Conversation Scripts
Conversation scripts are templates we use in everyday conversations, and there are similar ones in many other languages. Learning scripts can be a great way for students to feel more comfortable about speaking English.
Insights Posts
Category: language illuminated
What Exactly are Participles?
In this post, we discuss the definition we at Insights use for ‘Participles’, since it’s argued among grammarians and varies by source material. We also highlight where Gerunds fit in.
How Many Tenses?
While English teachers and textbooks consider there to be several different tenses (anywhere from 12 to around 20), many grammarians claim there are only two tenses. Why the discrepancy, and which two are the 2?
For Love of the Semicolon
Semicolons are not commonly used, but they’re my favorite punctuation mark. Hear me out. They’re rather versatile in connecting two aspects of a single idea. They reflect natural speech, and they also add variety to the transitions and sentence structure in your writing.
Quick Guide to IPA Vowels
The International Phonetic Alphabet is used to specify sounds, or to help translate between languages with different alphabets. There’s lots of information out there on how to use it, but if you’re looking for a quick reference, this is it. (Part 2 of 2)
Quick Guide to IPA Consonants
The International Phonetic Alphabet is used to specify sounds, or to help translate between languages with different alphabets. There’s lots of information out there on how to use it, but if you’re looking for a quick reference, this is it. (Part 1 of 2)
Why We Sometimes Use the Present Tense for Future Meaning
Sometimes we use the Present Simple tense or the Present Progressive tense for future meaning. For native English speakers, this seems normal. But when learning this (or teaching it for the first time, for that matter), it seems a bit odd. Why would we do this?
Make Connections
As you introduce new grammar topics, make connections with related grammar topics that students have already learned. This is good for review, and it also helps students catch on to the new material easier.
Translating Noun Cases
Many languages have noun cases. We don’t teach cases in English, but there definitely are some correlations between cases and English grammar. Maybe it would be a good idea to acknowledge some of the cases used in the students’ native tongue(s) and explain what English uses instead.
Is It Okay to Break Grammar Rules?
People break grammar rules all the time. Is that okay? Which rules can we break? In what situations is it okay to break rules? Are there rules to breaking rules? Here’s a look at which rules you can break in casual writing.
How We Term Clauses
You have to be careful with the terms ‘independent’ and ‘dependent’, since they don’t always actually reflect what we might assume they mean.
Top-Down vs Bottom-Up Processing
We generally teach the structure of a grammar point, and the usage follows. That works well enough for receptive skills, but for productive skills, it feels backward. Maybe we should try the reverse approach.
Identifying Grammar vs Using It
Learning a grammar point shouldn’t just be about knowing how to use it. How to use a grammar structure doesn’t matter until after they’ve determined what they want to say.
Why You Don’t Need to Speak Another Language to Teach English
Have you ever been asked, “How can you teach students English if you don’t speak their language?” I get that a lot. It’s not necessary to know the native tongue to teach English. Here’s why.
Communicating Without Words
Using words is the most obvious way to communicate, but it’s not the only way. It may not even necessarily be the best way. Using alternate ways of communicating may be more fun or more effective.
How Technology will Help English Teachers
– guest post –
With educational technology becoming a source for learners to increase their skills and knowledge, how can teachers utilize this technology instead of competing with it?
Vocab-Building through Associations
There’s a lot of vocabulary to learn, but thankfully plenty of words are related to each other. Learning words by associating them with each other helps us to remember those words later. You can help students establish and strengthen those connections in your students’ minds.
The English Alphabet is Confusing
While our alphabet has only 26 letters, it has about 40 unique sounds. There’s a lot of different sound-spelling combinations to remember, which makes spelling and pronunciation difficult for non-native speakers.