Tuesday Quick Tip: Online Vocabulary and Translation Resources

Good morning, dear students!

I want to leave with you today a short list of great vocabulary and translation resources!  I hope these resources will help you while you're reading, writing e-mails, and finding new words!  Remember that you can always comment here, whatsapp me, or send me an e-mail with any questions that you may have while you're trying to figure out what a word means or how to say something specific in English.

1) Google Translate is a tool that most people know how to use.  It can be great for short phrases and single words, but be careful!  It's not a perfect translator, and it often doesn't translate informal language properly.  It can be a useful tool, and if you're looking for a general idea of a text, it's fine. However, if you need a word-for-word correct translation, using Google Translate isn't your best option.

2) Linguee is a wonderful tool that has an interesting way of showing you a translation.  Enter the word in English or Spanish that you need to translate, and Linguee will show you a list of exact translations from real texts that exist on the web.  From these results, you should be able to determine the best translation.  It's a great tool for words and phrases because it shows multiple results, which can show you several ways to say the same thing, or it can help you to determine the most commonly-used word for a specific idea.

3) Word Reference is a great site that gives detailed translations for words.  I trust word reference more than I do google translate.  It gives great results for phrasal verbs and idioms, which is something that not all sites can offer.  It also shows how to use a word or phrase in a sentence, which is really helpful.

4) Dictionary.com is a dictionary tool-- it's not made for translations, it simply works as a dictionary in English.  However, it's a great site to look up words that you see while reading, and has interesting features and articles to check out.

5) Thesaurus.com is a great tool to use, especially while writing.  It's very easy to write an e-mail or document and find that you keep repeating the same word or phrase.  This site will help you find useful synonyms to help you combat the reptitive use of one word.  It's not meant for translation, but it is super useful in vocabulary adquisition!

I hope these websites prove useful for you all as you study, work, and complete your homework!
Happy studying!

Monday Motivation

Happy Monday, dear students!  No trees allowed in my classes, alright?  Most of you are improving your English for professional or academic reasons.  I'm proud of you!  Many people don't have the dedication, patience, or courage to do what you're doing!  Learning English is a great way to pursue new and exciting opportunities in life, and every time you come to class, study at home, and take a test, you're moving a step further in the direction of your goals!  Happy studying this week!

Reading: Guess What Makes the Cut as a Smart Snack in Schools? Hot Cheetos

Good morning, dear students!
Today I have an interesting article for you to read (intermediate-advanced).
The link to read the article is here.  I've also included a few vocabulary words below, with links to definitions and translations.

As most people are aware today, the United States has a large problem with obesity, and a very large problem with childhood obesity.  We are famous for our greasy, fried foods, junk food snacks, and generally unhealthy eating habits.  There are several national campaigns in process now to try to show people how to make healthier food choices, and the biggest battlegrounds in these campaigns are public schools.

You also have the option to listen to the story, which is less than 4 minutes.  I encourage you to try out both.  By clicking the button on the right that says ''Transcript'', you can see an exact transcript of the radio report to follow along, if necessary.

A few vocabulary words that you might need to look up are:

Fiery: definition; translation
Guideline: definition; translation
Paean: definition; translation
Cash-strapped: definition; translation


What do you think about this article?  Was it difficult to comprehend?  What is your opinion on the issue of ''healthy'' junk foods in schools?  Tell me in the comments!  Leave your questions there, too, or bring them with you to our next class!

Happy studying!

How To Get the Most out of English Class

Hello dear students!

Today I want to give you some tips on how to get the most out of each English class.
My typical class lasts 60 minutes, and most students have two classes per week.
With that in mind, let me give you all some tips on what you, as a student, can do to make our classes more effective!

1) Do your homework!  Blah blah blah, you've heard the same thing your whole life.  Here's the deal:  If I assign you homework, I want to be clear that I want you to do it.  I expect you to do it.  However, I also know that you're an adult with a family, a job, friends, a social life, and many other responsibilities.  English homework falls towards the bottom of that list most days, and I sincerely hope you have the time to do it. However, I'm also realistic.  So if you don't get your homework done, it isn't a problem.  However, the best thing for you to do is plan to do it later, because it's still great practice.  I won't assign something new or difficult as homework, so you really won't need my help with it.  Instead, homework is supposed to be practice of a skill you've recently learned to help reinforce your understanding.  Doing your homework together in class is a waste of your class time!  I don't mind reviewing at all, and we will always take time to look at corrections for homework that you have completed.  But if you haven't completed it, don't worry.  It will be there tomorrow, or the next day, as a great practice exercise for you.  Do it on your own and then we can check it together in your next class.

