Author Archive

Taking the Easiest Path to Success in English

Thursday, September 2nd, 2010

English is a tough language to learn, not only for non-native English speakers but for native English speakers as well.  During my schooling in Canada, English class had to of been my worst class and I am not afraid to admit it.  You have all these verb tenses, run-on sentences, grammatical rules that have so many holes in them that you could drive a car through them (they are more formally known as exceptions).  Exceptions to a rule is what makes something so tough because it requires you to engage in thought to decide why this is correct or incorrect.  Knowing every single possible bit of information in the English language is very hard to achieve and after finishing school, I said to myself “I have the basics down, so what more do I have to learn”.  Fortunately knowing the basics of English will get you very far and over time you will learn the rules, if not by name, by memory.

So, if you are learning English, relax and take a deep breath.  Don’t fret the small stuff or every small detail as you will do just fine with consistent practice.

Language is developed over time and even native English speakers have trouble remembering all the rules, names of grammar and why we do something the way we do.  If your English is improving with practice year after year and you don’t remember all these rules or get confused take the easiest path and don’t worry about it.  Nobody can be expected to know everything there is to know about English unless you’re an English teacher :) in the meantime keep up the great work, enjoy life and don’t get caught up with all the finer points of English.

Relax Written in Sand

Learning English One Step At a Time!!!

Monday, August 2nd, 2010

Learning a new language is a lot like learning to ride a bicycle.  The student starts out with zero knowledge and slowly increases that knowledge so that they are no longer a beginner but rather an expert.

We have a lot of beginner students coming through our program here at TalktoCanada wanting to become expert English speakers.  They generally contact us the same way and tell us their goals which are very similar to the vast majority of our students — which is to speak as well as a native speaker.  Students need to change their idea of success when they are first starting out.  Instead of asking how fast or quickly they can become a fluent English speaker, they should be asking how long will it take to move to the next level.  For a beginner speaker this would mean no longer being a beginner but having a novice-intermediate understanding of English.  I am not saying that students shouldn’t strive to become very good at English, but take it one step at a time.  Like a baby learning to crawl and then eventually learning to walk…rarely do babies skip a step in development.  During your English learning don’t expect to  become an expert quickly, this takes time, patience and perseverance.   Our online English program can definitely help somebody but if you don’t have time, patience and perseverance, the TalktoCanada program won’t get you very far.

Baby on Stairs in Suit.

So when your serious about improving your English, focus on something within reach and which is achievable as well as realistic.  This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t focus on becoming an advanced speaker, just don’t forget like a baby you need to crawl before you can walk or like riding a bike, you need to start with training wheels.

Getting to Know TalktoCanada.com – The Trial Lesson

Monday, June 28th, 2010

TalktoCanada.com has helped hundreds of individuals and companies since it has started in early 2006. I have to admit that being here since the start it has been a rough ride trying to convince students around the globe to give TalktoCanada.com a try.  After much persistence and great offers for new students, including the 1 hour no obligation trial lesson, we have been able to start achieving our very lofty enrollment goals.  A lot of schools will only allow you to sign up for the whole English course, not part of it especially if you are considering going to your more traditional classroom setting with a teacher physically in front of you.

Students who do register for just a 1 hour trial lesson, are usually very pleased with the results and we enjoy an over 90% registration rate after the trial lesson.  This goes to show you that a lot students are now seeing the possibilities and quality that can be obtained through an online English training company.

So if your on the fence and not sure about online English language learning with TalktoCanada.com the trial lesson is a great chance for you to test out our services without making a commitment.  One lesson will give you enough information to make an informed decision about our services, so I highly recommend you visit the link below to get started.

http://www.talktocanada.com/individual-training/user-fees/

A lot of our current students were just like you before they tried online learning.  They weren’t sure about TalktoCanada.com and they weren’t sure we could do what we said we could do.   Please register for our 1 hour trial lesson today and let us convince you that we are the right solution for your English learning needs.

crossing three stepping stones in a river

Getting to Know TalktoCanada.com – Corporate Language Training

Thursday, June 24th, 2010

Corporate English language training is a topic that most companies both large and small who operate international have talked about at one point or another.  There are so many different variables for each company that it’s hard to talk about a one size fits all approach when discussing training with a new corporate client.

