Category: Business Tips

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How is AI helping English as a Second Language teaching platforms? Pros and cons on italki.com . . .

How is Artificial Intelligence (AI) helping  English as a second language teaching platforms? There are pros and cons to using AI, as this week’s blog posting shows.

I have taught English for the past  three-and-a-half years on the online platform italki.com  . Last week, three of italki’s staff—“Yisen” (aka Jonathan Cook, professional teacher), Jake (AI product manager, who uses only his first name) and Co-Founder, Kevin Chen–spoke on a webinar about how AI is helping English as a second language teaching platforms to succeed.

Today, anyone involved in any form of communication knows that AI is rapidly evolving and becoming increasingly integrated into the work of every industry, including language (and other) education.  The panel spoke about  how AI tools are currently being beta-tested on italki.com, so interested teachers can seek opportunities on the platform to contribute to the development and application of AI.

The panel discussed how trends of AI will impact language learning:

  • ESL teachers should not panic, since AI won’t replace them. Yisen stressed that the human part of education is irreplaceable.
  • With online ESL teaching, the “magic” happens when the teacher connects with a learner/student at a personal level (e.g. “aha” moments occur, in the process of learning, which involve Emotional Intelligence [EI]). AI can never replace teaching that includes EI (e.g. emotional intelligence–factors like empathy and feelings).
  • Co-founder Kevin commented that AI and human teaching are not identical in nature, so that AI cannot repace humans. (We are what Nick Usborne in another context calls “the human in the loop.”)
  • Teachers remain the most important contributors to a student’s language learning.
  • AI is best when it’s used to empower people; humans should always be in control. 

Three uses of AI that will benefit students/learners on italki (pros):

  • Teachers can find inspiration for preparing lessons, using AI tools.
  • Teachers can secure exercises and materials to share with their classes.
  • Students/Learners can use bots to practice their conversation, role-play, or ask questions from their studies that they do not understand.

Some current limits (cons) on using AI (across all platforms and industries):

  • It can be hard to verify the accuracy and validity of some AI-generated information (e.g. errors, “hallucinations” are two examples of this).
  • Students/Learners often feel frustrated and lost, when the bots they use don’t understand where they’re at, in their language learning process. Learners get discouraged when bots don’t acknowledge their struggles and challenges.
  • italki.com uses AI to enhance the relationship between teachers and students/learners, to “add value, not to take away from all of those human elements” (Yisen).

Some AI tools for teachers to adapt on italki, itself:

  • A “Learning Plan”—AI can assist as a planning tool—(i) as a habit builder—to track the number of lessons per week and progress from one class to the next. (ii) for defining the focus of lessons—Students/Learners can stay motivated for longer by telling teachers the areas they want to cover.
  • A “Lesson Preparation Tool”—AI can help teachers plan and create content for an upcoming lesson—such as talking points; a variety of types of in-lesson exercises: (i) fill-in-the-gaps (ii) multiple choice (iii) unscramble words and more.

AI takes a transcript of a lesson on the platform and can develop a summary from in-class learning and conversations. These summaries help students fine-tune their studies and review. For instance, AI can provide a topic summary, a list of vocabulary, a list of idioms and expressions, a summary of the major grammar points of a lesson, all of which can fuel learners’ motivation and commitment to learning.

 

The panel’s closing thoughts about AI use on italki.com:

It’s important to note that both students/learners and teachers need to consent to having their classes recorded. The panel said that italki values privacy; it does not sell or share  recordings with any third party.

Both students/learners and teachers can opt out of using AI. But AI tools are only increasing in value over time, so it makes sense to start using them now.

The bottom line is that Artificial Intelligence (AI) is helping to strengthen English as a second language teaching platforms: italki is not alone here! The market is huge.

Yisen also added that teachers on the platform can join the “AI Teacher Community” by signing up over email. There teachers can talk with each other, ask and answer questions, share news (something I intend to do soon!).

