Worksheet: Express Opinions and Improve Critical Thinking with Consumer Product Reviews
“A man’s most valuable trait is a judicious sense of what not to believe.” — Euripides (485-406 B.C.E.), ancient Greek playwright Why use consumer product reviews as a teaching tool? How does this exercise benefit English language learners? Which skillsets are strengthened as a result? The giving and receiving of gifts has become a central feature of Christmas, Hanukkah,...
Read MoreReview: 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? How can we, as educators, create a balanced curriculum with more targeted in-class fluency...
Read MoreNow available: Listen to Compelling Conversations Vietnam on ESL Garage!
“One of the secrets to life is to make stepping stones out of stumbling blocks.” —Jack Penn (1909-1996), South African plastic surgeon, sculptor and author Teachers of Vietnamese English language learners: have you tried using Compelling Conversations – Vietnam with your English classes? Are you a fan of co-author Teresa Nguyen’s ESL Garage channel on...
Read MoreSound Conversations: Oral Language Solutions for Vietnamese Language Learners
“I am tomorrow, or some future day, what I establish today. I am today what I established yesterday or some previous day.” – James Joyce (1882-1941), Irish novelist How many Vietnamese English language learners (ELLs) are in the United States? What are the specific challenges many Vietnamese learners of English face? What ESL classroom techniques and personal edtech tools...
Read MoreSound Conversations: Oral Language Solutions for Vietnamese Language Learners
“I am tomorrow, or some future day, what I establish today. I am today what I established yesterday or some previous day.” – James Joyce (1882-1941), Irish novelist How many Vietnamese English language learners (ELLs) are in the United States? What are the specific challenges many Vietnamese learners of English face? What ESL classroom techniques and personal edtech tools...
Read MoreTeaching Matters: The Perception of Time and Value of Punctuality in American Culture
“If the doors of perception were cleansed every thing would appear to man as it is, Infinite. For man has closed himself up, till he sees all things thro’ narrow chinks of his cavern.” – William Blake (1757-1827), English poet, painter and printmaker The concept of time defies easy definitions, meaning many different things to many different people. Americans often...
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