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Sophisticated English for Global Souls
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09
FEB
2021

Understanding Your Students Better with a Remote Learning Survey

“We must accept finite disappointment but never lose infinite hope.” – Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (1929-1968), American human rights leader By Samantha Jungheim & Eric H. Roth How do we know what our students already know about edtech tools? Should we, perhaps, ask...
30
JAN
2021

Connecting the Dots: Teaching Students to Describe Infographics

Our online audience included CATESOL members, California educators, English teachers, community college instructors, and other ESL professionals. Our presentation emphasized four simple steps to creating data commentaries are: introduce the infographic, identify significant data,...
23
JAN
2021

Why Writing 3rd Person Biostatements Deepens Resilience

“We know what we are, but we know not what we may be.” –William Shakespeare (1564-1616), English playwright  By Eric H. Roth & Samantha Jungheim Can you tell your life story in a positive light?  What have you achieved so far? What are you working on? What are your life...
21
FEB
2017
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Sound Conversations: Oral Language Solutions for Vietnamese Language Learners

“I am tomorrow, or some future day, what I establish today. I am today what I established yesterday or some previous day.”  – James Joyce (1882-1941), Irish novelist   How many Vietnamese English language learners (ELLs) are in the United States? What are the specific...
14
JAN
2017
Book Bookcase Library Reading Research School Concept

The Importance of the Academic Word List

“One forgets words as one forgets names. One’s vocabulary needs constant fertilizing or it will die.” – Evelyn Waugh (1903-1966), British author and journalist   What is the Academic Word List? Why does it matter? How can it help English language learners...
21
JUN
2016
Teacher in front of students at an adult education class

Teaching Matters: Preparing Student-Centered Materials for the Classroom

  “If it is language that makes us human, one half of language is to listen.” – Jacob Trapp (1899-1992), American religious leader   Part 3 of Teacher Edition Tuesday, a weekly series based on ten teaching tips from the recently released Compelling American...
01
MAR
2016
Pencil and answer sheet

Teaching Matters: How much can we rely on standardized tests to assess?

“Education is helping the child realize his potentialities.” ~Erich Fromm (1900-1980), German social psychologist and pscychoanalyst   By Andrea Schmidt, Guest-writer    Standardized tests: how helpful are they in assessing one’s true skill level? This...
11
JAN
2016
Happy students waving international flags

Teaching Matters: What Are Reasonable Standards for Listening Comprehension and Speaking Skills for ESL Students?

“Our progress as a nation can be no swifter than our progress in education.” ~John F. Kennedy (1917-1963), 35th President of the U.S.   Tough question! Context, as ever, matters. Are you going into a new semester of class looking for a clear, detailed chart to...
23
DEC
2015
Students talking

Teaching Tips: Discussing Idioms in the Classroom

Idioms can be difficult for ESL beginners to make sense of. Here are some examples and tips to get you started.
04
NOV
2015
Asian girl with tea

Home vs. House: What does this mean?

  “No matter under what circumstances you leave it, home does not cease to be home. No matter how you lived there – well or poorly.” ~Joseph Brodsky (1940-1996), Russian-American poet & Nobel Prize winner   What’s the difference between a house and...