Travel outside the US

Caution

Due to recent changes to U.S. immigration law, travel outside of the United States may have severe consequences for aliens who are in the process of adjusting their status, extending their nonimmigrant stay, or changing their nonimmigrant status. Upon return, these aliens may be found inadmissible, their applications may be denied, or both. It is important that the alien obtain the proper documentation before leaving the U.S.


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bei@Consultant.com

Preparing for Your Trip Abroad

Travel for Students

Preparing for Your Trip Abroad

Apply early for your passport and, if necessary, any visas: Passports are required to enter and/or depart most countries around the world. Apply for a passport as soon as possible. Some countries also require U.S. citizens to obtain visas before entering. Most countries require visitors who are planning to study or work abroad to obtain visas before entering. Check with the embassy of the foreign country that you are planning to visit for up-to-date visa and other entry requirements.

Passport and visa information is available on the Internet at http://travel.state.gov.

School offers

Find out what information your school offers

Find out whether your school offers additional information for students who are planning to study, travel, or work abroad. Many student advisors can provide you with information about studying or working abroad. They may also be able to provide you with information on any travel benefits for students (e.g. how to save money on transportation and accommodations, and other resources.)


Before committing yourself or your finances, find out about the organization and what it offers. The majority of private programs for vacation, study or work abroad are reputable and financially sound. However, some charge exorbitant fees, use deliberately false "educational" claims, and provide working conditions far different from those advertised. Even programs of legitimate organizations can be poorly administered.

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bei@representative.com

Embassy | Consulate location

Find out the location of the nearest embassy or consulate

If you are traveling to a remote area or one that is experiencing civil unrest, find out the location of the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate and register with the Consular Section when you arrive. (U.S. embassy and consulate locations can be found in the country's Consular Information Sheet.) If your family needs to reach you because of an emergency, they can pass a message to you through the Office of Overseas Citizens Services at 202-647-5225. This office will contact the embassy or consulate in the country where you are traveling and pass a message from your family to you. Remember consular officers cannot cash checks, lend money or serve as your attorney. They can, however, if the need arises, assist you in obtaining emergency funds from your family, help you find an attorney, help you find medical assistance, and replace your lost or stolen passport.
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bei@consultant.com

Travel Warnings and Public Announcements

Check for Travel Warnings and Public Announcements

Travel Warnings recommend U.S. citizens defer travel to a country because of dangerous conditions. Public Announcements provide fast-breaking information about relatively short-term conditions that may pose risks to the security of travelers.

Travel Warnings and Public Announcements http://travel.state.gov/travel_warnings.html

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bei@consultant.com

Consular Information Sheet

Read the Consular Information Sheet

Consular Information Sheets provide up-to-date travel information on any country in the world that you plan to visit. They cover topics such as entry regulations, the crime and security situation, drug penalties, road conditions, and the location of the U.S. embassy, consulates, and consular agencies.


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bei@consultant.com

Learn about the countries that you plan to visit

Learn about the countries that you plan to visit

Before departing, take the time to do some research about the people and their culture, and any problems that the country is experiencing that may affect your travel plans. The Department of State publishes Background Notes on about 170 countries. These brief, factual pamphlets contain information on each country's culture, history, geography, economy, government, and current political situation.

Background Notes http://www.state.gov/www/background_notes/index.html


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bei@consultant.com

Diversity Immigrant Visa Program - Green Card Lottery

Diversity Immigrant Visa Program - Green Card Lottery

http://www.usgreencardlottery.org

Beware of Green Card Lottery Scams - Registration open until December30th 2004

On September 14, 2004, the American Immigration Lawyers Association(AILA) posted a warning regarding a Diversity Visa Lottery Scam. Therehave been reports of an e-mail being circulated "purporting to be from 'dvlottery.state.gov,' telling people that they are 'one of the luckywinners' of the DV2004 visa lottery, and requesting that they send$349.67 in 'clearance/acceptance fees.' These emails are fakes, andshould be ignored."
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bei@nycmail.com

Travel Tips for Students

Travel Tips for Students

• Make sure you have a signed, valid passport and visas, if required. Also, before you go, fill in the emergency information page of your passport!
  
