Cafetalk Tutor's Column

Valentine’s Day and Birthday Celebrations: A Month of Love and Reflection

February is a special month for me, as it holds both my birthday and Valentine’s Day. Growing up, m...

Phrasal Verbs in Context - How they can Help you

  Learning phrasal verbs in context is essential because it helps learners use English more natural...

5 Valentine's Day Idioms for English Conversation

Hello, everyone! As we approach Valentine's Day, I'd like to share some of my favorite English id...

Daily English Upgrade #024: JP Trap Fix — Plurals that matter (-s)

That small “-s” changes meaning more than people expect. Quick rule: singular = general concept / o...

Stop Translating in Your Head. Start Speaking Naturally.

Do you understand English… but freeze when it’s your turn to speak? Do meetings, presentations, or ...

A Little Valentine’s Story + New Easy Japanese Graded Reader (JLPT N5–N4)

Hi everyone! A quick Valentine’s story first: My British husband suddenly remembered yesterday and ...

The Most Romantic Thing You Can Do This Year Isn’t a Gift — It’s a Decision.

Valentine’s Day Isn’t About Love — It’s About Choosing Love   Valentine’s Day gets a bad rap for b...

A Winter of Care, Change, and Quiet Strength

Winter can be a season of beauty, but it can also bring unexpected challenges. This winter has been...

“You Can’t Win with a Defeated Mind.”

Your Thoughts Shape Your Performance When a student thinks, “I’m bad at English” or “I’ll never imp...

Daily English Upgrade #023: Micro-Pattern — “If I had to choose, I’d…”

Great for opinions, decisions, and interviews. Pattern: If I had to choose, I’d ____ because ____. ...

English Idioms Challenge - Week 4

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

If Not Now, Then When?

How many times have you said, “I’ll start tomorrow”? Tomorrow becomes next week. Next week becomes ...

Daily English Upgrade #022: Say It Better — “I don’t know” (confident stallers)

Not knowing is normal. The upgrade is sounding calm. Better options: Good question. Let me think fo...

Reading Dickens's David Copperfield

Charles Dickens is one of Britain's best and best-loved authors. Even his name has become an adject...

Galentine's Day

Have you ever heard of Galentine's day? The trend started on a holiday introduced by American TV sh...

What would you do differently this Valentine?

Redefine Love Valentine’s Day is more than gifts and romantic dinners. What does love truly mean t...

Daily English Upgrade #021: Pronunciation — TH made easy (think/this)

You don’t need “perfect TH.” Just aim for a clearer difference. Quick practice pairs (slow → normal...

Why Tarot is Not Fortune Telling

Many imagine a crystal ball and an old witch with cards warning you of danger or perhaps describing...

Real Easy English - a BBC podcast for beginner English learners

https://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/real-easy-english A great way to improve you...

How to Feel More Confident in Online Classes

Confidence: An Important TopicFeeling nervous before taking an online class is completely normal. Y...

My Valentine's Plans & Question for You!

Hello everyone!   I'm buzzing with excitement because Valentine's weekend is almost here! Since it'...

Daily English Upgrade #020: News Bite — One headline, 3 useful phrases

Pick one “headline” you noticed today (work / tech / society / daily life). You can discuss it natu...

A Fast Changing World

I've always been interested in what's happening in the world, and keeping up with the news. It's be...

The mystery of the ablution

PrologueWe confront the sensory overload of a godless world, proving how specific water contact res...

Do You Have Any Plans for Valentine’s Day?

Valentine’s Day is not just about flowers and chocolates ,it’s also a great chance to practice real...

Valentine's Day Date...is Battleship??

Have you ever played Battleship? Growing up, my older brother & I had a Battleship set that we ...

Start and don't be afraid

Fear often stops us from starting. We worry about making mistakes or not being good enough, so we ...

Two Heartwarming Dog Movies on Netflix: Togo and The Art of Racing in the Rain

Recently, I watched two wonderful movies on Netflix: Togo and The Art of Racing in the Rain. Both m...

Use IELTS, TOEFL, TOEIC, GMAT, GRE or SAT as a passport.

It is that simple!If you do yourself justice in one of these standardised tests, than they can act ...

Pet names (terms of endearment) in English

Photo by freestocks on Unsplash With Valentine’s Day coming up soon, I thought I’d share some comm...