Now 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 MoreThe 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...
Read MoreMaking 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...
Read MoreMaking 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...
Read MoreTeaching Matters: Prefix/Suffix Study
Embed from Getty Images “First of all, there was a volcano of words, an eruption of words that Shakespeare had never used before that had never been used in the English language before. It’s astonishing. It pours out of him.” Stephen Jay Greenblatt, (1943 – ) American literary his… The post Teaching Matters: Prefix/Suffix Study appeared first on...
Read MoreSeeing the World Through Photographs (again): Photo Exercises for the English Classroom
“When you look at my pictures you are seeing my life.” – Douglas Kirkland (1934-), American photographer Photographs capture moments, inform viewers, and start conversations. In last week’s blog post, we discussed how street photography documents moments and events without the subjects’ consent. These candid, sometimes startling images, can provoke intense...
Read More
