Cafetalk Tutor's Column

A Challenge That Taught Me Something Valuable

Hello everyone!   This past weekend, it was raining here in Sendai, so my sons and I decided to vis...

日用品を使って身体を鍛える

カーテン、ラップの芯、菜箸、傘、着物の帯締め……。 一見バレエとは関係のないこれらの日用品が、実は姿勢改善や筋力アップ、肩こり予防の素晴らしいツールになることをご存じですか？ 私はレ...

Holidays

Wow so many holidays.I love them all; the holidays do not have to represent religion or politics or...

Walking the 88 Temples: What Shikoku Taught Me About Pacing

  When I began the 1,200-kilometer Shikoku 88 Temple Pilgrimage in Japan, I assumed my biggest chal...

A Daunting Task

Nothing earth-shattering here, and I’m sure many of you have had similar experiences, but I was onc...

Parole e Caffè: Coccola — The Art of a Gentle Hug

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

A Gateway to a Thousand Adventures

As a lifelong reader, this is a tough question. Having read probably over a thousand books since I ...

Morning Routine

I believe that it’s very important to have a morning routine. Something to get you started and read...

Quick tips: route vs course

Both route and course refer to a way of getting from one place to another, but they are used in sli...

A Challenge That Taught Me Something Valuable

One of the most valuable lessons I have learned as an English teacher came from working with a stud...

The Farm : A Challenge That Taught Me Something Valuable

A few years ago, my wife and I made a rather unexpected change in our lives. We left our home in Sh...

A Book Character I’ll Never Forget #2: Legolas and Gimli - English Reading Level: Upper-Beginner

Have you ever watched The Lord of the Rings? You may know that it is based on a very famous series ...

Red Castle or Blue Castle? Japanese Words for Colors and Lights

Hello, I'm SASYA. I live in Osaka. The other day, I went to see the lit-up Osaka Castle.   In the e...

Lessons from My First Jobs: Building Resilience and Experiencing Diversity Early On

Growing up in Canada, my parents held a firm belief: if I wanted spending money, I had to earn it ...

Nervous About Speaking English? Start with One Simple Sentence

Hi, I’m Teacher Sarah! Do you understand some English but sometimes go blank when it’s your turn to...

Who, What, Where?

Can you see me on your screen? I have dark spots on skin of green.  I’m trying hard to not be seen!...

日本語教員試験が終わりました～！！

My Japanese language teacher exam is finally over!! I don't know the results yet, but I really hope...

30 Days to Speak English with More Confidence!"

ENGLISH SPEAKING CHALLENGE!    Do you understand English but struggle to speak confidently? Are yo...

Hello Cafetalk! From Hong Kong Data Teams to Your English & Tech Goals

Every career pivot I’ve ever seen—and every major breakthrough a student makes in English—start...

Feel JAPAN with Yoko chan #04 | 美しい日本語 ― いただきます Itadakimasu: More Than “Let’s Eat”

You probably know the word Itadakimasu. But do you know where it comes from?     If you have been t...

A Challenge That Taught Me Something Valuable: Living Abroad

When I moved to Osaka for 10 months in 2025, it was the first time I had ever lived abroad. It was ...

A challenge that taught me something valuable: making an indie film

Unlike traditional paths in the film industry, indie directors don't start at the bottom of a major...

Why Smart Engineers Lose the Room in English Meetings: How the STAR Method Fixes It)

Three minutes into a Tuesday morning stand-up, you can usually tell who is going to win the room an...