• Read the Consular Information Sheets (and Public Announcements or Travel Warnings, if applicable) for the countries you plan to visit.
  
• Leave copies of your itinerary, passport data page and visas with family or friends at home, so that you can be contacted in case of an emergency. Keep your host program informed of your whereabouts.
  
• Make sure you have insurance that will cover your emergency medical needs (including medical evacuation) while you are overseas.
  
• Familiarize yourself with local laws and customs of the countries to which you are traveling. Remember, while in a foreign country, you are subject to its laws!
  
• Do not leave your luggage unattended in public areas and never accept packages from strangers.
  
• While abroad, avoid using illicit drugs or drinking excessive amounts of alcoholic beverages, and associating with people who do.
  
• Do not become a target for thieves by wearing conspicuous clothing and expensive jewelry and do not carry excessive amounts of cash or unnecessary credit cards.
  
• Deal only with authorized agents when you exchange money to avoid violating local laws.
  
• When overseas, avoid demonstrations and other situations that may become unruly or where anti-American sentiments may be expressed.

2004 Green Card Lottery Information

2004 Green Card Lottery Information

Every year the US government issues 50,000 permanent Green Cards through the Diversity Immigrant Visa Program; the Green Card Lottery. Applicants are selected randomly by a computer generated drawing. If you are selected, you and your family will be authorized to live and work permanently in the United States. Registration for the 2004 Green Card Lottery is open until December 30th 2004.

more information http://www.usgreencardlottery.org

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bei@consultant.com

Visa Waiver Program

Visa Waiver Program

Travelers visiting the U.S. under the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) mustpresent either a machine-readable passport or a valid U.S. visaeffective October 26, 2004

The Bureau of Public Affairs of the Department of State (DOS) released aFact Sheet reminding travelers to the U.S. from Visa Waiver Program(VWP) countries that they must present either a machine-readablepassport or a valid U.S. visa effective October 26, 2004. Also,beginning September 30, 2004, all VWP travelers arriving at a U.S. portof entry will be required to enroll in the US-VISIT program.

more information http://www.travel.state.gov/visa/tempvisitors_novisa_waiver.html
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bei@consultant.com

Social Security Numbers for F-1 Student Visa Holders

Social Security Numbers for F-1 Student Visa Holders

The Social Security Administration (SSA) published a final ruleregarding regulations for F-1 Students to Obtain Social Security Numbers (SSNs).

Effective October 13, 2004, F-1 students who are applying for SSNs willbe required to provide additional information. An F-1 student mustprovide the SSA with evidence of age, identity, immigration status, andwork authorization (these are required of all applicants for SSNs).

Additionally, "unless the F-1 student has an employment authorizationdocument (EAD) from Department of Homeland Security (DHS) or isauthorized by the F-1 student's school for curricular practical training(CPT), the F-1 student must provide evidence that he or she has beenauthorized by the school to work and has secured employment or a promiseof employment before we will assign an SSN." The reason for this newrule is to ensure that SSNs are used only for work purposes, "therebydecreasing the potential for SSN fraud and misuse."

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bei@nycmail.com

Seven Ways to Build a Better Reader

Seven Ways to Build a Better Reader

Try these simple, no-pressure ways to coach your pre-reader.

· Read together every day. Find a time of day when your child is most able to settle down, such as before naps or after a bath. If he loses interest, stop and try again later. Aim to spend a total of 20 minutes each day reading with him (all at once or in chunks). Those 20 minutes will help him build key reading skills.

· Ask questions. Ask your child things about the story that can be answered from looking at the pictures. Have her point out differences in the shapes of letters; this will prepare her to identify them as she learns to read on her own. Remember not to overdo your questions, though. Keep the time fun and entertaining.

· Do it together. Make your child feel that the books are really for him. Let him help choose books to buy and which ones to read. Ask him to hold the book or turn the pages as you sit together.

· Point to words. Use your finger to help her follow the text as you read it. Pause at a word she might already know and let her say it.

· Read it 101 times. Reading his favorite book again, and again, and again actually helps him begin to recognize repeated words. It also helps him become familiar with the structure of a story.

