Teaching Matters: Tips on Tutoring Conversation Skills to Adult ESL Students
“Setting goals is the first step in turning the invisible into the visible.” ―Tony Robbins (1960- ), American motivational speaker What does it mean to effectively tutor conversation skills to an English language learner? How can you make the most of your time – typically 60-120 minutes – together? … The post Teaching Matters: Tips on Tutoring Conversation...
Read MoreThe Value of Playback: Recording Student Presentations and Making Good Mistakes in Real-time
“Don’t sweat the small stuff, and it’s all small stuff.” – Dr. Richard Carlson (1956-), bestselling American author and psychologist Creating a classroom atmosphere of tolerance, understanding, and constructive criticism remains a constant challenge. How do you help your ESL students recognize their… The post The Value of Playback: Recording Student...
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: Do Our Students Need to Swim in English or Pass Grammar Tests?
“The task of the modern educator is not to cut down jungles, but to irrigate deserts.” ~C. S. Lewis (1898-1963), British novelist, theologian, and literary critic Last week we discussed English as a lingua franca (ELF), and how emphasis on a mutual understanding between conversation partners remains the goal. Earlier last month, we questioned what standards were reasonable for...
Read MoreConversation Tips: The Power of Paraphrasing
“If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it well enough.” ―Albert Einstein, (1879-1955) German physicist Paraphrasing matters in conversation too ― especially when learning a new language! Experienced English teachers know that students must learn paraphrasing skills to complete academic writing assignments. Likewise paraphrasing remains a vital skill for English language...
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