There are so many different standardised tests available to test your English skills: the Cambridge certificates, TOEIC, TOEFL, IELTS, BULATS and, here in Japan, the Eiken/STEP test. For a lot of people, these tests are pointless. If you need the certificate to get a job or a college place, go for it. If not, read … [Read more…]
One of the first things students are taught when they are learning writing skills is not to answer questions with further questions. In conversations, however, it does happen.
A few of my students have part-time jobs in cafés and restaurants. This post is for them and anyone else who needs to use English in restaurants. ‘May’ or ‘can’? Generally, when you are taking orders for people, use ‘may’; it’s more formal and customers should be respected. ‘Can’ is more informal and it’s not … [Read more…]
When you speak sometimes you need to say exactly what you mean but at other times you need to make an impact. When you need to be dramatic, exaggerate.
When you are talking and can’t find the words you need, you need something. I’m going to tell you how ‘something’ can help you when you can’t remember vocabulary.
In today’s post we’re going to look at the filler ‘you know’. You can use it at the start or the end of a sentence.
When you talk to someone and cannot understand what they say, you need to ask questions. There are right ways and wrong ways. ‘What?!’ is wrong. So are ‘Huh?’, ‘Eh?’, ‘Come again?’ and ‘One more time.’
When you’re talking to someone, there are times when you want to offer something, even if it’s just a little bit of help. In this post I’ll give you three different ways to make offers and examples that include ways to accept or decline them.
Lots of students tell me “I can’t speak English.” 90% of the time it is not true. What they really mean is “I don’t speak English well so I don’t want to speak English.” Here are a few tips to help you speak more.
Nobody’s life is amazing all the time. We all need to wait at the post office, do laundry and iron clothes. This post is to help you make your boring activities sound interesting.