Resources: Notes on Life and Language in the United States

Today we are going to talk about idioms in English.

Would you like to improve your English? Today I will offer 6 strategies for English language learners.  Some students are more successful at learning English than others. Why is this? Some people believe that the only important factor is natural language learning ability but I don't agree with that.  Your success with English depends more on your attitude and your commitment than your natural language ability.  I have been working with English students from all over the world for the past 6 years. I have seen that it is not always the student with the most natural talent that improves the most. So if you think that you are not a "natural" language learner, here are 6 strategies that will take you much further than talent or natural ability. Give them a try and let me know how they work!

Welcome to today's English vocabulary lesson. In this video lesson, you will learn 6 common English expressions in 3 minutes. In English, we use expressions like "fall for" "cut down on" and "live up to" in our daily conversations often. You probably didn't study these expressions in your home country and now that you are here in the United States and you are hearing these expressions, perhaps you don't know how to use them or what they mean. It's time to learn to speak English like a native speaker. Take 3 minutes to watch this video and add 6 new English expressions to your English vocabulary. Do you have 3 minutes? Let's get started!

Today we have an ESL job interview lesson for you. There are 4 questions that are commonly asked in job interviews. If you are from another country, it is important to know that the interview questions might be quite different from the questions that you are used to in your home country.  So what can you do before, during and after the interview to make sure you get the job? Keep reading for some ideas and advice.

What are your goals?  Today we are going to talk about individual English lessons and your English learning goals. What questions do you need to ask yourself before you decide on your goals? How do you write goals that are realistic and measurable but still allow you to dream and "think big"? Finally, how can an English tutor in an individual English lesson help you to set, work toward and reach your English goals? Remember, to achieve your dreams, you have to start by writing down your goals so let's get started!

Welcome to our vocabulary workshop on confusing words in English! Today we would like to help you with 12 vocabulary words that can be confusing for native speakers as well as English language learners. Do you know the difference between advice and advise? plane and plain? led and lead? If not, this video quiz is for you!

To improve English fluency, you need to be a detective. Good detectives are curious. To be a language detective, you need to be curious about two things- the way that you learn (your learning style and habits) and the language that you are learning (English). In this post, we will talk about how you can become a language detective. Keep reading for some ideas and get started with your first assignment!

Are you wondering if it is necessary to work with a native English teacher in your private English classes?

I engaged in an interesting debate this week on LinkedIn about this subject with some other English teachers and the answer is different for every English learner.

The answer depends on the student's level, the reasons why the student is learning English, the context in which he or she will use the English skills and the student's learning style.

What is the key to being successful in your life and career in the US?

I think the key is understanding the people.

You need to understand not only the English language but also American culture.

Expressions, idioms and common sayings reflect American cultural values.

A great example of an American English expression is "time is money". 

In the United States, we schedule our days based on "clock time". 

Many people are constantly monitoring their watches as a way of determining when an activity should begin, when it should end and to avoid being late.

Is this true in your culture?

If not, keep reading.  We have some advice if you are working and living in the United States.

English verbs can be challenging!

Do you know what it means to ramble on or to jot down?

If you are using English in your career in the United States, you will need to know these verbs to communicate with your English speaking colleagues in the office every day!

So, why not take a quiz to learn a few new verbs.

In this quick 4 minute video, we will learn 7 new English verbs that you can use at work or in your everyday life in the United States.

So let's get started!