MSI Press Blog

                               Are you doing any work in the area of how to achieve (or get students to achieve) near-native proficiency? Send it to the  Journal for Distinguished Language Proficiency . JDLS is closing out acceptances for JDLS 9 (2023-2024) in June, with queries best sent now, and will start accepting submissions for JDLS 10 (which, possibly, may be published in mid-2025, rather than in 2026, per current schedule). Check out the call for papers for details at the link provided above. --- We have available for individual purchase each of the feature articles from issue 8 of the journal at a very accessible price and will make the feature articles available from other issues as time goes on. Check our  webstore  to see what we have at any given time. We will announce and link each of these individually in upcoming blog posts. The  Journal for Distinguished Languag...

  "Doing It Right" - Dr. Kristin Wilcox and Andrew Wilcox ( Andrew's Awesome Adventures with His ADHD Brain ), in a presentation, "Doing It My Way with ADHD,"  share ways to study, do homework, do chores, be organized and work with teachers when you have ADHD. This webinar was presented by CHADD's (Children and Adults with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder) Southern Regional Support Group. The PGC (Prince George's County) PSG (Parent Support Group) meets monthly to provide parents with resources, information, coping strategies and a safe place to connect with other parents. Nested within their Howard University roots and CHADD family, they encourage other agencies and organizations within the National Capitol Region to come alongside them in serving their community. Given the diverse challenges families endure with ADHD, they want to ensure your voices are heard and your needs are met. For more posts about Kristin and her book, click HERE . BOOK ...

  (The divine works in mysterious ways. I was looking at the mountains this morning. I don't know exactly what I was looking for, but I thought that was the place to look. And then this came up in my memories. It was the first piece I had published in a newspaper following the book [ A Theology for the Rest of Us ]. Besides the comforting thought, I had the distinct impression the divine was stifling a laugh.) When young children are hurt or sad, they want a kiss to make it better. Or a hug. Yes, hugs can work well, too. And ice cream. Ice cream is the best. As adults, however, we know that whatever the injury or problem, kissing it is not going to make anything better. It is ironic that there is so much pop psychology advice that, especially in times of crisis, we need to connect with our inner child. Idyllic notions of childhood aside, the truth is that childhood is often about feeling powerless and ever so small. There is a reason why children are so taken with dinosaurs. Dinosa...

  What is a book jewel? A sometimes-overlooked book with remarkable insight and potential significance. Starting in August, we will share near-daily, as possible, reviews of the monthly book jewel - short, succinct reviews that can be read in 1-2 minutes with links to the reviewer by reviewers whose words are worthy of being heard and whose opinions are worthy of being considered. Sometimes a couple of minutes contains more impressive thought than ten times that many. We will let you decide that. This month's book jewel is  Blest Atheist  by Elizabeth Mahlou. Amazon review by Debra Gaynor - Elizabeth Mahlou grew up in an abusive home. She tells of her mother stabbing her brother with a knife in the buttocks, and her father throwing a pitchfork and stabbing him with it. Taking an airplane ride had a whole new meaning in this family. The abuse was physical, emotional, and sexual. "The wounds were in the heart and mind and covered parts of the body." Like most bullies, their...

  It is Tuesday. Monday's madness is over, and Wednesday will take us over the hump, so Tuesday it is--for some serious discussion with authors. Tuesday talks mean to address authors in waiting and self-published authors who would like to go a more traditional route or who would at least like to take their steps with a publisher by their side.  Today's post asks whether your book is getting enough attention and then explores the importance of SEO (search engine optimization). If your book is NOT getting enough attention and your SEO essentially sucks, which usually are related, there are things you can do to make the situation better. Check how much attention your book is getting Sales, of course, is one of the greatest indicators of whether your book is getting enough attention. If your book is not getting enough sales and you suspect lack of sufficient attention (there are many other reasons, including poor quality, for books not to get sales) to be at blame for that, you ca...

Excerpt from  Understanding the People around You  (Filatova) -  Preface The  modern man is a communi c a to r. Ev er y day w e come in con t act with dozens, sometimes e v en hundreds of peop l e, from our friends to comp l e te stran g ers. T he eff ici en cy of our bus i ness, as w e ll as our social au th ori ty , l eisure sa tis f acti on, comfor t and relaxation at home depend on our ability to communicate with business partners, coll ea g ues, friends, rela tiv es and ju st casual acquaintances. I w ou l d e v en pre- fer to say «the ar t of communica t ion» instead of «abili ty to communica t e», be c ause true communi c a t ion is a crea tiv e act ra th er than a craf t skill. O ne c an master rules of co ur tesy , bu t th e y are no t enou g h to understand peop l e ’ s mo tivati on, to predict th e i r reaction to our words and deeds. T oo oft...