From one of our experienced LCI Teachers...

I was teaching at Electrolux in Stockholm, Sweden, tutoring executives and engineers. I have always liked working with engineers because they are so focused and specific about what they need to work on. Of course, I started every class with customary greetings and a bit of small talk, and then we moved straight on to the work at hand – in this case, the design and manufacture of cookers and refrigerators.  (Here’s a bit of important background: it was about 1990 and I was wearing HUGE earrings made of a stretched, silver metal with a brass bit embedded.)  I had spent 45 minutes of my one-hour tutorial with Lennart when he cautiously said, “Can I ask you a personal question?” Sure! Pointing to my earrings, he winced and asked, “Aren’t those heavy? Don’t they hurt?!” No! I took them off and we had a great discussion about what kind of metal the earrings were made of and how they were forged. Lots of good, real language was used – he was so curious for himself and relieved for me! Okay, so the next hour I had a tutorial with Franz and – YES! – the very same thing happened 45 minutes into our one-hour lesson.

This is a funny story, but it really did teach me some lessons that have forever influenced my teaching:

-          Before my students are engineers, executives, or economists, they are all first and foremost people. This is called humanistic teaching.  If I do not address and satisfy their human curiosity first, I will never have their full focus on their professional issues or my lesson plan. For the 45 minutes that I was discussing oven humidity and door gaskets with Lennart and Franz, they were clearly thinking about my earrings! BUT…

-          Humanistic teaching does not mean ditching content. Humanistic teaching is not a counseling session where you just talk and talk and talk. It is always my job as a teacher to provide input and content, and to guide students toward more effective communication. Humanism should precedes, not replace, content.

-          So, as a teacher, how do I know what those human issues are? Some I can anticipate. For example, in my graduate program at SIT, I attended an important lecture given by a woman who was bald and wearing a head scarf. She was an expert in her field from whom we all had much to learn. Nonetheless, when we got into small groups to discuss her lecture, what do you think was the first thing we all talked about? Her head and her health! If she had simply addressed the issue with a single sentence before her lecture, she would have satisfied our concern and we would all have paid better attention to her content. Likewise, of course my engineers would be curious about my huge earrings! Others I must elicit. A knowledge of my students’ culture helps. For example, Swedish students tend to be very reserved and draw a wide circle of privacy around themselves. I would have to ask specific yet discreet questions to address their personal issues that might be blocking their focus on the lesson, and I would have to give a lot of time for that trust to build. My students from Brazil do not have that reserve; the challenge with them is to not let the human issues take over the whole class! In contrast, my students from Iran seem  truly bothered by anything in the class that is not 100% about the subject matter, so addressing human issues first will actually block rather than free their focus.

And that is what I love about my job as an ESL teacher. I get to meet people from all over the world who teach me so much. My father used to ask me at dinner every night, “What did you learn at school today?”  Now, I do the same with my children, AND I get to tell them what I learned at school, too! I have also learned that everyone and everything has something to teach me, even my HUGE earrings.

What is an ESL class? ESL stands for English as a Second Language. It is a course designed for non-native English speakers who want to learn the ins and outs of this language. The course duration varies in accordance with the purpose. An ESL class is now considered a necessary step to take to achieve higher education or a step necessary to have a better life. This is because ESL courses are now one of the requirements for a non-native English speaker to be admitted to certain universities in the United States, United Kingdom, and other English-speaking countries.

A student enrolled in an ESL class will learn the fundamentals of the English language – from its grammar, vocabulary to word pronunciation, to the uses and application of the language.  

ESL Class for University Admission in the US

One of the difficulties being faced by a non-native speaker in his pursuit to be admitted in a college or university in the United States is the ESL requirement. Students who scored low in college/university placement exams would have to enroll in an ESL class or course, forcing them to shell out an extra amount which is pegged usually at around $1,000. 

In most cases, ESL courses will not provide credits for graduation. However, enrolling in an ESL class is worth it over the long term because it opens up a lot of opportunities for the student.

