Everyone knows that singers and athletes need to be able to control their breathing. What about speakers of a new language? We all know how to breathe, don’t we? We’ve been doing it since we were born! When speaking another language, though, people often forget to breathe properly because they are so busy thinking about …
How breathing properly will help improve your English Read More »
It’s almost Valentine’s Day and love is in the air! I spotted this site in the news today. It’s for people who want to speed-date online. Speed-dating is when you have a short 5-minute discussion with a potential partner to find out if you like him or her. I’m married so a speed-dating site isn’t …
Learning business English can seem daunting to start with. There’s often a lot of new vocabulary and not much of a chance to practise it. Of course, you could take an expensive business English course but not everyone has the time or money to do that. Here are six fun ways of learning business English …
One of the characteristics of an advanced language learner is having dreams in his or her second language. I can remember my first dream in my second language. I was a chat show host in the dream and I was interviewing guests and playing the piano for an audience. It was a very strange experience! …
If you have been learning English, chances are you will have heard of the ‘phonemic chart’. What is it, though and why is it important? A phonemic chart is a guide to pronouncing all the sounds used for a certain English dialect. It uses symbols from the International Phonetic Alphabet to indicate which sounds you …
Phonemic Chart – What is it and why is it important? Read More »
There are loads of great English podcasts out there. Some focus on specific grammar points and others are more conversation-based. Whatever your preference, there’s something out there for you. If you are a busy person, it can be hard to find time to listen to podcasts, though. Here are five fun ways to listen to …
It’s unlikely that you will need to read more than a few paragraphs in this style. Most of the time, you will be skimming or scanning first. Once you have found the information you want, then you will need to switch to reading for detail. Here’s how to do it. 1. Read the whole paragraph …
What’s your New Year’s resolution? Improving your English? If so, here are my five ways to keep your New Year’s resolution and improve your English this year. 1. Get into a routine. Try to practise at the same time every day. Maybe you are an early bird. If so, get up half an hour earlier …
Five ways to keep your New Year’s resolution and improve your English Read More »