ESLTalk - Café con leche with Max - Episode 5 - with guest Philip

The next couple of weeks I will be recording many episodes of Café con leche!

On this episode, recorded quite early this morning, we have our first Australian guest, +Philip Thiel.

We cover a various topics from extreme heat, tennis and random other topics!

Enjoy and if you have any questions or comments, please post them in the comment section of the YouTube video!

CHECK OUT MY YOUTUBE VIDEOS HERE: 

http://www.youtube.com/user/hawaiiinsomniac/videos 

 Mahalo for reading. Until next time.

ESLTalk - Cafe con leche with Max - Episode 3

Here is Episode 3, with our special guest, +Alex Vecchio.

This week, the episode ran quite long - a little bit under 30 minutes.

If you have any questions for Alex or myself - post in the YouTube comment section (not this blog section).

CHECK OUT MY YOUTUBE VIDEOS HERE: 

http://www.youtube.com/user/hawaiiinsomniac/videos 

Mahalo for reading. Until next time.

ESLTalk - Cafe con leche with Max - Introduction, Episode 1 and 2

Episode 3 of Cafe con leche with Max will be recorded this weekend.

Here's a recap of the previous episodes.

I have subtitled the Introduction episode - if you would like to view the video with subtitles! =D

INTRODUCTION

EPISODE 1

EPISODE 2

CHECK OUT MY YOUTUBE VIDEOS HERE: 

http://www.youtube.com/user/hawaiiinsomniac/videos 

Mahalo for reading. Until next time.

ESLTalk - Week 6 - Food and Environment

This week's lesson.

For intermediate level, we discussed food, but more importantly, we started learning and using skills to help us communicate our needs.  Sometimes, we forget that when we do not know how to answer a question, asking for help is perfectly acceptable.

 Intermediate - CLICK HERE for this week's lesson.

CLICK HERE to access the menu we used in this week's lesson. 

For C1 level, this week, we discussed the environment, and we had a discussion about eWaste.  While we were not able to come up with a solution, awareness is the first step to change.

C1 - CLICK HERE for this week's lesson.

This week the audio is regarding Super Typhoon Haiyan.

CLICK HERE for article.

CHECK OUT MY YOUTUBE VIDEOS HERE: 

http://www.youtube.com/user/hawaiiinsomniac/videos 

Mahalo for reading. Until next time.

ESLTalk - Cafe con leche with Max - Episode 2

This week, we are joined by special guest +Poli P - who also designed the introduction of the video!

We are definitely an animated bunch!

In case you missed it - 

Cafe con leche - Introduction - CLICK HERE

Cafe con leche - Episode 1 - CLICK HERE

CHECK OUT MY YOUTUBE VIDEOS HERE: 

http://www.youtube.com/user/hawaiiinsomniac/videos 

 Mahalo for reading. Until next time.

ESLTalk - Week 5 - Description (Part II)

This week we continued to practice describing emotions, people, and general things we things we see.

Note: there is no C1 lesson this week because of the holiday!

Intermediate Lesson - CLICK HERE

For the article - CLICK HERE

Happy Halloween!

CHECK OUT MY YOUTUBE VIDEOS HERE: 

http://www.youtube.com/user/hawaiiinsomniac/videos 

 Mahalo for reading. Until next time.

ESLTalk - Week 4 - Description and Communication

Aloha everyone,

This week, for my intermediate students, we practiced describing people.

CLICK HERE for INTERMEDIATE LESSON.

For my C1 students, we had a discussion about communication.

CLICK HERE for C1 LESSON.

The recording this week is for Advanced students and above.

CLICK HERE for article

What do you think of the article?

How does American youth differ from Spanish youth?

Write in the comment section below.

CHECK OUT MY YOUTUBE VIDEOS HERE: 

http://www.youtube.com/user/hawaiiinsomniac/videos 

Mahalo for reading. Until next time.

ESLTalk - Cafe con leche with Max - Episode 1

Aloha everyone!

Just finished recording the first episode with one of my best friends Michelle.

Sorry for the lighting, my front camera on my laptop isn't that great.  I do have a HD webcam, but unfortunately the WiFi in my apartment isn't that great, so I can't use it at the moment.  Also, this episode ran quite long, a little under 20 minutes.  We actually talked for almost an hour.  You may want to skip the first 5-10 minutes.  Hopefully, my friend +Poli P (who is great with video editing, can work her magic and we'll publish a 2nd version which is shorter).

