Cuppa Joe

Alan says there's nothing he likes better than a cuppa joe in the morning. What's that? Tune in here!

Defining "Racism"

Merriam-Webster will change the definition of "racism" in their August 2020 update to the dictionary.

No More Ole and Lena Jokes

A while ago, I stopped telling Ole and Lena jokes – even though I'm a Swedish American. Here's why.

Passive Voice

This short video teaches English learners about the passive voice in speaking and writing.

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Vowel Contrast: /æ/ vs. /a/

Our students often confuse the vowels in "black" and "block" (/æ/ vs. /a/). This short video helps you hear and distinguish the two similar sounds, vowels #5 and #6 in American English.

Equal Pay Day

Every spring, Americans observe Equal Pay Day, the day into the new year where women's earnings finally catch up to men's pay from the previous year. We examine five myths about the huge pay gap, look at its racial components, and make recommendations for changing this inequity.

Consonant Contrast: /b/ vs. /p/

Some learners of English have trouble distinguishing between /b/ and /p/. Here we give tips for those students, especially speakers of Arabic, Chinese, Finnish, Korean, Spanish, and Turkish.

Narration: Alan Headbloom

Editor: Garrett Lessner

Noun Plurals: Rules and Exceptions

The first thing English students learn about English nouns is that they become plural by adding -s. Then, they are confronted with all the exceptions!

These nouns take -es in the plural form: analysis, crisis, hypothesis, axis, nemesis, basis, thesis, parenthesis, synthesis, oasis, synopsis.

These nouns take -a in the plural form: criterion, phenomenon.

Since vs. For

Learners are often confused by the words "for" and "since" when practicing their English. Here is a short tutorial on when to use which.

Implicit Bias: Strange Voices

We are all biased toward some people and against others. That includes when we hear foreign accents. However, research shows that listening to people who don't talk like you can be beneficial for your brain. Here's how.

Levels of Racism

There is a lot of confusion over the word "racism" in American society. We need to 1) distinguish people from their behaviors and 2) distinguish name-calling from more powerful, broad-based forms of discrimination.

Past Tense vs. Present Perfect

English verb tenses can be tricky for second language learners. Here, Alan explains the difference between the past tense and present perfect in English. If you have questions afterward, write us so we can help.

Strengthening Your Vocabulary

Deep – deepen, bright – brighten. English has the power to make adjectives into verbs by adding two letters. Alan explains to his ESL students how to do this.

Language that Demeans

When we use labels harshly and carelessly, it creates negative influences. Alan talks about how demeaning language creates ill will and harms our humanity.

Common Spelling Mistakes

Alan discusses the differences between words that sound similar but are wholly different in their meaning. The examples presented in the video are 1) apart vs. a part, 2) a lot vs. allot, and 3) every day vs. everyday.

Gerrymandering

When politicians artificially redraw voting districts to guarantee their political advantage, democracy suffers. Alan gives an overview of gerrymandering, gives simple examples, and explains why it's unfair.

Equity vs. Inclusion

Is your organization inclusive? Is it equitable? We use a bleacher analogy to illustrate these concepts and to show the difference between them.

The Starfish Flinger (retold)

Walking the beach at dawn, an old man notices a young girl tossing stranded starfish from the shore back into the ocean. A simple tale with a profound message. (Retold here with new images.)

Linking Phrases

How do English learners make their speech more fluid and natural sounding? By linking adjacent words together. Alan gives some examples.