Category: TESOL

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A Business English lesson plan on the Business of Carnival

Carnival Economics: Exploring the Vibrant Business Behind Brazil’s Spectacular Celebration

As Brazil gears up for its annual extravaganza of music, dance, and culture, the economic impact of Carnival reveals a complex tapestry of industries, from tourism to entertainment, driving significant revenue and showcasing the nation’s vibrant spirit.

With the pulsating rhythm of samba echoing through the streets and vibrant floats adorned with feathers and sequins, Brazil’s Carnival is more than just a cultural spectacle; it’s big business. As the world’s largest carnival celebration, Brazil’s annual event draws millions of tourists from around the globe, generating a whirlwind of economic activity that extends far beyond the parade route.

**Tourism Boom:**

Carnival season is synonymous with an influx of tourists flocking to Brazil’s major cities, particularly Rio de Janeiro and Salvador, to partake in the festivities. According to recent estimates, the event attracts over 2 million visitors each year, injecting billions of dollars into the local economy. From hotel accommodations to restaurant bookings, the hospitality sector experiences a significant surge in demand, with businesses capitalizing on the opportunity to showcase Brazil’s rich culture and hospitality.

“In 2024, Brazil’s Carnival celebrations are expected to host 200,000 international tourists who are expected to contribute $200 million in revenue to the South American nation, said officials at Embratur, Brazil’s state-owned tourist board.

The annual festival resumed last year after a two-year pandemic shutdown. Embratur and Rio de Janeiro officials have since inked a partnership with the United Nations World Tourism Agency (UNWTO) to create a “Tourism Sustainability Index” to measure “the impacts of Rio Carnival on the city’s production chain over the course of a year,” officials said.

The sustainability index is based on UNWTO’s guidelines for Tourism Sustainability Monitoring and will “serve as a future reference for other tourist cities in Brazil,” said officials, to “contribute to Embratur in generating intelligence.”

“In 2023, Brazil surpassed its pre-pandemic arrivals, with approximately six million international visitors, a three percent increase over 2019 totals and a 62.7 percent increase over the 3.6 million visitors hosted in 2022.

Rio de Janeiro’s international airport hosted a true Brazilian party to commemorate what was called #TurismoQueTransforma (#tourismthatchanges), marking the country’s momentum in the global stage: in 2023, foreign visitors left US$ 6.9 billion in the Brazilian economy. This amount surpasses the year 2014 when, during the World Cup in Brazil, the inflow of foreign exchange was US$ 6.8 billion, and is the highest since 1995.

According to EMBRATUR (Visit Brasil), Brazil’s Carnival 2024 should receive around 200 thousand international tourists and these visitors are expected to leave nearly US$ 200 million in revenue. “

(Source: Travel Pulse – travelpulse.com)

**Entertainment Industry Surge:**

Behind the scenes, the entertainment industry plays a pivotal role in orchestrating the elaborate displays and performances that captivate audiences during Carnival. Samba schools, which serve as the heartbeat of the celebration, invest heavily in costume design, float construction, and choreography, creating an intricate mosaic of color and rhythm. The spectacle not only mesmerizes spectators but also serves as a platform for local artists and musicians to showcase their talent on a global stage.

**Corporate Sponsorship and Branding:**

Corporate sponsorship has become increasingly prevalent in Carnival, with leading brands seizing the opportunity to align themselves with one of Brazil’s most iconic cultural events. From telecommunications giants to beverage companies, sponsors invest millions in advertising and branding initiatives, leveraging the festival’s massive reach to connect with consumers and enhance brand visibility. In return, these partnerships provide crucial funding for Carnival organizers and help offset the considerable costs associated with staging the event.

**Challenges and Opportunities:**

While Brazil’s Carnival presents lucrative opportunities for businesses, it also faces challenges, including security concerns, infrastructure strains, and environmental sustainability. Ensuring the safety of participants and attendees remains a top priority for authorities, particularly in light of recent incidents. Additionally, there is growing recognition of the need to balance economic growth with environmental stewardship, with initiatives underway to minimize the ecological footprint of Carnival through waste reduction and recycling efforts.

With the Covid-19 pandemic reaching peaks in infected people and deaths, the traditional Carnival party was suspended in most Brazilian cities in 2021 and 2022, which had a significant impact on their economies.

According to O Globo, which cites a study by the CNC (National Confederation of Commerce), the suspension of Folia (Festivities) could represent losses of around R$8 billion across the country and could have contributed to the failure of 70,000 jobs to be created.

