Category

Do students who know proper English grammar on worksheets, but can’t hold a conversation in English really speak English? Consider me sceptical. After all, does anyone ever ask "Do you grammar English?"

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...

Airport English works for casual conversations. “Life is a foreign language: all men mispronounce it.” — Christopher Morley (1890-1957), American author and journalist By Eric H. Roth What qualifies as “perfect” English pronunciation? Is perfect pronunciation essential for having...

“Don’t sweat the small stuff, and it’s all small stuff.” – Dr. Richard Carlson (1956-), bestselling American author and psychologist Creating a classroom atmosphere of tolerance, understanding, and constructive criticism remains a constant challenge. How do you help your ESL...

“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...

“The only place where success comes before work is in the dictionary.” ~Vidal Sassoon (1928-2012), British hairstylist and businessman   Late last year, we published a blog post on mock job interviews and self-evaluation. In connection to that, here are some...

    “Education is a kind of continuing dialogue and a dialogue assumes, in the nature of the case, different points of view.” ~Robert Hutchins (1899-1977), educator and philosopher How can we create more speaking opportunities for students in our English...

How do you create lively small group discussions in your English class? What homework do you find most likely to spark student-led conversations? Are you interested in flipping your ESL class so English language learners collect information outside of class and share the...

Pair your words with a respectful tone   “Beautiful tone, beautiful heart.” -Shinichi Suzuki (1898-1998) Japanese violinist, creator of the “Suzuki Method” Proper tone is essential for the effective conversationalist and communicator, after all, having a good conversation...

Exude interest with body language and facial expressions   “The body never lies.” -Martha Graham (1894-1991) American modern dancerA conversation composed entirely of just words holds less meaning if there aren’t appropriate reactions and responses. Therefore, body language...