Cuppa Joe
/Alan says there's nothing he likes better than a cuppa joe in the morning. What's that? Tune in here!
sharing the life stories of immigrants, expatriates, and refugees to the United States
Alan says there's nothing he likes better than a cuppa joe in the morning. What's that? Tune in here!
This short video teaches English learners about the passive voice in speaking and writing.
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.
English learners often confuse the vowel sounds /a/ and /ʌ/. In this brief tutorial, we give you practice listening to the differences and tips on how to make these two similar sounds.
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
Many ESL students have trouble distinguishing these two vowel sounds: /i/ and /ɪ/. Here we give you practice in hearing the difference.
Today, we continue to unveil the difference among the 15 vowel sounds of English. Here we focus on vowels #4 and #5, contrasting the differences and giving listening practice with pairs of words to distinguish /ɛ/ from /æ/.
This segment highlights the difference between the English consonants /b/ and /v/. We give you a chance to practice along with the video and listen to contrasting pairs of words.
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.
When is the last time you thought about the map of the Earth? Hang on to your hats. We have a new way of looking at the world around us.
Some English words have the same spelling, but their pronunciation is different. We give some examples and a simple rule regarding nouns versus verbs.
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.
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.
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.
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.
When we use labels harshly and carelessly, it creates negative influences. Alan talks about how demeaning language creates ill will and harms our humanity.
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.
One of the harder English sounds to make is the 'th' sound. Alan gives tips on the two different pronunciations for this tricky American English pronunciation.
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.
Is your organization inclusive? Is it equitable? We use a bleacher analogy to illustrate these concepts and to show the difference between them.
Feel Like You Belong is a sometimes serious, sometimes funny, always “touch-your-heart” real conversation about fitting into the American culture. It introduces guests who have made the immigrant journey to the United States. The stories–of both struggle and success–will help newcomers feel more confident in sharing their opinions and expertise, more likely to want to stay in the U.S., be more productive in their jobs, and fully invest in their communities.