2) Send me your writing samples before class!  We do not live in a perfect world, but if we did, all my students would send me their TOEFL essays and writing samples a day or two before our next class, so I could check the errors and design practice activities to help correct the commonly-made errors.  However, our world isn't perfect and you might not finish your essay a day before our class.  You might finish your essay thirty minutes before I arrive for our class, or you might not even write the essay!  As stated above, I understand that sometimes getting your homework done is just not realistic.  That's ok.  But I need you to understand that if we correct your essay during your class, I can't prepare much in advance.  That means that your class will be used doing something that I'll gladly do at home, and for free.  Instead of looking at your errors in-depth, I'll be checking your essay and planning to address the recurring errors in the next class.  If you are able to get your essay to me one day before (or sooner!), I can come in with a quick overview of your errors and we can get straight to work, which is a better use of your time and your money!

3) Be patient with yourself!  I know exactly how hard it is to learn a second language-- I've done it, too!  It's frustrating and slow and neverending.  It makes your brain tired and it can make you feel stupid sometimes.  I understand all of those problems perfectly.  Your biggest critic in language-learning is you!  I appreciate any effort my students give me, and I don't expect perfection from anyone.  Give yourself the same benefit!  Every class will not be great.  You will not always leave with a perfectly clear understanding of a new concept.  That's ok.  That's normal.  Some things will be easy and you'll learn quickly, and some things will be obstacles for you and you'll move through them very slowly. Be patient with yourself, take a moment to collect your thoughts and questions during class.  Understand that adult learning involves a lot of repetition, a lot of review, and a good sense of humor.  Some days will be great, and on those days you will feel like you're on fire.  Some days will be difficult, and on those days I hope you remember what a big goal you are working toward, and how far you have come from day 1.

4) Cancel in advance when possible!  I always try to be flexible with my students-- I know work schedules change and doctor's appointments pop up and sometimes you just have too much work to do.  I totally understand-- some days I have to cancel things, too (as a foreigner in Chile, I have the honor of going to the Extranjeria and the PDI often, and those easily take up to 6 hours out of my day!)  When my students need a schedule change, I try my best to accomodate them.  Sometimes another student has cancelled, and I can use that time to give a class to a student that needs to reschedule her class.  I know emergencies happen and things come up at the last minute-- sometimes you can't advise me until the same day, and that's ok.  But if everyone tries to let me know the day before that they can't come to a class, it gives me more flexibility to offer to other students when they need to reschedule (and all of you might find yourself in the position of the student that cancels and the student that reschedules at some point!).

5) Don't expect constant correction. I will never correct every single error you make in class, for many reasons.  Firstly, it's impossible for me to correct every single error you might make.  Secondly, you would never get anything accomplished in class if we had constant and ongoing correction.  On top of that, you'd feel terrible about yourself!  A huge part of language learning is confidence, and I intend to build that in my students, not destroy it!  Additionally, there are two types of errors my students make.  The first kind is an error that they repeat multiple times because they genuinely don't know the correct way to use a word, phrase, or structure.  This type of error is something I pay attention to and make notes of.  The second kind of error is the type of error that occurs once, because the student is thinking and speaking in English in real time.  This type of error even happens with native speakers, because sometimes it's difficult to make your brain work fast enough to structure the things you want to say properly.  These errors don't worry me until they happen a second time.  These errors are also often corrected by the student that made them.  Error correction is an important part of learning, but it is never the sole focus of any class.

Happy Weekend!

Happy Weekend, dear students!  I loved being back in class with you all!  It was a great week of classes.  I hope you all feel that you learned a lot and set some new goals!  To my new students, welcome to my classes, and remember that between classes, you are always welcome to contact me via e-mail or whatsapp with your questions!  To my long-time students, it was wonderful to catch up with you and I'm so excited to get back to work with you all!

Enjoy your weekend!  Be ready for some great lessons next week!

The World's English Mania: Who's Studying with You?

Good morning, dear students! Happy Thursday!  

