5 ways to improve your English in your coffee break

Why do learning English and drinking coffee go so well together? Lots of my students and friends on Twitter love learning English while drinking a hot cup of coffee. I also like to have a cup of coffee while I’m teaching my morning classes. I find it’s a great way to start the day.

I’m sure that people learn well when they are relaxed so maybe having a cup of coffee helps people get in the right mood to study. Here are five exercises you can do to improve your English during your coffee break today.

1. Review your words for the day. If you have any new vocabulary you are learning, have a look at it and try to make three sentences using each word or expression.

2. Listen to a podcast. Listening to the news in English is a great way to build your listening skills and vocabulary. If you have difficulty listening at full speed, try one of the simple English podcasts from VOA.

3. Think in English. You don’t need any equipment for this one. Just look around the room you are in and try to name all the objects in English. If there are any words you don’t know, look them up. Once you have named all the objects, describe where they are.

Once you have described the room, think about the people in it and try to make up some stories about them in English. After that, you can think about anything you want – just make sure you do it in English.

4. Read a book. Even if you are not a member of a book club, reading in English is a great way to practise your reading skills and develop your vocabulary further.

5. Have a chat. If you have friends at work you can talk to in English, that’s great. If not, try meeting some people to chat with online. Twitter is great for this or you could try my English café. It’s an open chat room and free to use whenever you want.

All this talk of coffee has made me thirsty. I’m going to go and make myself a cup, now!