Inside the teacher community is the local AI division, where teachers can participate in surveys and (beta) user-testing for AI development on the platform. Further, teachers can practice using AI tools to gain familiarity with them before applying them in class.

The upshot is yes, Artificial Intelligence (AI) is helping  English as a second language teaching platforms to succeed. But there are pros and cons to using AI for language learning (and for everything else).

I’m just starting to integrate AI into my teaching over italki.com  .  Some of my students from Eastern and Western Europe have expressed an interest in using AI to improve their language skills, since the tech is clearly here to stay.

And now it’s your turn: What do you think about the influence of AI on online learning platforms (e.g. italki.com)? If you are a language learner, have you found AI helpful?

If you teach languages to newcomers or other learners, how do you use AI to enhance the learning process?  

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Women Entrepreneurs of Saskatchewan (WESK) Gala, May 2024

I was delighted to attend the “Night Amid the Stars” Gala of Women Entrepreneurs of Saskatchewan (WESK), on May 15th. “Table 32,” as we named ourselves, were mostly new to each other but enjoyed networking and conversation. We plan to reconvene, in another week’s time!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pictured (left to right) are Me, Kristin Pierce, Keisha Gamola, Annie Charles, Sandra Miller, Suzanne Anton and guest, Aimee.

Congratulations to the nominees and award winners and to all of the brilliant and ambitious entrepreneurs who attended the event!

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When can pauses & interruptions help our conversations? An answer in the mid-May issue of TYSN!

May 2024 Vol 6 Issue 5

Tell Your Story Newsletter (TYSN):

Specializing in Entrepreneurial Storytelling

Let us help you tell your story!

 

Welcome Mid-May 2024! 

As I prepare this issue of “Tell Your Story Newsletter,” the  delicious rain that fell last week in Saskatoon has caused trees, bushes and plants to “green up” beautifully.

And with the milder weather, we can again wear barefeet in sandals (woo hoo!). And our days continue to lengthen (the sun setting at nearly 9 pm, now), which means more patio and backyard time!

Cue Gershwin, “Summer-time, and the living is easy!”

I’m planning a visit to Patterson Gardens, as soon as the splendour of our flowering fruit and lilac trees unfurls. . . And how about a trip to a local greenhouse to admire (and select) a few annuals and plants?

In Article One of this month’s newsletter, I visit some surprising truths about how pauses and interruptions not only allow for, but also help, good conversation.

And in “Storytellers’ Corner,” I visit the work of British etymologist Susan Dent on quirky words, both from other cultures and from Britain.

May this late spring and forthcoming summer bring you JOY through time in nature and among family and friends; and through renewed health and growth, after another Prairie winter.

And may prosperity also greet you, valued readers.

Thank you for reading another issue of “Tell Your Story Newsletter,” now more than 13 years in production!

Sincerely,

Elizabeth

Principal

Storytelling Communications

www.elizabethshih.com

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IN THIS ISSUE:

ARTICLE 1: When can pauses and interruptions help good conversation? Writers from “The Economist” weigh in . . . . 

STORYTELLERS’ CORNER:

Some quirky words in English–from Susie Dent

SHOP NEWS

ABOUT US

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Article One: When can pauses and interruptions help good conversation? Writers from “The Economist” weigh in . . . . 

Before the Pandemic, “The Economist’s” collective of writers who compose under the name of Samuel “Johnson,” wrote an article on how verbal ticks and routine interruptions are “lubricants to conversation, not killers.”

Many of us strive to eliminate “um” and “uh” from our professional speaking, right? Consider Canadian PM Justin Trudeau before and after he received formal speech training. But recent analysis of human conversation practices show that minor words (e.g. “mm-hmm” and “uh-huh”) provide important pauses that are vital to good conversation.

Learners of English (especially English as a Second Language), take note!

The “Johnson” writers begin with the case of British PM (c. 1980s), Margaret Thatcher, a politician “known for a voice that brooked no disagreement.” Thatcher took elocution lessons to sound more forceful when she led Britain’s Opposition.

