hughes (1902-1967), and published in the July 1936 issue of Esquire. Racism is one of those "isms" whose seeds were … Continue reading Let America Be America Again
“This is an awful man, waving a book he hasn’t read…”
President Donald Trump holds a Bible outside St. John's Church, across Lafayette Park from the White House on Monday night, June 1, 2020, after riot police used tear gas and rubber bullets to clear away protesters. Part of the church was set on fire during protests on Sunday night.(Patrick Semansky, The Dallas Morning News) I'll … Continue reading “This is an awful man, waving a book he hasn’t read…”
An International Educator in Vietnam 
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