Other Benefits of an ESL Class

Aside from the purpose of going to college, ESL classes also cater to individuals who wish to do business in an English-speaking country. For these purposes, many ESL courses like English for Business, Intensive English Classes, Basic English, English Writing, English Tests Preparation and many more have emerged. Each of these is precisely designed to serve a specific purpose.  

The enrollees in an ESL class in the United States also vary in age. Some start to attend these classes as young as kids, some as old as your grandparents who might have just migrated in the country. A lot of schools and institutions now exist in the United States and United Kingdom to cater to the specific needs of an ESL learner at a lower price than what it would cost in universities or colleges. 

An ESL class also benefits a student socially and emotionally. Communication plays a vital role in life, and ESL learning is a must in order for a foreigner to deal with his new environment.

ESL classes or English as a Second Language classes provide a stepping stone towards a better future in an English-speaking country. If you have limited English speaking or writing abilities, it is a must to enroll and finish college, or to be able to find a job, or to do business.

There are several types of ESL classes. Each of these has a different purpose, duration, methods and approach. In this article, we’ll give an overview of what you can expect from ESL classes. These will help you manage expectations better.

The Things You Can Learn from ESL Classes

Though ESL courses vary, all of them share the need to teach the fundamentals of the English Language. In all ESL classes, a learner will learn about grammar – the tense uses, the aspects, the moods, the function of the auxiliaries, idiomatic usage, the use of articles and modal verbs. In learning the English vocabulary, a student will know all about phrasal verbs, prepositions, lexicon, collocations, word derivation, slang and the colloquies.

Someone who has enrolled in ESL classes will also learn proper pronunciation including basics like the vowels and consonants, the diphthong and the syllable structure.  

ESL Classes for Test Preparation

In this part of the article, we will go through a bit of the existing Tests Preparation ESL classes, giving you basic information of each. ESL classes for IELTS (International English Language Testing System) cover academic and general reading, vocabulary, writing and listening. For TOEFL (Test of English as Foreign Language), review classes prepare students in grammar, reading, listening and vocabulary. TOEIC (Test of English for International Communication) classes involve reading, sentence structure and composition, and grammar error recognition.

Most ESL studies find English proficiency examinations to be difficult, thus the need for ESL classes. This is considered as a review class and it continues to lure a large number of enrollees. 

Common Difficulties in Learning

Learners coming from a same country usually share common difficulties in ESL classes. In addition, the level of difficulty of learning may vary depending on where the student came from. For example, Spaniards may find learning English easier compared to the Chinese. This is because there are similarities between the Spanish and English language. Meanwhile, Chinese is clearly a tonal language and it makes use of characters instead of the Latin alphabet. Ultimately, learning from ESL classes always requires time and effort on the part of the student. 

ESL classes are designed to teach students a new language or improve their usage of the English language. With that said, vocabulary is, and always will be, the most important component in an ESL class. For people who are having a hard time with their vocab, here are 6 tips to help you out.

1. Incorporate the knowledge you have in grammar to help enlarge your vocabulary. Understanding of the parts of speech such as the suffixes will help bolster one's word bank. For example, when you come across the word “evasive” within a sentence, you can check your dictionary for its meaning as well as use the opportunity to also check for any derivatives.

2. When you have a problem remembering big words, consider using them in a completely made-up sentence in your native tongue. For example, a word like “reticent” may be a bit tough for beginners to use properly in an English sentence, so go right ahead and fit in a sentence in your own language, so long as the thought remains intact, crude as it may be.

3. Associate the words with something. As they say, an active imagination is the key to having great memory. The brain is an organ that seeks sensation, therefore the moment you stare at a word in an attempt to “save” it in your memory banks, your brain works its magic and comes up with a story to help you keep the information in your mind.

4. Another way to pick up vocabulary is finding a common theme among the words and use that to group them together. This works wonderfully with concrete words like body, animals, vegetables, and colors. These kinds of words are usually associated with a picture within our minds which in turn make them more easily remembered. For abstract words, what comes to mind is usually an expression and vocabulary activities.

5. Keep in mind that you will need to be creative in order to fully grasp a language. Mastery over grammar of a language is not enough to master the language completely; it will always boil down to your vocabulary and how you use it while using the language.

