Everyone knows that comics are great for your English because if you can’t understand words you have pictures to help you guess what they mean. Unfortunately, importing comic books can be quite expensive and reading comics on e-readers can be frustrating, too. However, webcomics are a great compromise and most are short enough to be … [Read more…]
Even if you don’t own an e-book reader (or ebook reader), you can still download free samples to your smartphone or your computer. Download the app and go shopping in the Kindle store or the Kobo store (search for your local store) and download free samples of books. You’ll need to sign up but if … [Read more…]
I’ve talked about having enough study time in a previous post. Sometimes it is easy to feel that you don’t have enough time to read. You have a family, a job, other studies, a social life, etc. All this stops you from having time to read. In this article, from the business blog Fast Company, … [Read more…]
This is a suburban town on the outskirts of Tokyo. It is a residential area; there are a lot of houses and apartments. There aren’t many businesses here, but there are some. This is the urban centre of Tokyo. There are a lot of skyscrapers and other large buildings, and the buildings are densely packed … [Read more…]
This post is for beginners. It may be useful for others, too. For good English you need to read English. Reading English is hard. Sometimes there are words you don’t understand. Don’t quit. You need to do more work when you are starting to read English. Sometimes you choose to read, sometimes you have to … [Read more…]
These links are about money and how we talk about it. 22 Phrases That Only Wall Streeters Will Understand via Edulang Banking language by English-At-Home.com This one isn’t about English but it is about business. The English Empire: A growing number of firms worldwide are making English their official language. At The Economist, via Ross … [Read more…]
Previously I’ve written about studying what you find interesting. This has built-in motivation and will help you talk about the things you do every day. However, sometimes you want to learn new things. To do this, become a ‘specialist’. Focus on a topic and learn vocabulary about it by listening and reading about it. This … [Read more…]
Comfort Zone: a place or situation where everything is comfortable and familiar. You can already read English well enough to understand this blog. This blog is not reading practice; it is part of your reading practice. I know that ‘real’ English (as opposed to ESL textbook English) is difficult but life is difficult, too. If … [Read more…]
Why Is Business Writing So Terrible? – slightly difficult. High Intermediate/Advanced How Being Bilingual Benefits The Brain – Intermediate
One of the most pleasurable ways to develop your vocabulary is to read poetry. A short poem can give you something interesting to think about and you can see different ways to describe things, people and feelings than you might have thought. A poem can be read on a short commute, in line at the … [Read more…]