Thanks for watching!

CHECK OUT MY YOUTUBE VIDEOS HERE: 

http://www.youtube.com/user/hawaiiinsomniac/videos 

 Mahalo for reading. Until next time.

ESLTalk - Introduction

Aloha everyone!

This is my first week teaching - yippie!  I am so happy to be back, I've had quite a bit of free time recently and getting back to a normal routine is something I am looking forward to.

CLICK HERE for this week's lesson

For those of you looking for a listening activity (this week is advanced 2 and C1), listen to the audio below.  The article which accompanies the audio is below as well.  First, listen to the audio, then open the article, and listen to the audio again while reading the audio.

(Sorry for the sound, my nose is still a bit stuffed up!)

CLICK HERE for article.

CHECK OUT MY YOUTUBE VIDEOS HERE: 

http://www.youtube.com/user/hawaiiinsomniac/videos 

Mahalo for reading. Until next time.

ESLTalk - My Schedule 2013-2014 School Year

Aloha everyone!

Here it is, my schedule.  I know that some of you have been wondering about private classes and I'll start teaching both at the EOI and private classes next week (Oct. 14).

Have a great weekend!

CHECK OUT MY YOUTUBE VIDEOS HERE: 

http://www.youtube.com/user/hawaiiinsomniac/videos 

Mahalo for reading. Until next time.

ESLTalk - Café con leche with Max - Introduction

Aloha everyone!

Well, school has started again and I can't wait to meet all my new students!

One of the main feedback I received from my students is they don't always have access to native speakers.  Well, worry no more.

Starting this week, I will start a YouTube bi-monthly publication staring me (of course! haha) and one of my friends from around the world (Americans, Canadians, Australians and Britons).

You'll have the opportunity to get to know more about me and my friends from all walks of life: fellow world travelers, lawyers, teachers, yoga masters, and other types of professionals!

Don't be shy - if there is a word or phrase you don't understand - write a comment!

Here is the introduction video (to explain a bit about the program!)

CHECK OUT MY YOUTUBE VIDEOS HERE:
http://www.youtube.com/user/hawaiiinsomniac/videos

Mahalo for reading.
 Until next time.

ESLTalk - MovieTalk - Enchanted

Many people have been asking about movie recommendations and I have one in particular that works from Intermediate 2 (with subtitles) to Advanced levels.

I love this movie, I think I saw this movie about 9 times in the movie theater (seriously).

The story is basically about a fairy tale that takes place in modern world (New York).

A definite must watch.  It's a comedy and suitable for children. 

\Mahalo for reading.

Until next time.

ESLTalk - WEEK27 - NA1 - Eating

 For this week, we go back to an easier topic to focus on speaking.

There are so many aspects to food that we can discuss, everything from world hunger, obesity to simpler topics, such as eating in and eating out.  

For me, I love to eat out, but it has to be for a special occasion or to try something new.  I love to cook and throw dinner parties at home.

All of the pictures below are from my own dinner parties, so if I´m going out to eat out, its mostly for the company, occassion, because I like to think I´m an awesome cook 

(not to toot my own horn, but TOOT TOOT).

Ha, the last picture is my dessert take on spaghetti and meatballs!

Click here for this week´s lesson.

Mahalo for reading. 

Until next time.

ESLTalk - NA2 - WEEK27 - Communication

Good afternoon everyone,

For this week, our dicussion is about communication.

Communication is a really interesting topic as it is always consistanly evolving.  The methods in which we communicate, but even with all the 100s ways too communicate, one thing isn't lost, the desire to communicate with others.

Since I travel a lot, I have to use more non-traditional methods of communication, especially when talking to my friends and family in Hawaii, California or anywhere in the world.

 

CLICK HERE for this week's lesson.

Mahalo for reading. 

Until next time.

ESLTalk - NA2 - WEEK26 - Tourism

This week we talked about the implications of tourism.  

Coming from a place where annual tourists outnumber the local population by 450 percent, it is nearly impossible to say that tourism has little to no impact on Hawaii.