However, even after she became PM (1979-1990), she often used interruptions in the interviews she gave. Researchers who studied clips from the early 80s discovered that most often, “those hearing [her] interrupted phrases” [“um,” “uh,” “mm-hmm,” “uh-huh”], including her interviewers, “thought that the prime minister was ending her conversational turn.”  Most often, then, those interrupting her were not (as we might assume now) rude or domineering.

What explains pauses and interruptions in speech? The Australian linguist, Nick Enfield, discovered that humans abide by a linguistic rule called “no gap, no overlap,” in which people instinctively react to the end of another’s conversational turn by beginning their own, in about 200 milliseconds (the “time it takes a sprinter to respond to a starting gun”).

This is more interesting when we consider that it takes about three times as long (600 milliseconds) for a speaker to plan what they are going to say, by cognitively retrieving the words and organizing how they will use them.

People must then plan to begin responding well before their conversation partner has stopped (be it Margaret Thatcher or Mr. Bean). This requires “fine attention to the cues signalling the end of a turn, such as a lengthening of syllables and a drop in pitch,” Enfield says.

Not coincidentally, using a downward shift in pitch is frequently encouraged from speakers who want to sound more authoritative (as Thatcher did). Clips show she repeatedly dropped her pitch when she predicted an interruption.

21st-century business communicators (like yours truly) are often urged not to listen with the intention only of responding, instead of first (more empathetically) perceiving the speaker’s meaning and intention. But linguists like Enfield have found the boundary between listening and responding is more complex than that practice would have it.

And contrary to the assumption that speech patterns will vary between cultures, Enfield found that dynamics of human conversation are “similar from culture to culture,” from both major to minor languages and from rich to poor countries, throughout history.

For instance, the pattern of “no gap, no overlap” applies to ethnicities in ways that defy cultural concepts (or stereotypes). For instance, in contemporary Japan, speakers who are thought to be polite allow one of the shortest gaps before starting to reply: “In answering ‘yes’ or ‘no’ to a question,” Enfield says, “the Japanese, on average, . . . reply before the questioner’s turn is over.”

He argues that this is not rudeness, but a practice that keeps the conversation flowing. Each speaker helps the other: words we might consider to be mindless throat-clearing (or verbal tics), such as “uh,” “um,” “mm-hmm” and “uh-huh” in fact “signal to the other speaker [listener] that a turn is not quite finished, that the speaker is planning something more. This makes sense only in the light of the split-second timing with which speakers take turns.”

Paradoxically, if there is “no gap” between turn-taking, there will be no “overlap.” The conversation will flow better and both speakers feel recognized and heard.

The “Johnson” writers note that men are more likely to use “pause-fillers” (esp. “uh-huh”)  than women are (although women favour “mm-hmm”), and speculate that this may result from men’s eagerness to “hold the floor.”

Enfield refers to research from past decades, including one experiment where several speakers “were asked to tell about a near-death experience, while listeners were given a distracting task, like pressing a button every time the speaker used a word starting with ‘I.’ ”

As a result, the listener was less able to encourage the speaker with “mm-hmms,” without which the speakers felt unable to cope: “[The speakers] paused more [and] used more ‘um’ and ‘uh’ themselves, and repeated the dramatic lines of their stories, desperate for affirmation” that they’d been understood and appreciated.

The “Johnson” writers note that Roman statesman and philosopher Cicero (1st C., BCE) was not the first to record “rules of conversation, which included taking turns and not going on too long.”

In fact, such rules have been discovered in many cultures long before Cicero’s. The “Johnson” writers say such rules may be part of “shared social instincts” among early humans, and “a product of evolution” over millennia.

The “Johnson” writers observe that the next time you find yourself pinned at a networking event by “a bulldozer or a bore,” know that they are more to be pitied than despised,” the “Johnson” writers conclude: Such speakers “are lacking a basic human skill” or capacity for relation. They efface not just “gap” and /or “overlap” but altogether the very identity of their listeners.

