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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?"

“Words are, of course, the most powerful drug used by mankind.” –Rudyard Kipling (1865-1936), British author Sometimes students ask simple, direct questions that I can’t immediately answer. For instance, an ESL student wondered, “What are the 1000 most common...

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...

Quotations provide insight and perspective on a variety of topics, past and present. How can this carry over into English classroom discussions?

“Next to money, English is the leading international language.” —Evan Esar (1899-1995), American humorist How does learning English open doors for people around the globe? What prejudgments do we make about why others want to learn English? How can we, as English teachers, help...

In conversation, meaning matters most. Our students don’t need to have perfect English grammar; they have to be understood. Let's help them swim in English!

“Education is an ornament in prosperity, and a refuge in adversity.” ~Aristotle (384-322 BCE), Ancient Greek philosopher and scientist Can teaching English to new immigrants and refugees make the United Kingdom safer? Is learning English essential to successfully...

From my perspective, a good English classroom is a democratic English classroom. Here's a quick checklist I created to help ESL teachers achieve this goal.

Positive attitudes generate positive experiences “In order to carry a positive action, we must develop here a positive vision.” -Tenzin Gyatso (1935- ) the 14th Dalai LamaSo often our desire to have meaningful conversations overshadows the reason why we want to have them in the...

Why English learners must practice and make “good mistakes” in order to grow “A man’s mistakes are his portals of discovery.” ―James Joyce (1882-1941), Irish novelist and poet How can English language teachers create a rigorous, tolerant and focused classroom...