Cafetalk Tutor's Column

Book recommendation - The man who mistook his wife for a hat

Hello everyone,     Hope you are well. I'd like to recommend the book The Man Who Mistook His Wife ...

"Muddling Along": From Mojitos Cocktails to Everyday Life

Have you ever come across the phrase "muddling along" in an English book or TV show and wondered wh...

Nostalgic Christmas: How We Celebrated in the 70s & 80s!

Hello everyone! Teacher Howard here. As the holiday season approaches, I’ve been thinking back to w...

The little prince by Antoine De St Exupery changed how I think

Hello all, "The little prince" by Antoine De St Exupery changed how I think. It taught me the follo...

Have You Ever Used a Vending Machine in Japan?

Konnichiwa, everyone! I’m Juri, a Japanese tutor :)In my previous column, I wrote about convenience...

A Book That Changed the Way I Think

I have read many books in my life that have changed the way I think. One that comes to mind is ZEN ...

Long Time, No Practice! - 日記の練習~~!

お久しぶりに~ It's been a long time since I've practiced my Japanese. As my life got busier in some aspe...

Do Chinese people celebrate Halloween in China? Let's learn together!

Hello, everyone! Halloween is just around the corner! When you think of Halloween, you might imagin...

A Cozy Italian Autumn (And Why You Should Fall in Love With It)

Ciao! Welcome to another coffee break with me. I'm Marina, an Italian teacher with 15 years of expe...

Halloween Traditions Around the World

Hello everyone!   Every October, my family has a little Halloween tradition. We carve a pumpkin int...

Let's Talk About Weight Loss: Healthy Habits, Motivation, and Everyday Choices

Have you ever wondered why building healthy habits can be so challenging? From food choices and ex...

Halloween Traditions in the Philippines

Halloween traditions in the Philippines are closely connected to All Saints’ Day on November 1 an...

Watching a horror movie for Halloween

One popular Halloween tradition is watching a horror movie. As the nights become darker and the wea...

A Conversation Can Change More Than You Think

Have you ever had a conversation that stayed with you long after it ended? Perhaps someone offered ...

A Book That Changed the Way I Think

Hello everyone! Howard here. Books have an incredible power to shift our perspective, broaden our ...

Parole e Caffè: Forza — The Little Word of Encouragement

Ciao! Welcome back to "Parole e Caffè". I'm Marina, an Italian teacher with 15 years of experience....

A disappearing Halloween tradition: Bobbing for apples

Photo: North Texas Agricultural College students bobbing for apples, circa 1930s (University of Tex...

Should Some Football Pundits Be Shown the Red Card?

There's a common misconception in language-learning circles that most native speakers speak their l...

Speak English Like a Native – No Thanks!

As I mentioned in my last blog, heaps of native English speakers (even very well-educated ones) who...

Halloween Tradition Through Song: “The Night of Halloween”

Halloween, celebrated annually on October 31st in America, is known for spooky costumes, carved pum...

Halloween Horror Movie - Addendum - Horror Subgenres

Not everyone likes horror films, and that’s fair enough: being scared isn’t everybody’s cup of tea....

Halloween Traditions Around the World

Have you ever wondered how people celebrate Halloween in different parts of the world? Although Hal...

How Bad Habits Creep In (And How to Spot Them)

Although I take my job seriously, I would never class myself as being in the grammar police or even...

[ Living in Japan but barely speaking Japanese? ]Let’s change that in 15 minutes!

Hi everyone! I’m so excited to connect with you all in my lessons.   Are you living in Japan for w...