Language teaching in a classroom is so different than tutoring one-on-one. This really hit home last week, when I came back to classroom teaching as an instructor with SFU’s digital communication and advanced English certificate program. You need a whole different set of skills and ac
Basically The federal government of Canada has cut $17 million in funding for adult ESL training in the province of British Columbia (B.C.), specifically funding delivered through public colleges. Background There is a bit of blurriness around the jurisdiction of adult ESL training. T
Why I am a teacher. Kath here! I’m so happy to be a part of the Esperanza Education team. As you already know, I am a teacher. I’ve often said that I don’t like that moment at a party or informal meeting, when the the talk goes to what people “do”. I feel
I thought it would be interesting and useful to share my approach to tutoring English as an additional language. Potential learners—you can get an idea about what to expect from me. Other teachers—you can compare this with your own approach. A little background This approach has evolv
Two New Teachers Join the Esperanza Education Team We are very excited to welcome two new teachers to the Esperanza Education team of collaborators. Kathryn Stewart will be offering English support for all ages and interests, including test preparation, and Martín Urrutia Varese will
My final post for Esperanza I have been writing for this blog for just shy of a year, and my words here have been the first that I’ve really let go into the universe. Writing on the internet is scary; anyone (anyone!) can read it, love it, hate it, comment on it, ignore it, shar
A Great Strategy for Private Language Teachers There are many different approaches to language teaching, and especially to private language teaching. Each student is unique and will respond differently to different activities and teaching styles. I’ve written before about the im
Why don’t I speak French? When I travel and people find out I’m Canadian, I often get asked if I speak French. And when I say no, I’m often met with disbelief or puzzlement. How can you not speak French?—it’s a official language of your country! How can I not speak French? IR
Countdown to Kindergarten Our daughter has now been accepted into our first choice kindergarten – the fine arts program at Nootka school. Even though this program was listed as our third choice in my blog Choosing a Kindergarten Program back in November, after visiting a few sch
Is French Immersion a good choice for our family? The other day we went to register our daughter for Kindergarten. This is a big deal, she’s growing up so fast! We also attended an Information session about French Immersion with the Vancouver School Board where parents expressed
