Thursday, July 31, 2014

My Language Learning Journey from Beijing to South Dakota (Part Three) - Verbal Reductions

Spoken reductions in American English can be a big obstacle for learners. Reductions exist in all languages. Introducing your learner to reductions can help them to improve their listening skills.

Tuesday, July 29, 2014

No Two Learners Are Alike: Understanding the Individual Needs of Your Learner

Every learner has different needs, skills, and learning style. Understanding this will help you tailor your tutoring to help your learner reach success.

Thursday, July 24, 2014

Thursday, July 17, 2014

Documenting Immigration: "Welcome to Shelbyville" and "I Learn America"

"Welcome to Shelbyville" and "I Learn America" are two documentaries that explore the lives of American immigrants as they join their new communities and begin their new lives. 

Tuesday, July 15, 2014

How to use LEA Transcript to Teach Learners More Than Just English

This post gives some tips about how to use LEA transcripts to help learners understand more about living in America. In this example I explain how to use a photo prompt to teach about public transportation.

Thursday, July 10, 2014

My Language Learning Journey from Beijing to South Dakota (Part Two) - Getting Used to Reductions

Every language uses reductions. For me, understanding my art professor's reductions made it difficult for me to understand his lectures. So I recorded them, and listened to them repeatedly, until I understand what reductions he was using, and where. 

Tuesday, July 8, 2014

My Language Learning Journey from Beijing to South Dakota (Part One)


From a learner's perspective: How our 24-year-old intern Shiyi Zhang, who just received her master's degree from Suffolk University, took the first steps towards becoming bilingual.

Thursday, July 3, 2014

Using Dialogue Journals to Identify Writing Strengths and Weaknesses and Much More

Dialogue journals are way to teach learners how to write. Not only do they help you build a relationship with your learner, but they also help highlight their strengths and improve their writing. 

Tuesday, July 1, 2014

Why Won't My Learner Speak more English At Home?: Part III

Even though it may be hard to get your learner to speak more English at home, there are plenty of ways to help your learner get real-world practice with their English during your tutoring sessions. This post outlines a few of those possibilities.