Savvy ESL Book Recommendations for American Immigrants, Refugees, and International Students

  “What we know is a drop; what we don’t know is an ocean.” —Isaac Newton (1643-1727), English physicist    Do you teach new American immigrants, refugees and international students of English? Are you seeking fresh English as a second language (ESL) book recommendations for improving both… The post Savvy ESL Book Recommendations for American...

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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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Teaching Matters: What Are Reasonable Standards for Listening Comprehension and Speaking Skills for ESL Students?

“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 question! Context, as ever, matters. Are you going into a new semester of class looking for a clear, detailed chart to evaluate the speaking skills of your students? Check out the practical chart with ten categories for listening...

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Home vs. House: What does this mean?

  “No matter under what circumstances you leave it, home does not cease to be home. No matter how you lived there – well or poorly.” ~Joseph Brodsky (1940-1996), Russian-American poet & Nobel Prize winner   What’s the difference between a house and a home? English speakers clearly distinguish the two words. A house is simply the building where people live. It’s...

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EF reports decline of French EPI

Declining EPI attributable to lack of exposure Photo Source: Wikimedia Commons “French students report lower levels of exposure to English in everyday life than any other Europeans polled. Exposure to a foreign language has been found repeatedly to be one of the strongest contributors to increased fluency.” -EF Report Education First (EF), an international education company, compiled its third...

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Newsmart: ESL Wall Street Journal

Language learners absorb English, journalism and current events Photo Source: Newsmart ““To look at the paper is to raise a seashell to one’s ear and to be overwhelmed by the roar of humanity.” -Alain de Botton (1969- ) Swiss-British writer The Wall Street Journal remains a popular source of news in the United States, teeming with a variety of breaking and analytical pieces. I first heard...

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