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Sophisticated English for Global Souls
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17
JUN
2014

Fantastic YouTube videos for the ESL classroom

CompellingConversations’ compilation of YouTube videos for ESL teachers and students alike “We are not what we know but what we are willing to learn.” ―Mary Catherine Bateson (1939- ), American writer and cultural anthropologist Want to make use of YouTube’s gigantic collection...
16
JUN
2014

Skype Makes Tutoring English with Clients Across the Globe Easy and Comfortable

Explore the benefits of using Skype to tutor English learners around the world. “A conversation can be made easy. Just ask a question and then listen.” ―Robert Bly (1926- ), American poet and author As millions of English-learners across the globe take advantage of new...
23
MAR
2014

Savvy Tips to Score Higher on the TOEFL iBT Speaking Section

What do you do with a problem like the TOEFL iBT test? For worse or for better, the TOEFL test remains the standard assessment of English for international students planning to attend American colleges and universities. As a result, many international ESOL (English Speakers of...
15
AUG
2013

What Three Tips Would You Share with Novice ESL / EFL Teachers?

What three tips would offer new a ESL/EFL teacher? Hall Houston, author of Provoking Thought: Memory and Thought in ELT, posed this question to several prominent English language trainers and teachers last year. Sean Banville, Russell Stannard, Chia Suan Chong, Nik Peachey, Scott...
01
MAR
2013

Informational Interviews Help ESOL Students Succeed and Connect to Jobs

“If you don’t know where you’re going, you will probably end up somewhere else.” – Dr. Laurence J. Peter (1919-1990), Canadian-American educator How do you find good jobs in a bad economy? What job search technique is widely taught and practiced at...
27
AUG
2012

Don’t Let Perfectionism Silence You!

Some English students make learning English even more difficult by expecting themselves to speak “perfect”, with “no accent” just like ” a real native English speaker.” May I suggest that this noble goal is both very difficult to achieve –...
18
JUL
2012

Why We Wrote Compelling American Conversations for Intermediate American English Language Learners

“America needs new immigrants to love and cherish it.” – Eric Hoffer (1902-1983), American writer and longshoreman Compelling American Conversations- Vietnam: Speaking Exercises for Vietnamese Learners of Englishand Quotations for intermediate American English...
28
SEP
2011

Why Are So Many EFL Textbooks So Bland, Boring, and Culturally Tone Deaf?

Why are so many EFL Textbooks so bland, boring, and culturally tone-deaf?  Allow me to ask a more polite question. How can English teachers working abroad and international English textbook publishers both respect local cultures and create more engaging English classroom lessons?...
07
JUL
2011

Becoming an Autotelic English Teacher

“The wise are instructed by reason, average minds by experience, the stupid by necessity, and the brute by instinct.” Marcus Cicero, Roman statesman and orator How do potential English teachers gain the experience and knowledge to become successful English teachers? The answer is...
08
JUN
2011

Ask Your English Students to Review TED.Com videos – and Create Compelling Conversations

How can you encourage your advanced ESL students to develop their speaking skills and tap their interest in our rapidly changing world? Create compelling classroom assignments that respect their intelligence, engage their curiosity, and model great speaking skills. Let your...