Cafetalk Tutor's Column

Speak Better English: A Wheel-y Good Fantasy Series!

Speak Better English: A Wheel-y Good Fantasy Series! Reading for pleasure • Useful vocabulary •...

How to balance study and free time

1. Plan your time (but keep it flexible) Create a daily or weekly schedule where you block out stud...

“Your second life begins when you realize you only have one” / Why this book stayed with me

This week’s topic is about a favorite book.   I don’t really have one “favorite” book. But there is...

Don't forget about yourself!

A lot of times we are stuck on our routines and focused on our works and problems, that we forget t...

A Simple and Powerful Book to Improve Your English

My favourite book is Animal Farm by George Orwell. I like this book because it is simple to read bu...

When a Word Sounds Negative: A Quick Look at English Sound Symbolism

In a lesson last night, one of my students and I were discussing whether words themselves can be “g...

April Fool!

Some people celebrate April Fools’ Day by pranking their friends and family on the first day of Apr...

My favorite book and why students should read it

My favorite book is Atomic Habits by James ClearThe students should read this book beacause:Teaches...

Historic Moon Mission by NASA

NASA’s Artemis II mission, launched yesterday April 1st 2026, marks humanity’s first crewed journey...

“I Can Pronounce the Words… But People Still Don’t Understand Me” Why Pronunciation Practice Alone Doesn’t Lead to Clear Speech

  You can pronounce the words. You’ve practiced the sounds. You’ve repeated sentences. You’ve worke...

Why Vietnamese Final Sounds Are a Nightmare – And How I Help Students Master Them in Just Three Lessons

Inspired by a Japanese student struggling with Vietnamese final sounds, I developed a self-created,...

Travel Smart, Speak Confidently at Hotels

Have you ever felt nervous speaking English when checking into a hotel? Or unsure what to sa...

Talking about books in English: Part 2

Welcome back to this article about talking about books in English! In Part 1, we covered vocabulary...

Hans Christian Andersen’s Complete Fairy Tales: My Favorite Book!

Hans Christian Andersen’s tales are so famous that they’re part of our collective memory; who doesn...

Small Choices...Big Impact

 Taking a moment to reflect on our actions can be one of the most powerful steps toward creating a ...

Why confidence comes after speaking, not before

At some point, when you’re learning a language, this thought usually comes up:   “I’ll speak when I...

Who is 'Uchi'?（「うち」ってだれ？）

  日本語で「わたし」を言ういろいろな言い方 ある日、町で高校生の女の子の会話が聞こえました。 One day, I heard some high school girls talking in ...

Looking Up

For 28 years, I worked as cabin crew, flying across the world. My focus was always on where I was ...

Why do people eat chocolate bunnies during Easter?

Photo: Chocolate bunnies at SOMA Chocolatemaker in TorontoAnother Easter holiday has come and gone ...