At Real English Victoria (REV), students attending full-time participate in activities that they choose, design, and then complete using many of the tools found at the Buck Institute of Education, BIE (www.bie.org). Students design a project based on the amount of time they will spend at the school. Projects must consider four areas; authentic context (related to something outside the school); real world tasks (students must do things that involve people/organizations from outside the school); tools that students use to communicate or track their progress; and quality standards that show levels of competency.

Today I would like to talk about how REV teachers are able to help students learn English so much faster than others. The secret is how we use a project management tool called Trello (https://trello.com/ @Trello #Trello) and the Canadian Language Benchmarks (CLB), http://www.language.ca/home/.

Full-time students are asked to tell us what they want to learn by looking at the CLB Can-Do Lists and then prioritizing them by when they want to accomplish these goals. Then students set up a free Trello account and organize their Can-Do Lists as though it is a project, creating timelines and deadlines to guide their study.

Teachers check each day to see what they can do to help each student improve. Because teachers always know what students are working on, students get better help!

This is one of the secrets of REVolutionizing English study by using Project-based Language Learning (#PBLL)!

www.realenglishvictoria.com

Mac 'n' Cheese Battle

How many things does a student have to practice to be able to make lunch in English? They have to read instructions, get the ingredients from the grocery store, organize who will do what and when...so many nouns, verbs, adjectives and adverbs to learn quickly! 

When students are involved in doing things they learn what they need to know much faster. When they see someone doing the same thing later, they are able to identify with it is English. If they have the chance to do a similar activity in the future, there is less anxiety about the language because they have already experienced completing the task successfully (or learned a lesson from the mistakes!) 

Decreasing anxiety and helping students to feel confident is one of the biggest challenges that English language teachers face. No matter how many times students complete fake activities in the class, there will always be hesitation and reluctance when they try to bring this 'knowledge' to outside 'real' tasks. 

We are lucky at Real English Victoria because we are small enough that we can do real things with students. We cook, help students arrange meetings or volunteer work in the community, take them to libraries, grocery stores and markets, restaurants, pubs, and even high schools to show students that they can do real tasks without our help. This is where apprehension fades to confidence for our students.

So tomorrow, I will be cheering as some students make KD, or Kraft Dinner (or Kraft Macaroni and Cheese to Americans) and others will try a home recipe for Mac 'n' Cheese. I won't refuse either, but my first love is KD!

Go KD, go!!!

How can I learn English so fast???

Most people want to know how we can improve students' English so quickly. There are 2 secrets to our incredible success. The first is that Real English Victoria (REV) is owned by the teachers and staff. It is very important to us that you are happy and comfortable, but we also want you to get better at English every day you are here. REV teachers spend all of their time working for you in class and outside of class, as well.

Project students get help from Theresa

The second secret that REV has is that we personalize your education. We understand that you are not the same as your friend, and certainly different than other students at the school. So why would we teach everyone the same thing everyday? We do not do that, we give every student the chance to work on a project; either something that is personally interesting to you, or you can help another student work on their project...it's up to you!

At Real English Victoria, working on a project is the best way to be able to focus on things that you want to improve about your English. When you join the Project Class you must then create a list of the things that you want to be able to do in English. Each day our teachers make sure that you are practicing what you want to improve by giving you new vocabulary, new idioms and expressions, or helping you to understand Canadian humour by telling lots of jokes and having fun together with students.

It doesn't matter what your level is, REV can help you to accomplish your goal of speaking English fluently.

Too many people from my country study here!

Often I hear students complain or comment that they think that they can't learn English when there are many people from their own country in the same school. I understand this and I think that in most English schools this may be a problem. However, if a school has an English-only policy and teachers spend a lot of time around students, there should be no problem. The real problem is that most language schools do not help students understand why it is so important to speak English while living in Canada.

Greg at Taft Point,
Yosemite National Park 2011.
Stan Trevena photo

Living in Canada can be a lonely feeling if you are not able to communicate in English. Most students tell me that they want to meet Canadians and make friends while they live here. Canadians are not usually shy, and often begin to talk with new people on busses, waiting in line at banks and restaurants, or even waiting to cross the street.

But if you are waiting to be seated at a restaurant and you are speaking your native language, it is unlikely someone will try to speak with you because they think you probably do not speak English. If you are speaking with your friends in English, even with a strong accent, people feel more comfortable starting a conversation.

