Competition Winners!
There were many entries our ESL Sports Competition. And you should all be congratulated because the standard of entry was very high. Out of over 1,500 entries, more than 300 were 100% correct. Visit this page to see the correct answers and the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Prize Winners.

Idioms Help (NEW)
Need help with English idioms? Check out our new idioms forum, and don't be afraid to ask a question!

Featured ESL Blogs

• Life of Mike
• english-thai writing
• I Wanna Break Free

Writing for All

How do you use the Internet?
What do you do online? How often? Why? Do you mainly use the Internet to play games, find friends, learn online, shop online? What do you think are the advantages and disadvantages of the Internet? Do you have any tips and suggestions you would like to give others?
Add your thoughts here

Winner!
EnglishClub.com Site of the Month Awards
ESLnotes is a site for upper-level English students interested in studying vocabulary and grammar usage by watching popular English movies. Though the site does not contain updated titles from the last few years, there are over 70 movies to choose from, including crowd favourites, such as Forrest Gumpand Sleepless in Seattle. The English Language Learner Guides include character and plot summaries as well as extensive vocabulary and language usage notes. The notes are available to view and print in PDF, html or Word. To learn more about how movies make good teachers, visit ESL Notes and click on the Introduction for ESL learners.

Site of the Month Awards

On Top of the World - The North Pole

Why is the North Pole suddenly so important?
The ice in the Arctic region around the North Pole is apparently melting at an alarming rate. Temperatures in the area have risen by one whole degree in the last hundred years and the thickness of the ice has decreased by 40% in the last quarter of a century. The permanent ice cap at the North Pole has shrunk to half the size it was in the 1960s. This could allegedly have apocalyptic repercussions on the Earth's climate.

In addition to this, experts estimate that there are huge reserves of energy (in the form of gas and oil) under the Arctic seabed. Given the fact that experts also estimate that we are going to run out of fuel in twenty years or so, this new-found source of energy may prove vital. If the polar ice caps melt, we will be able to reach the energy reserves underneath them, for the first time in history.

Not only that, but if the polar ice caps melt then the Arctic Ocean will become navigable. Ships will be able to sail from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean much more quickly than in the past. This route, known as the Northwest Passage, would cut shipping times between Britain and Japan by 50%. The advantages for the container shipping industry would be phenomenal.

To whom does the North Pole belong?
At the moment it doesn't belong to anyone. It is in international waters. However, under the UN's Convention on the Law of the Sea (1982) countries can lay claim to parts of the seabed if they can prove that the part they want is an extension of their own country's continental shelf. To do this, enormous amounts of information need to be collected, collated and submitted to the relevant authority for assessment. So far, Russia, Canada, Norway, America and Denmark have begun carrying out research projects in an effort to establish grounds for staking a claim.

What next?
Things are hotting up in more ways than one at the North Pole these days. Recently Russia sent nuclear-powered ice-breakers into the area along with a famed Russian explorer and planted the Russian flag on the seabed at the North Pole. Canada consequently started reinforcing its military presence in the north. Early warning stations that have been standing derelict since being decommissioned at the end of the Cold War are being reactivated and new ones are set to open soon in Canada, it has been reported. Russia has apparently ordered bomber planes to monitor the Arctic region and is buying three new submarines. It is also said that Britain has despatched nuclear submarines to the area. Are these countries hotting up for a new type of 'cold war'?
--
Each month we have a new Talking Point and invite your views and opinions. Just follow the link below to say what you think.

This month's Talking Point is:

"To whom should the North Pole belong?"

Say what YOU think...

The name of a book is its

a) title
b) topic
c) subject

See end of newsletter for answer

Get the TEFL.net Feed!
Keep up-to-date with the latest pages and news from TEFL.net. Subscribe to one of our feeds and get the latest items automatically posted to your browser or reader.
TEFL.net Edition Feed - regular updates
TEFL.net Feed - regular updates

Share Your Ideas
Now you can submit articles or lessonplans for teachers at TEFL.net.

Add your Comments
Now teachers can easily add comments to TEFL Articles, Idea Thinktank and TEFL Reviews. Just enter your comment in the box after each item.

Talking Point: On Top of the World
A worksheet that focuses on the consequences of global warming on the North Pole. Vocabulary is explored and practised through a gap-fill exercise based around words and phrases built from "pole". Conversation practice is provided through a series of discussion questions based around the topic. For example: "In your opinion, who should the gas and oil under the North Pole belong to?"

Download lesson plan...

Each Talking Point worksheet is available for download as a PDF file that you can view in the free Adobe Acrobat Reader. Each worksheet can be easily printed and is freely photocopiable.

Find the latest job offers for English teachers posted by schools around the world.

Also in the Job Centre:

• Subscribe to JobAlert FREE
  
• Resumes bank where you can post your resume
• Schools can post ESL vacancies
• ESL Jobs FAQ
• ESL Jobs Forum
  
• Resume Tips for ESL Jobs
  
• Top 10 Interview Questions for Teachers to Ask
  
• Transferable Skills for ESL Teachers
  
• The Functional Resume
  
• Now What? Climbing the ESL Ladder
  
• Don't Forget Your Toothbrush
  
• ESL Job Satisfaction
  
• What Kind of Teacher Are You?
  
• 7 ESL Job Interview Tips
  
• Finding the Perfect ESL Job
  

ESL Jobs Centre

Recruit Teachers

• Spain: English school for sale in Valencia
• Spain: English language school for sale in Andalusia
  
• Italy: English Language School for Sale
  
• Italy: English Language School for Sale Italian Riviera
  
• Mexico: Turnkey Profitable Language Institute for Sale - Guadalajara
  

See full details of these schools

Announce school for sale