The estimate is that the city of São Paulo alone recorded losses of R$2.9 billion in economic activity. The State had Carnival canceled and floating holidays suspended on Monday and Tuesday in 2021. (Source: https://istoedinheiro.com.br/sem-carnaval-perdas-do-pais-podem-chegar-a-r-8-bilhoes/ )

**Looking Ahead:**

As Brazil prepares to showcase its cultural heritage on the world stage once again, the business of Carnival continues to evolve, driven by innovation and adaptation. With technology playing an increasingly prominent role in the planning and execution of the event, organizers are exploring new ways to enhance the spectator experience while maintaining the authenticity and tradition that define Carnival. As the countdown to the festivities begins, all eyes are on Brazil, where the spirit of Carnival transcends borders and unites people in celebration.

Reading and Speaking Worksheet: The Business of Carnival in Brazil

**Part 1: Reading Comprehension**

Read the article titled “Carnival Economics: Exploring the Vibrant Business Behind Brazil’s Spectacular Celebration” and answer the following questions:

1. What is the main focus of the article?

2. How does the tourism industry benefit from Brazil’s Carnival?

3. Describe the role of the entertainment industry in Carnival.

4. Why do corporate sponsors invest in Carnival?

5. What are some challenges mentioned in the article regarding the organization of Carnival?

**Part 2: Vocabulary Building**

Match the following words from the article with their meanings:

1. Influx

2. Hospitality

3. Spectacle

4. Pivotal

5. Stewardship

a. A large number of people or things arriving at the same time. 

b. The friendly and generous reception and entertainment of guests, visitors, or strangers. 

c. The act of taking care of something, such as a resource or property. 

d. A visually striking performance or display. 

e. Of crucial importance in relation to the development or success of something.

**Part 3: Speaking Practice**

Discuss the following questions with a partner:

1. Have you ever attended or participated in a cultural festival similar to Brazil’s Carnival? If so, describe your experience.

2. What do you think are the economic benefits of hosting large-scale events like Carnival?

3. How do you think technology could be used to improve the organization and experience of cultural festivals?

4. Do you think it’s important for businesses to invest in cultural events like Carnival? Why or why not?

5. What steps do you think can be taken to address the challenges mentioned in the article regarding the organization of Carnival?

**Part 4: Writing Task**

Write a short paragraph expressing your thoughts on the economic impact of cultural festivals like Carnival. Consider both the benefits and challenges discussed in the article.

**Grammar Exercise in Context for Advanced ESL Students:**

**Part 1: Passive Voice**

Rewrite the following sentences in passive voice:

1. The entertainment industry plays a pivotal role in orchestrating the elaborate displays and performances during Carnival.

2. Corporate sponsors invest millions in advertising and branding initiatives.

3. Authorities ensure the safety of participants and attendees during Carnival.

4. Businesses capitalize on the opportunity to showcase Brazil’s rich culture and hospitality.

5. Local artists and musicians showcase their talent on a global stage during Carnival.

**Part 2: Reported Speech**

Rewrite the following sentences using reported speech:

1. The article states, “Corporate sponsorship has become increasingly prevalent in Carnival.”

2. The organizer said, “We are exploring new ways to enhance the spectator experience.”

3. The artist exclaimed, “I am thrilled to showcase my talent during Carnival!”

4. The official announced, “Safety measures have been implemented to ensure a secure environment.”

5. The spokesperson declared, “Brazil’s Carnival generates billions of dollars in revenue.”

**Part 3: Conditional Sentences**

Complete the following conditional sentences:

1. If Brazil’s Carnival didn’t attract millions of tourists, ____________________________.

2. If authorities hadn’t implemented strict security measures, ____________________________.

3. If businesses didn’t invest in cultural events like Carnival, ____________________________.

4. If technology didn’t play a prominent role in the organization of Carnival, ____________________________.

5. If corporate sponsors hadn’t aligned themselves with Carnival, ____________________________.

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The Business of Halloween in ELT

In the United States it has been a “haunted” business for decades – with the need for children to wear costumes, neighborhoods decorating their homes, and tonnes of candy.

The need to accessorize seems to have no boundaries. This year, retailers were selling a US$ 425 chainsaw prop (Halloween Friday 13th style), different scents like gasoline (for fake arsonists, I hope), rotten decay (at US$ 10 a pop) for wannabe zombies, etc.