· Try picture reading. Even before she can read any words, encourage your child to read to you from the pictures. Look for books with bright, lively illustrations that offer good clues to the text such as Fidgety Fish by Ruth Galloway. Also try rebus books, which use picture symbols for words such as an illustration of an eye to represent "I."

· Read it by heart. If he's memorized a favorite story, guide him to follow the text as he recites it. Eventually, he'll associate a spoken word with the written one.

Academic Research Online

Academic Research Online
Google introduces scholarly research tool scholarly search http://scholar.google.com

• Separate the scholarly content from commercial Web sites
• Developed algorithms to list the academic research that appears to be most relevant to a search request
• Google doesn't plan to charge for the service
• nor use the feature to deliver text-based ads — the primary source of its profits
• Google also engineered its new system to provide a list of potentially helpful material available at libraries and other offline sources.

Anurag Acharya, a Google engineer who helped develop the new search tools, said: "Google has benefited a lot from scholarly research, so this is one way we are giving back to the scholarly community,"

Online search engine leader Google Inc. is setting out make better sense of all the scholarly work stored on the Web. Last month, Google expanded a program that invites publishers to scan their books into the search engine's index, enabling people to peek at the contents online before deciding whether to buy a copy.

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beiAustralia@hotmail.com

Inglês Personalizado

Join Inglês Personalizado      Sympatico / MSN Groups

Education in a Multilingual World

Education in a Multilingual World	Education in many countries of the world takes place in multilingual contexts. Most plurilingual societies have developed an ethos which balances and respects the use of different languages in daily life.

From the perspective of these societies and of the language communities themselves, multilingualism is more a way of life than a problem to be solved.

The challenge is for education systems to adapt to these complex realities and provide a quality education which takes into consideration learner’s needs, and political demands. While uniform solutions for plural societies, may be both administratively and managerially simpler, they disregard the risks involved both in terms of learning achievement and loss of linguistic and cultural diversity.

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InternationalEducation@Representative.com

Expenditures per student

Expenditures per student in public and private institutions of higher education, in current U.S. dollars, converted using Purchasing Power Parities (PPPs), by country: 1995 and 1998

NOTE: The United Kingdom includes England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is the producers’ value of the gross outputs of resident producers,
including distributive trades and transport, less the value of the purchasers’ intermediate consumption plus import duties. GDP is expressed in local money (in millions). Prior to 1997, there
was no category called “post-secondary, nontertiary” education in the international classification. For 1995, expenditures for this type of education were included in expenditures for
secondary education in all other countries presented here except the United States. With the establishment of “post-secondary, nontertiary” education as a separate category in 1997, other
countries continued to include expenditures for this category in expenditures for secondary education in data for 1998. Expenditures figures for the United States include expenditures for
post-secondary, nontertiary education in expenditures for higher education for 1995 and 1998. Comparisons among countries within a given year are thus more appropriate than comparisons
over time.
SOURCE: Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, Education at a Glance, 2001, Table B 1.1; Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, Education at a

internationalducation@representative.com

English in Australia

Every year increasing numbers of international students choose to study English in Australia.

Australia has an international reputation for its high standard of teaching, along with relatively low living and tuition costs. Added to this are the benefits of living on a large island continent that offers an immense and diverse selection of fascinating locations to visit.

There are many reasons why a student may wish to study the English language. Some need to improve their English for work or career purposes, while others may have a personal interest in becoming fluent in English, or because they intend to travel. Others may want to continue their education in English, either in Australia or elsewhere, and must reach specified English entry standards.

No matter what the reason, the advantages of learning English in Australia are many.
Some of these are:

Vibrant multicultural country; Safe destination; English is the national language; Relatively low cost of living and education fees; People are friendly; Extensive range of quality educational institutions; Ideal study environment for international students; Student visa holders may work up to 20 hours per week;

Opportunities to combine study and travel; Land of contrasts and adventure; Beaches in summer, snow fields in winter; Sports of all varieties; Meet people and make friends from all over the world; Experience a unique part of the world; Stay with an Australian family.

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australianenglish@teacher.com

School Design in Different Cultural Contexts

School Design in Different Cultural Contexts
School architecture varies considerably according to culture and environment. It follows traditional local style adapted to the climate and materials available. On the other hand, religious schools attached to mosques, convents and monasteries usually follow a corresponding architectural style. Rural schools tend on the whole to be smaller than those found in urban settings.

