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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...
17
JUL
2019

Embracing Change and Concluding Summer English Classes

Class bookends, both beginnings and endings, deserve special attention. Here's a look at how I've concluded many satisfying summer English classes.
26
MAY
2018

Teaching Matters: Observing and Leading Class Discussions

“The true spirit of conversation consists in building on another man’s observation, not overturning it.” —Edward G. Bulwer-Lytton (1803–1873), British novelist/politician What do you do while students are having conversations or talking in pairs? Do you have a “formula” for...
03
MAY
2018
Shakespeare used plural pronouns too

Is “They” Okay? Is it okay to use “they” for a singular pronoun of unknown gender?

‘Chandos’ Portrait of Shakespeare in the National Portrait Gallery, London “There’s not a man I meet but doth salute me As if I were their well-acquainted friend.” Shakespeare’s A Comedy of Errors, Act IV, Scene 3: William Shakespeare (1564-1616), British playwright...
27
MAR
2018

The Value of Playback: Recording Student Presentations and Making Good Mistakes in Real-time

“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...
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...
19
DEC
2017

Worksheet: Reviewing TED Talks to Create Compelling Conversations

“Education’s purpose is to replace an empty mind with an open one.” —Malcolm Forbes (1919-1990), American entrepreneur and publisher How can you encourage your advanced ESL students to develop their speaking skills and tap into their interest in our rapidly changing world? By...
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...
28
NOV
2017

Teaching Matters: Correcting Error in the Classroom

  “I cannot teach anybody anything. I can only make them think.” -Socrates (c. 470-399 BCE), Ancient Greek philosopher   What are “good mistakes?” How can we – as teachers of English – encourage students to make more of them? When can we use error as an...
20
JUL
2017

Review: Balancing Fluency and Accuracy Activities in the Classroom

“Everything becomes a little different as soon as it is spoken out loud.”  —Hermann Hesse (1877-1962), German novelist and 1946 Nobel Prize winner   What’s the difference between speaking English fluently and speaking accurately? Which one takes priority in the classroom?...
12