Have you ever wondered how many English students there are in the world?  Maybe you haven't, but the information about English students around the world may surprise you!  English is a huge language and the benefits of knowing it are constantly increasing.  I have here a TED talk, given by Jay Walker.  He speaks very clearly about the ''Mania'' of learning English.  Listen to the TED talk and tell me what you think in the comments or in our next class!  Could you understand what the Chinese students were saying?  Were you surprised by the number of English speakers in the world?  

Check it out!

Happy Studying!

Tell Vs. Say

Do you ever have problems choosing between ''say'' and ''tell''?  They mean the same thing, so it can be confusing.  However, the rule is fairly simple.  Check out the graphic below, it explains how to use each word properly.  Many students say ''She said me'' instead of ''She told me''.  It's a common problem for Spanish speakers, because in Spanish you can simply use ''Decir''.  If you still have questions after looking at the post, leave your questions in the comments, or bring them to our next class together!

Happy Studying!

Monday Motivation

Happy Monday, dear students!  I hope you're ready to start the week!  I am back to classes this week, so I will be seeing all of you today or within the week.  If you are a student waiting for a schedule time for me, you should be hearing from me this evening, so check your e-mails!  Happy studying and I'll see you all soon!

A Short Vocabulary List for You!

Happy weekend, dear students!  I have a very short post today with some vocabulary words.  I consider these words to be advanced level words, but anyone can learn them, technically.  I only have three words for you in this mini-lesson, but each word will include sentence examples, a link to the definition in English, a link to the translation in Spanish, and tips to change the word to another form.  Tell me in our next class if you have questions about these words, or if you've been able to use them at work or in school!  Happy Studying!

Intrude:  Definition; Translation.
Intrude is a verb.  It is regular in the past, so it's form for past simple and past perfect is ''intruded''.
Other forms include:  Intrusion, Intruder, Intruding.

Flawless: Definition; Translation.
Flawless is an adjective.  Remember that adjectives are never plural, even if they are describing more than one thing.
Other forms include: Flawlessly, Flawlessness.

Lousy:  Definition; Translation.
Lousy is an adjective.  Remember that adjectives need to come before the noun they describe, unless you are using the verb ''to be''.
Other forms: Lousily, Lousiness.

How to Introduce Yourself at a Networking Event

Have you ever been to a networking event?  They can be a little fome sometimes, but they’re important events to connect with others and widen your professional network.  It can be scary to have to introduce yourself over and over again, especially in your second language, but there is an effective way to introduce yourself that shows your professional value and is more likely to get you remembered by the people you meet.  Let’s look at four quick steps to help you perfect your own introduction!

1)Say what you do, not what you are.   If I tell people, ‘’Hi, my name is Rachel and I’m an English teacher’’, they know one small thing about me—I teach English.   It seems pretty clear what I do, but it’s not, actually.  Does this other person know what is involved in teaching English?  Does he or she have a good, bad, or neutral opinion of English teachers?  Do they really understand the services I provide?  It’s hard to tell. Best case scenario, they think I teach grammar and vocabulary, but they don’t know that I help students apply to universities in other countries, prepare them for tests and interviews, translate documents between English and Spanish, or give assistance with student visa applications.  They have no idea!

But if I say, ‘’Hi, my name is Rachel and I help Chilean professionals and students get the language qualifications they need to study or work abroad’’, then they have a pretty good idea of what services I might offer.  That introduction will lead to questions:  ‘’How do you do that?’’, for example. This is an easy way to get a conversation started.  If you can make the person ask a question about you instead of talking on and on about yourself, you’ve already overcome the biggest challenge of these networking events!

So think about what you do, not what your job title is.  This can be challenging sometimes, but put some thought into the valuable skills you provide.  This is what you want to highlight. 

2) Put it into English.  You need to choose how to structure your introduction.  This isn’t as hard as it sounds, and once you’ve decided on how to introduce yourself, you’ll just memorize it and use it over and over. Your introduction should be something like ‘’Hi, I’m (your name).’’  Super simple, right?  Now you need to say what you do.  Lots of verbs, maybe some adjectives, and use the present simple tense to indicate that this is something you do daily/regularly.  Look at these examples for some inspiration!

• -          Hi, I’m Maria Martinez and I develop online media content for health insurance companies.
• -          Hi, I’m Martin Sanchez and I counsel new startups on their business plans and budgets.
• -          Hi, I’m Maria Martinez and I coach career-transitioning professionals in developing their personal brand.
• -          Hi, I’m Martin Sanchez and I help connect companies to the legal and accounting services they need.  

