Cafetalk Tutor's Column

When and Why I Decided to Become a Teacher

I decided to become a teacher when I realized how powerful communication is. I’ve always enjoyed he...

Why am I a Teacher?

I could say that my teachign story starts in university. I could say that my desire to teach began ...

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...

The Unexpected Moment That Made Me a Teacher

My official journey as a teacher began in 2021, but the spark was lit in a quiet corner of a primar...

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 #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)...

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...

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

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

Speak Better English: Embarrassing Stories #001

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

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...

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 dimension of my spot in the land of resurrection

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

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...

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 ...

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...

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

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

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...

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...

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...

French the language of love

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

10 Grammar Conflicts That Can Cause Confusion

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

☆ Grammar Challenge ☆ January Grammar Clinic Quiz ☆

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

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,...