....Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver, that is. The New York Times has an article today about how smaller Canadian cities are welcoming immigrants from all over the world:
http://tinyurl.com/36ptrsn
11.13.2010
11.06.2010
Okay, THIS is seriously cool.
I love the Massachusetts Institute of Technology! Not only are they one of the best schools in the States...a lot of their past courses are now available free, gratis and open...online!
Check this one out:
http://ocw.mit.edu/courses/foreign-languages-and-literatures/21f-223-listening-speaking-and-pronunciation-fall-2004/#description
This is a great course for those of you who want to practice your listening and speaking skills for TOEFL...
Check this one out:
http://ocw.mit.edu/courses/foreign-languages-and-literatures/21f-223-listening-speaking-and-pronunciation-fall-2004/#description
This is a great course for those of you who want to practice your listening and speaking skills for TOEFL...
11.04.2010
I leave it to Seth.
I can say it louder, but I can't say it clearer: if you want to do some serious thinking about motivation and learning smarter (not just working harder....), read Seth.
http://sethgodin.typepad.com/
http://sethgodin.typepad.com/
11.02.2010
Cool discovery!
I just discovered something really cool over the weekend. iTunes is now selling the audiobook edition of "Fry's English Delight", the BBC Radio 4 documentary series on the English language.
For years, Stephen Fry was best known for his work with the comedy team "Fry and Laurie" (yes, that Laurie...Hugh Laurie, who you may also know as Dr. Gregory House.) Fry has a wonderful speaking voice and a good sense of humour; most importantly, the documentary provides some interesting information about why certain things exist in English.
You can find "Fry's English Delight" on iTunes. There's also information about the program on the BBC's Radio 4 website.
For years, Stephen Fry was best known for his work with the comedy team "Fry and Laurie" (yes, that Laurie...Hugh Laurie, who you may also know as Dr. Gregory House.) Fry has a wonderful speaking voice and a good sense of humour; most importantly, the documentary provides some interesting information about why certain things exist in English.
You can find "Fry's English Delight" on iTunes. There's also information about the program on the BBC's Radio 4 website.
10.28.2010
Showdown at the (not) OK Corral
I don't like conflict. I don't "do" conflict, really; first of all, because I'm Canadian (aside from hockey players, when have you ever seen Canadians get really nasty with people?); and, secondly, because it's not my job.
I teach. Within the scope of teaching, I do a lot of things - I coach, I suggest, I co-pilot, I design, I research. But it's not really my job to be rude or mean to people, even when they're rude or mean to me. Why bother? It's the reason why I don't teach kids: I don't appreciate being put in a position where I have to be the hard guy.
We had - have? - a situation in one of my classes where three of the five participants don't participate. The class has been going for a month. Two of the guys are former students of mine, and we got on really well; but when their group was mixed with another group, trouble started. The new people didn't talk. They still don't. In fact, nobody talks at all, and when they do, it's usually to make some thoughtless generalization to break the silence, nothing more. They wanted a conversation class, but they don't bother participating in any conversation.
Now, unless I've missed something in these past twelve years of teaching, conversation usually involves interaction, and moving information back and forth. In most English classes, that can be very controlled (a telephone conversation, a presentation), or it can be looser, more open to improvisation. The information, though, has to go two ways.
It didn't, in this class. The information kind of didn't do...anything. I tried speaking exercises; nothing. I tried reading; nothing. I tried pronunciation; nothing. Now, keep in mind that (as I've said before), a teacher is a lot of things -- but a teacher is not there to be an entertainer. If you want entertainment, there are a lot of other options which cost a lot less money than English classes do.
Furthermore, English classes are not a way of avoiding work or hiding from your boss. Not in my classes, anyway. If you sign up for one of my classes, you're going to work.
Now, I'm about to make a sweeping generalization that will probably not be about you, specifically. (If you're a Spanish student of English who's reading this blog, this generalization will NOT be about you, that's for sure.) One thing that has never failed to shock me about teaching in Spain is the amount of WASTE that happens in classes.
When I taught in post-Communist Prague, companies didn't have a lot of money. If someone was selected to take part in an English training program, they treated it like a golden opportunity. Back in 1999, Czech companies did not get money from the European Union for training; they had to pay for it out of their own money, and they were so desperate and eager for new ideas and new ways and new opportunities that they did not waste the chance to get better. This is not the case in Spain. There are a lot of students - not everybody, as I said before - who think that their companies or parents or schools owe them English, and that the teacher should do everything because if the students are paying, they shouldn't have to work. So the students come to class, or the teacher spends 45 minutes on the Metro (each way; 90 minutes lost) and the student plays with his or her mobile phone, and complains about her boyfriend or her job, or her mother, and refuses to do anything educational, like reading or grammar or reviewing and NOTHING GETS DONE. And you're paying money for this?
