Recently, Mentakab Mentors Martina Gilmartin and Jimmy Ma were invited to present some of their research in Penang at iELT - Con 2015. This was an English Language event sponsored by PELLTA: Penang English Language Learning and Teaching Association. This conference had a lot of teachers attending and presenting new methods and research related to teaching ESL.

Both mentors were very happy that their presentation proposals were accepted as presentations in the conference. This conference was very helpful at teaching our mentors new methods to try with their mentees and students.

Martina presented her research into Multi-Modality and Jimmy presented his research into Improving Students' Performance.

Martina presenting her research and receiving a Presenter's Certificate

Jimmy presenting his research, Jimmy with ESL professors Dr. Tony Wright and Dr. Paul Kei Matsuda

Clockwise: Martina with Dr. Paul Kei Matsuda, an Official from the MOE giving a speech, and TESOL International president Dr. Andy Curtis

This blog is updated and maintained by Jimmy Ma

Mentakab Mentor Martina Gilmartin has been helping her SJKT Landang Semantan school a lot with the teachers' English abilities and methodology. One of her programs is to have a lesson-planning session with the English teachers in the school. In this particular school, Martina is helping two teachers with their lesson planning by encouraging them to help each other.

In this way, she is developing the mentoring skills of the teachers here. This is ultimately the goal of the TELL2 program. When the teachers that have been in the TELL2 program are able to mentor other teachers, we will know that our jobs have been done correctly.

This kind of program is important in order to give teachers the sense of being the mentor. Many times, mentors help teachers and there is a clear directional flow of information from the mentor to the teacher. It is good to change that directional flow and have the teachers give instruction, support, and mentor other teachers.

This blog is maintained and updated by Jimmy Ma

Welcome to the 100th post on this blog since it started back in 2014! Since then, the mentors in the Temerloh district have been doing a lot of great things with their mentees, students, schools, and communities.

Just a reminder that many of the programs and workshops that are done in the TELL2 program aren't do-it-once programs. We like to continue using the programs and skills that mentors introduce into the schools because they are helpful as an ongoing part of the English language acquisition of the students.

Below is just a quick update on the PAL reading program. Mentakab mentor Jimmy Ma is still actively motivating and supporting his teachers to continue with PAL reading as often as they are able to. Through the use of story books, students are more likely and more attracted to reading. It is through this method that students are learning that reading can be fun.

New TELL2 teacher Ms. Anita from SK Kampong Tengah

This blog is updated and maintained by Jimmy Ma

Mentakab mentor Martina Gilmartin helped write a speech a few weeks ago. Then, she and TELL2 teacher Mr. Veera helped coach and practiced with a student named "Nick" in the TELL2 SK Bandar Mentakab school. What happened then?? Nick went on to win the public speaking competition at the zone level for Mentakab! Next, Nick won first place in the Temerloh district for his public speaking. Nick made it all the way to the state level competition, competing against the winners from all 11 of the districts of Pahang.

Unfortunately, he didn't win the state level competition. However, his speech was great and we are all very proud of him and how far he went in the competitions!

Nick is very happy, his parents are proud, his teachers are proud, and the mentors from Mentakab are proud of him. The competition was held on Saturday, the 9th of May in SK Felda Purun. Attending the competition were mentors Martina Gilmartin and Jimmy Ma from Temerloh and Meryl from Bera.

Administrators from SK Bandar Mentakab, Mr. Veera, Mentor Martina Gilmartin, and Nick

Mr. Veera, Martina Gilmartin, Jimmy Ma, and Nick

This blog is updated and maintained by Jimmy Ma