6. Keep your ears peeled and listen to the sound of the word that is new to you; chances are they may sound differently from the one you use. Also, speaking of sound, while listening to songs, you may encounter words that you're not familiar with but you will still be able to memorize them and understand them in no time. This is precisely why song lyrics, TV shows, and movies are conducive to learning a language.

Humor in any language can be difficult to master. This can be especially so with a student in ESL class. Adding jokes to an ESL program can help a student learn the fine points of understanding English.

English is one of the more difficult languages to learn. It has rules which simplify, but it has countless exceptions to those rules. And some rules are not that easy to remember. Despite what you learn in ESL school, these mistakes remain easy to make.

If you're going to study English in USA schools, you should know that it won't be easy. Learning a new language is never easy. To study English in the US, it will take courage and determination.

Learning English outside of ESL class can be lots of fun and creative, too. If you have native English speaking friends outside of ESL school, ask them if they wouldn't mind playing some of these games with you.

Have you finally made that leap of faith to enroll in an ESL school? Well before you worry about what lessons to expect, here’s something you may want to consider when trying to learn English.

If you thought the English language couldn’t get any more complicated, well think again. Contrary to popular belief, there isn’t just one type of English.

British and American English

There are actually several sub-types of English, each one used in different parts of the world. American English, because of how Hollywood, mainstream media, video games, and US-based websites have permeated our society, is obviously the most dominating type of English. In fact, it’s not unheard of for people to refer to the English language as the American language—an inaccurate observation, but one that’s understandable nonetheless.

There’s also British English, which, aside from being spoken in a different accent, has some stark differences from the popular American English, the most noticeable revolving around vocabulary and spelling. It’s the form of English used widely in the United Kingdom.

In the classroom setting, such as in the case of an ESL class, British English is usually the language of choice. American teachers themselves even resort to using textbooks provided by Cambridge and Oxford University.

1. Tom-ae-to and Tom-ah-to

The biggest difference between British and American English is the pronunciation of some words, tomato being the classic example. For reasons too complicated to explain in this article, American and British English have varying stress patterns on certain words. Some words are even pronounced in an entirely different way, such as in the example below.

Schedule

British English: schedule (she-(ˌ)dyül

American English: ske-(ˌ)jül, -jəl

1. Vocabulary

Words in American English can have entirely different meanings when used in the context of British English. See the examples below.

Mad:

American English – angry, annoyed, irritated, snappy

British English – crazy, insane, barmy, foolish

Rubber:

American English – refers to a condom

British English – refers to an eraser used to erase pencil marks

Lift:

American English – to raise, lift up, boost

British English – Elevator

The best way to understand these differences is to consult your dictionary.

1. Learning American English

Learning American, as some people inaccurately call it, isn’t all that difficult. In fact, the fastest and most convenient way of doing is to just turn on your television and watch an American sitcom or pop in a DVD to watch a Hollywood flick. Aside from being entertained, you’ll slowly acclimatize to how certain words are used and create connections to the British English words you already know. There’s also the option of taking an ESL class that specializes in American English if you want a more thorough understanding about its intricacies.

Not only does laughter feel good, but it's good for your health. It helps the body to relax and the internal chemistry to find a good balance. For the student in or out of ESL class, jokes and humor can help you learn English.

As always, some jokes are full of irony, while others are just plain silly. If you can understand why they are funny, then you are making great strides in learning the language. If the humor eludes you, ask a native English speaker who laughs at the joke to explain it to you.

Food (and Drink) for Thought

• I tried sniffing Coke once, but the ice cubes got stuck in my nose.
• A bartender is just a pharmacist with a limited inventory.
• There's too much blood in my caffeine system.
• Chocolate: the OTHER major food group.
• I'm as confused as a baby in a topless bar.
• Some drink at the fountain of knowledge. Others just gargle.

Lucid Thoughts

• Consciousness: That annoying time between naps.
• A conclusion is the place where you got tired of thinking.
• The secret of the universe is ...@*&^^^ NO CARRIER...END SIGNAL
• Artificial Intelligence usually beats real stupidity.