The “Johnson” writers conclude that conversation is fascinating not because it is hard to achieve, “but [for] how well people subconsciously cooperate to make it seem easy.”

And like many human skills, sharing conversation with others improves with practice: “If you don’t use it, you lose it.”

And now it’s your turn: How have you noticed “no gap, no overlap” in formal conversation with others? 

Could we re-write our social expectations for silence between shared conversation?

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STORYTELLERS’ CORNER . . . . 

STORYTELLERS’ CORNER

This month: Quirky words–some from abroad and

some “home-grown”– in English

Perhaps it’s the result of recent efforts to reduce my professional library that I happened upon some quirky etymology during my reading.

British lexicographer and etymologist, Susie Dent, has shared many complex words on YouTube.

She reminds us that the English language has borrowed words from countries all over the world—some with recognizable names and some, not. Here are three examples:

  • “Tsundoku,” from Japanese, is “the act of buying yet another book that you fully intend to read, but never quite get around to” (beware, you buyers at used book stores and fairs this spring and summer!)
  • “Shampoo” has origins in Hindi where “campo” means to “press” or “squeeze.” Originally, getting one’s hair cleaned involved heavy massaging and pounding of the flesh—affecting both the head and the hair that grew on it! . . . British and European colonialists took these treatments (and fragrant soaps and lathers) back “home,” where they were passed down through the ages.
  • “Ketchup” is based on a Chinese word, “Ke-chiap” for a brine of pickled fish that was taken from Vietnam to China and then altered by the British until it became the tomato sauce that (centuries later) dominates supermarket shelves in the Western world!

Some words may originate in the UK, but are happily onomatopoeic, and which Dent collected in one of her recent books, Roots of Happiness:100 Words for Joy and Hope.  This is a book for children intended to bring beauty and fun to them during Pandemic times.

Examples from it are “mubble-fubbles,” for feeling down or depressed.

Also, “thunderplump” refers to the “sudden downpour of fat, heavy raindrops that leaves us drenched and dripping in minutes” (more often a UK than a Canadian Prairie commonplace).

What “weird words” are floating in your office, mind or family? Please write in; I’d be delighted to share them in a future issue 

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SHOP NEWS:

Last night (the evening of May 15th) was an especially joyous one, as Women Entrepreneurs of Saskatchewan (WESK) gathered for their annual awards banquet. 

 

Awards were given for “Community Involvement” to Andrea Crittenden; “Indigenous Entrepreneur Award” to Destinee Peter; “Innovation Award” to Chelsea Stewart; “Growth & Expansion Award” to Maegan Mason and Cari Thiele; and “Resilience Award” to my colleague, Jolene Watson

 

Congratulations to all recipients and to all nominees! 

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WESK’s “Achievement Award” was given to veteran communications leader (and one of my first freelance clients, back in 2011), the amazing Adele Buettner, who shared 10 of her best tips for entrepreneurial success.

Congratulations to all of the women attendees, nominees as well as winners; award sponsors,  and to WESK’s board, staff and planning committee, all whose hands-on effort made the gala the best it’s ever been!

Thank you to all of them!

 

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Thank you to Joanne Fogarty ( Director of Employment & Learning) and Josephine Mensah (Employment Counsellor), YWCA, who hosted a recent job fair for newcomers to Saskatoon, where I discussed opportunities for newcomers’ language classes in Saskatoon.

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Thank you to my IT specialist, Jordon, for again discussing subtle tech matters with me, despite the many demands that cover his metaphorical desk!

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Thank you to Jolene Watson for referring me to Linda’s Printing, whose high-quality business cards and marketing materials have earned them admiration and plenty of clients!

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Alongside copywriter, journalist and creative writer, Ashleigh Mattern, I thoroughly enjoyed walking through the opening morning of “Gather,” Saskatoon’s second farmers’ market, on May 4th at River Landing.

