“English in Los Angeles” inspires conversation with splashes of color
July 11, 2014
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Source: Amazon Piera Fumagalli fuses vocabulary, grammar and idioms with LA “People cut themselves off from their ties of the old life when they come…
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Paraphrasing is an Essential Conversation Skill!
July 10, 2014
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If English students can accurately paraphrase a reading, a radio segment, or a verbal statement, they can actively participate in common conversations and classroom discussions.…
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Reflections from Fourth of July, Independence Day
July 9, 2014
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Source: Wikipedia Commons Drawing inspiration from the American holiday “I have sworn upon the altar of god eternal hostility against every form of tyranny over…
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Tutoring English Students on Speaking Skills? Set Clear Expectations!
July 6, 2014
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I strongly suggest you establish clear expectations about both content and business matters. Some tutors even present a written contract outlining their rates, the location…
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Journeys in Film promotes use of movies, documentaries to teach
July 2, 2014
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How films can explore and examine cultures in classrooms Source: PBS.org “Film has the power to educate the most visually literate generation in history.”…
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Volume Matters – Even in Personal Conversations
July 2, 2014
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Why volume matters, especially in difficult student-teacher conferences “Communication leads to community, that is, to understanding, intimacy and mutual valuing.” ―Rollo May (1909-1994) American author…
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Creating Simple ESL Lesson Plans Around Top Ten Lists for Advanced English Classes
July 1, 2014
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Advanced ESL/EFL classes benefit from making top ten lists “Share your knowledge. It’s a way to achieve immortality.” ―Tenzin Gyatso (1950-) 14th Dalai Lama Americans…
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Learning by Doing and Making “Good Mistakes” in English classes
June 28, 2014
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Why English learners must practice and make “good mistakes” in order to grow “A man’s mistakes are his portals of discovery.” ―James Joyce (1882-1941), Irish…
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Proceed with Caution: Gender-Neutral and Plural Pronouns
June 26, 2014
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How to approach pronouns in English class “The world is still a weird place, despite my efforts to make clear and perfect sense of it.”…
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Homophones Can Confuse: A Minor Mistake in Miner Valley
June 20, 2014
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Why it is so important for English learners to tackle homophones in the classroom “For me the greatest beauty always lies in the greatest clarity.”…
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