Another Microhabit : Reading Horoscopes
During the last few weeks, we have talked about some small habits that can help you to improve your English without much effort. We have looked at time-blocking, setting mini-goals, and how to teach...
Category: Idioms
Valentine’s Special: Phrases with ‘Love’ and ‘Heart’
The 14th February is Saint Valentine’s Day. A day on which many parts of the world celebrate romantic love. Although St. Valentine, who lived in the 3rd Century AD, didn’t have any connection to...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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!)....
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...
“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...