Talk to me in our next class about what you've come up with so far, and I'll help you perfect it!

3) Practice makes perfect.  Really, practice makes perfect.  Practice this in front of the mirror until you feel confident saying it.  Practice it in class with me.  Practice it with another person.  Networking events make most people nervous, but if you feel comfortable with your introduction and you know it like the back of your hand, you’ll be just fine!

4)   Prepare a few go-to questions for others and statements about yourself.  My introduction is ‘’Hi, my name is Rachel and I help Chilean professionals and students get the language qualifications they need to study or work abroad.’’  I should have two or three quick explanations about what I do prepared as well, in case the other person asks me.  I might prepare statements that detail my work further, such as:     

                               

        -   I prepare about half of my students to take tests like the IELTS or the TOEFL so they can apply for scholarships and study abroad.

        -  I work with professionals to improve their English skills so they can move up in their career.

          -   I sit down with students that are applying to universities and help them write their personal statements or other essays.  I also walk them through the visa application process when they want to travel to the U.S. as a student.

Having these details memorized makes answering questions a lot easier, especially when you’re nervous.  You should also prepare a few general questions to help facilitate a conversation between you and another person. If the person says, ‘’I’m Maria Martinez and I design graphics for new Startups in the Santiago area’’, you might have some very specific questions about her work.  That’s great!  But maybe you don’t even know where to start. MAYBE they gave you a terrible introduction (Hi, I’m Maria and I’m a graphic designer).  Here are a few go-to questions to fall back on:

-          Wow! What kinds of startups/clients/professionals do you usually work with?

-          That’s interesting! Do you know (a person, company, or about an interesting news story related to their profession).

-          How did you get into that field of work? (this invites the person to tell a story, which is a great way to engage someone.)

If you can speak comfortably about yourself and what you do, the challenge is half over.  Listen intently to what the other person says, ask them questions that show you are paying attention, and then thank them for their time. Asking to exchange business cards is a great way to show your interest in connecting with them in the future, and a great way to begin your exit.

What do you think is the most challenging part of introducing yourself?  Tell me in the comments section!

Monday Motivation

How to Choose a Qualified TEFL/TESOL Teacher

If you are looking for a private English teacher, there are a few things you need to consider in your search.  I've compiled a list of things to look for and things to avoid to help you make a great choice in your search for a great teacher.

What to look for:

1) A university degree.  A university degree doesn't guarantee a great teacher, but it does prove that a person has a high understanding of academic language and writing.  A teacher that hasn't had these experiences won't be able to provide you with the guidance you need, especially if you're preparing for the TOEFL.

2) A TEFL/TESOL certificate.  Even if teacher has a teaching degree, a TEFL or TESOL certificate ensures that they've had at least some training in teaching English as a foreign language.  This can be very different from general education, so it's important to know that your teacher has completed a certificate program.

3) Experience.  I hate to perpetuate the ''No work with no experience, no experience without any work'' cycle, but I have to say that a brand new teacher is not going to be the best teacher.  As with any job, experience is a great teacher, and most new teachers don't really get a feel for what they're doing until they have at least a few months of experience.  Unfortunately, many native speakers think that because they speak English, they can teach it.  Getting a teacher with more experience usually means you'll get a teacher that has spent more time examining their own language, and this means they'll have a better understanding of it to pass on to you.

4) An appropriate price.  If a teacher is charging only 8.000 per class, there's something suspicious about that.  The old saying ''You get what you pay for'' is true in this case.  If a teacher has experience and respects their work, they are likely going to charge at least 10.000 pesos per class.  Some teachers charge even more.  You have to decide what's right for you and your budget, but beware cheap classes. They're probably being offered by unqualified teachers.

What to avoid:

1) Backpackers.  If your teacher is just looking for a few weeks of work before they move on to their next destination, you aren't going to get very much out of those classes.  You need a teacher that you'll be with for at least a few months, if not longer.  This allows you to adapt your teaching and learning styles to each other.  If your English goals are serious ones, you don't want to build your plan to achieve them with someone who won't be around next month.

2) Suspiciously cheap classes. If a class seems very cheap to you, look into the teacher's qualifications.  If you're still interested, ask for a reference.  English classes don't have to be really expensive, but if they're really cheap, it gives off the impression that the person doesn't value their own work.  Look for a price of 10.000 or more per class-- this is the average market price for an hour of English with a private teacher.

