Online English Speaking Archives -

Describe your past experiences teaching Conversational English? I have been teaching English for nearly ten years in Hungary, Tanzania, and Mexico. The majority of my students have wanted focus on conversational English to take advantage of practicing with a native speaker. Needs have ranged from Business requirements, to exam necessities (IELTS/TOEFL), wanting to travel to English speaking countries, to get a better job and to meet new friends. We worked on fluency, pronunciation, use of new and unfamiliar vocabulary and confidence in speaking in front of others. Classes were fun and enjoyable allowing the students to feel relaxed and in a space where mistakes could be made and corrected easily. Tell us more about your education? I studied Alevels in Philosophy and Theology, English Literature and Language and General Studies. I attended the first year of a BA at Liverpool University, but the course was changing and so was I, so I left it to go and travel and learned much in the school of life! I love learning and I am always taking different online courses. I completed my TEFL course 10 years ago and have been using it ever since How would you describe a typical Skype English lesson at Spoken English Practice? Fun and enjoyable time to practice speaking with a native speaker. I like to make classes something to look forward to and where students feel they have accomplished something at the end of each session. Each online English speaking practice session is different depending on the students personality and needs. Some classes are like chatting over a cup of coffee with a friend whilst others are much more formal and structured. However all classes are designed with the goals or greater fluency, increased confidence, improved pronunciation and learning of new vocabulary . Grammar is corrected when and where needed. Schedule an Online English Speaking Practice session with Laura What are your favorite conversation topics? During online English speaking practice sessions, I love listening to other peoples stories of travels and adventures, or of what dreams and aspirations they have. I enjoy talking about life, travel, the unknown and unusual, nature, books, movies, culture, history, development, current affairs, and so much more. I love to learn new things, and there are so many topics that I know little about, like economics and sciences, technology and art. So for sure they would be interesting conversation topics too. The list is endless. In your experience, what area in English do students need the most help? Conducting online English speaking practice sessions, I have found that students have lots of time to practice grammar and vocabulary at home with books, but very little time to practice speaking with natives. They know the theory but need to put it in practice. It can be very frustrating for them. Accents, fluency, pronunciation and confidence are often weak points, so we start talking!! Practice makes perfect, and the more you do something the better you get at it. So I encourage confidence, correct pronunciation, and allow for fluency to develop through flowing conversation. Corrections are made periodically without interrupting constantly. What are your top 3 tips to ESL students around the world? Make the language your own by using it, find people to talk to and talk! Make a list of new vocabulary and each day choose 5 words from your list to use, and keep doing this until the words become a part of your English. Go visit an English speaking country and immerse yourself in the language, enjoy it and be part of it A little bit about what you like to do when you are not teaching English. I love traveling around the world, learning about new cultures, going to the theater, bike touring, creative projects, hanging out with friends, running, cooking, reading, being in nature, studying, movies, going down to the beach in the evening, and planning the next adventure....the world on a bicycle! What kind of students do you prefer? Students who want to learn, practice and improve are the best any teacher can ask for I think

Meet Spoken English Teacher Laura