“Halloween is a scary good business. In 2023, the National Retail Federation’s annual survey conducted by Prosper Insights & Analytics reported total Halloween spending is expected to reach $12.2 billion. The previous record was $10.6 billion in 2022 in the US of A alone.“

If some 20 years ago, Halloween was little known in Brazil and seen as an American quaint celebration, alien to the Brazilian culture, in 2023 the trade association in the State of São Paulo, Brazil, forecasts a growth between 12% and 15% in the sale of costumes and accessories for Halloween., with customers spending an average of up to US$ 20, with nearly 70% of Brazilians saying they’d celebrate it in some way or another.

I remember I used to teach about Halloween years ago to my students both young and old and most of them had no idea besides “trick or treat”. We would work some vocabulary related to the holiday in addition to some of its history. We would always end the class with some pumpkin based candy as seen below. That was part of my strategy to bring to the students’ context some culture background and information, and merge a typical Brazilian candy like those pumpkin hearts and an American festivity.

Language schools also started highlighting the “fun” of Halloween with special decorations and costume parties.

Brazilian franchises of language schools such as CNA and Wizard were early and natural adopters of the business of Halloween

Over the past 10 years the number of so-called “bilingual” schools has increased significantly, (mostly English/Portuguese), and according to the Brazilian Association of Bilingual Education (Associação Brasileira do Ensino Bilíngue (ABEBI), there are more than 1,200 bilingual schools in Brazil, a 10% hike in just five years. And those private institutions will also add Halloween celebrations to their academic year calendar.

But now Halloween is more detached from the English learning segment with more people – both children and adults – celebrating it as a kind of macabre carnival – you may wear costumes and eat candy – what’s wrong with that?

Halloween precedes All Hallows Day and the Day of the Dead (November 01 and 02, respectively), but in Brazil, contrary to Mexico, for instance – they have never been big on celebrations of food-related items . Traditionally those 2 holidays were connected with religious displays and respectful (even somber) visits to cemeteries where family members would traditionally take flowers to the graves of their loved ones. Now that tradition is dying out with the flower business having shrunk significantly and Halloween growing in popularity.

Nowadays, even petshops have turned Halloween into a lucrative business – here’s Dickens with a Casper the friendly ghost head decal and a baby Frankenstein monster bandana.

This essay doesn’t aim to praise or deride Halloween – though I believe (now more than in the past, that it glamorizes death, fear, witchcraft and zombies) which is never a positive combination in my humble opinion.

But my focus was to shed some light on a celebration traditionally connected with language learning approaches and now overflowing to the society as a whole.

Happy Halloween if you dare.

Cheers,

Mo

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STRUCTURED LEARNING

How habits and routines help in the learning/teaching process

Last year we got our first puppy ever and because we couldn’t make heads and tails on how to raise a healthy and well-trained dog we decided to hire a trainer, Menezes. At R$ 100 a 60-minute session, we found out it was our best investment that year.

Menezes insisted on the importance of developing routines for the animal – they thrive in developing positive routines – playing, walking, feeding, etc. With a routine they sleep better and know what to expect from their owners, tutors or guardians.

Well… people are not that different – “Routines help to provide a sense of normality and bring consistency and comfort to children and young people who might otherwise be uncomfortable with change” (Collier, 2020). And I would extend that to the fact that it helps people of ALL ages.

Yes, you may have a chaotic lifestyle and also love it, but some organization will help you in your learning process – if you are a teacher – some organization will help you a lot – no matter how much your students love you and how intelligent they think you are if their first reference about you is that you’re always lost or confused could be detrimental and a negative perception to their learning. So… add some routine and organization to your life and you’ll see things in an entirely new light.

As a 1-on-1 teacher I encourage my students to follow discipline (I’m not talking about military-like discipline – but some degree of order and growth. They must set a specific time and day for their classes and follow through. I know life is demanding and full of surprises but if you’ve scheduled a lesson Mondays and Wednesdays at 8am, for example – stick to that routine. Occasionally a student may need to reschedule because of a very important business meeting, an unavoidable doctor’s appointment, or even an act of God, that ‘s why teachers establish some background rules:

All rescheduling of lessons must be communicated at least 24 hours in advance.

Easy. Simple. Clear. And still students want to push the boundaries. Teachers will try to accommodate their students, of course, but TIME IS MONEY in addition to the importance of positive behaviors and habits.

Most serious professionals and institutions establish guidelines for both teachers and students: Make-up lessons may be available, only at the discretion and availability of the teacher—and, in most cases, at a maximum of xx per year/ semester. Individual arrangements may be made in the case of a prolonged illness.