3) A Part-time teacher.  If a teacher is teaching English in their free time but has a different job during the day, they may not be the best option for you.  Many people see teaching English as an easy way to make quick money on the side.  You want a teacher that sees teaching English as an attractive career, that's dedicated to his or her students' success.  Is a daytime accountant and an evening English teacher your best option?  Probably not.

Always go with your instincts when choosing someone to be your English teacher.  Understand the prices and payment options before you go to your first class.  Tell them your goals and see if they are able to make a plan for you to help you achieve those goals.  Above all, if you are unhappy with your English teacher, find a new one.  In Santiago, there are hundreds (maybe thousands?) of English teachers.  If you look online and ask your network, you're sure to find someone that's a good fit for you!  Happy searching!

5 ways to practice English outside of class

Hello, dear students!

Today I want to give you a few interesting ideas about ways to practice your English outside of class.  It may not seem like the opportunities to speak English in Chile are abundant, but there are ways to practice, even if you live in a Spanish-speaking country!

1)  Talk to yourself.  When you're alone in your apartment or car, take the opportunity to talk to yourself.  You can pretend to have a conversation, explain what you've been doing at work the last week, or even talk about yourself and practice introductions.  It may sound crazy (and you may sound crazy), but forming sentences in real time is an important skill that you'll need to use in conversations.  Getting that practice and making your brain think quickly (and in English!) is key to developing your English speaking skills!

2)  Look for vocabulary.  When you're standing in line at the grocery store (or Servipag, or the bank or..), take a note of the things that jump out at you.  If you see the Cajero Automatico, think to yourself, do you know how to say it in English?  If you do know (for the record, we call it an ATM or teller machine), practice the pronunciation to yourself.  If you don't know it, write it down or save it as a note in your phone and look it up later.  I try my best to give my students great vocabulary lessons, but there are SO MANY WORDS!!  This is a great way to practice the vocabulary you do know, and to acquire new words!

3) Download the Duolingo app for your phone.  Duolingo is a great app for doing quick English lessons.  I have a resource review post here, and if you click here, you can go straight to the website.  While Duolingo can be used on your PC or laptop, I think the application (for IOS or Android) is the most useful way to use this tool.  With the app on your phone, you can complete quick lessons on your phone while you ride the metro, wait in line, or drink your morning coffee!

4) Read the news.  You can check the Resources tab at the top of the blog to find some websites to practice your reading.  Reading the news in English can be an interesting way to practice your comprehension and acquire to vocabulary on your own.  If you stick with international news stories, you can always go back and read an article on the same story in Spanish to really see how much you understood.  

5) Listen to music.  No matter what your music preferences may be, there's almost certain to be an English-speaking artist that you'll like.  Youtube and Spotify are great places to look for English singers.  You probably know some songs in English already.  You can look up the lyrics and actually see the words as you hear them, a trick that can make the words really stand out to you.  It's great practice to see grammar, vocabulary, and authentic phrases in use.


If you can find a way to work in a few of these habits to your daily routine, you can expect to feel more comfortable with your English progress in a matter of weeks!  Happy Studying!

How We Learn and How to Learn Better

''We learn
10% of what we read
20% of what we hear
30% of what we see
50% of what we see and hear
70% of what we discuss
80% of what we experience
95% of what we teach to others.''

-- William Glasser

William Glasser, a famed Psychiatrist from the United States, said the following regarding our learning experiences.  This is the reason why studying alone doesn't work, and listening to youtube videos doesn't work.  It's not because those things aren't helpful in some aspect (they are, and I encourage you to do those things), but because there are higher levels of learning.  When you take an English class, you see and hear what you're learning.  When you ask questions, your teacher discusses the material with you.  When you practice it, you experience your knew knowledge.  You may not sit down and teach the lesson to your family or friends, but imagine if you had to.  How would you relate it back to your own language?  How would you simplify it?

These are the benefits of attending class.  Seeking out independent practice is absolutely necessary if you want to improve, but the deep learning you need to experience in order to retain information happens in class.

That said, I'm excited to say that I'll be ready to start classes again on Monday, the 23rd of March.

Happy Wednesday and happy studying!