Every company is different in it’s needs, some need to train very large amounts of workers while some only need to train a few.  Sometimes the training is very specific, such as, English telephone etiquette or very broad such as general intermediate business English conversation.  On an operational level, TalktoCanada.com can work with very large amounts of students to a small number of students.  Before  you consider enrolling your company in any type of English language services, I recommend you answer as many questions of the following as you can.  By being clear and having a focus to your training at your company, you will be better able to find the right solution and even more importantly the correct company.

  • How many of your staff need to be trained?
  • Are they all the same level of English or very different?
  • Will they all be learning the same content or does there need to be some variety?
  • Are you looking for a mass-market cheap solution with a high student to teacher ratio or are you looking for something more, where students are able to talk to the teacher in a low student to teacher ratio such as at TalktoCanada.com?
  • What is the time commitment you expect your workers to give to an English training program?
  • Most importantly of all, what are your expectations.  Always discuss your expectations with your training provider so that there is no confusion.

time money quality

Corporations interested in English language training should always take the time to learn a little more about the details.  Without knowing all the details yourself, you may find yourself in a situation of not getting the results that you are expecting.  When it comes to training, it’s all about the results and comes down to, and whether or not all of my staff can speak English fluently as expected or not.

Getting to Know TalktoCanada.com – TalktoCanada.com Teachers

Tuesday, June 1st, 2010

TalktoCanada.com teachers are AMAZING individuals that all bring something unique and special to the class.  They each use different methods to teach and accommodate their teaching styles to best help you achieve your goals.  The great thing about TalktoCanada.com teachers is the rapport that they develop with their students.  Students become more than just students and often become friends.

Currently TalktoCanada.com has just over 20 teachers on staff — they work with both individual clients and also our corporate clients  delivering specific and  tailored lessons that range from general conversation to ESP lessons (English for Special Purposes).

All of our teachers are native English speakers — and all are Canadians.  Ask them anything about Canada and they should know the answer — except once someone asked me about the underground mall and tunnel  in Toronto — and I really had no idea what they were talking about — until I Googled it and yes in fact there is the P.A.T.H in Toronto — who would have thought it was so famous??!!

Check out some of our Teacher’s of the Week to get a better idea about who they are and what they like to do:

http://www.talktocanada.com/2010/05/talktocanada-com-teacher-of-the-week-laurie-bilokraly/

http://www.talktocanada.com/2010/05/talktocanada-com-teacher-of-the-week-kyle-gooch/

http://www.talktocanada.com/2010/04/talktocanada-com-teacher-of-the-week-jenn-foldi/

http://www.talktocanada.com/2010/04/talktocanada-com-teacher-of-the-week-tiffany-fudge/

http://www.talktocanada.com/2010/04/talktocanada-com-teacher-of-the-week-nicole-ross/

http://www.talktocanada.com/2010/04/talktocanada-com-teacher-of-the-week-aaron-petrie/

http://www.talktocanada.com/2010/03/talktocanada-com-teacher-of-the-week-amanda-cameron/

http://www.talktocanada.com/2010/01/tenielle-patterson-teacher-of-the-week/

http://www.talktocanada.com/2010/01/kiki-christie-teacher-of-the-week/

http://www.talktocanada.com/2010/01/lusi-brace-teacher-of-the-week/

http://www.talktocanada.com/2009/12/samantha-odber-teacher-of-the-week/

http://www.talktocanada.com/2009/12/camille-greer-teacher-of-the-week/

Getting to Know TalktoCanada.com – How do we Teach English Online?

Tuesday, May 25th, 2010

What can you expect when working with TalktoCanada.com?

