FIND GREAT ENGLISH LEARNING CLASSES ONLINE RIGHT HERE!

Today, students all over the world are looking for top-quality English learning classes online.  Why online for English learning classes?  How can you have English speaking classes without being there in person?

The truth is that the worldwide covid-19 pandemic put a temporary end to face-to-face lessons.  I used to give these lessons in New York, but when the lockdown happened these were no longer possible.  Classes switched to remote learning – not just English learning classes, but classes of all kinds.  Theater performances also went online.  So did opera and ballet.  Even psychiatrists switched their meetings online.  It was a worldwide phenomenon.

What did we lose by this?  We lost a lot, of course.  There is nothing like being right there with a teacher, especially for English speaking classes.  It helps to have your teacher with you in the room, there is no question about that.  For many of my students, I was surprised to learn that they had never before been inside an American’s home!  So for them, our lessons were not just about English – they were about American culture.  I would serve them tea and certain American biscuits that all Americans know but that people in other countries have never heard of.  One example is Graham Crackers.  These are thin crackers and very sweet, with a hint of cinnamon.  They are part of every American childhood, but I don’t think they are exported at all to other countries.  They are part of American culture – but if you are not in an American’s home, you would never know that they exist!  English learning classes online don’t give you Graham Crackers, but they give you everything else you need.

By now, any reader will notice my affection – I guess you could call it my nostalgia – for the days of in-person English learning classes. But in the last many months, I have really learned the value of doing things online in virtual English lessons. And why not? The language is the same. My teaching methods are the same. The students’ needs are the same. The only thing different about online English speaking classes is that they are online, virtual, and not in person. Is it a different experience? Yes. Is it a worthwhile experience? Yes to that as well.

There was a couple who were planning a very elaborate wedding, with tons of food and music and hundreds of guests. This was really a huge, expensive affair. They went to see the priest before the wedding and he asked if they had everything they needed. They started telling him all the food and all the other arrangements. He told them, “Really, you only need four things: A bride, a groom, a ring, and of course, a priest!”

It’s sort of the same with online English speaking classes. All you need is a student, a teacher, and the beautiful English language!