“Gather” features local farmers’ meat, dairy (and this summer—fresh fruit and veg), as well as international cuisine, local jewellery, candles and soaps. It was reminiscent of “The Forks” (in Winnipeg) and the “Eau Claire” market in Calgary.

Vendors were just getting started on the 4th, but the atmosphere was generous and friendly.

Several restaurants and food trucks had scrumptious looking (and fragrant) cuisine. The market’s products are not intended to be low-priced, but to build local businesses who work so long and hard for our community.

Gather’s atmosphere is pleasant to immerse oneself in, especially with summer on the horizon!

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This issue of TYSN is dedicated to Edward (Ted) Gilroy, an extraordinary man with entrepreneurial instincts  who lived, laughed and loved fully in his nearly 100 years.

My childhood would not have been the same without his stories and jokes. My deepest condolences to his widow and sons. I am the better for having known him and share in his family’s sorrow.

Rest in Peace, “Uncle Ted.”

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ABOUT US:

Between 2011 and December 2018, Elizabeth Shih Communications chronicled the stories of B2B marketing and communications on the Prairies and across the country. 

Effective January 1, 2019, I rebranded as “Storytelling Communications.” I now help new and economic immigrants to get better jobs or secure more contracts by improving their language skills. And I also write and edit the legacy stories of major companies.

Interested in learning more? Please contact me through my CASL-compliant website (www.elizabethshih.com).

After I receive your message, I’ll be pleased to discuss projects with you!

Please visit my website for more information (www.storytellingcommunications.ca).

 

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Five ways that Emotionally Intelligent writing (EI) outpaces Artificial Intelligence (AI), with Nick Usborne

April 2024 Vol 6 Issue 4

Tell Your Story Newsletter (TYSN):
Specializing in Entrepreneurial and Organizational Storytelling
Let Us Help You Tell Your Story

Welcome Mid-April, 2024!

With spring now upon us (minus the snow forecasted for tomorrow) and Easter having flown by, local entrepreneurs (not to mention our clients) are firmly focused on summer promotions.

Local, writer-friendly cafes like City Perks, Sparrow, HomeQuarter and D’lish by Tish have rolled out their patios–and downtown newcomer, Pique, is soon to follow. 

Ice cream and gelato faves like Dairy Queen on 8th (with decades of history), the equally iconic Homestead, Fable Ice Cream (thanks to Julie Barnes for recommending the latter’s Haskap with Lavender flavour!) and Beppi’s Gelato (with its dog-friendly variety), all saw line-ups of salivating customers last weekend.

Garden Centres have begun to open their gates, with Floral Acres announcing that they will provide client shopping and delivery for those with disabilities or restrictions who cannot shop, in-person.

And the store’s famous “Toonie Tuesdays” started last week. It’s the perfect
time to scout out both perennials and annuals for the upcoming season!
Those of us who have balconies (i.e. container pot gardening) and/or can only grow plants indoors need not worry! Lushly green Boston Ferns, Philodendrons and Hoya among other exotic species are already available at Floral Acres and (before long) many of the city’s other garden centres.

In years like this one, when spring evolves, as late winter reluctantly cedes to it, I find joy in walking in my neighbourhood, observing neighbours deeply engaged in beautifying their yards and porches.

Daylight hours are lengthening appreciably (tonight’s sunset will occur at 8:06 pm!). I hope that your plans are developing for the “great weather” months ahead!

May this spring and forthcoming summer bring you JOY through time in nature, among family and friends, and through renewed health and personal growth. And may prosperity also greet you, valued readers.

Sincerely,

Elizabeth Shih Headshot

Elizabeth
Principal
Storytelling Communications
www.elizabethshih.com
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N THIS ISSUE:
ARTICLE 1:  Five ways that Emotionally Intelligent writing (EI) outpaces Artificial Intelligence (AI), with Nick Usborne
STORYTELLERS’ CORNER:  Is it “none is” or “none are,” with Bryan Garner?
SHOP NEWS
ABOUT US
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Article One: Five ways that Emotionally Intelligent writing (EI) outpaces Artificial Intelligence (AI), with Nick Usborne

While Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools like ChatGPT and Gemini are useful, especially as timesavers in many ways, their specialists have stressed that AI is not good with emotion.

