Are 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...
Read MoreWorksheet: Reviewing TED Talks to Create Compelling Conversations
“Education’s purpose is to replace an empty mind with an open one.” —Malcolm Forbes (1919-1990), American entrepreneur and publisher How can you encourage your advanced ESL students to develop their speaking skills and tap into their interest in our rapidly changing world? By creating compelling classroom assignments that respect their intelligence, engage their...
Read MoreSharing is Caring: Substituting Connectivity for Communication
“Technology is a word that describes something that doesn’t work yet.” –Douglas Adams (1952-2001), English author and satirist Is the cult of oversharing online preventing us from establishing genuine connections? Do we expect more from our phones than our neighbors? Is this natural or healthy? “I share, therefore I am” Many believe relying on instant...
Read MoreDuolingo: learning through translation
Effective language-learning program with a unique approach “We come together from across the world at varying language levels with the same goal in mind – to learn. Curiosity, questioning, and cultural understanding are something we celebrate.” -Duolingo Guidelines Why do so many people yearn to learn English and other languages? The reasons–whether for work, friendships, travel or...
Read MoreFantastic YouTube videos for the ESL classroom
CompellingConversations’ compilation of YouTube videos for ESL teachers and students alike “We are not what we know but what we are willing to learn.” ―Mary Catherine Bateson (1939- ), American writer and cultural anthropologist Want to make use of YouTube’s gigantic collection of ESL and language-related videos, but don’t know where to start? Every semester, I compile a diverse set of useful,...
Read MoreAsk Your English Students to Review TED.Com videos – and Create Compelling Conversations
How can you encourage your advanced ESL students to develop their speaking skills and tap their interest in our rapidly changing world? Create compelling classroom assignments that respect their intelligence, engage their curiosity, and model great speaking skills. Let your students be hunters, gathers, and presenters of new information to their classmates! Adding a homework assignment that...
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