Cafetalk Tutor's Column

'A silent voice' echoed through my life

One of the movies that has deeply influenced me is A Silent Voice. It is an anime film about school...

My student won 1st Prize in a Recitation Contest!

Dear Cafetalk Community,I'm so proud to announce that my dear student, Sumire won the Gold Prize at...

Magical Movies with a Lesson

The movies Wicked and Wicked for Good are highly enjoyable for many reasons.  The glorious costumes...

Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone

この本が好きな理由は、文章がそれほど難しくなく、親しみやすいキャラクターのおかげで英語で読むことが楽しいからです。 この本から学んだことは、英語の読書は勉強のように感じる必要はなく、楽しく没入できる...

New Business English lesson: Talking about your job and company

“What company do you work for?”   “What’s your job?”   If you meet someone in a business situation,...

I'm back!

Photo: The view from my wife's room at St. Michael's Hospital in downtown Toronto, where we spent m...

My First 10 Lessons on Cafetalk !

Il y a quelques mois, j'ai pris une grande décision : j'ai quitté mon emploi dans les ressources hu...

The Book That Changed My Perspective: Totto-chan: The Little Girl at the Window" by Tetsuko Kuroyanagi

How This Book Helped Me as an ESL Teacher:   It Taught Me to Listen, Truly Listen: The book's famou...

English as a Lingua Franca-a World Language.

A 'lingua franca' is a language adopted as a common language between speakers who don’t speak the s...

A Movie to remember

My favorite movie that influenced me is definitely “Mean Girls” (2004). This movie takes me back to...

English Idioms Challenge - Week 1

Hey all! Starting a weekly English learning challenge: to try & use this idiom in your next les...

Mastering Vocabulary [1]: Daily Input!

Welcome to our first Mastering Vocabulary lesson! In this series I will teach you various methods y...

Learn English with Naeemah

I know that learning English can be a challenge at times, and sometimes what we all need is a teach...

Veronika the Cow and What Farm Life Taught Me

Recently, in a discussion lesson, we touched on the story of Veronika, a cow who made headlines for...

Idioms - useful and fun!

Hello everyone!I often find idioms are a useful way of quickly checking how fluent in English someo...

The Book(s) That Changed My Life

Once again, I’ve seen this week’s topic and decided I would break the rules. What can I say?  I’m a...

I jumped back up in the tutor rankings!

Thank you to all of the students and the Cafetalk team for helping me move up the tutor rankings in...

What Donald Trump Can Teach You About English

A question I recieve often from students, has often been all too easy to answer: "Is my English goo...

Elevate your Japanese skills!!

Hello to all Japanese learners! I’m Chii, a professional Japanese writing correction specialist. To...

A Turkish Phrase You Can’t Translate Directly: “Kolay Gelsin”

Hello! I’m Emine, a native Turkish speaker and a Turkish tutor. Today, I’d like to introduce you to...

The first propulsive--offensive action in this world

Propulsive thought: How ideas become the first offensive actionHow a profound idea, born from deep ...

Winter weather words

Photo: winter weather in TorontoIt’s noon in Toronto and I’m sipping tea and looking out the window...

Daily English Upgrade #001: Say It Better — “I think so”

Quick upgrade for today. “I think so” is correct, but it can sound a little flat. Try these instead...

Daily English Upgrade #002: Micro-Pattern — “The main reason is…”

  This pattern helps you sound clear and organized: Pattern:The main reason is + (noun / clause). ...

When and Why I Became a Teacher

I became a teacher in 2021, working at a daycare centre with young children. That experience change...

New Lessons for 2026: Dive into Culture, Conversations, and Ancient Wonders

We’re a few weeks into 2026, and I’m excited to share with you some fresh additions to my lesson l...

Sweet Traditions of Finnish Winter and Spring

In Finland, winter and early spring are long and cold, but they are made warmer by traditional swee...

When and why did I decide to become a teacher?

Initially, I started teaching English as a hobby. Gradually, it became my primary profession. Now I...

Going to the movies = Going to the "School of Rock"

I was so happy when I saw the weekly topic because I am someone who is a little bit obsessed with m...

When and why did you decide to become a teacher?

Photo: A lesson in my old classroom I have been an English teacher for 15 years, but before that I...