How is Mother’s day celebrated worldwide?
This is the second Mother’s Day I have spent in Argentina, and I am surprised at how widespread its popularity is. I have even seen shops promoting ‘mes de mama‘ (Mother’s month!)....
Category: Common expressions
Chicxs! The ease of gender-neutral language in English compared to Spanish
Disclaimer: I am not a gender specialist – I am an English teacher who was asked by some students to address this popular issue. So here I go. The first thing that comes...
Monday to domingo; naming the days of the week
The seven-day week is so completely accepted by us that it is easy to forget that it is a human invention. It is thought that people began to use a set of...
“Alfajores de dulce de leche” and other untranslatable words
Somewhere in Western India, I bought some fried food from a man on the street. He spoke enough English to have a basic conversation. As I was going to pay him, he said...
Spain, Thailand, India and Argentina: Differences in teaching English in 4 countries
I have to admit that my analysis is not completely impartial. In Spain and Thailand I taught in primary schools, in India in a secondary school and in Argentina, various ages in various...
Essential 21st Century Travel Lingo
Learning expressions to use when travelling has always been one of the first things to learn in another language. But the times have changed! Today, suitcases have wheels, postcards have been replaced by...
8 English words with native American origins
The English language has a very long history. Like most European languages, it is part of the huge Indo-European language family, which began thousands of years ago in central Asia. Around the 16th...
Adults and Kids: Relaxing and fun ways to practice English during the holidays
The winter holidays are here in South America. This is the perfect time to relax and forget about studying. But, as you know, the best way to learn languages is to keep contact with...
Specially or Especially? No or not?
Even advanced English learners sometimes put ‘not’ or ‘no’ in the wrong place. And just what is the difference between ‘Specially’ and ‘Especially’? Here are explanations of two common mistakes that advanced...
Quick test of football terms!
When you watch a football match in English do you understand all the commentary? As the World Cup progresses this is the perfect time to brush up on your football lingo. Here’s a little...
