Cafetalk 讲师专栏

給中級學習者的口說進化課：寫作

  學了兩、三年的中文，你是否常煩惱： 雖然日常交流沒問題，但一遇到複雜的話題，就只能用簡單的詞彙和斷斷續續的短句？ 其實，想要突破口說的瓶頸，其中一個祕訣就在於「寫作」。 寫作並非只是為了把字寫漂...

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,...

Confidence: The Unstudied Rule of English

There is a persistent illusion among many learners of English that confidence must wait for correct...

French the language of love

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

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...

The Fresh Cilantro and Basil Story

The Fresh Cilantro and Basil Story (Vocabulary list at the end) Chapter 1: Cilantro Cilantro, in pa...

Inspirational podcast on 'Haiku'

I am a big fan of 'Luke's English Podcast' and think it's a great resource for upper intermediate &...

The Director of Your Own Life

Pull up a chair, grab a coffee, and let’s get real for a minute. After the whirlwind of filming my...

How an Alphabet Reform Shaped Modern Turkish

When people start learning Turkish, they are often surprised by how phonetic it is. What you see is...

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...

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 ...

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...

不冷淡，只是更體貼：給語言學習者的《日本無聲規則》

i日本常常讓人覺得非常友善——但有時也會「難以讀懂」。 你並沒有做什麼「壞事」，但氣氛卻微妙地變了。沒有人直接說什麼，可你就是能感覺到空氣中有一個無聲的訊息。 這正是我創作 Podcast《Japa...

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:...

【一週兩次・讀台灣】徐若熙加盟軟銀鷹 喊話挑戰大聯盟

【一週兩次・讀台灣】 教科書を飛び出し、台湾の「今」を知り、生きた台湾華語をマスターしませんか？ 毎週2回、最新の台湾ニュースを題材に、台湾特有の文化、時代を映す言い回し、そして興味深い社会現象を...

28 Years in the Sky: Lessons from the Cabin Manager’s Seat

When you spend 28 years traveling the world at 35,000 feet, you see it all. I started my career as ...

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...

From Words to Confidence: Your English Journey Starts Here

English is more than grammar and vocabulary — it’s a bridge to people, opportunities, and confidenc...

New Business English lesson: Making Small Talk and Networking

Great business relationships start with small talk.   If your small talk is smooth and natural, it ...

Asian Food in Africa

When I first started watching Asian dramas on TV, I was slowly introduced to Asian food. I had neve...

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...

Daily English Upgrade #011: Business Skill — Clarifying in meetings (“So you mean…?”)

In meetings, clarity beats “perfect English.” Clarify: So you mean (that)…? Do you mean (that)…? Co...

【一週兩次・讀台灣】詐騙包裹手法翻新 專家提醒留意賣家名稱與包裹外觀

【一週兩次・讀台灣】 教科書を飛び出し、台湾の「今」を知り、生きた台湾華語をマスターしませんか？ 毎週2回、最新の台湾ニュースを題材に、台湾特有の文化、時代を映す言い回し、そして興味深い社会現象を...

Travel Japanese You Can Use Today (within 60 seconds)

If you’ve ever traveled in Japan and thought, “I studied… so why can’t I reply fast enough?”—you’re...

Inner Alchemy #03: Transforming Your Deepest Sorrow into Life Energy—Beyond Emotional Turmoil: The Secret Process of Self-Awakening

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Hannya Within the human heart, there exists a force we call the “Oni” (unawak...

Daily English Upgrade #012: Tone Control — Polite disagreement (“I see your point, but…”)

Disagreeing politely is a real skill. Soft disagreement: I see your point, but… That makes sense, b...

I didn’t adopt a cat… A cat adopted me.

I recently got a cat, but it happened in a very unexpected way. I have always loved cats and when I...

How to Feel More Confident in Online Language Classes

Many language learners think confidence is something you either have or don’t have. If you are shy,...

How to Feel More Confident in Your Online English Class

  If you feel nervous, shy, or unsure when joining an online English class, you’re not alone. Many ...

Why Reading News Articles Helps You Learn English

Reading news articles is a powerful way to improve your English. News uses real, everyday la...