Bots simply can’t write with emotional intelligence (EI), many say. This is because they do not feel human emotions—whether to laugh, fall in love, hold a newborn child, feel the sensation of sea air caressing one’s face, etc. No amount of technology will change that.

As Anglo-Canadian copywriter and AI expert Nick Usborne writes, “Lines of code don’t care about people, and how they feel.”

This creates a challenge for “marcom” specialists who may rely heavily on AI.

How do we develop content that may easily not appeal to the emotions of our readers?

Enter what Usborne refers to as “Emotionally Intelligent writing.” It brings good news! There are five ways that EI outperforms what AI can do, without it:

(1) Emotionally Intelligent writing validates people’s feelings to engage with them
–By empathizing with other people’s feelings, we can weave those feelings into our copy. Then the reader feels seen, heard and therefore respected. That is a powerful feeling.
–When a reader feels validated by the marketing copy we write, “they’ll lean into whatever you’re going to say next.” So writing with empathy gains us a  much deeper level of engagement and attention.”

(2) Emotionally Intelligent writing elicits trust from the reader
–When readers feel validated and believe we genuinely care about their needs and wants, their trust in us (and our product/service) deepens.
–And trust turns prospects into customers.

(3) Emotionally Intelligent writing is easier for readers to recall, so it delivers more value
–Usborne reminds us that human emotions “play a large role in memory formation.” While advertisements we read and think about briefly in a magazine or on a billboard will “disappear fromour [minds] within minutes, or even seconds,” promotions that appeal to our emotions last far longer.
–Remember that 1970’s and 80’s advertisement for Life-brand cereal (still remembered by GenXers):
“He likes it! Mikey really likes it!” Some fifty years later, many of us still recall that ad, while we can’t name (by contrast) the most recent household cleaning solution to hit the market.

(4) Emotionally Intelligent writing builds a “sense of community”
–When our prospects feel that we connect with their emotions, they feel they belong and appreciate the care we show for them.
–We can build community with prospects by using emotionally intelligent copywriting on social media, where they reach out to us.
–Where prospects feel they belong to a community, they are more easily persuaded to buy/use the services that their neighbours do, describe and recommend. Community recommendations become sacred, as the idiom goes: “like motherhood and apple pie.”

(5) Emotionally Intelligent writing is more persuasive than AI alone
–Copywriters and “marcom” specialists all know that every sale we win occurs because we’ve appealed to our customers’ emotions. Customers purchase our services because they make them feel better about themselves or their circumstances.
–When we write with EI, we intensify our capacity to persuade: we increase the emotional response of our prospects and, with it, our conversion rates.
AI copy, on its own, can’t accomplish any of these benefits.

So while the latest developments of AI like Claude3 and “hume” get plenty of airtime in industry and academia, AI will always have what Usborne calls “zero emotional intelligence.”

“Hume” claims to be “the first AI with emotional intelligence”– its marketers say it can “interpret vocal and facial and emotional expressions,” and so generate empathic responses. But the system’s code imitates, not generates, human feelings.

One of the few enduring truths we know about the limits of AI is that (no matter the amount of revision) it will never be completely human.

This is why the future lies with writers who can combine the efficiencies and strengths of AI with the emotional power of EI, as Usborne writes.

So, “no, Virginia, copywriting and content writing are not dead.” They just need (us) to fuse AI with EI.

PS: If you feel “in the dark” about how to integrate EI into your copy, Usborne recently provided a one-minute masterclass over Linkedin on the importance of mirroring your prospects’ and customers’ emotions (EI) when you use AI to write for them.

