Resources: Notes on Life and Language in the United States

What kind of person tends to get the most from their private lessons and learns to communicate in English naturally? I have worked with many different adult English students over the past five years and I have noticed that those who learn quickly and learn the language well tend to have certain character traits and skills.  In this article, I will tell you what these traits are. If you don't have these traits, don't worry! It doesn't mean that you can't learn English. It just means that you will now know what you can work on. So keep reading to find out what the six character traits and skills are that help you learn to communicate in English.

What are the advantages of being bilingual? For an international professional in the United States and his or her family members, being able to switch between English and their native language might be tough in the beginning. However after living and working here for a while, expatriates find that if they immerse themselves in the English language, they will learn to speak English naturally. They can create a bilingual household. A lot of researchers believe that being bilingual has real advantages for brain development. In today's post, I will review an article from The Daily Beast by Casey Schwartz called "Why It's Smart to Be Bilingual".

If you are doing business in the USA this year in one of the great cities like New York or Boston, you have a fantastic opportunity to do more than just advance your career. You can improve your English and learn about American culture by getting out and experiencing life in these urban centers. A lot of our English students at English and Culture are assigned to positions in New York or Boston for a short term project (a few months) or for a long term position and they stay for a year or more. Regardless of how long you are here, you should take advantage of your chance to experience American culture outside of your office. Do you have a free Saturday afternoon? Get out of your hotel room or your apartment and do some exploring! Why is this so important? Keep reading to find out.

How can you learn the most for your time and money in your private English class?

How often do you practice your English outside of your English class? If you rarely have a chance to practice, it's time to change that! For a fun and free way to get some extra English conversation practice during your free time, why not try an English language exchange? A language exchange is different from an English lesson because you don't work with a professional teacher. Instead, you meet with a native English speaker who is trying to learn your native language and you split the time between English and your native language. The main goal of a language exchange is not to learn the structure of a language. The goal is to take the skills you learn with your English tutor and use them in conversation practice with your language exchange partner. Doing this is  absolutely crucial if you want to improve your English. Does this sound like it could work for you? Keep reading to learn how to find your language exchange partner.

Where in New York can you practice your English with native English speakers, get free drinks and snacks and view amazing works of art by some of the world's newest and most up-and-coming artists? I'm not talking about the Museum of Modern Art (MOMA) or the Metropolitan Museum of Art (the Met). I am talking about the Chelsea art openings. A lot of our English students say that it is difficult to meet native English speakers and hard to get an opportunity to practice speaking English in New York. Indeed, it can be more of a challenge in New York than in other cities, but if you follow your interests, you will be more likely to connect with people who are interested in the same thing. So if you are interested in art and want to practice your English, keep reading for more details!

If you are taking a private English course in a large city like Boston or New York, you probably don't have much time or many opportunities outside of class to practice the new vocabulary words, expressions or grammar points that you learn in class every week. One of my students here in Boston is a busy researcher and while she uses some English at work, she mostly speaks in her native language at home.

As an English language tutor in Boston and New York, many of my students have asked me how they can improve their English so that they can work in the United States or get a job using English when they return home. I believe that an important key to learning English is being an active learner. What does it mean to be an active learner? It means that you actively seek out ways to practice outside of class, you ask questions in class and you are dedicated to learning English no matter how frustrating it might be at times. In this post, I will give you 6 tips about how to be an active English learner.

English immersion is the best way or perhaps the only way to learn English.