Monday Motivation

Do you know the phrase ''Go with the flow''?  It means to follow the current around you, to relax and let things happen, to go along with what's happening.  Sometimes going with the flow can be a good thing, but I love this phrase.  Like fish, if we want to get anywhere important, sometimes we have to step out of our comfort zones and go against the flow.  This is espeically true with language learning.  I hope you're ready to go against the flow this week and do something great!  Happy Monday and happy studying!!

How to Stay Motivated

Happy Monday, dear students!

If you're reading this from Santiago, Chile, I imagine you're very busy.  School has just started back for both children and universities.  Traffic is back to it's regular flow, vacation is over, and it's back to business as usual.  I'm proud of you all for surviving Super Lunes, but I want to warn you:  The stress is coming!  And with that stress can come frustration with your English studies.  The good news is there are ways to combat that frustration!  Check out the list below for tips to help maintain your patience and motivation as we get back to the daily grind!

1)  Remember why you're learning English.  Maybe it's to help you advance in your job.  Perhaps you want to study in another country.  There are plenty of reasons to want to learn English, but everyone's reason is a little different.  By reminding yourself why you started, you can reenergize your tired, overworked, frustrated brain.

2)  Set goals.  Then set mini-goals.  Goal-setting is one of the most important steps to really learning.  It gives you a tool to measure your progress.  I can tell you when you're progressing (and I will!), but meauring yourself is an important part of the process, too.  If your big goal, for instance, is to make a 105 on the TOEFL, make a list of smaller goals that you'll need to accomplish on your way to your big goal.  These could be reading the news with ease, completing a certain amount of vocabulary practice units, writing an e-mail with few to no mistakes, etc.  Setting goals and then achieving them helps you to really feel progress that otherwise is abstract.  Plus, setting mini-goals gives you concrete reasons to celebrate, which in turn helps you to stay motivated.

3)  Eat the frogs.  This is a phrase we use, please don't eat any frogs.  ''Eat the frogs'' means to do the worst part (of anything) first.  For example, when I'm reading a book in Spanish, I have to write down a lot of vocabulary.  This is my least favorite part of reading, and looking up the words takes a long time, and I'm always a bit surprised at how many words I don't understand.  But when I sit down with my book, the most important part (and obviously the worst) is to review my vocabulary list and look up the words I don't know.  Once I get past that part, the re-reading is actually enjoyable.  Plus, I end with the best part (reading and understanding) instead of the most frustrating part.  This is an important strategy to use, especially for studying something as complex as a language.

4) Be consistent.   Learning as an adult is a different process than learning as a child.  Our memories of learning our own languages are far away, and there weren't many difficulties.  As adults, the difficulty is compounded by all of the other stress, responsibilities, and obligations that consume our time and energy.  But being consistent with your class attendance and your independent study is one of the best ways to make sure that your progress keeps moving forward.  Most times it will feel like you're moving by centimeters, but every once in a while you'll feel like your understanding is moving at the speed of light.  Consistency is the price to pay to get those light-speed learning phases.

5) Know when to take a break.  I know I just said that consistency is important, but it's also important to know when you need a break.  If work is crazy, something has happened in your personal life, or you have the flu, you can miss a class. In fact, you probably should miss a class.  If you think your brain can handle it, you can take a half break-- review old material, watch a youtube video, or listen to some music in English.  But as your teacher, I know that you have jobs and families and bills, and I know that English (while important) sometimes has to come last.  This is okay and it's important to accept.  You don't have to feel guilty about taking a break when you need one.  And often, a short break is just what you need to come back feeling refreshed!

Happy International Women's Day!

To all of my female students, I wish to you a feliz día de la mujer!  And to all of my male students, I hope you've done a good job showing your appreciation to the women in your lives!  I wanted to share this toast with you all.  While people in the United States don't often say ''cheers'' like the English, and we don't really say ''Salud'' like other cultures, we do often toast to things.  A common one between women is the quote below.  So ladies, this is my toast to you on our day!  I hope that you enjoy it!

Resource Review: Duolingo

Hello, dear students!

Many of you may already know about the app duolingo, but in case you don't, I wanted to give you a review to help you decide if it's a tool you're interested in using!

Duolingo can be used on your computer or as an app on your iphone or android phone.  It's absolutely free!  You can access English lessons without signing up, but to track your progress, you'll need to make an account.

I can recommend this app personally, as I use it to study Portuguese!  But let me show you some of the great features!

1)  You can access the English lessons with the page language in Spanish.   This is useful when reading the corrections or notes that the app offers you throughout your lessons.

