About Making Sense of English

I have been helping English language learners improve their English and gain confidence since 2005.
I began as a volunteer with a non-profit organization that helped adult immigrants build their English language skills, understand American culture, and gain citizenship.
From there, I went on to get a M.Ed. in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL). Since 2010, I have been teaching English in South Korea. Wow! I can’t believe it’s been that long!
My greatest joy in teaching is the transformation that I see as students gain confidence and begin to communicate in an unselfconscious way.
I started this website in 2018 as a place to post the self-made materials that I use in my university courses and to write about the things that students struggle with. Over time, the site has grown and now receives nearly 10,000 visitors per month.
Improving English Conversation Skills
Making Sense of English provides basic conversation skills that even many native speakers lack. If you have experienced a conversation with someone who does not seem interested in what you are saying, they probably were not using a very basic tool called a rejoinder.
Related post: Basic Structure of a Conversation in English
Rather than teaching vocabulary and words in isolation, I teach language in chunks and show you how to use them by providing explanations and examples, so that you can begin using what you learn right away without worrying that you are not doing it correctly.
Related post: 50 Useful Phrases for Discussions in English
Affordable Online Courses
If you are looking for an online English course you can trust and take at your own pace, I recommend my affiliate Shayna at Espresso English. You’ll find a variety of courses and E-books at affordable prices.
There are plenty of free samples to try out, but if you do make a purchase, I may receive a commission for referring you. It doesn’t cost you anything extra. I only recommend courses I trust and wish I had created myself, but why reinvent the wheel?
reinvent the wheel: do something that has already been done successfully, waste time or effort creating something that already exists
The truth is, I simply do not have time to create courses for you yet. However, I do hope to offer them in the future.
My first E-Book, 350+ Common English Expressions for Everyday Life, is now available for purchase.
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Never stop learning!