Philosophy of Life

• Oh Lord, give me patience, and GIVE IT TO ME NOW!
• Atheism is a non-prophet organization.
• Always try to be modest and be proud of it!
• Experience is what you get when you didn't get what you wanted.

Personal Relations

• –If you can't convince them, confuse them.
• A diplomat is someone who can tell you to go to hell in such a way that you will look forward to the trip.
• Before you criticize someone, you should walk a mile in their shoes. That way, when you criticize them, you're a mile away and you have their shoes.
• Diplomacy is the art of saying good doggie while looking for a bigger stick.

Titles of Unpublished Children's Books

(and unpublished for good reason!)

• –Why Can't Mr. Fork and Ms. Electrical Outlet Be Friends?
• Barney: The Prison Years
• Things Rich Kids Have, But You Never Will
• Pop Goes The Hamster, And Other Great Microwave Games
• The Boy Who Died from Eating All His Vegetables

The subtleties of humor can be a good addition to any ESL program. Hope you have enjoyed this collection.

Your goal to become fluent in English is important to you. With persistence and hard work in your ESL lessons you will make it. But you delay your mastery of the language if you commit any of the following language-learning transgressions.

1. Not practicing outside of ESL school. If you go to the store, ride on a bus or sit on a park bench and do not talk to anyone, you are throwing away one opportunity after another. Imagine having a conversation with each new person you meet. In a week that can be dozens of conversations—wonderful occasions to practice what you've learned and to learn new phrases and words.

2. Not watching lots of English-language movies. Every movie you see with native English speaking actors gives you more opportunity to witness English in action. This can prove even more helpful if you use subtitles, when available. A word of warning, though. Subtitles are sometimes less than perfect, but even then they can help in your understanding, especially to clarify what the actor is saying when the accent makes their words less clear to you.

3. Not carrying a notepad and pen with you at all times. Around you are opportunities all the time to capture snippets of dialog, printed language and new words. A sign or a notice on a bulletin board can be a wonderful source of new English language learning.

4. Not paying attention to nearby dialog. While you're sitting in a restaurant, you may hear a dialog at the table next to yours. Pay attention and write down an occasional sentence which seems interesting or even puzzling. Later, you can ask for help with the meaning of the sentence or phrase. Just think of all the places you visit or travel. When you're not actively engaged in conversations with others, soak up the chatting of those around you.

5. Not reading your favorite topics in English. Whatever your personal or professional interests, you are bound to find at least a few books on the subject at your local English language library. You owe it to yourself to study your favorite subjects, but in English.

The key to success in any endeavor is to expect opportunities and to be prepared for them when they arrive. Take advantage of them and your dream of English language fluency will arrive that much sooner—all because you practiced outside of ESL class.

So, you're taking up an ESL class, eh? Obviously, you will need to be prepared in order make sure that you don't waste your time and effort when you take the class. Even people who naturally speak the universal language have trouble spelling and forming cohesive sentences, so you shouldn't be too relaxed about it. Sometimes, the best thing you can do is to take heart and give your best effort when taking ESL classes.

In this article we will tackle the three questions you should ask yourself before taking your first big step in the world of ESL. These questions will help you gauge where your strength lies and what your weaknesses are so you can optimize your class and get the most out of your time.

Why should I take an ESL class?

Taking goal quizzes related to English is a fun and great way to approach the subject matter in order for you to find out what you really need within the class. In addition, with the help of these quizzes, you should be able to get a rough idea of what kind of learning experience works for you. By understanding your goals before you begin the class you will have a better overview of what topics and exercises are important to you.

Which level am I in?

It’s always a great idea to gauge yourself to see how far you've gone so you can check where you should begin. Try taking a few quizzes to measure your knowledge and if they turn out to be easy for you then that's great! Now try more difficult exams to further test the waters you want to tread. Remember not to rush yourself.

Have I understood the basics?