2)      You'll need to choose a lesson.  The app will start you at lesson 1.  For all of my students, this level is too basic.  However, the lessons are very short.  You have the option to pass through it anyway, or Duolingo will give you the option to take a test and prove your current knowledge.  After taking the test, you will be taken to a lesson that is at your level.

3)  When you begin a lesson, you will move through a series of slides.  Each slide has one of various types of activities.  Some of them are translation activities, like this one.  When you get an answer correct, you're friendly owl guide will give you praise and tips.  If you get an answer incorrect, you will recieve feedback and advice, plus the correct answer.

4)  Other types of activities may include a matching element, such as the one below.  Only a few new words and grammar points are introduces in each new lesson, to allow you time to master that small set.  From there, you will continue to review your accumulated words in future lessons, and you'll have the chance to go back and review whenever you feel like it.

5) There's also a tab called ''inmersión'' that will offer you listening practice and other interesting activities.  You'll be able to  see the difficulty of your selected activity and track your progress as you complete different activities.

Overall, I think Duolingo is a great language learning tool.  It can't replace English classes but it is a wonderful study tool that you can use to keep your brain sharp.  The app can send you reminder e-mails and will even allow you to compete against friends with your progress.  The design is clean and easy to use.  I love studying Portuguese with Duolingo, and although I'm very busy, I find plenty of time to work through the lessons thanks to having the app on my phone.  I am able to complete a lesson or review older material every day on the metro or in line at the store (you know, the lines at Jumbo around 7:00 p.m.), and with the app on my tablet, too, I can easily blow through a lesson in Starbucks or during commercials while I'm watching a show.

It's a great free resource and I think all of my students can benefit from using this tool!

Women's History Month

Every year in March, the White House celebrates Women's History Month.  The month of March was chosen to be the time each year when we reflect upon the struggles and accomplishments of women throughout the history of the United States of America.  This particular video is from 2013, but it's a great exercise for listening and vocabulary.  The video lasts less than 4 minutes and has subtitles.  Women's History Month is an important time in the U.S. to look at our past and to look at our goals for the future regarding women's rights.  It's interesting to note that the International Day of the Working Woman is not widely celebrated in the U.S., despite the fact that women have our own month to celebrate our history in the country. Strange!

Phrases and vocabulary that might be new

To have a say (in something)-  This means to be considered or consulted in the decision-making process.  

I didn't have a say in the restaurant we went to because everyone had already decided on Applebee's.

To shatter glass ceilings-  This refers to the idea that women can excel in their jobs and educations, but at some point we stop being successful as our male peers.  This phenomenon is called ''hitting a glass ceiling''--- an invisible barrier that prevents us from advancing.  To shatter a glass ceiling is to break through that barrier and have success in an area that women typically have not had before.

Hilary Clinton shattered glass ceilings when she became the first female Secretary of State.

The way I carry myself-  To carry yourself a certain way refers to the manner of self-presentation.  It refers to your attitude, your appearance, your langauge, your clothing--everything about you that people will judge.  If you carry yourself with confidence, you look and act confidently. 

She carries herself with grace, and everyone admires her social skills and charm.

Milestones- this word refers to important moments or achievements that are used to measure success over time.  Important milestones in a baby's life are saying their first words, taking their first steps, etc.

Women have achieved many milestones in the last 100 years, including getting the right to vote, winning public office, and entering the job market.

What other new phrases or vocabulary words did you see in this video?

Tuesday Quick Tip: Relaxed Pronunciation

Happy Tuesday, dear students!  Today I have a short list of relaxed pronunciation phrases in English for you to check out.

Relaxed Pronunciation refers to the habit we have in English (and Spanish-- I'm lookin' at you, Chileans!) to combine two words into one faster, easier to pronounce word.  This speech is informal and should not be used in standard or formal speaking or writing contexts, but it is very common in everyday conversation.  It can be difficult to identify relaxed pronunciation if you aren't already familiar with it.  Look at this chart with the most common relaxed pronounciations in English.  Feel free to contact me with your questions!

Monday Motivation

Happy Monday!  I hope you've all enjoyed the weekend.  There's a common saying in English that goes ''The grass is always greener on the other side (of the fence)'', meaning that whatever you don't have always looks better on the surface.  My goal is to stay positive this week and work on making my own grass greener.  How about you?