I'm not sure why this happens. In the case of our class, it may have solved itself. Nobody came to class today. I saw two of the students standing outside the VIPS across the street, smoking, about ten minutes before class. I assumed they were coming. Nobody showed up. Maybe they decided at the last minute that they didn't want to talk. Maybe they don't like the idea that they're expected to work. Maybe they think that, somewhere in the office, there's a CD-ROM I can stick in their mouths, and then they'll be able to speak perfectly. I don't know, and to a certain extent, I don't care. I would rather spend sixty minutes with a perfect beginner than ten minutes with a perfect jerk.
I know what's going to happen next: the students will probably not come to class for a week or two weeks and the Director of Studies (who was perfectly ready to give them an earful this afternoon - she's had run-ins with them before) will call them. They'll tell the Director of Studies some kind of lie, like they're too busy with work or they've been transferred somewhere else. And if they choose to lie, rather than dealing with whatever is bugging them... that's not my problem. English teachers are not entertainers and, most importantly, they're not psychics. If you're not willing to be mature and work out issues, that's not my problem.
OK, sorry to rant. I'm going back to work now and I promise not to bite anyone. I promise.
I teach. Within the scope of teaching, I do a lot of things - I coach, I suggest, I co-pilot, I design, I research. But it's not really my job to be rude or mean to people, even when they're rude or mean to me. Why bother? It's the reason why I don't teach kids: I don't appreciate being put in a position where I have to be the hard guy.
We had - have? - a situation in one of my classes where three of the five participants don't participate. The class has been going for a month. Two of the guys are former students of mine, and we got on really well; but when their group was mixed with another group, trouble started. The new people didn't talk. They still don't. In fact, nobody talks at all, and when they do, it's usually to make some thoughtless generalization to break the silence, nothing more. They wanted a conversation class, but they don't bother participating in any conversation.
Now, unless I've missed something in these past twelve years of teaching, conversation usually involves interaction, and moving information back and forth. In most English classes, that can be very controlled (a telephone conversation, a presentation), or it can be looser, more open to improvisation. The information, though, has to go two ways.
It didn't, in this class. The information kind of didn't do...anything. I tried speaking exercises; nothing. I tried reading; nothing. I tried pronunciation; nothing. Now, keep in mind that (as I've said before), a teacher is a lot of things -- but a teacher is not there to be an entertainer. If you want entertainment, there are a lot of other options which cost a lot less money than English classes do.
Furthermore, English classes are not a way of avoiding work or hiding from your boss. Not in my classes, anyway. If you sign up for one of my classes, you're going to work.
Now, I'm about to make a sweeping generalization that will probably not be about you, specifically. (If you're a Spanish student of English who's reading this blog, this generalization will NOT be about you, that's for sure.) One thing that has never failed to shock me about teaching in Spain is the amount of WASTE that happens in classes.
When I taught in post-Communist Prague, companies didn't have a lot of money. If someone was selected to take part in an English training program, they treated it like a golden opportunity. Back in 1999, Czech companies did not get money from the European Union for training; they had to pay for it out of their own money, and they were so desperate and eager for new ideas and new ways and new opportunities that they did not waste the chance to get better. This is not the case in Spain. There are a lot of students - not everybody, as I said before - who think that their companies or parents or schools owe them English, and that the teacher should do everything because if the students are paying, they shouldn't have to work. So the students come to class, or the teacher spends 45 minutes on the Metro (each way; 90 minutes lost) and the student plays with his or her mobile phone, and complains about her boyfriend or her job, or her mother, and refuses to do anything educational, like reading or grammar or reviewing and NOTHING GETS DONE. And you're paying money for this?
I'm not sure why this happens. In the case of our class, it may have solved itself. Nobody came to class today. I saw two of the students standing outside the VIPS across the street, smoking, about ten minutes before class. I assumed they were coming. Nobody showed up. Maybe they decided at the last minute that they didn't want to talk. Maybe they don't like the idea that they're expected to work. Maybe they think that, somewhere in the office, there's a CD-ROM I can stick in their mouths, and then they'll be able to speak perfectly. I don't know, and to a certain extent, I don't care. I would rather spend sixty minutes with a perfect beginner than ten minutes with a perfect jerk.
I know what's going to happen next: the students will probably not come to class for a week or two weeks and the Director of Studies (who was perfectly ready to give them an earful this afternoon - she's had run-ins with them before) will call them. They'll tell the Director of Studies some kind of lie, like they're too busy with work or they've been transferred somewhere else. And if they choose to lie, rather than dealing with whatever is bugging them... that's not my problem. English teachers are not entertainers and, most importantly, they're not psychics. If you're not willing to be mature and work out issues, that's not my problem.
OK, sorry to rant. I'm going back to work now and I promise not to bite anyone. I promise.
10.27.2010
...and while we're on the topic of MBAs....
From Bloomberg Business Week, a funny (?!) article about how NOT to apply to an MBA program.
http://tinyurl.com/39nk8vr
http://tinyurl.com/39nk8vr
MBA Candidates: Looking for a TOEFL intensive?
For those of you who are interested in doing an intensive TOEFL course so that you can do your MBA in the States, Candy from mbaSpain has sent on this information:
TOEFL para MBA:
Estás pensando en un MBA…no olvides el TOEFL.
