What Is LEP?

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Live English Program is an English study and information center. LEP helps ESL students and teachers, translators and writers, through a sound background and personal and current experiences, offering training, support and study strategies.

Besides texts, articles and lessons for English practice, LEP answers students' questions and sheds a new light on grammar, explaining it in a clear and informal way; LEP offers training to English teachers, and to those who want to start a career in writing; it helps with assignments and translations; information; prepares students for exams, offers immersion programs, events and a playful and friendly relationship. Language and cultural details, like colloquialisms, habits, measurement system, culinary recipes, idiomatic expressions, and all the day to day stuff, in English, that we are rarely aware of unless we are "living in English"... they are all here, alive at LEP for you. All these things have been of great value in creating and maintaning LEP, in building better quality relationships, and in preparing English students for success.

Here is a bit of history.

For those who don't know me yet, I'm Brazilian (see my bio) and I love, love, love English ever since I was a child. I used to sing along with the American and English pop singers everytime I heard a song on the radio or on my elder sister's turntable. So, what first drove me into learning English was "passion". That is what made - and still makes! - me go deeper and deeper in the subject. Along with the pleasure of learning and discovering new things comes the pleasure of practicing and sharing. I don't want to keep it all to myself. My knowledge and experiences can definitely help other people!

Graduated in Translation & Interpretation and having other courses in my résumé, in 1990 I opted for the golden job: to teach English in public school and language schools. I started observing, studying and analyzing students, and why they had so much difficulties in learning English. I understood that the problem was not with them or with the language; it was with the approach and the treatment that was being applied.

That realization motivated me to try a new approach with my students, so I could truly help them. But I couldn't do it while teaching in regular schools because I had to follow their rules. The educational system has its own agenda, thus it's not really compatible to an effective method of helping students on what really matters. So, I decided to go independent and I started teaching private classes.

From those days on the years brought me much more experience with English - and with students. I started to learn with them how their thinking process works during the assimilation of the new; I started to understand the root of their issues. Of course, I had my own set of difficulties, too, and from those I've also learned a lot! So, my mission - as I decided - was to build a different way to reach student's minds. I wanted to offer them an easier and more effective way to assimilate what they were trying to learn.

Definetely, the book is not on the table... it is in everyday life!

My method consisted in teaching without pressure, without grades, exams, or obligation to finish "Chapter 4, Level B". Students don't like pressure. I don't like pressure! It's hard to study and assimilate the subject if you have a huge amount of material to study and the pressure to get excellent grades - all in a short time! It can be more frustrating than productive, so we must put some playful energy in what we do for things to develop better.

With sound knowledge about English and Portuguese; understanding the confusion that goes on in the Brazilian students' minds; and adding lots of love to the pot, I had the basic potion of my own teaching method. However... in those days I still needed one important item, the Graal, or my Holy Grail: the international experience to excell in English teaching.

In 1999 I left Brazil and living in other countries besides the USA helped me a lot to better understand those thinking processes when we are facing the new; and how we assimilate things. Not only my English knowledge has grown exponentially, I've as well taken several courses about learning and teaching strategies, mind behavior, learned more about cultures, people, food, places and many other things (including things about myself!). All of this has added value and new techniques to the way LEP works, because it's all conected to psychological and cultural aspects, which must be well considered when you are teaching.

The idea of teaching English over the Internet first came to my mind in 2006, when I moved to Rockford, Illinois. I started teaching English to a friend, via email and Skype, using the same teaching methodology I had been developing before, but improved.

Only then I realized I had found my Graal!

In 2008 I built the Live English Program website.

How does LEP Work?

Usually, English schools (and sometimes tutors, as well) are more concerned about teaching the subject and not how to learn it. It happens then that many students become unmotivated, overwhelmed by difficulties and failures, and give up studying English. They believe they are not good at that, and they end up hating English.

LEP works differently because it reaches the student's emotional level. LEP teaches you how to easily learn, while you learn. LEP guides you through all the difficulties, mental blocks, shames, lack of concentration, lack of time and motivation, and so on. Those are all emotional issues that, if not addressed, end up hindering the student's progress.

Thus, one of my roles at LEP is of a trainer, consultant, mentor... not only of a teacher in the common conception of the word. Only dedicated trainers/coaches, consultants or mentors can lead you through the harshness of learning something you either dislike (but need it) or like but don't know how to do it because of your blocks.

Many students, already having English classes with regular teachers, come to LEP to ask questions and get more training than they are having in their regular classes. They say they cannot understand a certain matter with the other teacher. It seems that the other teacher does not know how to explain it in a clear way, either because he doesn't quite know certain answers, or because he cannot understand the student's thinking process (the root of the question). This is very common to happen to teachers whose native language is English and do not know the subtleties of the Portuguese language (in this case, the student's first language). In other instances the teacher has total knowledge of his student's culture and first language but still he cannot give a complete answer because he is not currently experiencing life in an English speaking country. The student remains in the shade, and comes to LEP for some light. So does the teacher!

It's truly delightful for me when students and teachers tell me, "NOW I finally understand! It's clear for me now! Thank you!" -

One word about teachers who don't know certain answers: this is perfectly normal and acceptable! No one knows everything! We all are learning every day. The problem is when someone does not know something, and pretends he knows; or when he knows the subject very well but does not know how to "read" the students' needs and troubles. And he cannot get his point across in a clear and effective way.

Teachers, tutors, and instructors of any kind, who are too proud to admit their ignorance or failure, can endanger the students's progress. The point is: when we don't know we should say so, no shame about that! And then we should go look for the knowledge! Experts are only experts because they are essentially students!

Most of the times, what makes English (or any other thing) difficult to learn or not understandable for certain people is not the trainee's IQ, but the approach of his trainer.

Say you are having trouble assimilating a certain grammar point. The solution resides in the way the point is presented. If it does not work one way, let's try another way. Each person has a different way of learning, and many tutors don't consider this. LEP does!

Thus, this is how LEP works:

• using learning and teaching strategies;
• keeping constant contact with students;
• providing personalized attention and material;
• using different approaches for different students;
• taking advantage of real life situations for practice;
• with no pressure but yes, commitment;
• keeping trainees motivated and satisfied.

Those are principles of immersion, on which LEP is founded. Even students who cannot leave their homeland and immerse in an English-speaking land, can have English immersion with LEP. How come? First, students are taught how to learn; then they are trained to use, practice, and teach English. The means to get there is the way LEP interacts with its students.

You must experience it, to know better!

Who makes LEP?

Imagine a club with a CEO and no members... there would be no club, right? Those who are the reason for a club to exist are the visitors, the fans, volunteers, supporters, contributers, members...

Those are also who make Live English Program. LEP is like a club, with users and contributers.

Those who work to make LEP exist (and, paradoxically who exist to make LEP work) are you, them, and all of us together. You, the visitor, subscriber, or member, with your interest and support, or with your questions and suggestions contribute to a better LEP every day. LEP is also made of information and ideas that come from several sources: my neighbors, friends and relatives in the USA; people who work in stores, hospitals, car-washes; from magazines, books, radio, Internet, movies, songs, road signs, trips that I take, courses that I do, and so on and so forth. Day to day English; different types of experiences; people who I teach and people who I learn with, we all make LEP for YOU!

Use it, and enjoy it!

Rosangela Taylor
Founder, Live English Program