Cafetalk Tutor's Column

Why Vietnamese Final Sounds Are a Nightmare – And How I Help Students Master Them in Just Three Lessons

Inspired by a Japanese student struggling with Vietnamese final sounds, I developed a self-created,...

“I Can Pronounce the Words… But People Still Don’t Understand Me” Why Pronunciation Practice Alone Doesn’t Lead to Clear Speech

  You can pronounce the words. You’ve practiced the sounds. You’ve repeated sentences. You’ve worke...

Who is 'Uchi'?（「うち」ってだれ？）

  日本語で「わたし」を言ういろいろな言い方 ある日、町で高校生の女の子の会話が聞こえました。 One day, I heard some high school girls talking in ...

My favorite book and why students should read it

My favorite book is Atomic Habits by James ClearThe students should read this book beacause:Teaches...

Talking about books in English: Part 2

Welcome back to this article about talking about books in English! In Part 1, we covered vocabulary...

Why do people eat chocolate bunnies during Easter?

Photo: Chocolate bunnies at SOMA Chocolatemaker in TorontoAnother Easter holiday has come and gone ...

Looking Up

For 28 years, I worked as cabin crew, flying across the world. My focus was always on where I was ...

Speak Better English: Embarrassing Stories #004

Speak Better English: Embarrassing Stories #004 Work / Introductions / Social Norms “I’m a fres...

New season, New goals; What are you learning this Spring?

Happy Spring to all my students in Japan. This season is all about fresh starts. While many of you ...

Learning something new… when you don’t have time

“If you really want it, you’ll find time.” I think we've all heard that sentence. And... I’ve never...