Resources: Notes on Life and Language in the United States

How can English learners become fluent and enjoy the process of learning English?

What are the excuses that you use when it comes to your English improvement? What are the beliefs, thoughts and ideas that are holding you back from becoming fluent? Today I would like to present a recorded talk by Bennie, an Irish guy who travels around the world and becomes fluent in a new language every 3 months. In his talk he gives some important language learning tips and highlights four of the most common reasons why people insist that they cannot learn a language. Are you using any of these excuses?

So you are in New York or Boston and you need to improve your English. You aren't sure if one-to-one English lessons or group English classes are the best choice for you. The correct choice is different for everyone. It all comes down to your priorities. Do you have a lot of time in your schedule or very little time available? Are you more concerned about paying a low price or getting a good value? In this post, I will show you 5 key differences between group classes at the large language schools and one-to-one English lessons with a private tutoring company.

Are you moving in the right direction to improve your English? If you are taking an English class and you are not improving as quickly as you expected, you need to make some changes. Taking regular lessons with a qualified teacher is important but some people benefit from that investment of time and money more than others. The amount that you are able to improve is directly related to what you do outside of class. Are you taking the time to practice the new vocabulary words that you learn in class? Are you practicing with native speakers every day?  In this article, I will suggest 4 things that you might be doing or might not be doing and how those things are holding you back from moving to the next level with your English.

If you are living and working in New York and you are struggling with a lot of problems or challenges in your new life, why not consider the ways that taking private English lessons could help solve some of those problems? Of course, if you decide to take English lessons you will have to work hard but imagine how much better your life would be if you had more confidence in your English? If you think about your life right now, how many of your problems or challenges are related to your English skills? In this article, we will take a look at some of the common problems for professionals in NY and how private English lessons help them overcome those problems.

English language learning methods, for both students and adults, need to change in the future. What should change about the current methods? Aaron Myers has written an exellent blog post with his 9 Ideas for Reinventing America's Language Education System. Most of his ideas are concerned with the way that kids learn languages in school. However, we work with English language learners who are international professionals in New York and Boston and I believe that the old way of teaching and learning a language is similar in many education systems around the world.  When our students come to the United States to work and need to improve their English to communicate in their company, they often have certain ideas about how English should be learned based on the old, ineffective methods of language education that were used in their home country. It's time to change those old methods and focus on what's really important in language learning. In this post, I will point out some of Aaron's ideas and I will add an idea of my own that I think has been overlooked.

Today we are celebrating an important milestone at English and Culture! We have added our 100th member to our community of English by Email monthly newsletter subscribers! Our community is a worldwide group of English learners including former and current students in Boston and New York as well as international professionals and international students from Asia, Europe and Latin America. Our readers are a mix of all different ages, English levels and goals. But they do have one thing  in common. They understand that both English skills and cultural competence are crucial for success in the United States and in the international business world.

Why do students choose to work with private English teachers? In large cities like Boston or New York, you might not have the time to attend a large group class or you might have very specific professional goals with your English. Maybe you want to prepare for a business presentation in English or learn how to lead a business meeting in English. So your challenge is to find the right private English teacher. Many things like teaching experience, qualifications and patience are very important but what about the teacher's own experience learning a foreign language? Has your teacher ever studied a second language? In this post, I will tell you why I believe this is important and how your teacher's own experience with second language acquisition can make him or her a better teacher and help you reach your goals.

Does this sound like your situation? You need to improve your English skills to be more successful in your career or your everyday life in the United States. You have tried group classes but the classes didn't work with your schedule or your learning style. You have decided that the best solution is to find a private English tutor. So your search begins! You have a challenge ahead of you! How can you find the right private English tutor? In the big cities, like New York and Boston you have so many options but how do you make the right choice? How can you find a real professional who has the skills and experience to help you reach your goals? You have to ask the right questions! What are those questions? In this post, we will give you three of those questions to get started. If you would like to get all eleven questions, please download the guide How to Find the Right Private English Tutor: 11 Questions to Ask

If you are taking private conversation English lessons for the first time in New York or Boston, you might be comparing your experience to the English classes that you took many years ago in your home country.