He used this very simple (teacherly) example:
(1) When he prepares to write copy to promote a product or service, he starts by reading and then copying 50 product/service reviews from users (found online).

(2) He downloads the script that the company uses of its customer service calls.

(3) He feeds this information into ChatGPT, with this prompt: “Give me a sentiment analysis of all of this information and highlight for me the language people use when they express positive feelings about this product/service.”

(4) Usborne then takes those “sentimental” phrases (EI) and weaves them into his copy. This process employs one’s writerly chops.
(5) Through this process, AI has NOT written the copy for Usborne. But it has quickly and accurately enabled him to mirror the persuasive language of a happy customer. He has used AI to help to elicit from readers the EI that he has also already woven into his copy.

And that work should make good sense–not only to copy/content writers, but to all users of AI.

And now it’s your turn: What do you do to incorporate EI into your use of AI? Please write in; I’d be delighted
to hear from you.
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STORYTELLER’s CORNER . . . .

Is it “none is” or “none are,” with Bryan Garner?

Some of you may have heard a writer or editor insist that the
noun “none” requires a singular verb form: “ ‘None is
there,’ is correct, they may say, but never ‘None are there.’ ”
So, is this true?

Usage and grammar specialist, usage specialist, Bryan
Garner, recently blogged on this topic, saying,
“Unequivocally NO. For more than 1,200 years, English
speakers and writers have said none are—especially in
sentences like ‘None of them are,’ where the subject
is None (not them). In fact, ‘None of them are’ is more than
twice as common in modern print as ‘None of them is.’ ”

The conventional view of usage experts (as opposed to
armchair grammarians) is that both “none is” and “none
are” should be considered correct. “None is” expresses a
greater degree of emphasis, and it’s much more
formal; “None are” is more usual and more relaxed.

Garner says that grammar and style “pedants argue
that none is a contraction of not one, and etymologically
that’s true. But you must go way back in history for that.”

He continues: “By the 1600s, the plural usage was more
common, and it remains that way. The Oxford English
Dictionary quotes the noted writers John Dryden, Henry
Fielding, Oliver Goldsmith, Edmund Burke, and Somerset
Maugham for using the plural none.”

Garner also cites conservative linguistic specialists from
H.W. Fowler [1926], George P. Krapp [1927], Wilson Follet
[1966], William Safire [1982], Kenneth Wilson [1993] and
the 2017 edition of the Chicago Manual of Style as
advocating the plural use of “none are!”

He adds that the U.S. Supreme Court has published opinions
saying “None of them were” a full 49 times! That should be
evidence enough for us writers and editors, no?

One of the reasons I abide by Garner’s usage blog is that he
has (for years) contributed heavily to the Chicago Manual of
Style, the foundation of style and usage in the Western
World. That makes Garner an expert, in my book.

What grammar or stylistic bug-bears do you have, good readers?

Please share them with me for future issues of TYSN!

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SHOP NEWS:

 

While studying accent reduction as a part of my English as a Second Language (ESL) services, I was delighted to branch out to teach a business communication seminar on “resume preparation in the age
of AI,” to folks with disabilities at The Ability Hub in Saskatoon.

Thank you to Business Coach Tolu Jacobs and Executive Director Chelsea Wisser for offering me this opportunity. (Here are Tolu and me.)

I especially enjoyed the class discussion on ways to use AI ethically when creating our job search documents!
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Two of my students have recently “graduated” from my ESL teaching practice, ready to take their learning forward as entrepreneurs and government advisors. Congratulations to them, on their success.

If you know of any newcomers to our community who are seeking English language classes, please refer them to this newsletter or to my website. I teach ages 15 years and up, including beginners (Canadian Language Benchmarks 0-2) to advanced (CLB 10-12).
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I’m grateful to Rose Marie Laird for a recommendation, several years ago, of the work of American psychologist, Dr. Rick Hanson.

