Christmas in the UK
In this article I use the present to write a story about the recent past. I’ve gone home for Christmas this year, to my small town outside London. My parents pick me up from...
Category: English learning
Cockney Rhyming Slang
When I was a boy, I occasionally used a strange type of slang language despite not even realising when I was using it. This is because I might have told a friend to ‘use...
Some Quick Phrasal Verb Practice
Phrasal verbs are a very important part of good use of English. You can speak without them, but it will be very difficult to understand native speakers if you don’t understand them. It is...
Things you can’t learn from a coursebook
A good coursebook can give a great framework to learning a second language. By following a programme, students can gradually build on what they know, to create a good base of a second language....
“Speak of the devil” and other common expressions
A year ago, I wrote an article about some expressions that are common in English-speaking countries. Today I will add to that list, with a few more idioms that I definitely use from...
Words added to the dictionary in the 21st century
All languages are constantly evolving. In fact, English spoken 500 years ago would not even be understood by English speakers today. However, the rise of the internet and social media has probably...
How to choose what to read in English
A hundred years ago, choosing what to read wasn’t much of a problem. If you were lucky, you had more than one newspaper to choose from and could select books from the local...
The Present Perfect tense; the Argentinian problem
When I arrived in Argentina, my Spanish was already quite advanced, as I had lived in Spain for a year, and studied the language quite a lot. Of course, I noticed a lot...
Do’s and Don’ts of English learning with young children
The benefits of knowing a second language go far beyond those of communication. People who know more than one language have been shown to have better memories, better problem-solving skills, better attention-spans...
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!)....
