Some of the English courses I've taught in Canada

In case you were wondering, here is a list of English courses I've taught at the University of Alberta and the Cultural Connections Institute in Edmonton:

• Level 1 English: course for complete beginners
• Level 5 English: last course of the intensive English program at the UofA
• English for Academic Purposes: preparation to being a student at a North-American university
• Petroleum English: a course specially designed by myself for English training for a group of petroleum engineers
• Conversational English
• Canadian Culture Seminar
• Pre-Intermediate English
• Advanced English

I have the education and the experience to help you with you English training needs. Get in touch today!

Some personal recommendations for improving English listening comprehension

Over the years, I've been aked by many students for some advice on extra resources to work on their English listening skills. Here are a few that have resonated the best with the most:

Listening comprehension the old-fashioned way

• CBC television and radio news: An excellent source for various Canadian regional accents and, of course, the news. Gives you something close-to-home to talk about with your colleagues and neighbours while improving your English. Additionally, brings your listening and reading together in a meaningful way.

• For the more advanced learners: my favourite Coursera, an opportunity to learn a lot of new things from the best universities and instructors out there. Not English courses, mind you, but courses in diverse fields, such as history, astronomy, mathematics, social studies, statistics, economics, music etc.
• TED Talks about as many topics as you can imagine. Used extensively throughout the world to improve listening skills.
• ESL Bits: books, short stories, lectures and songs, all under one roof and sorted by learner English levels.

Enjoy! Contact me for more suggestions.

Just came to Canada? Need help with your English communication skills?

Moving to a new country can be a frightening and quite stressful experience, and not feeling confident in English certainly does not make matters any better. Fortunately, there are classes available from a number of immigrant serving organizations in Edmonton, such as the Edmonton Immigrant Services Association (EISA), Catholic Social Services (CSS) and others. While these organizations do everything they can to ensure a personal approach to each newcomer to Canada and Alberta, their resources are, of course, limited, and it is often difficult to get help with your English on an individual basis.

10 years ago, I was a recent immigrant myself, and I know what you are going through first-hand. I would be happy to help you with your English communication skills. Contact me today to discuss.

Getting a tutor is not the whole solution - it is one of the keys

Once in a while, each instructor gets a phone call, email or text message from a potential student that makes one feel uncomfortable. The reason is in the student's apparent belief that simply getting an ESL tutor would make their English soar to new heights. Without any work involved, that is.

Learning English (or any other language, for that matter) is not and should not be as simple as hiring someone to do the heavy lifting for you. This is, after all, about what goes on in your brain. Yes, your ESL instructor knows English (one would hope), but does that immediately make your own English proficiency better? No, it does not. Yet the erroneous impression on the part of some learners remains.

For this reason, instructors tend to shy away from those that want to hear some guarantees of rapid improvement. Without diligent work on the part of the student, all of the instructors' promises, credentials and reassurances are meaningless to the matter at hand: helping the student with their English.

What is the ideal English class size?

How do you prefer to study? Individually, in pairs, in small or large groups? Which setting do you find the most efficient and fun? These questions are important to grasp in any learning situation, but they gain additional meaning when we talk about language classes, such as those for English as a Second Language (ESL).

Some people find it hard to study completely alone, and this is especially understandable when one studies a foreign language. Grammar and phonetics can, to a certain extent, be mastered without interaction with others, but true freedom in a language comes through talking with fellow learners, discussions of a variety of topics and responding to the thoughts and ideas that come up in such conversations. "Interaction with others" should not, however, be understood as being in groups of 15 or 25 people - this is not at all conducive to successfully learning English or any other language.

This is why I would personally recommend a class size of no more than 10 people (if possible, no more than six). In a multicultural environment such as Canada, there would no doubt be a great mix of professions, hobbies and heritages in a group of this size, which would allow for wonderful discussions. At the same time, the group would not be too large to be too noisy and difficult to manage for the instructor. Every student's questions and concerns would then be addressed promptly and adequately.

If you want to have rapid progress in your English, I would suggest starting with one-on-one classes with a professional and experienced instructor fluent in the language. This way, you can quickly set up the base of your grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation, and build up confidence to talk with others. Get in touch today to discuss details!

Learn English with an experienced professional

I'm happy to offer individual and group classes in English conversation, grammar, writing, reading and listening skills, and cultural awareness. With over 10 years of teaching experience at the university and college level, I can customize the lessons to your needs, so you make the most of every class. Contact me today to discuss details!

I can be reached at medvcom@gmail.com or by phone at 780-222-7136.