Speaking English with people from your home country can lead to some of the best experiences while you live here.

Shin Dreams of Coffee

Today I am going to introduce you to one of our newest students who works as a barista in a local coffeeshop in Victoria. Shinya only has a few hours a week that he can devote to studying English. He comes twice a week and he is just getting used to active learning.

This week, for example, Shinya is going to contact other coffeeshops and restaurants around Victoria that might be interested in offering a discount to our students. To accomplish this, he will have to call many different shops and speak to people. Sometimes he will have long conversations, but some places may not be able to talk to him, so he will have to listen carefully and figure out quickly what the situation is.

This sounds like a difficult task, but it is actually never as bad as students think it will be. After the first few phone calls Shinya will get accustomed to this kind of situation and will be able to speak confidently on the phone after doing this. Shinya told me he wanted to improve his ability to listen effectively and respond to customers on the phone.

This is not the only task that Shinya will have to perform while he is here at REV. He is also going to work with Camosun College marketing students to help create a marketing plan for our school. This will help him to function better in group situations and prepare him for business meetings when Shinya opens his own business in Victoria in the future! In the photo, Shinya is showing a student and one of our teachers, Theresa, how to use Trello, a project management application students learn to use at REV to manage their time and to communicate with teachers 24/7.

Yuki is Following Your Dreams...you should, too!

Today I would like to introduce you to Yuki. Yuki is a student from Japan who is attending the University of Victoria (UVic) to learn English. When she is finished at UVic, Yuki comes to REV to work on a project that is interesting and important to her. She is teaching people about how dreams and personal goals can positively affect the lives of young people. Yuki is also pretty good at drawing, as you can see in the poster that she made for an open house last month at REV.

Yuki has spent her time over the last few months talking with people from all over the world about her ideas about dreams. She will write a book about the dreams of people she has met while living in Victoria in order to inspire young Japanese students to dream impossible, yet inspiring dreams. Check out Yuki’s blog here.

While here at REV, Yuki has been introduced to lots of professionals and entrepreneurs, and she has been to so many social functions that it is not possible to list them all! While following her own dream, Yuki has become even more inspired by others.

Following your own dreams and being open to the dreams of others is an essential part of being human. Finding out what excites you and others helps to make everyone’s life richer and more fun! At my school we encourage students to follow their dreams...this is the best way to improve your English and make your life more interesting!

Academic English

Lots of people want to come to Canada to attend university or college, or even high school. At most English schools you will be able to study general, business, or academic English. Unfortunately, however, most schools do not prepare students for doing anything in business or academic English. Most classes are just vocabulary. Often students believe that all they need is more vocabulary and better grammar. This is usually not the problem.

Yes, you do need to learn more vocabulary, but memorizing it for a test is not going to help. You need to use new vocabulary in context so that you can easily use it again the next time. As I have said before, almost every student I have met from Asia or South America need practice with vocabulary, not more of it.

This is why you need to join a course or class that focuses on letting you practice the English you know, while your teachers give you the English you need when you are practicing. When you do this, you will remember what to say and when much more easily.

In my next post I will begin telling you about some of the cool projects and project student we have at REV.

Visit us today to find out how you can be a part of the REVolution!

Global Explorers Program

On August 6th, 2018, up to 100 of the best a brightest English language learners will gather together in Victoria to tell the world what youth have to say about the future. Real English Victoria is working with Rethink Thinking and Royal Roads University to give youth from age 14-21 the opportunity to share ideas and visions of the future from the unique perspective of today's younger generation.

The Global Explorers Program will help you to improve your English while you explore Victoria and Vancouver Island. Learn about tourism and how it shapes your world and how you can become a part of a global movement to inspire youth to take control of what affects them.

Since the February 14th killing of 17 students and staff in Florida earlier this year, young people have shown that they have a message, but very often, adults are not ready to listen. 

Come to beautiful British Columbia, Canada and be a part of the change that you need to make the future a better place for us all!

Become a Global Explorer today!

PBLL: High Quality, Project-based Language Learning

I have been teaching English to international students for 15 years. In all of that time, I have met very few people from South Korea, Japan, or almost any other country that needed more vocabulary or grammar study to improve their English skills. What they have all needed was a chance to use the vocabulary and grammar that they have already studied. My high school in Kyoto is now becoming well-known because of how well our students are able to use English.

