Cafetalk Tutor's Column

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...

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...

Halloween Traditions and 5 Useful Russian Phrases

Halloween Traditions and 5 Useful Russian Phrases Halloween is celebrated in many countries on Octo...

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....

Avoiding Cultural Gaffes: British vs American English

If you've mastered textbook English, congratulations—you've climbed a major mountain. But the momen...

Grammar Mistake or Right as Rain? Decoding Casual English

In my last blog, we looked at how bad habits creep into everyday speech and how even native speaker...

VERBS IN EVERYDAY ENGLISH

  Cafetalk Lesson: Verbs in Everyday English 1. Warm-up: What is a verb? A verb is an action word....

Halloween Traditions Around the World

When I was a kid I loved going Trick-or-Treating. I can still remember the smell of the Halloween c...

Casa Loma: Legends of Horror

Photo: Casa Loma lit up for the Legends of Horror eventCasa Loma, constructed between 1911 and 1914...

Let's Learn Halloween Words! はろうぃんの ことばを おぼえよう！

The photo shows Halloween decorations and autumn vegetables.   •かぼちゃ (kabocha) = pumpkin, kabocha s...

Make English Fun! Happy English Quiz for Kids

Does your child love games, colours, numbers and fun activities? Let's make learning English an exc...

Search and Find

Hoping never to be seen in shades of brown against the green and yellow leaves mixed in with brown ...

You’ve Studied Japanese… But Can You Actually Speak It?

Learning Japanese Is More Than Just Studying a Textbook! こんにちは！I'm Shima, a licensed Japanese teac...

The Unlocked Door: How a Weekly Delivery Sparked a Lifelong Love of Reading

      The Unlocked Door: How a Weekly Delivery Sparked a Lifelong Love of Reading A True Story by ...

Halloween Around the World: How Do You Celebrate? ??

Did you know that Halloween can look completely different depending on where you live?   For some p...

A Book Character I’ll Never Forget

Hello everyone!   This past weekend, my sons and I carved a pumpkin into a Jack-o'-lantern for Hall...

The Danger of Making Assumptions

How often do we mistake an assumption for a fact? We see something, hear something or meet someone,...

【English Tip】Stop saying "I'm fine, thank you!" ?? Try these natural phrases instead!

Hello everyone! This is Tutor Peace smiles When someone asks you, "How are you?", what is the first...

Happy Godzilla Day!

November 3rd marks the 72nd anniversary of the Japanese theatrical release of GODZILLA (1954). Ever...

Welcome to the Japanese-Style Room!わしつへ ようこそ!

A 「わしつ」 is a room in the traditional Japanese style. The room in the photo has these things:   •たたみ...

A Book Character I’ll Never Forget: Uhtred of Bebbanburg

Well, this is a tough one. There are so many! Talk about an embarrassment of riches! Today, though,...

Parole e Caffè: Meraviglia — The Beauty of Being Amazed

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

Neagari no Okusu: A Japanese Wordplay with the Same Sound "Ne"

Hello! I'm SASYA, a Japanese teacher. Recently, I visited Ootori Taisha, a shrine in Sakai, Osaka. ...

Oden — Simple Ingredients, Deep Warmth of Home｜おでん

There is a dish I start craving when the weather turns cold. The other day, I saw shiny, fresh daik...

Halloween Memories: Growing Up Trick-or-Treating in Canada

When October arrives, my mind often drifts back to my childhood in Canada and one of the most magic...

The Book Character I’ll Never Forget (And Why We Would Be Best Friends)

When people ask about unforgettable book characters, they usually name someone incredibly noble, ...