At the same time, building materials and design are more traditionally oriented in keeping with community practice. Constructions are generally more spacious and open in warmer climates, and smaller and more enclosed in cooler regions.

In specific contexts other types of construction can be found, including tent-schools for nomad children, “floating” schools in lake regions or bus schools often employed in areas with sparse populations moving from village to village. UNESCO is working closely with Member States to develop culturally appropriate educational environments for the world ’s children.

internationaleducation@representative.com

US Students Show Improvement in International Mathematics and Science Assessment

U.S. Students Show Improvement in International Mathematics and Science Assessment
U.S. fourth- and eighth-graders score well above international average in 46-nation TIMSS study

America's fourth- and eighth-grade students significantly outperformed many of their international peers, scoring well above the international average in both mathematics and science, according to the latest results from the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS). In addition, U.S. eighth-graders improved their scores compared to previous years (1999 and 1995), with gains across most student groups, including boys, girls, and minority students. Scores for U.S. fourth graders remained static in mathematics and science.

U.S. Secretary of Education Rod Paige expressed optimism with the TIMSS results, which measured students from up to 46 nations, including economically developed members of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

"Eighth-grade results from TIMSS confirm what we have seen domestically—that a greater emphasis on higher standards in the classroom leads to improved performance and a smaller achievement gap. However, the results also show that we have further to go, particularly in earlier grades, toward establishing a culture of excellence and achievement at all grade levels."

Paige noted that the TIMSS tests are closely linked to the curricula of the participating countries. "In that sense they are a good indicator of our schools' performance as well," he said. "We must remain committed to staying the course of reform to ensure that every student in every school has a real opportunity to learn."

The TIMSS results followed another international assessment released last week, the Program for International Student Achievement (PISA), which showed America's 15-year-olds performing below the international average in mathematics literacy and problem-solving. "Education does not happen in a vacuum, but in the world," Paige said. "We must redouble our efforts to prepare all of our students for a future that has never been more competitive and challenging. They must graduate from high school ready to succeed in college and in life."

The report on the U.S. TIMSS results, Highlights From the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) 2003, was released today by the Education Department's National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) in the Institute of Education Sciences. The international results from TIMSS were released today by the Amsterdam-based International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA).

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americanenglish@teacher.com

Education and Multilingualism

Education and Multilingualism
	“Everyone loses if one language is lost because then a nation and culture lose their memory, and so does the complex tapestry from which the world is woven and which makes the world an exciting place.” Former President of Iceland Vigdis Finnbogadottir UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador for Languages

Language is in more ways than one the expression of our cultural identity, for through it we transmit knowledge to future generations. We use language, moreover, as a storehouse for knowledge about our environment, history and science. With half of the world ’s 6000 to 7000 languages in danger of extinction, UNESCO created in 1999 International Mother Language Day which is now celebrated annually on February 21. The aim of the Day is to promote the recognition and practice of mother tongues, particularly minority ones.

Multilingualism is a condition of most Member States, and the unique richness of the world ’s national identities draws on the many traditions that make up different countries and are expressed through local and indigenous languages.


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americanenglish@teacher.com

The Earth’s Linguistic, Cultural, and Biological Diversity

The Earth’s Linguistic, Cultural, and Biological Diversity
	The links between language, culture and the environment suggest that biological, cultural and linguistic diversity should be studied together, as distinct but closely and necessarily related manifestations of the diversity of life on Earth. Researchers have referred to this new field of study as “biocultural diversity”.

Sharing a World of Difference: the Earth’s Linguistic, Cultural, and Biological Diversity, accompanied by the map "The World’s Biocultural Diversity: People, Languages and Ecosystems" is an educational material co-published by UNESCO, Terralingua and the the World Wide Fund For Nature (WWF) directed at students and the general public, that introduces the concept of “biocultural diversity” in terms of sustainable development.

Ethnologue , one of the most widely used catalogues of the world’s languages, reports that 6,809 languages were in use (mostly spoken, but also, including 114 sign languages) in 228 countries as of the year 2000. Yet, fewer than 300 of this large number of languages spoken around the world had populations of speakers of over 1 million, the top ranked being Mandarin Chinese, Hindi, Spanish and English. Moreover, just as there are hotspots of biodiversity, there are also hotspots of linguistic diversity, that is, areas of the world with especially high concentrations of different languages, such as Papua New Guinea and Nigeria.

