“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...
Tagged: English
Differences between having English and Spanish as your mother tongue
Maybe you are thinking “How can someone compare having two different mother tongues?” After all, people have only one mother tongue, right? Well, there are some people, like my father, who grew up...
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 Today, suitcases have wheels, postcards have been replaced by...
Using the conditional tense to be gentle
Would you like to read with me? Perhaps you have noticed that in English it is possible to use the conditional tense in a special way; to say what you want, but gently....
How to make the most of your English Class
Many teachers, including myself, are always telling their students that it is important to study, or at least have a bit of contact, with the language you are learning, every day. You...
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...
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...
