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...
Category: Idioms
Subtle differences in meaning
Some differences in word-choice are very small and subtle. Why do we say that we use an ‘electric oven‘, but power comes from an ‘electrical power station‘? Why do we say that London...
Should I learn British or American English?
As an English teacher, one question I often hear is “Should I learn British English or American English?” This question is very common, despite there being many other types of English that exist...
False friends for advanced English or Spanish learners
‘False friends’ are words that appear to be the same as a word in another language, but actually have a different meaning. For Hispanophone English learners and Anglophone Spanish learners, it is...
Business English Boost: Meeting a foreign businessman for the first time
Meeting a potential business partner for the first time can be stressful. This stress may be multiplied if you will not be speaking your first language. English is changing all the time, as...
Choose the right prefix! In / Un / De / Im / Ir / Non…..
One of the worst moments for an English teacher is when they have to teach parts of grammar that have no rules. Unruly words. One of these situations arises if a student asks why...
Education System or Educational System? A few word choices…
This week we will look at four confusingly similar words, and see some subtle differences. At the end of the article there are some example sentences to test yourself. 1. Complicated or Complex? The...
Test your knowledge of the differences between American and British English!
The biggest difference between British and American English is accent, however, there are plenty of words that change too! Grab a pen and paper and read the story below! There are 20 words that...
Cultural Differences in Etiquette
How do you greet someone you meet for the first time? The answer to this probably depends on where you are. If you try an Asian bow to say hello to someone in South...
Some common useful expressions
One of the hardest parts of learning a language are ready-made expressions. Those expressions are even more difficult when they don’t make any obvious sense! To help, I have made a collection of some...
