Have you ever argued with someone that you care about? Even though you don’t agree, you still want to remain friends with the person. A good phrase to use is agree to disagree. It means that the only thing you CAN agree on is that you CAN’T agree. It is a way of ending an … Read More
Off the hook means to be removed from danger, difficulty, or responsibility. It has been around since at least the early 1800s. The phrase is an allusion to fishing. Think about a worm on a hook. If the worm can get itself off the hook, it will be out of danger and can get away. … Read More
In the first half of this lesson we will study English proverbs. We will look at the difference between teaching and telling and then put that into action. Each person will get an English proverb to teach to the other trainees. In the second half of the lesson, we will use the proverbs in a … Read More
In this lesson we take a look at some phone-based games that can be used to teach English. We will use Jackbox games (Drawful, Quiplash, Fibbage), Use Your Words, and SpaceTeam ESL. I am also posting some other ideas of apps and websites that you might use. Web-based Games Smartphones
In this game, you will create a new product to sell to some odd customers. You will need to use creative language to sell your products to the other customers (players in the game). Snake Oil History 13 Most Powerful Words in Advertising
In this lesson we learn about the red paperclip story. Then we will try repeating that challenge by trading with other teachers in the school. Bartering
To get the gist of something means that you understand the essence of what the person is saying. That means you understand the main points they are saying. The gist is not concerned with the details. Example: I have heard your argument. I don’t understand all of your points, but I get the gist. The … Read More
I don’t remember a lot of the things from my 9th grade (1st grade of high school) English class. I don’t even remember the teacher’s name, but I do remember this line from her. I don’t think a teacher should ever say this to her students, but it was memorable. Beauty fades means that over … Read More
A valediction is a way of ending a conversation or letter. It is a word or phrase to say goodbye. The opposite of valediction is salutation. A valediction can also refer to the speech given at a graduation. There are many types of valediction including goodbye, sincerely, your friend, cordially, etc. Your signature (or printed … Read More
Here is a great quote from Mike Tyson. I have heard this quoted a lot in the last few years. Tyson even came out of retirement last year for a match with Roy Jones Jr. He is considered one of the hardest punchers and scariest boxers of all time. This quote is a perfect summary … Read More
