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Sophisticated English for Global Souls
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28
SEP
2021

Learning English: Opening More Doors and Letting Personal Dreams Unfold

Regardless of motive, learning English remains a smart choice for millions and millions of working adults and ambitious students. It presents possibilities for better-paying jobs and additional choices in pursuing an international education. Plus, it helps immigrants to...
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...
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...
12
OCT
2016
Compelling Conversations for Fundraisers book cover

Chimayo Press Catalog Spotlight: Compelling Conversations for Fundraisers

Chimayo Press’s Fall 2016 catalog is here, featuring four new titles in addition to our previous collection. Featured in this week’s catalog spotlight: the game-changing Compelling Conversations for Fundraisers. Compelling Conversations for Fundraisers takes Chimayo...
27
JUN
2016
Adult education students

Bridging the Gap: How English for Professionals courses aid international engineers

As both lecturer and master lecturer, respectively, in the Engineering Writing Program and American Language Institute, I have worked with many international engineering students at USC (home of award-winning engineering publication, Illumin). To my knowledge, engineers sometimes...
08
JAN
2016
Two businesspeople

Resources: Links for ESL Teachers About Informational Interviews

“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...
06
JUL
2014

Tutoring English Students on Speaking Skills? Set Clear Expectations!

I strongly suggest you establish clear expectations about both content and business matters. Some tutors even present a written contract outlining their rates, the location and times of meetings, and payment policies. One of my university colleagues makes students sign a form...
15
DEC
2011

Do Informational Interviews Have a Place in Business English Programs?

Speaking skills – especially in stressful situations – matter. Most quality Business English and VESL (Vocational English as a Second Language) programs provide extensive training and practice  in both short and long job interviews. Job interviews are stressful...
21
JUN
2011

More Links for ESL Teachers About Informational Interviews

Informational interviews have become a common practice among American professionals, but many English language learners remain unfamiliar with this type of networking and job search activity. ESL teachers can create both compelling classroom assignments and provide opportunities...
23
MAY
2009

Are you prepared? Are you ready? Aren’t you nervous?

* Are you ready? * Are you prepared? * Aren't you nervous? * Do you have enough time to do that? * When are you going to sleep? Friends - and close relatives - ask these questions out of concern and curiosity. I appreciate their questions and enjoy our...