Enhancing Student Learning Through Co-teaching


 "...when teachers engage in collaborative practices, they experience a reduction in isolation, enjoy more occasions to share their expertise, and appreciate the opportunity to shape the way the ESL program operates in their schools." - Dove and Honigsfeld (2010)   Dove and Honigsfeld's seven models for

The Learning Technology Quiver: How to choose


How to choose a learning technology tool   There are two ways to interpret the title of this post. Which did you think of first - the object or the action "to quiver"? If you first thought of fine arrows in a bag then you are likely comfortable with learning technology and know that we are about to

Aviation English Live: Presence, Immersion and Simulation in ESP training


We’re nearing the end of the beta trial of our newest course, Aviation English Live.  It is the world’s first ever virtual aviation English course, created by Languagelab.com in partnership with Emery-Roberts, leading provider of aviation English language training. The feedback that we have had thus

Why culture affects the way students learn


“The entire process of education is shaped by the culture within which it operates. So long as a culture is shared by teachers and students, the problems of learning that arise are merely those of educational expectations and methods. Much less tractable problems arise, however, when students shift from one

Language Production Tracker


Remember the old quote “The internet is just a fad”? Bill Gates supposedly said that.*  Time will tell whether that was the most incorrect thing anybody has ever said. Here’s a quote that is more likely to prove true in the future: “The textbook is a fad."   When learning a language, there is

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V-lang conference 2011: Future Learning Now

Posted on by Louise Posted in Company news, Education, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Jessica Driscoll presenting at the V-lang conference, Warsaw 2011

- By Jessica Driscoll (@JessieDriscoll) Product Development Manager, Languagelab.com

The V-lang conference, ‘Future Language Learning Now: Innovative Applications and Methods for Language Training’, took place in Warsaw on 17 November 2011.

Funded by the EU Lifelong Learning Programme, the conference focused on new and innovative ways to learn languages. There were presentations on learning in virtual worlds, online classes via Skype, and games for language learning. It also included discussion on research into these methods of learning.

I presented Languagelab’s newest product, Market Leader Live. My main points were that by simulating real business situations, stress, and interactions with students from different countries, you can create a more realistic Business English experience that will prepare students for working internationally.
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A chat with Jessica Goyder, singer-songwriter

Posted on by Louise Posted in Company news, Events, Uncategorized | 2 Comments

We are excited to announce that our next ‘A Chat With’ event will be a live concert and interview with Jessica Goyder, British singer-songwriter.

Jessica is a classically trained pianist, singer and self-taught guitarist. She has played at Glastonbury five times.

Jessica will be playing a special live concert with cellist Emma Butterworth in English City, Languagelab’s virtual English teaching platform.  After the concert, Jessica will be speaking to Mike Solly, EFL expert andLanguagelab teacher, about her music and other interests.

Jessica grew up in India, Ethiopia and Oxford in the UK, and is now settled in London. She gained her first musical experience in a local band and playing solo around London and Sydney, Australia. Jessica has also lived in Barcelona where she met a group of Brazilian musicians and spent more than a year as a singing angel street statue!

Jessica’s songwriting is often inspired by her travels, from a tour of Central America and Cuba, where she performed regularly at Havana’s ‘Casa de la Troba’ to a series of concerts in Brazil and Argentina.

Preview Jessica’s music: Jessica Goyder Music on Facebookhttp://www.speegra.com/artist.asp?id=1

Date: Thursday 22 September
Time: 8pm London time (BST / GMT+1)
Location: English City, Languagelab’s virtual English learning environment.

If you would like to attend, please email Louise.Hayter@languagelab.com
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LanguageLab.com in Your World online

Posted on by Louise Posted in Company news, English, Uncategorized | 2 Comments

Exciting news! LanguageLab.com features this week on Your World online, the online weekly editorial from Study Travel Magazine. Here’s what the Editor has to say about us:

The Editor of Your World writes about LanugageLab.com

Our Sales Director, Chris Moore talks about the potential of online learning: “For schools, times are undoubtedly tough, yet global demand is rocketing: two billion learners by 2020, according to the British Council. As these learners become increasingly connected, this represents an incredible opportunity for online education providers.”
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A Chat With Christopher Teano: Find out more about International Law !

Posted on by jessie Posted in Company news, English, Uncategorized | Comments Off

We are very pleased to announce that Christopher Teano, an internationally renowned corporate lawyer from one of the world’s largest banks, will be our next guest in the “Chat With” chair with Mike Teacher on Thursday 16th June at 8pm London time/12 noon LA time.

Chris is a Managing Director and Senior Counsel at Citigroup.  He currently oversees a team of more than 120 lawyers in Europe, the Middle East,  and  Africa.  A phi beta kappa, summa cum laude graduate of Brown University, Chris  earned his Juris Doctorate degree at Stanford  University in California.   He is a member of the New York Bar.  Prior to Citigroup ,  Chris worked at Milbank, Tweed, Hadley, and McCloy. He is also a world expert in Islamic Finance and bankruptcy.  Chris ‘s  interests include history and politics, and he loves virtual worlds.

This is your opportunity to join Mike in chatting with this special guest about his fascinating world.  In addition to his professional life Mike will talk to Chris about what it is like to be an American living in London, and about his passion for travel, theatre and history.

This promises to be an entertaining and educational event ! Click here to join us.

Jazz presents to Australia’s Channel 10!