Before we start training companies and students in English, they have a very common and similar question.  The question goes something like this, “How do you teach English?” The answer typically goes the same way.  TalktoCanada.com will help you improve your English by teaching you exactly what you want to learn.  Since starting TalktoCanada.com, we have trained all of our teaching staff to center around the idea of asking the student exactly what they want.  Most students know what they want.   The most common things are; business English, test preparation (TOEFL/IELTS), conversational English skills or vocabulary building.  Sometimes a student doesn’t have anything particular that they want to focus on — this is also a great opportunity to touch on everything and determine which areas need the most work.  Usually when students don’t know what they want they usually need help with their confidence.  Confidence is a big concern for a lot of 2nd language speakers and by working with a tutor you have the opportunity to talk, practice and make mistakes in a non-threatening environment.

Depending on the type of student  you are, beginner, novice, intermediate or advanced, we will work with you to improve all the areas that you feel you need help with.

Questions and Answers - Magnifying Glass on Words

If your looking for more detailed information about our teaching methods I suggest you read the following blog posts below:

Part I: The Basics of Dogme – Putting a name to the methodologies that TalktoCanada.com uses to teach ESL online
Part II – Key Principles of the Dogme Language Learning Approach – Putting a name to the methodologies that TalktoCanada.com uses to teach ESL online
Part III – “To Structure or not to Structure… that is the question….” – Putting a name to the methodologies that TalktoCanada.com uses to teach ESL online
Part IV: Cookie Cutter Language Learning – Putting a Name to the methodologies that TalktoCanada.com Uses
Part VI – Modifying the Dogme approach to accommodate your students’ needs – Putting a name to the methodologies that TalktoCanada.com uses to teach ESL online
Part V – Using the Dogme Approach in group lessons – Putting a name to the methodologies that TalktoCanada.com uses to teach ESL online

Four Important Factors to Consider When Choosing an Online English Speaking Course – Factor 4

Thursday, May 6th, 2010

This is the final post of the series, ‘Four Important Factors to Consider When Choosing an Online English Speaking Course’.

I suggest reading Factor #1, Factor #2, and Factor #3 before this post if you are interested in online English learning.

4 – Choose A Course That Allows You to Choose Lesson Material and Content

When you enroll in a online English speaking course, you should have the ability to influence…if not entirely direct…the content of your lessons.  Because of the personal and intimate nature of an online English speaking course, you should be learning material that is immediately relevant to your daily professional, academic and social life.

Here are some questions you may want to ask before signing up with a online English training provider:

*Does you instructor ask you what your learning goals are?

*Does your instructor assess your current level of English and suggest targeted ways to improve on your weak areas?

*Does your instructor work with you to make an individual study plan for you based on your input?

*Are you able to ask and be provided with interesting, up-to-date learning materials relevant to what you want to learn?

*Do you have the option of sending your own lesson materials to the instructor(s)?

These are some of the essentials when it comes to choosing your online English course.  Remember…this is your time, and your money.  You should be the one directing the learning.  You should be the one choosing the learning materials.

I hope you’ve found this little series, ‘Four Important Factors to Consider When Choosing an Online English Speaking Course’ helpful.  Learning English online definitely is the way to go.

I wish you all the success in your English learning endeavors.

Four Important Factors to Consider When Choosing an Online English Speaking Course – Factor 3

Saturday, May 1st, 2010

This is the third post in my series, ‘Four Important Factors to Consider When Choosing an Online English Speaking Course. I suggest reading Factor #1 and Factor #2 before this post if you are interested in taking online English lessons.

Factor 3 – Choose A Course With Flexible Lesson Days and Times

You want to inquire about the flexibility of the lesson days and times.

A quality online English speaking course will give you the full freedom to choose your lesson days and times. You should not be tied down to days and times they select.  Remember, this is you money and your lessons.  They should work around your schedule.

Here are some questions you’ll want to get the answers to:

*Are you able to arrange lesson days and times that are convenient for you?

*Can you postpone and reschedule lessons easily if you are unable to attend your scheduled lesson?

*Does the company charge you for rescheduling or missed classes?  They shouldn’t!

*Are you able to request different instructors if you are not happy with the one you currently have?

*Are you able to put your lessons ‘on hold’ for an extended time if you have to go away for business or holidays?

*Are you able to transfer your lessons to other people if you are not able to continue learning for some reason?

These are some more important questions you’d like answered before you sign up for online English lessons.  Finding out the flexibility of the lesson days and times shouldn’t be hard to do.  If this information is not provided on the website, you’d better call the company and ask.

