Why We Wrote Compelling American Conversations for Intermediate American English Language Learners
“America needs new immigrants to love and cherish it.” – Eric Hoffer (1902-1983), American writer and longshoreman Compelling American Conversations: Questions and Quotations for intermediate American English language learners explicitly emphasizes American English, speaking skills, and democratic values. The primary audience remains newcomers to the United States, recent and...
Read MoreDo Informational Interviews Have a Place in Business English Programs?
Speaking skills – especially in stressful situations – matter. Most quality Business English and VESL (Vocational English as a Second Language) programs provide extensive training and practice in both short and long job interviews. Job interviews are stressful – especially for English language learners. In fact, many adult, community college, and university ESL programs also...
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...
Read MoreThe Language of Opportunity – Wabash profiles an English Teacher
Small American colleges often love their ambitious graduates. Wabash College, my alma mater and outstanding private liberal arts college in Indiana, certainly celebrates her favorite sons and treats them like stars. This fall’s Wabash Magazine advises graduates to “Look East, Young Man” as it celebrates the opening of the College’s new Asian Studies Center. Inside, the magazine editor...
Read MoreAn ESL Author Looks at an ESL website with New Eyes
Sometimes we don’t see what is in front of our eyes. Today I learned a bit more about my own website from a fellow English teacher and friendly fan. A gentleman from Tennessee called my home, thanked me for the sample conversation materials, and asked some insightful questions about the updated Compelling Conversations website. I appreciate his call – and his giving a practical...
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