Cafetalk Tutor's Column

How I Became a Teacher (Almost by Accident)

At junior high school in the UK, I studied one of the few computer courses available at the time. T...

Daily English Upgrade #007: Pronunciation — PREsent vs preSENT (stress changes meaning)

Quick pronunciation win: stress can change meaning. PREsent (noun) = a giftpreSENT (verb) = to show...

The Turkish tense that shows you how you know

Have you ever seen people online calling Turkish “-miş” the “gossip tense”? It went viral for a rea...

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...

Daily English Upgrade #003: JP Trap Fix — “I’m agree” → “I agree”

Quick fix that instantly makes you sound more natural: √ I agree. (Correct)X I’m agree. (Incorrect)...

A New Adventure in Teaching

Hello to all students (and fellow teachers)! I hope 2026 is treating everyone kindly. I’m still new...

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...

Daily English Upgrade #005: Better Questions — “What’s your take on…?”

  Want smoother conversations? Ask better questions. Instead of: “Do you like it?” Try: What’s your...

Daily English Upgrade #008: Say It Better — “Maybe” (natural softening phrases)

“Maybe” is fine — but these give you better control. Soft “maybe”: Maybe. It depends. More natural:...

Daily English Upgrade #006: Mini-Conversation — Small talk opener + 2 follow-ups

Small talk gets easier when you stop trying to be “perfect” and use a simple flow. Opener: How’s yo...

THE SILENT SECRET: Winning "Best Thriller Screenplay" in Los Angeles!

Hello everyone, and welcome back to the cafe! I’m still pinching myself as I write this. As many of...

Daily English Upgrade #004: Tone Control — “Send it today” → “Could you send it today?”

Same message — very different feeling. Direct (can sound too strong): Send it today. Neutral / pol...

When and why did I decide to become a teacher?

I decided to become a teacher when I realized how much fulfillment I found in helping others learn ...

English Idioms Challenge - Week 2

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

SHOWREEL

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

What Teaching English Taught Me

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

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...

☆ Grammar Challenge ☆ January Grammar Clinic Quiz ☆

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

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...

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 ...

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...

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...

10 Grammar Conflicts That Can Cause Confusion

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

It is Time For Tea!

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

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,...

French the language of love

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

The Fresh Cilantro and Basil Story

The Fresh Cilantro and Basil Story (Vocabulary list at the end) Chapter 1: Cilantro Cilantro, in pa...

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...

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...

Asian Food in Africa

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