For this particular question, you should have already gauged your level and have already tested the waters. The next step is reviewing the challenges you'll face while taking the classes. Most of the time, students have problems in the areas regarding listening, comprehension of native speakers and even the relationships between the tenses. These three areas alone should already send out a red flag and you might want to try your hand at these in order to make sure that you don't face these problems yourself.

After asking yourself these questions, you should be able to see how ready you are when you take your new classes. You should already be familiar with where your weak points are, so make an effort to work around them in order to better yourself with the language. Above all, remember to have fun! Learning a new language should be thrilling, much like exploring uncharted territory. Don’t take yourself too seriously when learning English, and know when to take a break. 

Learning English is not easy. In order to increase your chances of learning quickly consider including these tips in your daily activities in addition to your ESL lessons.

1. Watch lots of English language movies. 

Frequently, the context of the movie can help in understanding the words of the dialog. To increase understanding, include subtitles if available. Please note that subtitles often are not exact. They may paraphrase the dialog, leave out words and occasionally include typographical errors.

2. Always carry a notepad and pen with you. 

You never know when you will run across some English phrase about which you have questions or for which you want to learn for your own use. Copy down in your notepad these gems wherever you find them outside of ESL class.

3. Take note of dialog. 

Whether you're in a restaurant, at a bus stop or in a waiting room, listen to the conversations around you. If you hear an interesting or confusing tidbit of dialog, write it down and ask your instructor or a trusted, native English speaker, later when convenient.

4. Start a conversation everywhere you go. 

This may prove to be the most challenging suggestion, but potentially the most rewarding per minute of involvement. A live conversation engages the mind like no other activity. You will have failures, but you will have successes, too. Persistence and bravery are key. Even if an occasional person ridicules or becomes otherwise abusive, you need to find new partners in spontaneous dialog.

After introducing yourself, you might explain that you are a student learning English and appreciate any help they can give. Choose a topic appropriate for the setting or one that is appropriate for any setting. For instance, if you are in a restaurant, ask then what their favorite meal is. If you are in a pet store, ask what their favorite pet is. In a doctor's office waiting room, you might not want to discuss medical things as these might be too personal for a stranger to discuss; instead, discuss something more general, like what countries they may have visited, what they do for a living or what they might recommend for reading.

5. Read your favorite topic, but in English. 

If you have a hobby or some other passion, read about it in English. If you are an amateur astronomer, check out books from the library on stars and planets. If you like animals, find books on the creatures which most fascinate you. By reading your favorite topics in English, you have the advantage of already being interested and possibly the bonus of already knowing something about the subject. Both of these will aid in your comprehension.

Your ESL program can benefit from these added activities outside of ESL school.

Practicing English outside of ESL school is an important part of learning. Not only are there opportunities for greater vocabulary, but also for learning the nuances of the language and its many colloquial expressions.

You know that your ESL lessons would go more smoothly if you practiced your English at every opportunity, but if you're too shy to try, you need to overcome that barrier, first.

No Pain, No Gain

First of all, know that practicing on your own can be difficult. With a near certainty, you will have failures—lots of them. And that's okay. Simply decide to fail most of the time. By taking control over this, when you fail, you don't have to feel bad. In fact, you can feel good that you did what you set out to do—fail.

Success is based upon experience and a great many learning experiences come from failures. So, realize that each failure is bringing you closer to success.

Practice Saying "Hello"

To overcome shyness, simply practice smiling and saying "hello" to everyone you meet. That's a lot of "hellos." Simply nod to the person, smile and give your greeting. Some people will smile back while others may simply ignore you. That's okay.

Most People Want to Help

Some people are jerks. There is no changing that. If you encounter a person who is rude, simply move on. They are not worthy of your time.

But many people will want to help. You just have to approach them at the right time and in the right manner.

Introduce Yourself

Simply say, "Hello, my name is," and then give your name. You might ask, "Can you help me?" As part of your introduction, this tells the other person that you are not a threat and that you need help. If they do not have the time or interest, they will tell you or let you know by looking away.

Start Simple

Let the other person know that you are studying English and that you would like to practice. That is one approach.