Should your teacher need to cancel a lesson, it will be rescheduled at a mutually convenient time. If that is not possible, a credit– or in some cases, a refund–will be applied for that lesson.

Discontinuing Private Lessons

Should you need to discontinue private lessons, please give your teacher a 4 weeks notice

Student Responsibilities for Private Lessons

  • Be on time
  • Maintain a positive attitude
  • Speak directly with your teacher if you have any questions or concerns​
  • Practice daily! (not rocket science, am I right?)

A Note About Practicing

For success while learning a foreign language (or a musical instrument for that matter) you will need at least a weekly lesson and regularly-scheduled practice time. Minimum practice sessions are 15 minutes every day for beginners. Your teacher will make further recommendations.

  • Set aside a practice time each day
  • Expect to repeat difficult sections at least 4 or 5 times
  • Reading a paragraph through once does not constitute practicing 🙂
  • Practice slowly and carefully, concentrating on the work at hand
  • Remember that your teacher is there to help: all questions are important!​

“Both research and experience tell us that it is more effective to build positive behaviors
than control negative student behavior (Strain & Sainato, 1987). To prevent problem behaviors in the classroom, it is often necessary for teachers to change their own behaviors (Vaughn, Bos,& Schumm, 2000). The same strategies and procedures will not necessarily be equally effective with all students. Classroom routines can positively affect students’ academic performance as well as their behavior (Cheney, 1989; Vallecorsa, deBettencourt, & Zigmond, 2000); therefore, one proactive strategy is for teachers to adopt a consistent classroom routine. A routine is simply a set of procedures for handling both daily occurrences (e.g., taking attendance, starting a class period, or turning in assignments).

Establishing a consistent and predictable routine serves a number of classroom functions.
For example, a routine helps to simplify a complex environment and inform students exactly what to expect, what is expected of them, and what is acceptable behavior (Burden, 2003; Cheney, 1989; Colvin & Lazar, 1995; Kosier, 1998; Newsom, 2001; Savage, 1999; Strain & Sainato, 1987; Vaughn, Bos, & Schumm, 2000).

In addition, when students are expected to complete routine tasks, they have the opportunity to learn greater responsibility and more self-management (Series on Highly Effective Practices—Classroom Routines 2 skills (Colvin & Lazar, 1995; Savage, 1999). Routines that require interaction between teacher and student (or among students) also serve to positively reinforce interpersonal communication and social skills and are one way for teachers to judge the quantity and quality of students’ skills in these areas (Colvin & Lazar, 1995). Finally, student-performed routines free the teacher to focus on more effective instruction and on the unexpected events that come up throughout the school day (Savage, 1999).

Click to access 4-classroom-routines.pdf

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The New TOEFL iBT 2023/2024

Last week a new prospective student contacted me because he needs to take the TOEFL exam in order to apply for a Master’s Program at a local university in Brazil – in Brazil, I said – where he will most likely only have to read in English and maybe (I said maybe) write in that language. In other words, he needs English only for Academic purposes.

But, the University still requires the candidate to invest US$ 220 for the test plus a reasonable amount in R$ to prepare for it if he wants to get a good score.

Remember TOEFL does not have a failing score – but if it’s too low you may not qualify to the program you’re applying for.

Moreover, TOEFL scores are valid for only two years after the test date. After they expire, you won’t be able to access them online or send them to schools. “The TOEFL score validity period is fairly short to ensure schools have accurate and current information about your English skills”, or so they say. As if after two years your brain will have turned into mush and your language skills have vanished. If that were so, applying to a university would be the least of your concerns. But I digress.

So… what is the new and improved TOEFL 2023/2024?

It’s still divided into 4 skills:

Input: Reading and Listening

Output: Speaking and Reading

How are they divided?

  1. Reading – it consists of two sections with 10 questions each (by the way, the sample texts are usually about asteroids, or dinosaurs, or ancient civilizations in Mexico – fascinating stuff). Tip: Read National Geographic Magazines to build up your vocabulary.
  2. Listening – it contains five sections – three are academic sections (six questions each) usually a college lecture. Tip: Check YouTube for TED Talks or Yale or Harvard University lectures – the more obscure the subjects the better. Two sections present campus-like conversations – a student talking to a professor, or librarian or a classmate, for example.
  3. Speaking – contains four integrated tasks – (a short article about student life and an audio track of a lecture or a conversation, for example). You will be asked whether you agree or disagree with a given point – but for this activity forget expressions such as “on the one hand, on the other hand” – take a side and stick to it. Tip: read in a loud voice the letters section of a newspaper and magazine. Pay attention to the different ways to present an opinion regarding a subject. It’s awkward. But it does help.
  4. Writing – you will have two tasks – one will be the Integrated Writing Task with an article or text and an audio recording. You will be asked to answer a question about what you’ve just read or heard. The second task is new: The Independent Writing task has been replaced with a new task: Writing for an Academic Discussion. Tip: as you read out loud the letters section, start writing your own versions to the same issues.

