Cafetalk Tutor's Column

From Setback to Comeback: What to Do After a Bad Test Result

I was looking forward to the almighty test. As a Master’s student back then, I’d spent weeks preppi...

A Little Story About Shakyo (Sutra Copying)

Hello, this is Emiko.H. Today I'd like to share a little about shakyo (sutra copying). Can you beli...

「すぐ来る」VS「もうすぐ来る」何が違う？ "Sugu kuru" VS "Mōsugu kuru" — What's the difference?

今日のテーマは 『すぐ』と 『もうすぐ』！ 何が ちがうか、クイズで 考えてみましょう♪    English below ↓    ★ではクイズです！★   A：先生 来そう？ B： ①すぐ来るよ...

​The Art of the Micro-Vacation: Bringing the Holiday Spirit Home

Think about your day-to-day life. You work hard, manage the home, and carefully save your money. Al...

"A winner is a dreamer who never gives up" Nelson Mandela

My Favourite Motivational Quote One of my favourite motivational quotes is by the great South Afric...

"Where the willingness is great the difficulties cannot be great..."

Who is Niccolo Machavelli? One could say he is one of the most misunderstood or controversial figur...

Why Small Talk Is a Bigger Skill Than You Think

Have you ever met someone who could talk to anyone? Maybe you've wondered how they always seem conf...

My Favorite Motivational Quote

Hello everyone! This weekend, my son had a soccer tournament. His team worked very hard and got 2nd...

Expand Passion For Cultural Understanding

  ‘To know two languages is to have two souls’ by Charlemagne. He was also known as Charles the G...

The Expert Was Once a Beginner

One of my favorite motivational quotes is:              "The expert in anything was once a beginner...

Pop Culture: "You Lost Me"

Pop Culture Tuesday Wait, Where Did You Go? 'You Lost Me' Idioms • Communication • Pop Culture ...

Office English: What is Delegating?

Thursday Office Hours How to Delegate with Confidence Delegation • Leadership Skills • Team Man...

English lessons without the lessons!

    Recently, one of my students said something that brought a huge smile to my face.  They t...

From Sounds to Stories: Building Confident Readers Through Phonics

Did you know that strong readers start with strong phonics skills? In my Phonics for Toddlers lesso...

English You'll Actually Use: Why "A Brown Cute Cat" Sounds Strange

Meet Short Short is a brown tabby cat who was found as a stray kitten on a dairy farm where my wife...

One Little Word, Four Very Different Meanings: Cheer

The 2026 FIFA World Cup has been full of surprises. Like many neutral fans, I found myself cheering...

The quote that calms my nerves before class

My favorite quote is: "Progress, not perfection." ✨   I love it because learning English can feel s...

A Quote That Motivates Me to Never Give Up

My favorite motivational quote is,"Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day in and day out...

Why doesn’t psychology preach the “Eternal”?

This video explores the philosophical and spiritual limitations of modern psychology, arguing that ...

What the mind can conceive, it can achieve.

We've all heard it: "You can do all things if you put your mind to it."   It sounds simple, but I'v...

You are not late, you are on your own route

Some days ago I came across this kid's story by Komal Kamble with a beautiful motivational quote an...

My Favourite Motivational Quote and Why It Has Changed the Way I See Success

My Favourite Motivational Quote and Why It Has Changed the Way I See Success We all have words that...

لماذا فَضَّل النبي (ص) الأميةَ على الاستراتيجية

This video (in Arabic) offers a philosophical and spiritual reflection on the concept of "illiterac...

Meet Shante: Why I Chose to Teach English

Hello everyone! My name is Shante, and I'm an English tutor from South Africa. People often ask me ...

Beyond the Textbook: Why I Became an ESL Tutor

To be completely honest, I didn't set out with a grand plan to become an online English tutor. Year...

It Began in France ... My Journey from Young Teacher to Online Tutor

Many years ago, I lived in France as a young student at a language institute.   Later, I was lucky ...

Beyond the Screen: 5 Years of Teaching, Learning, and Connection

Five years ago, I made a decision that would change my life. I traded in the commute, the crowded s...

I Didn't Plan to Become a Tutor... But I'm So Glad I Did!

If someone had asked me ten years ago whether I would become an online tutor, I probably would have...

Quick tips: put

Using the verb put is a little tricky because it has no meaning if you don’t say where something is...

Why I Became a Tutor

Hello everyone!   People sometimes ask me why I became an online tutor.   The answer is simple.   I...