The world’s languages represent an extraordinary wealth of human creativity. They contain and express the total “pool of ideas”, nurtured over time through heritage, local traditions and customs communicated through local languages. The diversity of ideas carried by different languages and sustained by different cultures is as necessary as the diversity of species and ecosystems for the survival of humanity and of life on our planet. In many cases the knowledge of natural cures and remedies for illnesses transmitted by languages through generations and linked to local plant life have been lost due to the abandonment of languages and cultures, and the destruction of natural habitat.

Cultural diversity is as necessary for the world as biodiversity is for our planet. Yet, similar to the growing crisis of extinction faced by the world’s environment, the world’s cultural diversity, particularly the diversity and richness of languages is being threatened with extinction. Ethnologue lists over 400 languages that reached near extinction at the end of the twentieth century, while UNESCO’s Atlas of the World’s Languages in Danger of Disappearing (2001) edition estimates that half of the world’s languages are in varying degrees of endangerment.

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advancedconversation@teacher.com

Learning in the Community

Learning inthe Community
	Although it is school we associate most often with learning and education, in fact, communities themselves provide open learning environments. Learning as a basic human activity is no longer associated only with formal and structured schooling, with its enclosed spaces, individual assessment and rigid timetables.

Work or assembly places can also be transformed into educational contexts. We can learn on the street or in a shop, a museum, an office, a factory or even a field. Through distance learning we can also participate in educational forums in our own homes.


The notion of the open learning community sees learning as a group or social activity as opposed to a strictly individual one. Communities of learning can build upon cultural institutions as diverse as the societies to which they belong, or can create new forms of cultural expression, thanks mainly to new technologies. What remains constant is the essential human activity of learning reflected in experimentation, exchange, memory and the consequent satisfaction, indeed joy of learning.

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bei@australiamail.com

Cultural and Linguistic Diversity in Education

	Cultural and Linguistic Diversity in Education
	With a focus on promoting universally shared values and a culturally sensitive diversification of educational contents and methods, UNESCO is working to promote quality education as a fundamental right for all by addressing a broad range of themes, which include respect for cultural and linguistic diversity.

Based upon the principles stated in the UNESCO Universal Declaration on Cultural Diversity, adopted by the General Conference of UNESCO at its 31st session (2 November 2001), the Organization has committed itself to supporting Member States wishing to encourage linguistic diversity while respecting the mother tongue at all levels of education, wherever possible, to promote through education an awareness of the positive value of cultural diversity and to make full use of culturally appropriate methods of communication and transmission of knowledge.The quest for quality education today is inextricably bound up with the processes and impact of globalization.

The World Education Forum (Dakar, Senegal, April 2000) where UNESCO was confirmed as the coordinator for Education For All is at the heart of UNESCO’s work during its Medium-Term Strategy 2002-2007, and the Organization has determined education and cultural diversity to be a priority.

UNESCO’s language programme lays out its framework and strategy in this area.

bei for internationla education


bei@representative.com
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Management Tools for the Educational System

Educational systems are known as stable institutions, not prone to rapid changes and innovations. It is possible that a significant number of teachers and school administrators will resist the introduction of ICT in their schools. In this regard, a powerful modeling example is that of a Ministry of Education that introduces ICT to its management, gradually pressing all levels of administration -- central, regional, district and school -- to use technology for all their information processing needs, including information gathering and distribution. At the most important level -- the school -- the pressure to provide and receive information to and from the central system digitally is a powerful message and a driving force towards change. Centralized systems normally have a well-consolidated circuit of information flow to and from all levels of the system. A change in a general rule or ordinance generally moves gradually through the circuit until it eventually reaches the classroom teacher or the parents if it is relevant to them. It is an administrator’s responsibility at each level to decide when to move each piece of information and to whom. This reflects a power structure that imposes restrictions on the transparent and rapid flow of information. ICT can have a rapid and powerful impact on this structure by changing the rules of information flow. For example, all educational information can be placed for the teachers, administrators, parents and the community at large on a public web site. See for example, http://www.mineduc.cl.

