Teaching Matters: Do Our Students Need to Swim in English or Pass Grammar Tests?
February 19, 2016
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Here is a short list of important questions for our English language learners. Can they order food in a nice restaurant? Can students fill in…
Read MoreTeaching Matters: What Are Reasonable Standards for Listening Comprehension and Speaking Skills for ESL Students?
January 11, 2016
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“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…
Read MoreTeaching Tips: Discussing Idioms in the Classroom
December 23, 2015
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Idioms can be difficult for ESL beginners to make sense of. Here are some examples and tips to get you started.
Read MoreHome vs. House: What does this mean?
November 4, 2015
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“No matter under what circumstances you leave it, home does not cease to be home. No matter how you lived there – well or…
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Homophones Can Confuse: A Minor Mistake in Miner Valley
June 20, 2014
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Why it is so important for English learners to tackle homophones in the classroom “For me the greatest beauty always lies in the greatest clarity.”…
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What Three Tips Would You Share with Novice ESL / EFL Teachers?
August 15, 2013
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What three tips would offer new a ESL/EFL teacher? Hall Houston, author of Provoking Thought: Memory and Thought in ELT, posed this question to several…
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Do Our Students Need to Swim in English or Pass Grammar Tests?
October 26, 2012
compellingconversations-admin
Here is a short list of important questions for our English language learners. Can they order food in a nice restaurant? Can students fill in…
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Why Are So Many EFL Textbooks So Bland, Boring, and Culturally Tone Deaf?
September 28, 2011
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Why are so many EFL Textbooks so bland, boring, and culturally tone-deaf? Allow me to ask a more polite question. How can English teachers working…
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The Language of Opportunity – Wabash profiles an English Teacher
September 11, 2011
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Most of the book’s prompts ask for recollections or personal opinions.“Whatever perspective you bring to the book, I want you to find validation in some…
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Fluency Requires Practice
February 7, 2011
compellingconversations-admin
“To know and not do is to not know.” The Talmud Fluency requires practice. Our students also know that speaking English can be both satisfying…
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