Having taught hundreds of adult learners of English, many of whom were desperately looking for work in Sydney, one of the most expensive cities in the world, I have come to notice a number of factors that lead the students to bomb a job interview. To apply for jobs looking for “bubbly” personalities Be realistic. […]
Silly myth 1: “If you live in an English speaking country for just 3 months, you can speak English like a native speaker.” Can’t tell you how many dreams I’ve seen get shattered and hearts broken. Many seem to believe that it is almost a certain fact if you manage to live in an […]
Hello baby, hello my baby, hello hello my special baby, how are you this morning? How are you, how are you, how are you this morning? How are you beautiful? Hungry sweetie? Awww, poor baby, hungry hungry you are! Aren’t you? okay, let’s change your nappy first shall we? does that make you happy? happy, […]
“Because I’m not a native speaker of English! Duhhh” many of you might think. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had advanced students coming up to me completely baffled. They have been learning English for years, yet they are still unable to understand native English speakers, especially on TV. Why especially on TV? […]
This article will be helpful for those of you who believe you have a good command of the English language. You can speak fluently, you know the words, you know the grammar, you’re clear enough for most native speakers, however, you might get the feeling that you don’t sound interesting when you speak English. You […]
How’s your English? No bluffing! “My English is good” they say. Good English! Can’t tell you how frustrating for me to hear those words. What a vague answer! It’s like someone either really sucks at English or is trying to be modest about it. In whichever case, it infuriates me. It’s an “in-no-man’s-land” sort of […]
What is the schwa sound? It is a very LAZY and typically quick and short. In the world of colors, it is equivalent to GREY. In the world of drinks, it is equivalent to water, NO TASTE! Got the idea? I say it’s lazy, because we don’t need to make any effort with the mouth […]
As promised, there is Part 2 of the 8 must-know phrasal verbs, so enjoy it and feel free to ask questions if you’re not sure about anything. If you haven’t checked out Part 1 of the 8 must-know phrasal verbs, DO IT NOW! 2-I’m up…(up for/up to/up against) I’m up for some ice cream! = […]