It’s A Breeze: Now available on Teachers Pay Teachers!

 Let’s “learn the ropes” of English – idiom by idiom! Exciting news, English teachers: All seven, thematic units of Chimayo Press’ It’s A Breeze are now individually available on our Teachers Pay Teachers store! Written for high school ESL students and adult English language learners in the Un… The post It’s A Breeze: Now available on Teachers...

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The Importance of the Academic Word List

“One forgets words as one forgets names. One’s vocabulary needs constant fertilizing or it will die.” – Evelyn Waugh (1903-1966), British author and journalist   What is the Academic Word List? Why does it matter? How can it help English language learners get a higher TOEFL Score? How can it help them learn and participate more in your college classes? Essential to...

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New Year’s Resolutions: Discussing Change in English Class

“To modernize is to adopt and to adapt, but it is also to recreate.” Octavio Paz, (1914-1998), Mexican writer and diplomat. Holidays and anniversaries often prompt personal reflections. As a new year beckons, millions of English language learners and thousands of English teachers  reflect on their lives and make new year resolutions. In that same spirit, here are a few...

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Making Introductions, Part 2: Small Talk

“A conversation can be easy. Just ask a question and then listen.” -Robert Bly (1926-), American poet and author Previously on the blog, we discussed the importance of first impressions. A firm handshake goes a long way, but what happens afterward? How do we teach English language learners to keep a conversation going post-introduction? When speaking with someone new, many Americans...

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Making Introductions, Part 1: Shaking Hands

“From small beginnings come great things.” – American proverb First impressions matter.  The gateway to many compelling conversations remains the greeting. As the proverb says, you never get a second chance to make a first impression. However, breaking the ice can often be an awkward, even  difficult task. For shy international students, greeting and meeting strangers...

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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 Press in a new direction entirely. It is the first in a planned series of books tailored for the workplace,...

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