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Sophisticated English for Global Souls
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23
JUL
2021

Can we make more time for conversations inside and outside of English classrooms?

English teachers must, therefore, explicitly teach these conversation skills.  The asking, understanding, and responding to questions remains a complicated skill. It's also a vital communication ability both inside and outside our ESL classrooms. Students need to practice and...
23
MAR
2021

Collecting Resume Advice And Creating Compelling Conversations

“Job-hunting is always mysterious. Sometimes mind-bogglingly mysterious. You may never understand why things sometimes work, and sometimes do not.” –Richard Nelson Bolles (1927-2017), Author of “What Color is Your Parachute“ By Samantha Jungheim and Eric H. Roth...
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,...
10
AUG
2016
Camera and photos

Seeing the World Through Photographs (again): Photo Exercises for the English Classroom

“When you look at my pictures you are seeing my life.” ―Douglas Kirkland (1934-), American photographer Photographs capture moments, inform viewers, and start conversations. In last week’s blog post, we discussed how street photography documents moments and events without the...
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...
07
JUN
2016
students discussing notes

What makes a conversation-friendly English, ESL or EFL classroom?

  “There is a role and function for beauty in our time.” – Tadao Ando (1941–), Japanese architect Introducing Teacher Edition Tuesday, a new weekly series based on ten teaching tips from the recently released Compelling American Conversations – Teacher Edition! What makes a...
20
MAR
2016
Three students talking

Context Matters with Conversation Idioms

“Confidence contributes more to conversation than wit.” ~Francois de La Rochefoucauld (1613-1680), French writer   Conversation styles are wonderfully varied. Just as one size never truly fits all, one conversational approach may not be appropriate depending on...
18
MAR
2016
Two young sisters playing

Teaching Matters: How adult ESL students can learn like children again

  “Nothing in life is to be feared. It is only to be understood.” ~Marie Curie (1867-1934), Polish physicist and chemistry pioneer   How do people learn their first languages? What are some barriers to learning a second? Finally, how can we, as ESL...
10
MAR
2016
Four female students

How Do You Use Compelling American Conversations in Multilevel ESL Classes?

“People have one thing in common: they are all different.” ~Robert Zend (1929-1985), American writer   Compelling American Conversations provides an invaluable resource for teachers in the common situation of teaching multilevel adult ESL classes with ongoing enrollment. ESL...