The first drag show I ever witnessed was in Nashville, TN. The night before I had picked out my outfit — tight jeans, light purple and green tank, black flats, hair pulled up — ready for dancing. That Friday night, I walked into Play on Church St without a lot…

“¡Ciento ochenta y dos!” The sounds rumbled around in my ears, but nothing was coherent. I had just ordered my food. There was no way two minutes later they would be calling my order number. So I relaxed and waited. “¡Ciento ochenta y dos!” Again. “¡Ciento ochenta y dos!” “That’s…

If you haven’t seen Squid Game yet, you’ve probably at least heard the title. …

Finding your way out of conversation difficulty in a second language “Yes, you have…, ahhh, yes, you can, ahhh” and Roberto was done. He had run out of English. At this point, Roberto had been studying English with me for just over 6 months. In today’s class, we were simulating…

“Coach, I don’t think I can run today.” “What’s wrong?” I took a deep breath, and mustered up all the courage a 19 year old female athlete can, “I don’t feel good, I’m really tired. I can’t run today.” “Are you injured?” “Well, no…” Coach looked me in the eyes…

Finding Solutions in Second-Language Communication “Alicia, I stood there and asked for the medication. In clear English. But she still looked at me as if I was speaking an alien language.” “What exactly did you ask for, Alyona?” “I said ‘Hello, I need loratadine.’ And I know it’s the right…

Learning from Failures 300 meters had never felt so far away. Looking up, I could see the triangular peak that announced how close we were to the top. The blue sky around the summit seemed to whisper “just a little bit further” but it was already 1:30pm. …

For Language Students and Teachers “Do Spanish speakers ever use indirect objects when speaking naturally?” an English teacher posted in a public forum for English teachers in Mexico. …

How adults can increase working knowledge in any language “So I’ve been making flashcards to study new vocabulary words,” Victoria begins, “but I don’t know how to really learn them. Do you have any tips? How do I learn more words in English?” Her question is common, and one every…