Changing Work Titles & Greater Equality

“Habits change into character.” ~Ovid (43 BCE-17 CE), Ancient Roman poet Which is correct: fireman or firefighter? The answer is both! But one has been gaining traction lately, along with many other gender-neutral terms for occupational titles. Here’s why: Many professions were traditionally only open to men. As women have gained greater rights and society has become more...

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Compelling American Conversations – Teacher Edition Comes Out!

“Our progress as a nation can be no swifter than our progress in education. The human mind is our fundamental resource.” ~ John F. Kennedy (1917-1963), 35th President of the U.S.   Are you a teacher looking for fresh tips to flip your classroom discussions? Do you ever wish the Teacher Edition of your textbook was more adaptable to your classroom needs? Chimayo Press, an...

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Compelling Conversations – Japan Focuses on Fluency and Authentic Communication for Japanese English Language Learners

“The most important thing we learn at school is the fact that the most important things can’t be learned at school.” ~Haruki Murakami (1949- ), Japanese author     Do your English students want to speak more English? Do you currently teach Japanese English language learners? Are you looking for an engaging, fresh EFL conversation book to guide your English students...

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Conversation Tip #10: Know when to wrap-up

Ending conversations and looking forward to new ones! Photo Source: Pixabay“We keep moving forward, opening new doors, and doing new things, because we’re curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths.” -Walt Disney (1901-1966) American business magnate, animator, producerEvery conversation, no matter how enjoyable, must come to an end for practical reasons. Life moves on and...

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Conversation Tip #9: Ask questions

Questions keep the conversation flowing Photo Source: Wikimedia Commons”Judge a man by his questions rather than his answers.” -Voltaire (1694-1778) French Enlightenment WriterAsking questions always generates more conversation; after all, an answer always follows. As mentioned before, asking questions provides a quick way to find common interests with people. Questions like “What is...

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Conversation Tip #8: Engage in the surrounding world!

Immersion in literature, current events, arts stimulates conversation Photo Source: Wikimedia Commons“When you’re curious, you find lots of interesting things to do.” -Walt Disney (1901-1966) American business magnate, animatorAre your students sometimes unsure of what to talk about? Perhaps they could bring up this morning’s headlines, last week’s bestseller or Friday’s new film release....

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