OFLTA Technology Project
This I Believe about Teaching Foreign Languages

The OFLTA would like to invite world language teachers of Oklahoma to present essays
for publication in written, video, or audio format. If you would like to record your 350 word essay at the spring conference (in either audio or video format), please send your essay to OFLTA, 713 Rock Hollow Road, Edmond, Oklahoma by April 1, 2008.

In 1951, radio pioneer Edward R. Murrow began the This I Believe project to engage Americans
and encourage them to communicate openly about the beliefs and values that guide them through life.
In 2005, independent producers Jay Allison and Dan Gediman revived the series in an effort to
encourage people to develop respect for beliefs different from their own. The Allison/Gediman collection
contains 60 new essays and 20 essays from Edward R. Murrow’s original radio series. The This I
Believe web site encourages educators throughout the world to submit essays online at
www.thisibelieve.org.

Here are some guidelines retrieved from www.thisibelieve.org:

Tell a story: Be specific. Take your belief out of the ether and ground it in the events of your life.
Consider moments when belief was formed or tested or changed. Think of your own experience, work,
and family, and tell of the things you know that no one else does. Your story need not be heart-warming
or gut-wrenching—it can even be funny—but it should be real. Make sure your story ties to the essence
of your daily life philosophy and the shaping of your beliefs.

Be brief: Your statement should be between 350 and 500 words. That's about three minutes when read
aloud at your natural pace.

Name your belief: If you can't name it in a sentence or two, your essay might not be about belief. Also,
rather than writing a list, consider focusing on one core belief, because three minutes is a very short
time.

Be positive: Please avoid preaching or editorializing. Tell us what you do believe, not what you don't
believe. Avoid speaking in the editorial "we." Make your essay about you; speak in the first person.
Be personal: Write in words and phrases that are comfortable for you to speak. We recommend you
read your essay aloud to yourself several times, and each time edit it and simplify it until you find the
words, tone, and story that truly echo your belief and the way you speak.

Source: http://www.thisibelieve.org