Hanson is a specialist who brings Buddhist-inspired mindfulness and meditation to the emotional demands of Western (especially North American) life. He offers no-cost, online meditations and accompanying talks each Wednesday evening over Zoom.

Hanson also markets fee-based workshops on self-worth and on pathways to personal wellness and
joy.

I highly recommend his gentle but persistent energy, which can be witnessed through his website, including a regular podcast:
https://rickhanson.com/
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I also thoroughly enjoyed a house concert late last month, featuring the singing of two-time JUNO-nominated musician, former Saskatoon Symphony Orchestra conductor, Eric Paetkau; and opened by local songster, Wyndham Thiessen.

Both men shared wonderful stories and quirky meditations on life through their music, which were at turns fascinating, soothing and great fun!

I do encourage you to attend one of Eric’s future concerts, as he returns to Saskatoon and to Saskatoon-area schools annually to sing his repertoire of both adults’ and children’s music!

And special thanks to Eric’s agent, Julie Barnes, for coordinating and promoting Eric’s concerts!
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ABOUT US:

Between 2011 and December 2018, Elizabeth Shih Communications chronicled the stories of B2B marketing and communications on the Prairies and across the country.

Effective January 1, 2019, I rebranded as “Storytelling Communications.” I now help Canadian newcomers land better jobs by communicating more effectively; and I write the legacy stories of major companies.

Interested in learning more? Please contact me through my CASL-compliant
website (www.elizabethshih.com).

After I receive your message, I’ll be pleased to discuss projects with you!
Please visit my website for more information:  www.storytellingcommunications.ca).
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Always pressed for time? Try Dan Sulllivan’s “Entrepreneurial Time System”

Do you let work drip-drip-drip throughout every. single. waking. hour of every. single. waking. day?

Do you struggle every Monday to schedule the week’s work, or face a long list of “uncompleted” tasks, just as each weekend starts?

Freelancers often struggle to manage time. We may think we can work on whatever, whenever and wherever we want. But many of us work harder and longer than we ever did in our “day-jobs.”

American business coach Dan Sullivan’s “Entrepreneurial Time System” can restore healthy boundaries between our differing types of work and rest:

On “Free Days” (often Saturdays and Sundays), Sullivan says, we should not meet clients or do work. This is time to relax and to connect with family and friends.

Enforce that.

On “Buffer Days” (often Mondays and Fridays), we should handle administrative work (e.g. marketing, bookkeeping, answering messages, etc.).

Make sure you get those tasks done.

On “Focus Days” (often Tuesdays to Thursdays), we should work to earn income. Since Pareto’s Law tells us that 20% of activities create 80% of our income, we should dedicate our “Focus Days” to that intensive 20%.

Block off all distractions.

Moving from “Free” to “Buffer” to “Focus” Days,  “Buffer Days” can create a transition between “Free” and “Focus Days.” But you can structure your week as you wish.

Some entrepreneurs find quiet time on, say,  Saturday, to be very productive: it could be a “Focus Day” for you.

On his blog last fall, Ed Gandia posted about Sullivan’s “Entrepreneurial Time System,”  recommending the system as a “game-changer” for busy entrepreneurs.

Though simple, the “Entrepreneurial Time System” restores boundaries between our differing activities, so work doesn’t creep into every waking hour! It’s counterproductive (not to mention terrible for our health) to be  more-or-less working all the time!

Gandia says this: “If you don’t create boundaries, every day becomes a work day. And you end up with zero margin.” And that brings overwhelm and burnout, fast.

Sullivan’s system can prevent that,  paradoxically increasing our productivity while also restoring our time for rest.

The “Entrepreneurial Time System” is more fully outlined by David Braithwaite, one of Sullivan’s proteges, on the “strategic coach” website. The system does take a few weeks to adapt to (as I am finding). But the relief you feel is almost immediate: those who make the effort never turn back!

Dan Sullivan has been described as “legendary” by Gandia and Braithwaite–as one of  America’s foremost entrepreneurial coaches.

Give this system a try and you’ll see why!