Cafetalk Tutor's Column

Quick tips: to be cool/down with something

I was listening to a song yesterday and heard a useful phrase that you’ll probably never find in a ...

和製英語　ー　ハンバーグ

なぜそれが間違いなのか 「ハンバーガー」(“hamburger”)は英語ですけど、「ハンバーグ」は和製英語です。「ハンバーグ」はドイツの都市名です。      代わりに何を言うのが良いのか 一言では...

The Enduring Love Between Americans and Pizza

Tourists might not know this, but the United States is a pizza-loving nation, consuming a staggerin...

Opening phrases in IELTS or EIKEN

Some of us might struggle with opening sentences when we’re required to speak on a topic, express a...

What made you laugh hard recently?

I'm writing this in spoken language so that you can get used to it. :) New vocab are in RED and the...

Talking about fire in English: Part 2

In this brief follow-up to Part 1, I will introduce just a few more words for talking about fire in...

What made me laugh recently? Well...

Earlier today, I found myself yearning for some cuddles with my beloved chihuahua, Bambi. I couldn'...

Talking about fire in English: Part 1

In my recent post titled Canada on fire, I mentioned that Canada has been experiencing unprecedente...

Lost

I was in a group of 10, on a summer's day hike in the Himalayas. Only a day earlier, we were at the...

Canada on fire

Photo: Toronto skyline (June 6th)Over the past week or so, there have been an exceptional number of...

和製英語　ー　バイキング

なぜそれが間違いなのか “Viking”　（「バイキング」）は、約1000年前に北欧に住んでいた海賊で有名な人たちを指す "Viking"に由来しています。   北欧では、この「バイキング」のスタイ...

「Thanks」は注意が必要なので、気を付けてください。

「Thanks」には良いニュアンスと悪いニュアンスがあります。友達とか家族にフレンドリーに「Thanks」と言うこともできるし、皮肉として使うこともできます。にこやかな笑顔で友達に「Thanks」と...

Can you still smile?

Smile coach Keiko Kawano teaches students at a smile training course at Sokei Art School in Tokyo, ...

Advanced Idiom Practice With the Legend of Zelda

This a great opportunity for advanced learners of English to practice their reading! This column po...

Quick tips: wanna, gonna, hafta, sorta, etc.

As most of you probably already know, sounds often blend together in spoken English. “Want to” soun...

How I use AI and technology for language learning

Hello friends,In one of my last columns I wrote about how learning a language cannot be replaced by...

"It's a Southern Thing"

Recently, my younger brother moved to Texas, which is part of the southern United States or "the So...

If you want to get fluent in English. . .

Dear Cafetalk Community,How are you doing? It's nice and warm/hot in Canada now! After the long win...

Coffee Power

Whenever I start the morning with a steaming mug of coffee, I notice a gradual change in my mood. I...

和製英語　ー　ジュース

なぜそれが（時に）間違いなのか  ジュースは "juice "から来ており、特に果物から出る液体を意味します。つまり、「オレンジジュース」はジュースです。「りんごジュース」もそうです。しかし、コーラ...

To be safe !!

大雨、台風の時に I have an idea. When we have a predict to have heavy rain and something like that, the cit...

Series 1: I want to keep in touch with everyone

You may be familiar with all the problems, but I would like to introduce the fun of brain teasers a...

Expressing Your Opinions in English

Expressing one's opinion in English can be challenging if English isn't your first language.If we d...

A message from Anne Shirley

Hello Everyone! How are you today? This is Teacher Asuka.Today, I’m going to share with you a speci...

7 Types Of -Nyms Every Learner Should Know!

The ending -nym or, most often, -onym is a combining form from Greek that means “name.”   Here are ...

Lisa D's June Newsletter & coupons!

============================Coupon Name: June Coupon!!!!!Code: 1a3fe074Discount Rate: 15%For Lesso...

「何が思いつく？」って英語で言える?

When it comes to Kyoto, what comes to mind...もし興味があったら、ビデオを見てみてください。

How to prepare home for summer

How to decorate the house before summer? Ukraine has a wonderful holiday for this. This is Trinity ...

It's Hard to Stay Motivated

Learning a new language can be tough and take a long time. It’s easy to lose motivation. Here are s...

「何でもいい」はフレンドリーな英語で？

Often English students say "何でもいい" in English in a rude way. Can you say it in a friendly way?もし興味が...