No matter the skill you’re testing, there are three goals you must remember:

  1. Answer the question well
  2. Plan your starting sentence – use phrases such as: I think; I believe; I feel; Personally speaking; To be honest; I’ve never thought about this before, but …; In my opinion,; you see…; According to the listening/reading/text/dialogue… .
  3. Take a side and stick to it.

Remember, it’s just a language assessment test, they don’t care about your intelligent answers or opinions. Just make sure to understand the task and answer it.

May you be successful in your endeavors,

Cheers,

Mo

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Como escolher um exame de proficiência em inglês?

Hoje de manhã, uma amiga me perguntou: “Bom dia, Uma pessoa me perguntou e eu não soube responder. Vc saberia?
Destas opções qual vc acha que seria mais recomendável eu estudar e prestar um exame de proficiência em inglês? 
Cambridge Exam PET
CEFR B1
IELTS 4,0
TOEFL IBT 57
TOEFL ITP 542-“

Antes de mais nada: É importante verificar quais exames são aceitos pelas instituições ou empregadores que a pessoa está interessado antes de se preparar e prestar o exame. Considerando as opções apresentadas, eu recomendaria que você estudasse para o Cambridge Exam PET ou para o CEFR B1. Ambos são exames reconhecidos internacionalmente e avaliam habilidades importantes em inglês, como leitura, escrita, audição e conversação.

O Cambridge Exam PET é um exame de nível B1 do CEFR e é projetado para avaliar habilidades básicas em inglês para situações cotidianas. O exame é reconhecido por várias instituições educacionais e empregadores em todo o mundo.

O CEFR B1 é uma classificação de proficiência em inglês do Quadro Europeu Comum de Referência para as Línguas (CEFR). É um nível intermediário que indica que você pode se comunicar de forma eficaz em situações cotidianas e é reconhecido pinstituições acadêmicas e empregadores em todo o mundo.

O IELTS 4.0 e o TOEFL IBT 57 são níveis mais baixos de proficiência em inglês e podem não ser tão reconhecidos por algumas instituições acadêmicas e empregadores em comparação com o Cambridge Exam PET e o CEFR B1. O TOEFL ITP 542 é uma opção menos comum e pode não ser tão bem reconhecido quanto outros exames mais amplamente utilizados, como o TOEFL IBT ou o IELTS.

Em resumo, o Cambridge Exam PET e o CEFR B1 são opções recomendáveis para avaliar a sua proficiência em inglês. No entanto, é importante verificar quais exames são aceitos pelas instituições ou empregadores que você está interessado antes de se preparar e prestar o exame.


#exams#TOEFL#IELTS#CEFR#IBT#TEFL#ELT

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LOOKING BACK

This week, a friend of mine, who happens to be a psychologist, asked us if we were that sort of people who made resolutions for the new year. Naturally she said that was fine but the best would be to review the past year and be grateful for all things done or left undone. The new year will bring its own challenges and rewards.

Following her advice let me share with you a little of what my year was like: Of course the sensation is that 2020 hasn’t ended and it will continue with its miseries well into 2022 – but even in the midst of a global pandemic we were able to move house – from a noisy and polluted apartment in the very heart of a metropolis to the clean air of the country – just 130 km away from the city of São Paulo but it feels like its 1,300km away.

The adaptation has been smooth and wonderful… from the very first day we got used to the country – of course, Luther, the cat, took two days to adapt but now he loves his expanded territory. Some drawbacks with a mouse showing up in the laundry area, a snake in the patio and a few frogs in the garden … but all part of nature, right?

Black cat plays with live mouse (short) - YouTube
Apartment cat turns into barn cat in 3 months

The pandemic allowed us to move since I’m working online but it also brought the challenges of companies cutting down expenses and “streamlining” their language teaching benefits offered to their staff. I lost important corporate clients to Covid (they’re still alive, thank goodness – it was economics not viral) but they decided to cut costs and adopt online platforms for employees to self-study instead of using flesh and blood teachers like moi (the future will tell their mistake).

