Blog Posts

From Auxiliar de Conversación to Teletrabajador (Digital Nomad)

September 5th, 2023

I was inspired to write this by a couple of former auxiliares who wrote about their transition to becoming a freelancer (autonomo) in Spain. This was before the Spanish government announced the new visa for digital nomads…. Read more

A Beginner’s Guide to Finding a Quality Online TEFL Company

March 7th, 2022

Look around any online tutor support group on Facebook and you’ll unfortunately find many stories on disreputable TEFL companies not paying teachers or reducing pay checks through punitive fines. This happens because online TEFL companies can operate from anywhere, meaning they are not held to account to western labour laws… Read more

The State of Online Teaching in China in 2022

January 5th, 2022

On January 1^st teachers for DaDaABC taught their last classes. The online English teaching company has closed their doors and their website now says “technical maintenance”. Since the announcement made by the Chinese government in July 2021 many companies have been closing. Landi, Whales English ABC360, GoGoKid… Read more

Resources for Teaching English Exam Preparation.

April 7th, 2018

There are several English exams that are recognized internationally. Many of my students have taken these tests and I have had to help them prepare. I have tried to provide all the relevant information and free resources here to help them practice. If you have any other useful resources for students doing these tests please leave a comment with the links. Read more

The Best Free Resources for Learning English Online

March 3, 2015

I always encourage my students to expose themselves to as much English as possible. In my opinion it is important to practice and study for one hour at least 3 times a week and you have to practice all four areas, reading, writing, speaking and listening. Some of you have asked me for the best way to learn English online for free. Well, there are a ton of free resources for language learners on the web. The best free resources for learning English online are some of the same I mentioned…Read More

Beginner to Advanced Books for English Learners

February 14, 2015

Here are some English books that I recommend to my students to read. Many of these books are classics and required reading in Canadian schools. Chances are you will be familiar with a lot of the names here. This list is a good mixture of Canadian, American and British books. Many of these books belong to the public domain and can be found online for free (Literaure Project, Project Gutenberg, goodreads and feedbooks). English learners should choose a book that corresponds with their level. Read more

Top 12 Spanish Comic Strips and Web Comics

March 16, 2015

Reading Spanish comic strips is a fun way to practice your Spanish.  Here are my top 12 Spanish comic strips and some websites that show the comic strip for free. I must admit that I know Argentinian comic strips much better than those from other Spanish speaking countries. Please feel free to leave a comment and suggest any others that are missing from the list. I have also list here some Spanish web comics. Web comics are great because they are free and easy to access. I hope you find one you like… read more

Argentine Graffiti Tags

February 21, 2015

More specifically this is Argentine graffiti. I thought it would be interesting for Spanish learners to look at some Spanish graffiti. Here is a look at the graffiti scene in Buenos Aires, Argentina. These photos focus literally on the message of the graffiti not the artistry. Those who have visited Buenos Aires have probably noticed the huge graffiti, or street art, scene in the city. Not only can you find great artistic pieces, but you will see a lot of tags and messages… read more

Spanish Word of the Day

January 28, 2015

There are several websites that do a Spanish word of the day. If you subscribe to them you will recieve in your email a new word everyday until you unsubscribe. Most of the sites provide a definition and some sentences to go along with the word…read more

Making Spanish Flashcards

January 26, 2015

Making flashcards may seem like an old-school idea (and it is), if you are studying with another person real flashcards are really useful to help you remember vocabulary. BUT they can also be made digitally through a variety of websites and apps.

I always encourage my English students to keep a notebook with them at all times, this way they can write down new words and phrases they see during their normal day and then study them at night or whenever. You can then take these words and make your own digital flashcards… read more

Where to Buy Spanish Textbooks in Buenos Aires

December 29, 2014

If you are interested in studying Spanish while you are in Buenos Aires you should consider getting a textbook from the University of Buenos Aires.  The textbooks are used by the Spanish program at the university and are really useful. They focus on Argentine society and culture and will really help you identify with the people as well as speak like them. I took a Spanish class here and found it really beneficial (more information can be found here). If you don’t want to take a class you can still buy the book and study it by yourself… read more

The Best Free Online Spanish Resources

December 11, 2014

It is definitely true that the internet is playing a more and more important role in language learning. In my opinion you still can’t beat the old fashioned way of learning with a teacher. But there are some great online resources already available for learning language especially English and Spanish. I want to show you guys the best online Spanish resources. We will start with the free resources as many people are learning Spanish as a hobby and don’t want to spend money on something if they don’t have to. That being said there are many online courses, and teaching programs that are worth your money, but let’s start with the free ones… read more

How I Learned Spanish

November 29, 2014

I have been studying Spanish since May 2010, that’s 4 and a half years. Back then I didn’t know that the C on the tap meant ‘caliente’. I now consider myself fluent because I can speak Spanish easily and accurately. I don’t speak perfectly, I have a strong Canadian accent and I still make mistakes. That being said, I feel comfortable speaking the language. Here is how I got to this point… read more

The Best Spanish Podcasts

October 25, 2014

Whether you are looking to maintain your listening skills, want to keep up to date with the new in the Spanish speaking world or just need something interesting to listen to, there are some great podcasts to keep you satisfied. The problem is how do you find them, how can you know what is suitable for you. Well here I have listed my favourite Spanish podcasts. These are podcasts that have helped me improve my Spanish skills and learn about Spanish and Latin culture… read more

The Best Universities for Studying Spanish

October 21, 2014

If you are studying Spanish on your own, at some point you should consider studying Spanish in a Spanish speaking country. I am convinced that being fully immersed in a language is the best way to learn it. What more efficient way to learn Spanish than studying half the day with native speakers and spending the other half of your day in the real Spanish speaking world. You can study Spanish practically every city in Latin America or Spain, but studying at a University can give you access to some of the best teachers. It also looks good on your resume… read more

Online ESL Games

February 21, 2015

It is important to have some online ESL games ready to play in case your students get bored, or you get bored or you just need to change the

dynamic of class. They are also great for group classes. In group classes you can get your students to interact and use the language while you just monitor. These games can be played in face to face classes as well as online classes. Read more

What Does an Online English Teacher Teach?

December 19, 2014

A good teacher always has a plan. Many online teaching companies have lessons already prepared, you just need to assign them to your students. Other companies want you to prepare your own material. If you have private students they are probably going to want a plan (unless they just want conversation in which case your job is a lot easier).  So what plan do you have for your students? What plan do you have for the next lesson? Read more

Why Teach English Online?

November 20, 2014

After teaching English for almost 5 years, I have made many friends that also teach English. However, I am the only one that teaches online. Many of them are happy with their jobs, working 20-30 hours per week and don’t want to teach online or they have private students on top of their regular job and don’t want to spend any more of their free time teaching. If you can find the right company one of the best things about teaching online is that you can do it between your classes. Right now I am only teaching online in the afternoon from 12-5pm. Of course the best thing about teaching online is the fact that you can work and travel. Read more