Talking About Fun with Phrasal Verbs
“Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people.” – Eleanor Roosevelt (1884 – 1962), American politician, activist and chairman of the drafting committee for the Universal Declaration of Human Rights This Teacher Edition Tuesday post, a weekly series based on ten teaching tips from the recently released Compelling American Conversations –...
Read MoreTeaching Matters: Preparing Student-Centered Materials for the Classroom
“If it is language that makes us human, one half of language is to listen.” – Jacob Trapp (1899-1992), American religious leader Part 3 of Teacher Edition Tuesday, a weekly series based on ten teaching tips from the recently released Compelling American Conversations – Teacher Edition! We previously discussed the importance of classroom design in fostering a communicative learning...
Read MoreSkype Makes Tutoring English with Clients Across the Globe Easy and Comfortable
Explore the benefits of using Skype to tutor English learners around the world. “A conversation can be made easy. Just ask a question and then listen.” ―Robert Bly (1926- ), American poet and author As millions of English-learners across the globe take advantage of new technology, English tutors may want to consider hosting their sessions via Skype. At no additional charge, both parties can...
Read MoreSavvy Tips to Score Higher on the TOEFL iBT Speaking Section
What do you do with a problem like the TOEFL iBT test? For worse or for better, the TOEFL test remains the standard assessment of English for international students planning to attend American colleges and universities. As a result, many international ESOL (English Speakers of Other Languages) students often adopt the TOEFL test scores to self-assess their own ability in English too. Of course,...
Read MoreWhat Three Tips Would You Share with Novice ESL / EFL Teachers?
What three tips would offer new a ESL/EFL teacher? Hall Houston, author of Provoking Thought: Memory and Thought in ELT, posed this question to several prominent English language trainers and teachers last year. Sean Banville, Russell Stannard, Chia Suan Chong, Nik Peachey, Scott Thornbury, and myself replied. (Naturally, I feel grateful to be included with these far more notable and...
Read MoreWhy Are So Many EFL Textbooks So Bland, Boring, and Culturally Tone Deaf?
Why are so many EFL Textbooks so bland, boring, and culturally tone-deaf? Allow me to ask a more polite question. How can English teachers working abroad and international English textbook publishers both respect local cultures and create more engaging English classroom lessons? The challenge may be more complicated than you might suspect. A long, informative, and detailed exchange on a TESOL...
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