Man Holding A Card With A Text Students Wanted Stock Photo, Picture And Royalty Free Image. Image 70503076.

My income drop was significant – around 40% of my monthly income suddenly disappeared – while expenses increased because of the new home and maintenance costs of the old apartment. We thought we’d be able to sell it within 6 months but that didn’t happen. Now in 2022 we will try to rent it… great location and size – 3 bedrooms near the financial district of São Paulo – hopefully we will be able to rent it to nice people.

Slowly in June and July I started to get new students to fill the gaps left by the corporate ones … still a long ways to go… but hopefully we will get there.

I still value life quality, more than ever, so I don’t want to be teaching back-to-back classes for 6-8 hours a day. Unhealthy at so many levels.

On the academic level I tried to cut my class times from 60 to 45 minutes – thought they would be more productive – however, at the end of the day, students are paying for 45 minutes of lesson but enjoying 15 minutes more of free English time. Back to the drawing board.

Drawing board - Wikipedia
Back to the drawing board: trial and error

I loved to see my students who stayed on developing and blooming in their confidence when using English – their listening, reading, speaking have improved significantly. Mind you, their writing is not what it should be – partly my fault, because I didn’t push them hard enough to write essays and other sorts of texts. But even so, one of them writes beautiful academic articles (can I call them beautiful?). Writing is also the least favorite activity among my learners. My chest was stuffed with pride when my student got band 7 on IELTS having studied less than 3 weeks for the exam.

Will 2014 be the year you pass your IELTS? |

On another professional level, as a remote interpreter – I attended a very good course this year at Associação Alumni to learn more about the new world of remote interpreting, the resources, techniques and gadgets – while also networking with the teachers and classmates – remotely, of course. I am a pretty reserved person so networking is a challenge for me – but one must try. Looking forward to developing a more relevant profile as a remote English, Spanish and Portuguese interpreter in 2022.

ODP-Video Remote Interpreting Tips

Yes, 2021 was a tough cookie to chew (almost as hard as the Christmas cookies my flower baked, please don’t tell her), but it had its many surprises, even with me in December becoming a choir conductor – bear in mind I had never done that before and my musical education is limited to say the least. But that’s life… full of surprises – some pleasant , others not, but always contributing to growth.

My debut as a choir conductor

Happy New Year and looking forward to seeing you on the other side.

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is mo-sena-teacher-interpreter-edited.jpg

Cheers

Mo

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Motivation: Mission Impossible?

As teachers we have to daily fight for our own motivation, not only financial but professional and intellectual as well. What is it that makes you get out of bed and teach for a few or many hours a day? In person or online? Unpaid hours spent preparing for lessons, searching for ideas, developing PowerPoint presentations… and all that for what?

Motivation Illustrations and Clipart. 217,217 Motivation royalty free illustrations, drawings and graphics available to search from thousands of vector EPS clip art providers.

Even highly motivated students at the beginning of the program see their motivation wane as the weeks pass. The excitement of the new, the hope for quicky proficiency, etc, all take their toll on every student.

A few learners keep their torch burning, do their homework, study on their own, use their language tools in different situations, etc… but most of them still wait for the teacher to revolutionize their language skills.

The Longman Learners’ Dictionary defines motivation as eagerness and willingness to do something without needing to be told or forced to do it

How can I as a teacher get my students to take charge of their own learning process?

First, let us think how fast we can motivate or demotivate someone:

While motivation requires a connection that can take minutes, hours or days to build and consolidate, you can destroy a learner’s motivation in a fraction of a second with just one word. Yes, you read it right, the most demotivating speech can be just one word.

How then can I motivate them?

  1. Promote communication. Learning is a process. Input and output.
  2. Allow space for creativity and connection which will enable engagement.
  3. Build a healthy relationship with the students. As a teacher you don’t need to be their pal but empathy can go a long way in getting them started.

Don’t get me wrong. There will be good days and bad days … hopefully the good ones will far outnumber the bad ones. How? As we develop a culture of learning, provide tools for their growth and continue to encourage them in their progress.

Cheers and carry on.

Mo

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13 PODCASTS FOR EVERY LEARNER OF ENGLISH AS A SECOND OR FOREIGN LANGUAGE

Using podcasts to learn

Dear students,

A few years ago I listed some of the podcasts I think students should be using to practice English listening and other skills. With the ebb and flow of technology  new podcasts have come up with new ideas and new presenters, so here’s an updated list of the podcasts

Please, remember:

Download the podcasts you enjoy

LISTEN TO THEM. Dammit!