Learn about the TOEFL® test

Learn about the TOEFL® test

What is the TOEFL test and how is it structured?
The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) is a multiple-choice test for non-native English speakers. It is a computer-based test with four sections, two of which are computer-adaptive.

• Listening — 40-60 minutes, 30-49 questions; computer-adaptive
• Structure — 15-20 minutes, 20-25 questions; computer-adaptive
• Reading Comprehension — 70-90 minutes, 44-55 questions
• Writing — 30 minutes, one essay

What is a Computer-Based Test?
Essentially, it is an electronic version of a paper exam. You can answer questions in any order you wish and you can jump back and forth within the section. You will see this in the Reading and Writing sections of the exam.

What is a Computer-Adaptive Test?
It means that the difficulty of the test adjusts to the test taker. The computer uses your performance on the questions you have been given to determine what question you will be given next. When you answer a question correctly, the next question is more difficult. When you answer a question incorrectly, the next question is easier. You will see this happen in the Listening and Structure Sections of the exam.

How is the TOEFL test scored?
Your TOEFL score consists of several numbers, each of which covers a part of your performance on the TOEFL test. The most familiar number is the overall, or composite, score. This number ranges from 0 to 300 and is determined from a combination of your scores on the four sections.

The individual sections are also graded separately. You will receive three scores ranging from 0 to 30: Listening, Reading, and Structure/Writing.

How important are my TOEFL scores?
TOEFL scores vary in importance at different schools. Other factors that schools consider include academics, work experience, letters of reference, and scores on other standardized tests (GMAT, SAT, etc).

Can I cancel my scores?
Yes. You can cancel your scores immediately after you take the TOEFL test. This is the only time you can cancel your scores. Fortunately, you can make the decision to cancel at the testing center after you see your scores. The fact that you cancelled your scores will be noted on your official TOEFL score report.

How Can I Learn About the Latest TOEFL tests?
The Princeton Review carefully monitors TOEFL tests throughout the year so that we can provide our students with the most up-to-date guidance and information on the test. You can read our latest report here.

What fees are associated with the TOEFL test?
The fee to take the TOEFL test is $110 worldwide.

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internationaltoefl@teacher.com

TOEFL Private Toutoring

Private Tutoring
Exclusive in every aspect — from our top-rated instructors to a course that will be custom-designed just for you. Get the most out of the time you have to prep with this specialized program. Your tutor will work with you to ensure you learn the skills you need to master the TOEFL test.

internationaltoefl@teacher.com

Education for Social Transformations

Education for Social Transformations This project is part of the activities of the “Education for social transformations” initiative. This initiative was born from the meeting of three teams : The Circle of Emancipatory Pedagogies (le Cercle des Pédagogies Emancipatrices), a working group formed in September 1997 after the death of Paulo Freire, with the double objective of identifying how the Freire\'s thought and practice have enriched a number of initiatives in France, in community education, in the education system generally, and in social development, and why Paulo Freire is so little known in France. UNESCO, who had separately taken the initiative to organise a seminar in honour of Paulo Freire for the fifth anniversary of his death. The Centre Paulo Freire at Recife joined these two other partners to organise the seminar “Education and Social transformation: questionning our practice. Exchange of knowledge and practice in the light of Paulo Freire” at Recife, the 2-4 May, 2002. About this initiative see also: GENERAL OBJECTIVES SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES OF THE TWO SEMINARS EXPECTED RESULTS THE TRANSITION BETWEEN RECIFE AND PARIS