Posted on by jessie Posted in Company news, Uncategorized | Comments Off

If you can’t live without the Internet, then you also can’t learn without the Internet.
E-learning just makes sense.
How does e-learning work and how to learn or offer training online?
Will e-learning fulfil your business objectives?
Jazz Quinzet will be hosting ‘Web Wednesday’ in English City in conjunction with Australia’s Channel 10 on 27th April 2011, where e-learning experts will give you some great ideas.

Find out more or book your ticket now here:

Not based on the Sunshine Coast but want access to this information? Simply log on to the livestream via our Facebook Page at (see the livestream link) streaming from 6pm Brisbane time on Wednesday 27 April.

Languagelab.com on BBC News

Posted on by Shiv Rajendran Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment

‘Fair trade’ solution to learning a new language

They say the best way to learn a language is to get stuck in, immersing yourself in a culture in a way that means you have no choice other than to adapt.

Human interactions, with all the real life quirks which make language so interesting, are essential if you are to become fluent.

Languagelab.com on the BBC

The Competition

Posted on by Shiv Rajendran Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off

Lets look at how Rosetta Stone TOTALe and Live Mocha Active Courses compare to Languagelab.com

Features Languagelab Rosetta Stone LiveMocha
Live/Real teachers Yes No No
Native Speaker Practise Yes No Yes
British & American Teachers Yes No No
Social environment Yes No Yes
Convenient Yes Yes Yes
Business English Yes No No
IELTS prep Yes No No
Exam Preparation Yes No No
Live Feedback (From a real teacher) Yes No No
Price per Month $39.95 $83 $20

We give you real teachers for your monthly fee. To learn more about Languagelab.com visit our main site.

New Phone Numbers

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Our phone numbers have changed. See our contact page for details.

Australian Slang

Posted on by Shiv Rajendran Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment

After a brief discussion with our newest employee in the Languagelab office, Michael of “Brisvegas”. We have discovered the diversity of the Australian version of English. There is not a very noticeable difference in accents across Australia (probably because it is a very new country) yet the amount of words that have been made slang, make a very interesting case study.

Australia Slang, Aussie Slang, or Strine as it is sometimes called, is a reflection of the harsh Australian land, and the no-nonsense “lets get on with it” attitude of the Australian people. So a lot of corners are cut both with what they say and how they say it.

Some examples include:

G’Day : hello! (Short for good day)
Chrissie : Christmas
Ace! : Excellent! Very good!
Spit the Dummy : get very upset at something
Greenie : environmentalist
No dramas : same as ‘no worries’
Rip snorter : great, fantastic
Sanger : a sandwich
Spag bol : spaghetti bolognese
Veg out : relax in front of the TV (like a vegetable)
Brisvegas : Brisbane, state capital of Queensland

For more slang please visit here. (please note, there is some bad language on this page.)

http://www.koalanet.com.au/australian-slang.html

Preparation for Eye of Providence Exhibition

Posted on by jessie Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off

Hi English City Students,

I hope you received my invitation about the Eye of Providence Exhibition opening on the 29th of June.  If you want to attend you need to RSVP to the invitation and you will get a ticket to come.

To help you prepare for the exhibition I have put together some vocabulary and suggested questions you could ask the artist.

Going to an exhibition opening:

Have you ever been to an exhibition opening before? It is a very interesting and fun activity where you get to meet the artist, gallery owners, art buyers and collectors and friends.

Here are some things to think about:

• What are you going to wear to the event – smart or casual?

Go to Donatella’s shop and get something for the occasion.

Saturday 26th class

Sunday 27th class

Is it important to be punctual?

Ask Millie about etiquette and punctuality.

Millie is in Conversations Café every day 7am-9am PDT (3pm-5pm UK time)

Do you need to research the artist before you go to the opening?

Look online and see if you can find any of the artist’s work.

What kind of questions do you want to ask the artist or other people?

Talk to other students in English City and prepare some questions together.

Questions to ask other students:

Have you ever been to an exhibition opening before?

Do you know any art galleries? Are there any in your city?

Were you interested in photography when you were young?

In your opinion, is photography an important part of culture?

Can you tell me the name of a photographer you know?

Is photography a great importance in your daily life?

Questions to ask the artist:

What inspires you?

How long have you been an artist?

What country are you from and what languages can you speak?

Do you think your cultural background influences your work?

You can visit this link for more ideas on photography questions

Asking open ended questions:

To keep the conversation going longer you can ask other students an ‘open ended question’. This is the opposite of a ‘Yes or No’ question.

“Why did………”

“Can you explain…….”

“How does……..”

“Please describe ………”

“Tell me about a time when……”

Vocabulary to help you:

Abstract– art that is not realistic, though it can be based on

something real.

Composition – the arrangement of the elements in a work of art. More simply, where an artist arranges things in their photographs.

Docent – a museum guide who usually works for free.

Frame – the support element that surrounds a work of art usually made of wood or metal.

Portrait – any form of art expression that features an animal or a person as its main subject matter.

Realistic– a style of art that shows places, events, people or objects as the eye sees them.

Still life – a composition featuring inanimate objects such as flowers or food or vases. Objects in a still life cannot get up and walk away by themselves.

Two dimensional – artwork that is flat and measured only by height and width. Two-dimensional art is sometimes called “2-D.”

Three dimensional- artwork measured by height, width and depth. Three-dimensional art is sometimes called “3-D.”

You can visit this link for more detailed vocabulary on describing photographs:

http://nuovo.com/southern-images/analyses.html

There is also a lot of vocabulary here and it is translated into French.

We hope to see you at the exhibition on Tuesday 29th June, please rsvp to me if you want a ticket for the exhibition.

Jessie Teacher

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