Seeing the World Through Photographs (again): Photo Exercises for the English Classroom

“When you look at my pictures you are seeing my life.” – Douglas Kirkland (1934-), American photographer Photographs capture moments, inform viewers, and start conversations. In last week’s blog post, we discussed how street photography documents moments and events without the subjects’ consent. These candid, sometimes startling images, can provoke intense discussions and even controversy....

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Conversation Tip 5: What has pleasantly surprised you today?

What pleasantly surprised you today? This question often causes people to pause, reflect, and change their dialogue. It gives us a chance to remember some moments of satisfaction, and reminds us that almost every day provides some unexpected moments. “What surprised you today” works too. But I prefer adding the “pleasantly” to counter dialogues that can run to the...

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What do you look for in an apartment?

What do you look for in an apartment? How do you turn a physical space into a home? Everybody lives somewhere. Yet, as we know, not all homes are created equal – especially in the developing world with vast inequalities. Since I don’t speak the local language in Ho Chi Minh City, I have become far more reliant on fellow English teachers, co-workers, new friends, and real estate...

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