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. 

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.

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. 

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.

Why Won’t My Learner Speak More English at Home?: Part II

In a linguistically isolated household, no one over the age of 14 speaks English comfortably. In these households, the family mainly speaks in their native language.This post explains the force of linguistic isolation and how tutors may never be able to get their students to speak English at home. 

Why Won’t My Learner Speak More English at Home?: Part I

Many tutors may find that, despite their continuous encouragement, it is difficult, if not impossible, to get their learners to speak more English at home. In fact, outside of the two hours of tutoring each week, learners may not be speaking any English at all. From a tutoring perspective, nothing would help a learner improve their English more than more practice; however, getting non-English speakers to step out of their comfort zone to achieve this goal is easier said than done.

The Silent Period for ESL Learners

Learners of any new language, including English, will experience a period during which they can comprehend speech but are unable to speak themselves. This is known as the silent period and while it's perfectly normal, there are many misconceptions about what is actually going on during this period.