カフェトーク講師コラム

How to congratulate a co-worker on a promotion

Why take the time to congratulate a co-worker for getting a promotion?For starters, it is a nice th...

Let me introduce you to my town - Richmond Hill in Toronto.

I live in the suburbs of Toronto, in the Town of Richmond Hilll. It has a population of 195,020 (20...

Black Friday

Black Friday is an informal name for the day following Thanksgiving Day in the US, which is the fou...

Write a letter to Santa and he will write back!

In Canada, you can actually write a letter to Santa and he will write back!  This service ...

Marijuana will be legal in Canada tomorrow (Oct 17)

I am concerned about the legalisation of marijuana in Canada.  Starting October 17, anyone ove...

Free online English test for English students

I found a website which may be useful for students who are planning to take international English e...

Happy Thanksgiving

October is my most favourite month of the year.  The weather is getting cooler, the leaves are...

What is that stinking smell?

A rare Indonesian plant that only blooms once a decade is stinking up the Toronto Zoo.  Th...

Weather Vocabulary

airconditioner - an appliance that cools down the air in a room.  avalanche - a dangerous slid...

Back to school - Tips for parents

Say goodbye to lazy summer.  School is starting this week.  In Canada, school started on ...

Foods for healthy, glowing skin

We use different skin care products to maintain or improve the condition of our skin.  We wash...

A relaxing holiday by the lake

I am back from a relaxing three day holiday, feeling invigorated and exhausted at the same time. M...

Natural Disasters 2018

Natural disasters around the world are occurring at an alarming rate in 2018.  Every fe...

I have completed 250 lessons!

Dear students,   I am happy to announce that I have completed 250 lessons.    Co...

Using Double Negatives in English - Dos and don'ts

You may have read in your textbooks that double negatives should be avoided, and there is a good re...

Happy Canada Day!

"No matter where we are, as Canadians, we celebrate Canada and the people who have built the countr...

Why our kids are ruder than we were

Kids these days are ruder than when we were kids.Years ago, when I was a child, we addressed our pa...

Do you hear Yanny or Laurel?

There is a debate over an audio clip that has gone viral.    Some people hear Yanny an...

Fun, funny and not funny

I have come across some students who misuse the word "funny".  From the students' point of vie...

#Torontostrong - Toronto will move forward

Thousands of people attended the vigil that was held yesterday at Mel Lastman Square, to mourn th...

Ice storm this weekend!

Environment Canada warns residents in southern Ontario of a “potentially historic ice storm&r...

Facebook - Breach of Privacy

After 8 years of using Facebook, I am finally done with it! According to the local Toronto news CP...

Beware of what you say on social media

Social media is a powerful tool for brands of all types. It helps them connect, engage, and establi...

I have completed 100 lessons on Cafetalk!

I am very excited to announce that I have completed 100 lessons on Cafetalk.  It is a mileston...

My favourite author - James Patterson

James Patterson is a famous American author.  Some of his books are co-written with other auth...

The 5 most common interview questions and how to answer them

Wouldn’t it be great if you knew exactly what potential employers were going to ask you in a ...

Spaghetti that is not really spaghetti

Hi everyone, I found this super healthy recipe that I would like to share.  It's a vegetarian...

Do I use who or whom?

Of all the parts of speech, pronouns probably cause the most trouble.  Do I use who or who...

Planning S.M.A.R.T.

New Year Resolutions - Plan SMART Happy New Year! It is the time of the year to make resolutions...

明けましておめでとうございます!

みなさん, 明けましておめでとうございます. 今年もよろしくお願いします. I wish everybody a Happy New Year!