GENERAL OBJECTIVES a. The need to gather and to systematise thoughts and practices which were woven around Paulo Freire: what are the reciprocal influences and interconnections between Paulo Freire and those having had contact with his thoughts and his practice? What dialogues have been established between the different forms of thinking and practicing of social transformation? Did the thoughts and practices resulting from this inter-influence, and considering Paulo Freire as a pretext, a text and/or a context, provoke and/or encourage changes in social policies? If yes, why, where and how? If not, why not? b. The need to promote a pedagogy of emancipation rather than a pedagogy of oppression: what are the influences and the traces of Paulo Freire thoughts and practices in the pedagogical movements in Europe and Latin America? How to find the political dimension of pedagogy and to promote conscious awareness that gives each individual greater freedom of choice. How to favour a praxis (as a process of action and reflection of the individuals on their own environment with the intention to transform it) that corresponds to a political conception and not to a humanitarian conception? How to assert praxis as a way to build our knowledge and our theories, as a product of learning with/from concrete situation, coherent with the transformations looked for. Starting with this conception of praxis, how to give sense to participation. What is the role of basing learning on creating links between consciousness raising and collective life histories. SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES OF THE TWO SEMINARS 1. To create a dialogue between the philosophy of Paulo Freire and the analysis of changes in social policies, the development of local community groups having the objective of intervening and elaborating social policies, as well as those involved directly in action-research and all those who use Freire\'s ideas to support their actions; 2. To understand on what/why/how this method would become pertinent to analyse/act on the Latin-American and European public arena, especially with the consolidation of democratic processes and the emergence of new actors (specially non-governmental actors); 3. To understand how Freirien theory and practice are important to better conceptualise what “learning” and \"learning throughout life\" really mean in specific contexts of both individual and collective learning. 4. To make it clear how a pedagogical approach (ethnographic and anthropological) can replace a pathological approach, as a response to the social problems of today. 5. To review the evolution of action research (Paulo Freire, le Père Lebret, Orlando Fals Borda, Ivan Illich, John Dewey) and to understand the mutual influences between the philosophy of Paulo Freire and that of the precursors and followers of action-research. 6. To underline the role of indigenous knowledge in action-research, think of the contributions of visual techniques for the valorisation and diffusion of such knowledge and more generally of Video as an instrument of participation/feedback in the investigation. 7. To reconsider educational issues in relation to, and compared with, other possibilities offered by the new technologies applied to informal teaching, without discounting the difficulties and the inequalities that are likely to derive from it. 8. To re-activate emancipatory pedagogies as a medium and long-term process: promote the opening towards other emancipating pedagogies and the analytical questioning of current initiatives. EXPECTED RESULTS An awareness of the specific contributions and cross-fertilisation (and limits) of Paulo Freire\'s philosophy in relation to other philosophical systems on education and other political dimensions of development: What is the influence of these interconnected approaches on the current practices of educators and trainers engaged in, and committed to, the processes of social transformations? An increased knowledge of the theory and practice of action-research, through an exchange and publication of source materials and practices. The creating of an effective network between the participants of the conference (and possibly the setting up of an action programme); A plan of action for UNESCO relating to non-formal education (as a follow-up to the workshops); An understanding of how those which practice the philosophy and/or the methods of Paulo Freire refer to the processes of formulating social policies: up to what point do their practices represent a form of public expression which produces social transformations? The promotion of a critical reflection on the objectives, the processes and the control of current policies on education. THE TRANSITION BETWEEN RECIFE AND PARIS The key factors in the preparation of the two conferences) and in France (in Paris), are the followings: a) to reflect on the content of the sequence between the two conferences and to guarantee a dynamic and clear continuity b) to think about how to sustain results; c) to see in what way Paulo Freire can remain a source of inspiration and motivation in the period after the conferences; d) to point out the importance of involving associative movements and the networks of ONG; e) to identify the contents of a dossier to prepare each of the two seminars. These 'dossiers' would be the base of a later publication. The first contained: (i) a presentation of Paulo Freire; (ii) a presentation of Extensión o comunicación; (iii) two articles published in the Harvard E-mail Get to Know More about Education for Social Transformations

Your Guide to the New TOEFL® test

Your Guide to the New TOEFL^® test

In September 2005, ETS will roll out a new TOEFL. Touted as the "next generation" TOEFL, it will assess four basic language skills: Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking.

ETS has made several changes to the test with the goal of making the TOEFL a more accurate gauge of the English skills needed for academic success. The test material will have a more academic context and is designed to more closely mimic the academic environment.

• Reading passages will be more academic in nature to better reflect college reading assignments
• Listening passages will mimic college lectures and follow more "natural" speech patterns, including pauses, corrections, and grammatical errors

The structure of the new TOEFL will test two "inputs", reading and listening, and two "outputs", writing and speaking.