Another approach is to ask a simple question, like, "What time is it?" If you are talking to a fruit vendor, you might ask, "How much is that fruit?"

By starting the conversation with something easy, you leave it open for the other person to expand the conversation. They may ask where you are from. If they seem shy or unwilling to say much more, then introduce facts about yourself—where you are from, how long you have been studying English and what you hope to do when you finish your ESL program. Pretty soon, you will find yourself deep in a conversation with someone you just met. If they are very helpful and have the time, they will correct your usage of English, and that is exactly what you are looking for.

Now keep doing it every time you're outside ESL class.

If you're considering learning English, know that there are several advantages to taking an ESL program in a traditional classroom setting.

1. Better than software. There are many software programs for learning English. One of the better ones is Rosetta Stone. This software has many nice features, including a natural approach to learning the language through pictures, hearing and reading the words, plus trial and error. The software can even help correct your pronunciation, but it's not perfect. No software is. A live instructor is always going to be able to do a better job of listening and helping.

2. Better than watching English TV. Imagine that! Some people have learned English merely by watching TV. That would require hundreds of hours of television, but the limitations from this method are severe. Quite often you do not have the written word as a guide, so you cannot easily learn to read at the same time as you learn to speak the language. Also, if someone says something on television you do not understand, you cannot ask them to repeat what they've said.

3. Personal assistance. In a classroom, you have a real live instructor who can give you personal help with your language studies. You also have the help of other students.

4. People. In a classroom setting, you are surrounded by people committed to learning English. This is far better than the chance encounter with someone who may speak a little English and with whom you can practice when they are available. In an ESL class, you and your fellow students have a common purpose. There is strength in that purpose, because it is shared.

5. Structure. By studying in a classroom, your learning is structured. You are adequately motivated because the class schedule requires you to be there. Without such structure, you may or may not achieve your goal.

6. Investment. Critical to your success is the motivation to finish. When you've invested time and money into your ESL classes, you are more motivated to see them through to completion.

7. Immersion. If you enroll in an ESL school, you are demonstrating a certain level of commitment to your goal. If you choose to study English in the US, you demonstrate a far greater commitment. Why? Because studying English in America, you are surrounded by English speaking people. This is called immersion. Every aspect of your life is now touched by English—going to the grocery store, greeting people on public transit and on the street, and even movies in the theater. You have far greater opportunities to practice your English and to be exposed to the language by studying in America.

If you ever become discouraged while studying English, just keep in mind the rewards waiting for you upon completion. These will help motivate you to do your best and hang in there until you finish your ESL program.

1. The international language. Simply knowing that you will be speaking the language used around the planet can help spur you on to excellence. You will be an international person. The entire planet is yours to converse with. No language touches more countries more broadly than English.

2. Jobs. More jobs will be open to you because you speak two languages and that one of them is English. Let's face it, more commerce is handled using English than any other language on the planet.

3. Books. More books are published in English than any other language. You have a far greater selection on most any subject when you know this language. This opens up whole new worlds of possibilities for you—to enrich yourself by studying other subjects.

4. Internet. The Internet is increasingly multilingual, but English is still the most widely used language on the Worldwide Web.

5. Movies. Certainly there are many movies that are dubbed-in or that have subtitles in your native language, but many movies may not have this luxury. There are more English-language movies produced in the world than in any other language—American, British, Canadian, Australian, New Zealander and South African.

6. Travel. Your enjoyment while on vacation can be increased with your new knowledge of English. While not everyone speaks the language, most travel locations cater to a number of languages, including English.

7. Science. If you're into one or more of the sciences, English is your language of choice. More scientific papers, documents and books are written in English than any other language. A couple of generations ago, German was the language of science, but English has held domain there for many years.

So, once you're done with your ESL lessons, you have the world at your feet, more jobs for which you can compete, books galore, Internet and more, plus more original cut movies, more travel enjoyment and more science than you could ever read.

Plus, you have your original reason for studying English! Even if that reason was to attract someone special, but that person has become unavailable, you now have millions of new possibilities to think about. By completing your ESL program, you open up an entirely new world for yourself.