Cafetalk Tutor's Column

How to Feel More Confident in Online Language Classes

Many language learners think confidence is something you either have or don’t have. If you are shy,...

Asian Food in Africa

When I first started watching Asian dramas on TV, I was slowly introduced to Asian food. I had neve...

Inspirational podcast on 'Haiku'

I am a big fan of 'Luke's English Podcast' and think it's a great resource for upper intermediate &...

I didn’t adopt a cat… A cat adopted me.

I recently got a cat, but it happened in a very unexpected way. I have always loved cats and when I...

From Words to Confidence: Your English Journey Starts Here

English is more than grammar and vocabulary — it’s a bridge to people, opportunities, and confidenc...

28 Years in the Sky: Lessons from the Cabin Manager’s Seat

When you spend 28 years traveling the world at 35,000 feet, you see it all. I started my career as ...

Daily English Upgrade #012: Tone Control — Polite disagreement (“I see your point, but…”)

Disagreeing politely is a real skill. Soft disagreement: I see your point, but… That makes sense, b...

The Fresh Cilantro and Basil Story

The Fresh Cilantro and Basil Story Chapter 1: Cilantro Cilantro, in particular, goes bad very quick...

How an Alphabet Reform Shaped Modern Turkish

When people start learning Turkish, they are often surprised by how phonetic it is. What you see is...

It is Time For Tea!

Did you know that 'it is teatime' , can mean different things, depending on where you live in the U...

Confidence: The Unstudied Rule of English

There is a persistent illusion among many learners of English that confidence must wait for correct...

Not Cold, Just Considerate: Japan’s Silent Rules for Language Learners

Japan can feel incredibly welcoming—and sometimes strangely hard to read.   You didn’t do anything ...

The Director of Your Own Life

Pull up a chair, grab a coffee, and let’s get real for a minute. After the whirlwind of filming my...

Daily English Upgrade #011: Business Skill — Clarifying in meetings (“So you mean…?”)

In meetings, clarity beats “perfect English.” Clarify: So you mean (that)…? Do you mean (that)…? Co...

Short BBC documentary videos with subtitles - 短いBBCのドキュメンタリービデオ

https://www.bbc.com/reel/ BBC Reel is a collection of short documentary videos from the BBC about v...

French the language of love

  I've always loved languages, and French is a favorite. I decided to become a French tutor during ...

☆ Grammar Challenge ☆ January Grammar Clinic Quiz ☆

It’s already February, which means the January Grammar clinic has closed.  I’d like to thank everyo...

What Teaching English Taught Me

 Why Did I Became a Teacher? Motivation / Career / Learning The simple answer is...   I became ...

Filming March 6th to 14th in the UK: Working on "Little Bits of Me

Hello from the set! The energy here is incredible. As I mentioned in my previous "Cafe talk" posts,...

Daily English Upgrade #010: JP Trap Fix — “Discuss about” → “Discuss”

Quick fix: √ discuss + topicX discuss about + topic Correct examples: Let’s discuss the plan. We di...

10 Grammar Conflicts That Can Cause Confusion

Misunderstandings often happen as a result of a breakdown in communication: what the speaker said v...

When and why did you decide to become a teacher?

Rather than simply becoming an instructor, my wish to teach on CafeTalk stemmed from a desire to pr...

SHOWREEL

Hello everyone, and welcome back to the cafe! I’m still pinching myself. As many of you know, I’ve...

Daily English Upgrade #009: Micro-Pattern — “What I mean is…”

Great when you want to clarify (and sound calm). Pattern: What I mean is + (clarification). Example...

My Top 5 English Corrections (From a Guy Who Once Complimented Someone’s “Fur”)

  Before we begin, I have a confession to make. A few years ago when one of my wife's friends visit...

Speak Better English: Embarrassing Stories #001

Speak Better English: Embarrassing Stories #001 Work / Communication / New beginnings “Please t...

The dimension of my spot in the land of resurrection

The Crowd's Collective-yet-individual Consciousness in the Land of Resurrection How the collective...

English Idioms Challenge - Week 2

Hey all! This is the second weekly English learning challenge: to try & use this idiom in your ...

More winter weather words

Photo: Snow piled high on a car on my street Once again I’m sipping on tea and looking out my wind...

The Art of the Brave Word: Finding Your Voice Across Worlds

Have you ever felt like Bilbo Baggins stepping out of the Shire for the first time? That tiny flutt...