So… without much ado, here’s my list of English Learning Podcasts (it’s not a comprehensive list, but it’s a good starting point):

  1. Believes Unasp Sabbath School Podcast – I had to start with my own podcast, of course. After all, I am the compiler of this list. A combination of bible study and English tips such as pronunciation and vocabulary delivered on a daily basis – available on any podcast platform. The motto is English and the Bible = Information and Transformation https://www.spreaker.com/show/believes-unasp-sabbath-school
English and the Bible = Information and Transformation

2.  6-Minute English podcast – produced by the BBC with 2 hosts always asking some challenging questions found in the news. It always presents some new vocabulary and context for its use.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/general/sixminute/

3. All Ears English podcast – 2 chicks always teaching some cultural and language point in the English spoken in the US. Beware: one of them slurs and speakstoofastasifshecouldntbotherwhethershesunderstoodornot.
http://allearsenglish.com/

4. Aprende Inglés con la Mansión del Inglés – 2 dudes (one from Belfast and another from London) host the show with good humor and focus on a teaching point. Emphasis on Spanish speakers http://www.inglespodcast.com

5. English Experts Podcast – Produced by non-native English speakers focuses on the common needs of Brazilian English learners.
https://archive.org/details/EnglishExperts-Podcast

6. ESL Podcast – The host for the podcast is Dr. Jeff McQuillan, directly from sunny Los Angeles, and he helps read the scripts and provides explanations for them.

https://www.eslpod.com/website/

7. Inglés en la oficina -it’s a podcast series produced in Spain by Sandra and Colby with situations related to the office and work world. https://www.acast.com/inglsenlaoficina/english-podcast-36-problem-pairs

https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/ingles-en-la-oficina/id1074690749?mt=2

8.  Inglês Online Podcast – a podcast produced and hosted by Ana Luiza Bergamini, a Brazilian now living in London, with tips of idioms and phrasal verbs for Brazilian English learners – intermediate to advanced.

http://www.inglesonline.com.br/category/podcast-inglesonline/

9. Inglês Todos os Dias – it’s a podcast produced by an American family based in Brazil.  Tim and Tammy produce weekly short mini-podcasts with expressions and idioms that his students frequently confuse or ask about.

http://www.domineingles.com.br

10. Luke’s English Podcast – produced and hosted by Luke from England – it’s a very good way to expose yourself to British English. But it requires a little patience usually no shorter than 45 minutes.
http://teacherluke.co.uk/

11. Real Life English Podcast – Founded by three young passionate, world traveling, native speaking English teachers, RealLife is a community based learning portal whose mission is to inspire, empower, and connect the world through English, both online and in-person.  Oh Yeah!

http://reallifeglobal.com/radio-podcast/

12. Richard Vaughan Live podcast – controversial Texas-born Richard Vaughan has painstakingly been trying to teach English to Spaniards. His ramblings are quite entertaining. I love the episodes when he loses his temper with some of his on-air students.

http://www.ivoox.com/podcast-richard-vaughan-live_sq_f180769_1.html

13. VOA’s Learning English Podcast –
dating back to their shortwave transmissions even before the Internet, VOA has been my companion with good quality of listening content on American history, words and news.

http://learningenglish.voanews.com/podcast/0.html

Podcast Icons Stock Illustrations – 2,990 Podcast Icons Stock Illustrations, Vectors & Clipart - Dreamstime
Podcasts as learning tools

Happy Listening,

Mo

Posted on

Teaching Online, Revisited

After 18 months teaching exclusively online what pieces of advice, if any, would I have to share with my fellow language teachers? Here are some of the things I already knew and needed to put into practice and others I had to learn the hard way:

  1. Equipment is key – a decent notebook or computer with a good camera and microphone. My older computer had a lousy camera – six months into the pandemic with a grainy image I had to upgrade it. Add to the equipment the necessary microphone and headset (preferably with a cord to avoid interference and power surges). Also a ring light helps your professional image. Initially I thought it was just one extra unnecessary fluffy item, … but after my sweetheart gave me one, I can’t imagine going online without proper lighting. A second screen also helps a lot. Bear in mind, I didn’t say top of the line equipment – decent quality is good enough. No need to break the bank for the top brands.
  2. Camera positioning – try to show yourself from the shoulders up, prop up the notebook with one or two dictionaries (they’re the perfect size), a box, or a proper laptop stand but the right height will make the difference on how you will be seen. Since we’re talking about cameras – remember to look into the camera – don’t focus on the screen – the camera will give you eye contact with your audience.
  3. Dress properly – no top hat and tuxedo are necessary but sleeveless shirts are a ‘no-no’ for men (and women in some cultures). No need to hide your tattoos, if any, but keep a clean look … very few people can get away with a disheveled appearance and you probably are not one of them. Heard many times of people connecting wearing their pajama bottoms or none (chuckles) but my advice is: put on some pants, please. Getting dressed will help you feel like you’re doing something other than eating cereal for dinner in bed.
  4. Check your internet connection – Wifi is ok if the only option available (but preferably connect through your cable – more stable connection). Check your camera, microphone and headset before the session begins. I use Zoom for 95% of my sessions and occasionally it automatically changes my default settings for microphone and headset. Lovely, huh? More than once I’ve found myself without voice or hearing. So… once again… check it BEFORE the session starts.
  5. Prepare and Improvise – have your lesson and presentation ready, but be aware that things may change, remember that “student-centered lessons” are not just a cliché.
  6. Be careful when you share your screen – close all tabs and apps you don’t think your students would like to see or know about. TMI is still applicable online. That will make you look and sound more professional. Hey, I’m human, too. Sometimes I forget to close my tabs on the browser and there’s Twitter, and Facebook, and YouTube open – nothing wrong with that – but none of my students’ business. Do I need to say anything about porn tabs?
Teaching online can be a rewarding experience or a nightmare depending much on how you prepare for it.

Teaching online can be a rewarding experience or a nightmare depending much on how you prepare for it.

Happy teaching.

Cheers,

Mo

Posted on

SAYING GOODBYE

Letting Go | Hoffman Institute
Letting go is bittersweet

The act of saying goodbye has bittersweet notes. There’s always the excitement, the glad anticipation of a new student starting and that strange feeling when it’s time for you to say goodbye to a student.

Teachers and students traditionally say goodbye at the end of the term. That’s expected and part of the program. In the case of the relationship between private teacher and student the situation is rather different. The duration of a language coaching program has no pre-fixed termination date and it quite often flourishes and goes on for years. It’s like a therapy process (it sure feels that way). It’s an amazing feeling to observe how students grow in the process. But all good things must come to an end.

Saying Goodbye to a Client. – Florida CAM Courses
A bittersweet feeling

This week I’m saying goodbye to two long-time students. Student A is leaving because the bank he works for has acquired an “automated platform” for English learning where staff may do exercises and in case of questions consult with an online “teacher”. NO NEED FOR REGULAR CLASSES WITH ANOTHER HUMAN. Student A had been having classes for over 3 years and was successfully developing his listening skills. But it was slower than he would have expected or wanted – it took him all this time to go through level A2 – next semester he would be starting his B1 level. His progress would have been faster had he been fully committed to the program – but at times, no homework, no practice and having classes only 1 hour a week – will take its toll. Very optimistically after 140 hours he finished his pre-intermediate level. Not bad. Of course, he still has a long way ahead, he still mispronounces “son” and soon” , for example and thinks when I ask him “Who won the game?” He replies that Juan was not there. LOL.

The second student to leave is Student R. Initially she hated English, she was B1 and was terrified about the prospect of speaking in English and considered herself unable to understand anything. Having 1-hour classes only once a week -but as they like to say, better one hour than nothing – slowly I started to introduce audio files with English conversations, reading aloud helped her overcome the speaking barrier, role playing also had a positive impact. Student R started to attend meetings without suffering from anxious stomach pains and could increasingly state her points and understand what her colleagues and clients would be saying. With some information gaps, of course. We persistently worked her listening skills with lots of fill-in-the-gap activities, which really helped her immensely. In her case, she is leaving because she has been let go by her firm and now she needs to cut expenses.

In July two new students will be starting their programs with me but the feeling of ” it’s out of my hands circumstances” still bugs me. I always require a 30-day minimum notice for the suspension of classes which protects both me and the student from unpleasant situations and that allows me to wrap up that student’s program, provide some feedback and advice.

Do You Know the Chautauqua Salute? – Isabella Alden
Waving them goodbye with a white handkerchief

I wish them all the luck and all the best in their pursuits. Despite that nagging feeling of “I wish I could have helped them more” I also know that I am growing in my resolution to learn from their experiences and incorporate them into my own teaching career.

Cheers,

Mo