• After reading a passage, students will:
  • Write their answers, including short written answers and multiple choice
  • Speak their answers into a recorder
• After listening to a passage, students will:
  • Write their answers, including short written answers and multiple choice
  • Speak their answers into a recorder

Later this year, students will be able to take a full-length practice exam at www.TOEFL®.org. However, schools will only accept scores taken after the new TOEFL is officially rolled out in September 2005.

Because the next generation TOEFL test includes a speaking test, schools will no longer require the TSE for admissions.

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InternationalTOEFL@teacher ^®

TOEFL^® test The international standard for 40 years

For more than 40 years the Test of English as a Foreign Language TOEFL^® test has been the leading academic English proficiency test in the world. Each year nearly 800,000 individuals worldwide register for the exam that helps open a new world of possibilities for a new generation of achievers.

Overview

The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) measures the ability of nonnative speakers of English to use and understand North American English as it is spoken, written and heard in college and university settings. Most people who take the TOEFL test are planning to study at colleges and universities where instruction is in English. In addition, many government agencies, scholarship programs, and licensing/certification agencies use TOEFL scores to evaluate English proficiency.

Currently more than 4,400 two- and four-year colleges and universities, professional schools, and sponsoring institutions accept TOEFL scores.

The TOEFL test measures English language proficiency in reading, listening and writing and is offered on computer in most regions of the world. In areas where access to computer-based testing is limited, a paper-and-pencil version of the test is administered.

Paper-Based TOEFL

Once test takers arrive at the testing center, they are given a test book and a paper answer sheet on which to record their responses.

The paper-based test has three sections:

• Listening Comprehension measures the ability to understand spoken English.
• Structure and Written Expression measures the ability to recognize standard written English.
• Reading Comprehension measures the ability to read and understand nontechnical material.

The paper-based TOEFL test takes about 3.5 hours to complete.

The Test of Written English (TWE^®) is also required for everyone taking the paper-based test. Test takers are given 30 minutes to write a short essay on an assigned topic. The essay is evaluated on the test taker's ability to organize and support ideas, and to use standard written English. Special knowledge of the topic is not needed to write the essay.

Computer-Based TOEFL

The computer-based TOEFL test is offered at institutional sites such as colleges and universities, and at testing centers operated by Prometric, a division of Thomson Learning.

The computer-based TOEFL test has four sections:

• Listening measures the ability to understand English as it is spoken in North America.
• Structure measures the ability to recognize language that is appropriate for standard written English.
• Reading measures the ability to understand short passages that are similar in topic and style to academic texts used in North American colleges and universities.
• Writing measures the ability to write in English on an assigned topic.

InternationalTOEFL@teacher ^®

How to Get Better Grades

How to Get Better Grades

Grades aren't everything, but if you or your parents are worried about your report cards, try some of these simple tips.

• Create a study plan. Figure out how much time you need to spend on each subject every week, and then make a weekly schedule. Find out from your teachers when major projects are due, and put them on a calendar. Once you determine how much time you'll need for these projects, you can use your calendar to figure out when you need to start working on them.
  
  
• Do your homework. Most teachers base grades on homework, and it's easier to keep up with your assignments than it is to dig yourself out of a hole.
  
  
• Talk to your teachers. Your teachers may have suggestions about what you can do to learn more and improve in weak areas. But you have to ask!

• Learn from your mistakes. When you get a bad grade, you probably get angry and frustrated. That's normal, but you should also use the experience to try to figure out what went wrong so you can avoid the same mistake in the future. Did you misunderstand the assignment? Did you wait until the last minute to study for a test? Was there some other problem? Once you determine what went wrong, you can work on doing better the next time.
  
  
• Get a tutor. If you are having problems in a particular subject, a tutor may be able to help you get caught up. Do you know a student in a class ahead of you who might be willing to help? If not, your school may be able to help you find someone. Or perhaps you want a professional tutor. Don't expect overnight improvement, but personalized help can really help some students.
  
  
• Study with friends. Sometimes it's hard to get started on homework, but if you agree to meet with one or two friends to do your work you'll have a built-in schedule. Warning: This won't work if you and your friends decide to watch TV or play video games instead of doing your homework!

ruisouza@teacher.com