Ask the average person what the most difficult kind of English to understand is and they’ll say “Scottish.”
(Unless they happen to be Scottish, of course.)
This isn’t a coincidence.
The difference in vowel sounds between English speakers and Scots …
Author Archive | ariadneweinberg
5 ESL Resources for Kindergarten to Razzle-dazzle Your Little Ones
You know that one person who always jiggles their leg under the desk?
That always annoyed me a little because I thought, “There has to be a more enjoyable way to get that energy out, like doodling or playing with …
Talk a Good Game: How to Teach Your First English Conversation Class with Ease
You’ve prepared a lesson you think is captivating.
You could talk about it all day. Maybe it’s about traveling with dogs, the health benefits of papaya or robotics.
After the reading and exercises, it’s time for your first conversation …
Go Digital with These 6 ESL Email Writing Lesson Plan Exercises
Emailz!
Did anyone else watch Homestar Runner as a kid?
One of the characters, Strong Bad, used to answer emails by providing Dear Abby-esque advice or hilarious anecdotes.
While funny, Homestar Runner isn’t an accurate representation of email etiquette.…
8 ESL Culture Shock Activities for Introducing Students to English Cultures
Culture shock!
It sounds unpleasant, doesn’t it? Like getting electrocuted: painful and surprising.
While a new culture does take some adjusting to, it’s not always a bad kind of shock.
Sometimes it’s a pleasant sort of shock. Like, “Hey, …
Feeling Lost? Get Your English Directions Lesson on Track with These 5 Teaching Ideas
Having a bad sense of direction isn’t just a nuisance.
It can be pretty scary.
I’ve gotten lost in drug dealer central, Mexico, and in a small town on the volcanic Ometepe Island, Nicaragua.
I don’t wish that on anyone, …
Beyond Bells and Whistles: 6 Innovative English Teaching Methods That Get Results
Call it the white board existential crisis.
You’re up there squeaking out (you know, with squeaky markers) the conjugations of a verb: past tense in red, present tense in green…
Your hand is writing on autopilot, and suddenly it …
