Cafetalk Tutor's Column

Chiang Mai: The Jewel of Northern Thailand

Thailand, a country renowned for its rich culture, stunning landscapes, and warm hospitality, is a ...

Embracing Change & a Fresh Start

Hello everyone,  (ෆ˙ᵕ˙ෆ)♡ I wanted to share a little story about a recent change I made in my life—...

和製英語 - スキルアップ

image: pxhere (no attribution required)なぜそれが間違いなのか   “Skill”（「スキル」）は名詞であり、動詞ではありません。   例えば、こんな感じです ...

Speak Naturally Using Phrasal Verbs

In my classes, I emphasize the importance of using phrasal verbs to make your speech sound more nat...

Quick tips: have + time vs. spend + time

To talk about the quality or duration of your experiences, you can use “have + (quality adjective) ...

Day of the Seafarer (船員デー)

Hello. I am a Japanese language tutor, Muu.In Japan, Kyushu region, Shikoku region, and Honshu:the ...

Strategies to improving your Linkedin Profile

LinkedIn is a powerful platform for professionals looking to enhance their online presence, network...

Visiting Niagara Falls

This week I visited Niagara Falls for just the second time in my life. The bus ride from Toronto’s ...

Effective Paraphrasing in the IELTS Speaking Tests

Dear students, As you some of you will already know, I am constantly encouraging you to paraphrase ...

Tablet from Scotland

'Tablet' means many things but in Scotland, it is likely to refer to a sweet. It was written down i...

Juhannus: The Finnish Midsummer Celebration

Juhannus, the Finnish Midsummer celebration, is a magical time when the sun barely sets and nature ...

每日一詞：原諒 / Word of the Day: "原諒(yuán liàng) "

Word of the Day: Forgive "原諒" (yuán liàng) is a Chinese verb that means to forgive or pardon. It i...

Longest day of the year

Hello! I am a Japanese language teacher, Muu..Today, June 21 2024, is the summer solstice. It is th...

2024 is the year of Imaginary Friends...

What if I told you imaginary friends are real? And when their kids grow up, they're forgotten. Man...

「想要」跟「想」的差別 / The Difference between"想要" (xiǎng yào) and "想" (xiǎng)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wsila9kjmRQIn Mandarin, "想要" (xiǎng yào) and "想" (xiǎng) sometimes ...

Canadian sweets: Nanaimo bars

Dating back to 1953, the Nanaimo bar is a Canadian dessert that is named after the city of Nanaimo ...

Expanding Vocabulary Through Contextual Learning

A robust vocabulary is crucial for achieving a high band score in “Lexical Resource”  in the IELTS ...

English Grammar Quiz!

Dear Cafetalk Community,How are you? I heard it's warming up in Japan and it's already hot! I hope ...

The Secret To Becoming A Better Speaker? Write More.

Believe it or not, there are specific parts of the brain that work the best when you engage in writ...

Summer Special

I Have had a crazy year, but now school has finished hopefully things will be calmer.Come join me f...

Sticky toffee pudding - a British dessert

Sticky toffee pudding is my favourite British dessert, and one of my all time favourite British foo...

Nostalgic Delights: Classic British Sweets from the 1970s

Nostalgic Delights: Classic British Sweets from the 1970s The sweet shops of the UK in the 1970s we...

Ukrainian sweets

Ukrainian sweets   Sweets are not only a source of pleasure for the taste, but are also considered ...

Achieving Grammatical Range and Accuracy in IELTS - Complex Sentence Structures

One of the key factors in achieving a high band score in the IELTS Writing and Speaking tests is th...

CAN WE USE 'AGO' WITH PRESENT PERFECT?

My students often ask me when I teach them present perfect that they have been told that they canno...

The OG Indian Candy

Sweet Paan Candy (or Paan Pasand Goli) is one of the oldest hard candies in India. It is believed t...

「雷」的用法介紹 / Introduction to the Use of "Spoiler"

  「雷」的用法介紹 在日常語言中，「雷」這個詞常被用來形容意外地遇到令人失望或低於預期的人或事，就好像踩到地雷一樣。這種情況在看電影、電視劇或者閱讀書籍時尤為常見。 例如，你可能會說：「...

Favorite book to read on the summer solstice（MOOMIN ）／夏至の日に読みたい本

I have loved Moomin novels since I was a child. There are 9 books in total. Since Moominvalley is l...

The Perfect Beach Read: "Bechamp or Pasteur" by Ethel Hume

Summer is here, and with it comes the age-old tradition of choosing the perfect beach read. While m...

IELTS CRITERIA 4 - Pronunciation Mastery: Intonation, Stress, and Rhythm

Achieving a high band score in the IELTS Speaking test goes beyond having a good vocabulary and gra...