Tutoring Ethics: More Dos and Taboos for Novice English Tutors
“Good judgement comes from experience, and often experience comes from bad judgment.” —Rita Mae Brown (1944-), American writer and activist What are some common ethical issues that arise for private English language tutors? How are they supposed to respond? What advice exists for novic… The post Tutoring Ethics: More Dos and Taboos for Novice English Tutors...
Read MoreTeaching 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 MoreWhy Not Create a Safer, “Global” Version of Compelling Conversations? (Part I)
“Only the educated are free.” —Epictetus (55-135), Greek philosopher Over the years, many English teachers have asked if I plan a “global” version of Compelling Conversations so it can be used everywhere, including closed countries like China, Iran, and Saudi Arabia. What does this mean? As in most … The post Why Not Create a Safer, “Global”...
Read MoreTeaching Matters: Observing and Leading Class Discussions
“The true spirit of conversation consists in building on another man’s observation, not overturning it.” —Edward G. Bulwer-Lytton (1803–1873), British novelist/politician What do you do while students are having conversations or talking in pairs? Do you have a “formula” for taking notes? Do you focu… The post Teaching Matters: Observing and...
Read MoreTeaching Matters: Avoiding Good Mistakes in Using Infographics
Correlation is not causation but it sure is a hint – Edward Tufte (1942-), American Statistician and Professor We live in an age of big data, powerful algorithms and infographics. Significant decisions are being made daily based on data input, and adults – including our students – have to analyze an… The post Teaching Matters: Avoiding Good Mistakes in Using Infographics...
Read MoreAre Nominalizations ‘Zombie Nouns’?
“Prose consists less and less of words chosen for the sake of their meaning, and more and more of phrases tacked together like the sections of a prefabricated hen-house” –George Orwell (1903-1950), British Writer in Politics and the English Language English teachers often emphasize the importance o… The post Are Nominalizations...
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