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Sophisticated English for Global Souls
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06
JAN
2022

Riding Life’s Waves: Confronting Procrastination – The Surfer’s Way

How do we avoid avoidance? How do we find the inner resources to confront situations and move forward? “[F]eeling is what tells you you’re alive,” Bregman explains. By riding out our emotions like waves, we become less intimidated by them – and maybe even enjoy them. It’s like...
22
MAY
2018

Worksheet: Imperatives vs Polite Requests in the Workplace

  “You cannot be really first-rate at your work if your work is all you are.” —Anna Quindlen (1953-), American Pulitzer Prize-winning author and journalist Style matters – especially when we talk with our co-workers, consumers, patients, and supervisors. English language...
03
APR
2018

Teaching Matters: Introducing Informational Interviews to Your Advanced ESL Class

“You have to know how to accept rejection and reject acceptance.” – Ray Bradbury (1920-2012), American author Speaking skills – in particular interview skills – matter. Job interviews – a perennial topic on this blog – are often stressful, especially for English language...
20
FEB
2018

Riding Life’s Waves: Confronting Procrastination – The Surfer’s Way

“If I am not for myself, who will be for me? If I am only for myself, what am I? If not now, when?” – Hillel the Elder (110 BC-10 AD), Jewish religious leader Why do we procrastinate? Whether the tasks be large or small, it’s all too easy to put off unpleasant tasks – and even...
13
FEB
2018

Job Interviews: How to Answer Authentically to the Toughest Questions

“Strong waves make strong sailors.” – English proverb Why do so many hiring managers ask open-ended questions in job interviews? What possibilities – and perils – do these questions present? How can job-seekers prepare for ten tough, yet common, interview questions? When...
06
FEB
2018

Job Interviews: Why Authentic Conversation is Key to Success

  “Hiring is a manager’s most important job.” – Peter F. Drucker (1909-2005), American management consultant and author How do many job seekers self-sabotage during interviews? What qualities often make a successful job interview? Liz Ryan, founder and CEO of Human...
30
NOV
2017

Sharing is Caring: Substituting Connectivity for Communication

“Technology is a word that describes something that doesn’t work yet.”  –Douglas Adams (1952-2001), English author and satirist   Is the cult of oversharing online preventing us from establishing genuine connections? Do we expect more from our phones than our...
22
JUL
2017

Job Interviews: Asking Better Questions – from the Hiring Seat

“Hiring is a manager’s most important job.” –Peter F. Drucker (1909-2005), American management consultant Can you put yourself in the shoes of a manager looking to hire two new staff members? What qualities are employers looking for in a new hire? What kinds of interview...
15
JUN
2017
Job interview

Job Interviews: Asking Questions Matters for Applicants Too!

“A wise man’s questions contain half the answer.”  —Solomon ibn Gabriol (1022-1070),  Jewish philosopher Ask more. Know more. Share more. Create Compelling Conversations. That’s our slogan. Asking questions – in class, at dinner, and on campus –  collects...
23
FEB
2017
Outdoor Date

Review: How to Have More Engaging Conversations in Everyday Life

“Confidence contributes more to a conversation than wit.” – Francois de La Rochefoucauld (1613-1680), French writer   How can we help English language learners in the U.S. have more long-lasting, compelling conversations with native speakers? Sometimes it can be difficult to...
12