When people travel abroad to study a new language, it seems strange that they would want to have the same kind of English classes and system that they had in their home country. Therefore, if you enter a school where you spend all day studying in a classroom and then spend the evenings doing homework, this will work the same as the school in your country.

When students come to our school, Real English Victoria, we find out what students are interested in and what kind of experiences they want and need to have while living in Victoria. Then we make a plan that can include some classes to focus on special skills, but we encourage all students to do a project with others, or on their own to be able to explore more interesting topics and ideas. When students do this, they are learning how to use the English they already have. Students learn quickly that this builds confidence and your ability to use English to communicate improves so quickly.

The framework for our projects and inquiries comes from the amazing people at The Buck Institute of Education and the folks at High Quality PBL. We have to adapt the material to take into account the language needs of the students, but this means we spend most of our time as teachers interacting or observing interaction, making recommendations and remediating whatever is needed, at a time it is practical for the learner.

#PBLL

Transparent Learning (and Teaching)

The best way to make sure that you are doing your best when learning English is to get help from somebody. When other people know you are learning they will help you.

Wake up every morning and say out loud, "What am I going to do today to improve my English?"

Don't set goals like "attend English class". You should challenge yourself to do something. Do things like try on clothes at a shopping mall, or use the telephone to find out about movie times or make an appointment at a bank to open an account.

"Today I will _____________, because it will help me to ____________."

This will help your brain prepare for the day, getting you ready to make improvements. If you are able to attend a language school, then you need to find out why you need to take the classes they suggest. When you learn something in class, ask the teacher how you can use this today outside of class so that you will be able to use new language immediately.

You came to Victoria because you thought it would be better than learning English in your country. You should be spending your time here practicing and speaking, not doing homework or studying for tests.

If you want to know more about how to spend your time effectively in Victoria, send us an email and then come to see me at Real English Victoria.

Yuki's Dream Poster

Open House

I am really excited about our Open House this Friday, March 9th. Real English Victoria now has 3 unique, full-time paths to English fluency in the Global Leadership English Program: Real Life, Business, and Academic and I am looking forward to telling you all about it here at the school.
You can choose to study everyday English in our Real Life Pathway and feel confident doing almost anything in English. You will learn to talk to medical staff or teachers, store clerks and bankers with confidence while you live and enjoy life in Victoria.

For people who want to be able to communicate effectively and efficiently in global Business, the Business Pathway will take you to the next level of English proficiency. Get experience working with local Victoria businesses on projects that interest you and can also help to build your resume. REV’s community partners can help you get the experience you need to even get a job while you live in Victoria.

Many people dream of attending university in a foreign country. Thousands of international students come to Victoria to live that dream, but discover that they need to get a 6.5 on the IELTS! REV’s combination of class and project work along with one of Victoria’s top Academic instructors, David Ewen, you will be able to get the IELTS score you need and prepare for the difficult task of college or university study.

On top of all that, we also have lots to talk about for this summer. Come chat with me about the Global Explorers Program taking place at Royal Roads University and Pearson International College in August 2018! It will be a fantastic place for high school youth to get together, improve their English communication skills and tell the world what today’s youth are

passionate about!

See you this Friday afternoon from 2:00 - 6:00. Snacks and refreshments

You can find us at 301 - 1111 Blanshard Street, Victoria, BC, Canada.

Cheers,

Greg

Soft-spoken REVolution

So, why do you want to learn English?

Student: "I want to learn English to get a better job."
Greg: "Why will learning English help you get a better job?"
Student: "Because in my job, I must talk to customers from English-speaking companies."
Greg: "What do you talk to your customers about?"

This is the very beginning ✔️ of planning your English learning experience! How does anyone know what you need? Well, first, they must know what you feel like. If I have not tried to learn a new language in another country, then how can I understand what you are experiencing? I can try, but it is much better for you to learn English with someone who has also learned another language from another culture. Then the person helping you to learn English must have many hours of experience in a school and have listened to lots and lots of students.

This is a blog to help you to understand how you should learn English.

My name is Greg Demmons and I had an idea that we should teach people the English that they need and help them to have real experiences to practice that English.

My idea became a school.

We called it Real English Victoria Language Co-op, but you can call us REV.