Los top MBA piden una nota de TOEFL muy alto:
· Harvard Business School pide 109
· Chicago Booth 104
· Columbia 100
· Wharton 100
· Stanford 100
· IESE 100
· Kellogg, no hay mínimo pero la media es 110
Y las becas también
· La Caixa pide 110
· Fulbright 100
Preguntas frecuentes:
¿Por qué los solicitantes de MBA necesitan un curso especial de TOEFL?
Los aspirantes a un top MBA tienen un nivel de inglés bastante alto. No necesitan un curso tradicional de TOEFL de 30 horas. Por eso, mbaSpain ha diseñado el curso de TOEFL para MBA para maximizar tu tiempo y tus fortalezas, centrándote en las claves principales para triunfar en el TOEFL, sobre todo el Speaking y Listening.
Ya he hecho un curso de GMAT, ¿por qué necesito un curso de TOEFL?
Porque las secciones del TOEFL son diferentes a las del GMAT, especialmente en el Speaking, Listening and Writing.
¿Puede un curso de 12 horas ayudarme a mejorar mi puntuación de TOEFL?
Por supuesto! TOEFL para MBA aprovecha tu experiencia de GMAT para centrarse exclusivamente en las habilidades que necesitará para maximizar su TOEFL. El tiempo no se pierde en repetir cuestiones tratadas en el GMAT. Además, tu tienes un nivel alto de Inglés, por lo tanto el curso va más rápido, completamente centrado en tus necesidades, sobre todo el Speaking y Listening. Pero, también es imprescindible que practiques y que hagas los deberes.
El próximo curso de TOEFL para MBA:
noviembre: 1) lunes 8 1930-2230; 2) miércoles 10 1930-2230;
3) sábado 13 1030-1330; y 4) lunes 15 1930-2230
noviembre: 1) miércoles 17 1930-2230; 2) sábado 20 1030-1330;
3) lunes 22 1930-2230; 4) miércoles 24 1930-2230
Precio:375€ (incluido el IVA, los materiales de la clase, y un CD Rom de practice exams)
For more information, contact mbaSpain at info@mbaspain.com.10.26.2010
Note-Taking for TOEFL: 9 November 2010
It's a fact: Students who learn how to take effective, comprehensive notes have a better chance of scoring higher on the TOEFL iBT exam. But how do you manage all that information that comes at you? How do you practice and use the transition vocabulary that shows you how the information is organized? What are the best ways of keeping track of the most important points, so that you can use them on the tasks?
If the TOEFL iBT has got you worried, we have the solution. On Tuesday, November 9th, STOP SPANGLISH will be holding its Introduction to Note-Taking for TOEFL workshop.
In five hours, you'll learn the techniques which will get you through the exam and teach you how to deal with what you'll read and hear:
º Mental warm-ups: How to anticipate what's coming at you
º Ten efficient ways to practice your listening skills
º How to listen for important information - and eliminate what doesn't matter
º The five most effective ways of organizing notes
º Refine your notes to score high on the speaking and writing papers
Cost: €129 (€99 for current STOP SPANGLISH students)
Time: 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM
REGISTER BEFORE 1 NOVEMBER AND RECEIVE A FREE COPY OF "THE ENGLISH LEARNER NOTEBOOK"!
Remember: Failing to prepare is the same as preparing to fail. Don't let it happen to you!
If the TOEFL iBT has got you worried, we have the solution. On Tuesday, November 9th, STOP SPANGLISH will be holding its Introduction to Note-Taking for TOEFL workshop.
In five hours, you'll learn the techniques which will get you through the exam and teach you how to deal with what you'll read and hear:
º Mental warm-ups: How to anticipate what's coming at you
º Ten efficient ways to practice your listening skills
º How to listen for important information - and eliminate what doesn't matter
º The five most effective ways of organizing notes
º Refine your notes to score high on the speaking and writing papers
Cost: €129 (€99 for current STOP SPANGLISH students)
Time: 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM
REGISTER BEFORE 1 NOVEMBER AND RECEIVE A FREE COPY OF "THE ENGLISH LEARNER NOTEBOOK"!
Remember: Failing to prepare is the same as preparing to fail. Don't let it happen to you!
10.22.2010
TOEFL Folks: Another gem about paraphrasing...
I don't think the folks at Purdue University's English department will mind me sharing this:
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/619/01/
...clear, concise to the point.
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/619/01/
...clear, concise to the point.
10.08.2010
New Horizons
One thing I found this summer is that there are a LOT of people who want to improve their English so that they can leave Spain and find work in different countries.
If you're thinking about doing the same, but you feel a little guilty about doing it, take heart - it's not just happening in Spain. The BBC's Business Daily programme has an excellent documentary about Irish professionals who are forced to do the same:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00b3lfw
If you're thinking about doing the same, but you feel a little guilty about doing it, take heart - it's not just happening in Spain. The BBC's Business Daily programme has an excellent documentary about Irish professionals who are forced to do the same:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00b3lfw
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)