Go Beyond “How are you?”When learning English, many students fall back on the same exchange:
A: How are you?
B: Fine, thank you. And you?
That’s correct, but it can sound a bit repetitive — and native speakers often use other expressions in everyday conversation. Here are some great alternatives you can try.
Continue reading “Other ways to say “How are you?” and how to respond”
Intended for:
Spanish speakers learning English at an Elementary or Lower-Intermediate level or those with a higher level but without experience in learning pronunciation.
Speaking exams are tough but with the right preparation and mindset, you can step into the examination hall with a good dose of self-confidence in your abilities and a feeling of being in control of the situation rather than overwhelmed by it.
Keep reading for some ideas to help you build confidence and take away some of the anxiety so that you can perform better on exam day.
Continue reading “Self-study for speaking tests: 4 steps that will raise your game”
A binomial is formed by two words and a conjunction that joins them as in: “After a quick visit to the hotel to drop off her bags, she’s been out and about exploring the city all day”.
The order of the words is fixed and if you reverse it, it would sound unnatural and be wrong, e.g. “about and out”.
What follows is a selection of some binomials that I consider useful. I encourage you to learn them and try to use one next time you have a conversation in English. Continue reading “Out and about and other BINOMIALS”
6 phrasal verbs to speak about yourself that will enhance your Speaking (Part 1) in the CAE exam.
The way you are seen by people, the impression you give.
You come across as a friendly/funny/serious/fussy … person, based on what you project to others.
“I would like to come across as a person who knows how to listen.” Continue reading “6 phrasal verbs to speak about yourself”
At the beginning of the next video extract, Emily Blunt is interviewed about the film The girl on the train. Notice how both herself and her interviewer intersperse their utterances with fillers.
I have listed the fillers they use (some of them repeatedly) in the first section of the video 0:00-02:10. Continue reading “Fillers: Buying Time”
Small talk can be awkward and often feels pointless, and yet it’s a part of our everyday lives, no matter what language we speak. At first glance, it seems logical to assume that if you’ve mastered the art of small talk in your native language, transferring those skills to English conversations would be straightforward. However, that’s not always the case.
This could be a significant concern for business English learners, whose ability to engage in small talk is often key to making the right connections when networking. For travellers, small talk can lead to more enriching experiences, opening doors to new friendships and unexpected opportunities during their trips.
Continue reading “Like it or not, small talk is on the menu”
If you don’t use it, you lose it.
But, how to speak English regularly if you don’t live in an English-speaking country?
Decidedly, that constitutes a major obstacle to overcome but not an impossible one. Although a long stay in an English-speaking country is the most effective way to become fluent in a language, there are strategies to adopt when that is not an option.
I would make a distinction here between students who have already been fluent but whose English is getting rusty as time goes by (due to lack of use), and those who are still learning the ropes. For the latter, I would recommend attending a course to receive some guidance. You can also follow some of these tips to reinforce the learning process. For the former, I would say: take the reins!
Let’s dive in and get more specific. Continue reading “Increase your output: oral production”
The moment a new word comes out of your mouth (or your fingertips if you’re typing) represents the moment you own it. It becomes part of your active vocabulary. A moment of bliss, similar to what a collector may feel when adding a new element to the existing collection.
Exposure is key! It gives you the space to expand your output.
Needless to say, living in a non-native English-speaking country limits your possibilities but let’s not use that as an excuse to neglect our productive skills. So, what to do?
First and foremost, take the reins and be proactive. Yes, but how?
Traditionally, the way to go is to sign up for lessons, which is a good move, but it doesn’t take you as far as you need to go, does it? What you add to that and how often you do it makes all the difference. Consider attending classes as a map and yourself as the pilot who may use the map but sometimes simply folds it and follows their instinct. Continue reading “Increase your output: written production”