Resources: Notes on Life and Language in the United States

What risks have you taken in the last three months as an expatriate? How could your life in the United States be different if you took more risks? Would you learn more? Meet more people? Would you get closer to your goals of speaking English fluently? Would you have new career opportunities? I bet you would! I am not an expert on risk-taking and I won't pretend to be an expert. However, I know a few things about crossing cultures and lately I have been thinking more and more about how important risk-taking is for our success while we are living in a new country. So, I teamed up with Norman at Everyday Expat Support Center to bring you a webinar on how to take more risks as an expat! The webinar was held on Wednesday May 16th but you can still get a recorded version! Keep reading for more details.

What makes an English language lesson truly outstanding? Perhaps you have recently arrived in the United States and you are struggling with your English communication skills. Maybe you are in a large city like Boston and you rarely have a chance to practice your English and get feedback. Perhaps you have found an English class or private tutor to work with but you aren't sure about the quality of the lesson. How do you know if your English tutor is really giving you the highest quality instruction? In today's article, you will learn about 9 things to look for in your English lesson to find out if it is the right class for you.

Would you like to learn a few tips from one of our ESL teachers in New York about learning English and adjusting to life in the big city? Jane has been helping international professionals and students improve their English for five years. During that time, she has motivated many students to reach their goals and to feel comfortable learning English. Jane's students love her classes! She knows how to make students feel comfortable with conversation-based activities. In today's interview, I asked Jane to share some of her creative teaching methods. Keep reading to learn more!

I had an interesting conversation with a student yesterday and she gave me an important clue into a common source of stress for a lot of adult English language learners.

Have you been studying English for a long time with mediocre results?  Are you still looking for a way to succeed at learning English?

Are you interested in learning conversational English in Boston? Do you work during the week but rarely have an opportunity to practice your English outside of work? A lot of international professionals are too busy during the week to find a language exchange or attend a language school. If that is your situation, we have some great ideas for you in today's post. There is another way to practice your English while helping people in need and making connections in the community. You can become a volunteer in your free time! Do you have two extra hours a few times per month? If so, keep reading to find out why volunteering can help not only your English skills but also your state of mind!

Many international professionals wonder what the trick is to English learning success. Are you wondering the same thing? Well I am sorry to tell you that there really is no trick! Building a skill like a language could never happen with a trick or by cutting corners (taking shortcuts). What you need to do when you really want to improve is roll up your sleeves and get working! That means consistent practice. These days, in many different cultures in the world, especially the US, instant gratification is what we look for. We want things right away. The success of Twitter shows us that our attention spans have dwindled to less than 140 characters! Learning a language just doesn't work that way. But that's ok! I think there is something very inspiring about setting a goal and working hard to reach it. Imagine how you will feel when you accomplish your goal. In today's article, I have a few suggestions about how you can consistently practice your English and watch your proficiency increase! Read on!

Are you currently learning English in Boston? I met with a student last week who is studying at a large conversation English school and he was feeling discouraged. He said that he couldn't find any opportunities to speak English outside of class and he didn't want to pay for private classes. Have you ever felt this way? Well, you don't have to pay for private classes to get more English practice. Sure, private English classes are right for some people who are busy and have very focused goals that they need to reach for their career or their education in a short period of time. However, if you have a little spare time and if you are not afraid to get out there and take some risks, follow these ideas and just start speaking!