Resources: Notes on Life and Language in the United States

What are the excuses that you use when it comes to your English improvement? What are the beliefs, thoughts and ideas that are holding you back from becoming fluent? Today I would like to present a recorded talk by Bennie, an Irish guy who travels around the world and becomes fluent in a new language every 3 months. In his talk he gives some important language learning tips and highlights four of the most common reasons why people insist that they cannot learn a language. Are you using any of these excuses?

So you have been in the United States as an international professional or students for a few years.

Have you ever said something like this to yourself: "If only I could become fluent in English, I could finally succeed in the US". A lot of international professionals believe that learning English is the key to their success in the United States. In my opinion, this is not the case.  There is another dimension that  influences your way of being, your way of communicating, your way of viewing the world and certainly influences your ability to be successful here. That dimension is culture. Why do so many people think that it's all about language and miss the importance of culture? It could be the fact that language is a more measurable and well understood variable. It is easy to measure your progress on the TOEFL exam or even count the number of new vocabulary words that you learn each week. However, in today's article, let's explore why cultural adjustment and business etiquette are two issues that may influence your success as much as or more than your English skills.

It's a new year and this is the time when everyone thinks about their goals for the coming year. Did you have success with your English in 2011? Are you satisfied with your current level? If not, it's time to think seriously about what you can do to reach the level of English success that you need for your career and your life in the United States. In today's article, I will present five things that you absolutely MUST do if you want to improve your English in the new year. Don't waste anymore time wishing that you could speak better than you can! Check out the points below and get started!

Tomorrow is the first day of 2012 and that means that many people are making their new year's resolutions. Do you have a new year's resolution to make? Would you like to learn how to make your new year's resolution in English using common expressions and phrasal verbs? In today's lesson, we have a video quiz with some of the most common verbs and vocabulary words that are used when we talk about resolutions in English. Take the video quiz and learn how to talk about your goals for 2012 in English!

2011 is almost history and it has been an exciting year at English and Culture! We have published a lot of new content this year to help you understand common English expressions, make conversation in English, set your English goals and adjust to life in the United States. Our goal is to answer your questions and make the transition to life in the United States easier for you by helping you develop English language skills and cultural competence. So why not take this opportunity to catch up on our most popular articles if you missed them in 2011.

So you are in New York or Boston and you need to improve your English. You aren't sure if one-to-one English lessons or group English classes are the best choice for you. The correct choice is different for everyone. It all comes down to your priorities. Do you have a lot of time in your schedule or very little time available? Are you more concerned about paying a low price or getting a good value? In this post, I will show you 5 key differences between group classes at the large language schools and one-to-one English lessons with a private tutoring company.

If you are living and working in the United States with American colleagues, you might want to learn more about your own cultural values and the cultural values that determine the way that your American colleagues communicate and view the world.  How would you answer this question:

Are you moving in the right direction to improve your English? If you are taking an English class and you are not improving as quickly as you expected, you need to make some changes. Taking regular lessons with a qualified teacher is important but some people benefit from that investment of time and money more than others. The amount that you are able to improve is directly related to what you do outside of class. Are you taking the time to practice the new vocabulary words that you learn in class? Are you practicing with native speakers every day?  In this article, I will suggest 4 things that you might be doing or might not be doing and how those things are holding you back from moving to the next level with your English.

Are you prepared for your next meeting in English?

Your level of English in a business meeting could directly impact your success at work and in your career in general.

If you want to prepare for your meeting, try downloading our new guide- How to Lead a Business Meeting in English.

Also in this post, we have links to some of our recent content that can help you improve your ability to speak English with confidence at work.