Breaking News! ESL Students prefer playing games to studying grammar. Thanks, Captain Obvious. Now, let’s really drive it home: Hello, students! Raise your hand if you … Continue reading Variations on 4 Card Games ESL Students Will Flip Over
Sticky post
Every year, I do a New Year’s Resolutions writing task. I ask my students what their goals are for the coming year, and how they plan … Continue reading Roadblocks To Reading in ESL and How To Pave The Way Toward Literacy
Can I really improve my English in 30 days? Yes, you can! The 30-Day English Challenge is designed to improve your speaking, writing, fluency and confidence … Continue reading The 30-Day English Challenge
Do you want to know a secret? Learning English is nearly impossible if you don’t have the right people to speak it with. This may come … Continue reading Conversation Club: December 18, 2020
It might sound simple, but taking 3 to 5 minutes to write a daily reflection following each Zoom lesson is one of the most important ways to boost language acquisition in online learning environments. Continue reading From Zoom back to Room: Writing a Reflection To Maximize Online Learning
The preposition back generally means to return. But there are many different ways you can return something or somewhere! By using phrasal verbs like go back, get back, and come back, you can increase your vocabulary and be more specific in communication. Let’s look at a few of these phrasal verbs with back in a fun short story about a trip to a tropical island. At the end of the story, there’s a short quiz you can take to see if you really know how to use these return expressions like a pro. Continue reading 8 Phrasal Verbs with BACK and How To Use Them Like a Pro
When you have a strong understanding of how to use used to and usually, we can talk about 2 more similar phrases that students find confusing: be used to and get used to. Continue reading Used to vs. Usually: What’s the Difference?
Learn the difference between yet and still with a quick video lesson. Continue reading Yet vs. Still: What’s the difference?
With Valentine’s Day coming up, I wanted to share some great expressions and idioms for talking about love and relationships. Whether you’re single, married or something more complicated, there’s surely a phrase or two here that will tickle your fancy. … Continue reading English Expressions You Can Fall in Love With
It’s easy to confuse these two terms. They are used when we give or take something that will be returned (Well, we hope it will!) LEND = Give To lend is to give someone something for a short time. Lend requires … Continue reading Borrow or Lend: What’s the difference?
Ordering drinks can be intimidating for a non-native speaker. Everything is moving fast, so you quickly blurt out your order. “I’ll have 3 beers and…um…uh…a mojito.” There. You feel pretty good. You said it right. He understands you and starts to make the drinks, but suddenly he asks a second question… Continue reading What’s your poison? Language for ordering drinks at a bar
TOO = A negative description When something is not good, or you don’t like it, or you can’t use it, use too to describe it. When you use too in a sentence, it means that you are not happy, or … Continue reading Too vs. So: What’s the difference?
Cats are so funny. You never know what they are really thinking about you, but we can guess from the look on their faces. They make such good expressions! THE BASIC RULE: S0 + ADJECTIVE When SO means “very,” it … Continue reading So or Such: What’s the difference?
History: The study of past events or people History is a subject that we study in school. We study the history of civilizations, important people, or topics, like the history of art. We only use the word history when referring … Continue reading History vs. Story: What’s the Difference?
Three verbs that are often confusing for English students are feel, fall, and fill, especially when it comes to past tense forms and pronunciation. Let’s look at the differences and practice using them. Feel Feel has a hard EEE sound. … Continue reading 3 Confusing Verbs and How To Pronounce Them: Feel, Fall, and Fill
I hope everyone is having a very Happy New Year so far! I think 2019 is going to be a great year! This year, I’m looking forward to eating healthier, learning new recipes, getting more exercise, and writing many more lessons … Continue reading Expressions with the Verb TO HAVE
These two very common words are easy to confuse. They both relate to a measure of time. However, they have completely different meanings, and it’s important to know which one to choose. Continue reading Still Or Until: What’s the Difference?
Have you ever been robbed? It’s a terrible feeling! What did they steal? STEAL and ROB are two words related to crime, but it’s good to know which one to use. STEAL A thief steals things. It is an irregular … Continue reading Steal vs. Rob: Crime Vocabulary
Talkin' Town English 