Well, there are many published authors that research exactly this, from the environmental, cultural and economic impact of tourism... so I'll just leave that to the pros.

CLICK HERE for this week's lesson

 Mahalo for reading. 

Until next time.

ESLTalk - NA1 - WEEK26 - Inventions

This week we talked about inventions.

What is the best invention ever?

The questions appears to be easy, because most students describe the immediate effects of the invention.  The harder part of the activity is to be able to describe the impact on society.

For example, printing press allowed for "sharing of ideas", but its more than just sharing of ideas, it was a catalyst for widespread literacy.

I still stand by my decision in class.  The best invention ever is the condom - saving humanity from 18 years of ____,____ and ______.

CLICK HERE for this week's lesson.

Mahalo for reading. 

Until next time.

ESLTalk - NA2 - WEEK25 - Gun Control

This week we had a fierce debate about gun control.

While we can agree to disagree, I still firmly believe in the right to bear arms.

I think one of the major drawback of guns is the fact when someone dies, it is a considered to be a very gruesome death. As I have included in my lesson, 11,101 people died from firearms in the United States in 2011. Yes, this is unfortunate, but it is the deaths that are NOT gruesome that we should be more focused on. For example, an article published last month in the New Scientist, reported that,"Sugary drinks may kill 184,000 people each year. Overconsumption of sweetened beverages is associated with deaths from metabolic diseases". 

Global issues (CLICK HERE) published than 21,000 children die DAILY due to "poverty, hunger, easily preventable diseases and illnesses, and other related causes." which equates to 7,665,000 children annually.

The point of this week's lesson is to be able to debate and argue your point of view. I am not asking you to agree with me, I am merely asking for you to understand my point of view. Once people no longer listen and debate is when catastrophe's happen.

People can debate all day long about what is right and wrong, but it is your actions that determines your impact in the world. I've participated in many races and raised over $40,000 for various non profit organizations and lent over $13,000 to various small business around the world.

CLICK HERE to make a difference.

CLICK HERE for this week's lesson

Mahalo for reading. 

Until next time.

ESLTalk - Frequency Dictionary

Now that I'm bedridden, I'm studying full speed ahead with my books.

One little tip I wanted to share with my blog readers is don't study everything in your book!

As someone who has taken a lot of tests (from GRE [Graduate Records Examination], GMAT [Graduate Management Admission Test) its about studying smartly.  I was really debating between a Masters in Medical Anthropology, Public Health and a Masters in Business Administration.  Funny thing is I gained admission for my MBA, but decided Public Health was more for me.  At one point, I was even studying for MCAT (Medical College Admission Test) to become a doctor, but after looking at the curriculum, I didn't really want to go to school for another 6 years or more. 

What are we talking about? haha, frequency dictionary.

I have one in Spanish which lists the 5,000 most used words in Spanish, which I am studying... 

For you, CLICK HERE to access the English Frequency Dictionary.  =]

Mahalo for reading. 

Until next time.

EslTalk - NA1 - WEEK24 - News

For this week we talked about news and practiced reciting some "Breaking News".

A lot of people have asked me about world current events and to be honest, I really don't follow any of it.  Occasionally, I'll visit (Al Jazeera) if I want to figure out what is going on in the world, I think they have the best and most unbiased reporting.  Most of the time I read tech blogs, such as Engadget.  If I do want to read some news, I like the following sites: Happy News and Star Advertiser.  Happy News is a site which just provides happy news, which is great considering most of what is out there is no negative. 

CLICK HERE for Happy News

CLICK HERE for Hawaii News.

CLICK HERE for this week's lesson

Mahalo for reading. 

Until next time.

EslTalk - NA2 - WEEK24 - Internet

This week we continue our discussion of technology, focusing on the internet and debate topics about bullying in the digital age.

It is unfortunate that many teenagers and kids feel like they have no where to turn.

One interesting question for debate this week was 

"Who should be held accountable for cyberbullying?"

All of the students (for obvious reasons) blamed the bully themselves; however, I tend to believe that bullies are also a product of our society.  We allow bullies to be bullies.  There is not enough repercussions for this type of behavior; in fact, most negative behaviors online probably get some sort of positive reinforcement (whether it is from an increased amount of likes, or forwards).

CLICK HERE for this week's lesson.

Mahalo for reading. 

Until next time.