In my next post, I will be discussing the fourth and final factor of the “Four Important Factors to Consider When Choosing an Online English Speaking Course”…

Stay tuned!

Another Blog Post How the Apple iPad will Revolutionize Online Learning

Wednesday, April 21st, 2010

Ok, maybe the title is a bit over the top and drastic but nonetheless it’s something that’s being talked about for online learners around the globe.  For the record, I haven’t yet spent any time with the Apple iPad but have spent a lot of time reading and researching the device itself.  If it helps to convince you further of my pedigree to talk about the Apple iPad, I just bought a Macbook Pro for the first time :).

All kidding aside, let’s get down to the question, can the Apple iPad revolutionize online learning.  I think the answer is probably yes and no.  No, it probably won’t do much different then your average netbook right now and yes, at one point in time it may revolutionize the online learning world.  I wouldn’t count on it being the next greatest thing though, laptops can do what an iPad can do just a lot more plus they have usually have a webcam which is great for taking lessons with us (TalktoCanada.com).  However, if your looking for portability and simplicity, this device has it covered.  This device has some great applications or apps as those who use an iPhone will refer to them as, such as:

Learning English with the New York Times
English Language Teaching by the Cambridge Press
English at Work

Like any new technology, this one may require a lot of time before it becomes great for online learning.  At the moment I think it’s more of a novelty, but as  technology improves along with the software/programs behind it, I think it will vastly improve online learning.  Just imagine, sitting in the back of a taxi taking a quick 30 minute lesson while you travel to your next location…one day this will be possible :)

Working Nine to Five, What a way to make a living! Getting a Job with TTC

Wednesday, April 21st, 2010

Ok, this post isn’t going to be about working 9-5 because at TalktoCanada.com, nobody works 9-5.  If you want to work 9-5, I suggest you find a nice cushy government job and if you think you can work 9-5 at TalktoCanada.com, you may be sitting around for a long time waiting for a call from us.  We are always upfront and honest with teachers and try to be as open as possible with the long and hard hours that we work.  Since TalktoCanada.com works a lot in Europe and Asia, you will be expected as a teacher to work nights.  We aren’t talking about working up to midnight but rather through the whole night (Yes.. really people live in other time zones that are super different from Canada — Daily, I work in about 5 or 6 different zones – this is Jillian btw).  Being an online teacher is hard, so don’t be surprised when we ask you for an interview and outline the job hours.

On some of our job ads, I feel like saying daytime junkies need not apply, we are just looking for hardcore night owls.  We also look for staff who don’t mind working around the clock, if you’re only available limited hours and don’t like working like a maniac some weeks it’s best to avoid working as an online teacher (this is not just with us.. this is with almost ALL online jobs).

If you’re looking for that elusive cushy management job with TalktoCanada.com.  Take a long hard look in the mirror and ask yourself, do I want to be available 24/7 (really I am available 24/7 – blackberry, skype, phone, chat —  it’s all part of the job — and to juggle that job with real life sometimes is tricky — but OHHHH so worth it!).  If you thought it was tough being a teacher with TalktoCanada.com, management jobs are 5-10 times tougher (ha! try 100 times harder Marc — this is Jillian again btw).  Try being in bed (what??!! You get to sleep??!! – just kidding!!) and getting a call to replace a last minute teacher having connection problems or to do a last minute two hour demo for a new corporate client.  For the record, TalktoCanada generally hires from within for management positions, so if you’re a teacher with TalktoCanada we may be watching to find those that meet the very difficult requirements for a management job.  If you want to get a little glimpse into the jobs of managers at TalktoCanada.com, I suggest reading some of the multitude of posts by our favourite manager Jillian Zavitz (haha thanks Marc!) :) or by visiting the links below for our ‘Day in the life of Manager’ series.

Marc Anderson
Alysia Bartley
Jillian Zavitz

Thanks to Jillian for commenting on my post in RED.

http://www.talktocanada.com/2010/01/a-day-in-the-life-of-a-talktocanada-com-manager-marc-anderson-general-manager/