Companies often have an idea of the return on investment they expect to receive when investing in online English courses. However, one by-product that is often overlooked is the potential to discover existing talent that may not otherwise have...
In my previous blog post, Maintaining Communication with Management throughout Online Learning Courses, I suggested instructors taking into consideration the frequency of their communication, balance of positive to negative feedback, and the weight...
With the presence of online learning courses in a variety of industries comes the need for instructors to adapt to a wide variety of company cultures. A comfortable level of understanding of a company’s culture takes time, and a considerable amount...
It’s been 7 years since I left Russia where I was using Russian on a daily basis. I haven’t had more than a handful of conversations since them, and needless to say my Russian is rusty. However, like many who are bilingual can identify with, there...
In my previous blog post Three Positive Expectations for Online Learning Courses, I defined positive expectations as those that students can reasonably carry out to ensure a positive outcome for the course. Recently, a positive expectation for...
Discussing ESL training ROI or the impact of language on job safety with businesses looking to invest in online learning for their employees has always gone well as the benefits it provides companies are straightforward and clear. However, I’ve...
Online English Teacher: “... And how did that make you feel? Lower Intermediate Online ESL Student: (the sound of typing in the background) “In this situation, I feel drab.” Student-constructed answers such as in the previous example are nothing...
With experience in language instruction comes the art of clearly conveying the subtle nuances of words, and lately I have been reminding myself of the difference between assumptions and expectations while designing online learning courses. I tell...
There are few things as vivid in my memory as the first five minutes of my first class as a university student. I was sitting in an auditorium with about 150 fellow classmates when the professor walked in like the opening act of a concert and...