Cafetalk 讲师专栏

“中(zhōng)国(guó)人(rén)的(de)新(xīn)年(nián)假(jià)期(qī)怎(zěn)么(me)那(nà)么(me)长(zhǎng)啊(ā)？”

中国传统新年：从除夕到元宵的“时间仪式” 对很多中国人来说，“过年”不只是一个节日，更像一套延续千年的时间仪式：在一年最寒冷的时段，人们用热闹与团聚，把旧岁送走，把新岁迎来。中国传统新年通常指农历新...

English Idioms Challenge - Week 5

Hey all! This is the fifth week of my English learning challenge: to try & use this idiom in yo...

5 Effective Ways to Prepare for Your Online Lessons

I've been teaching online for some years, and I've noticed something interesting. The students who...

「都挺好」で学ぶ、中国人の本音と感情表現

电视剧《都挺好》台词： 场景背景：苏大强执意要买新房，且要求写他的名字，又因理财被骗而闹绝食，明玉前来处理。   苏大强：明玉啊，这事儿不能怪我，老聂他们都能赚，我怎么就不能赚呢？我这不也是想给这个...

Speak Better English: Embarrassing Stories #003

Speak Better English: Embarrassing Stories #003 Housing / Rent vs. Own / Cultural Differences “...

Self-Motivation Is Hard — But a Positive Mindset Is Power

Let’s be honest: self-motivation is not always easy. There are days when you feel tired, discourage...

“If You Could Master One Skill Overnight, What Would It Be?”

Imagine waking up tomorrow with one new skill mastered. Would it be speaking another language, play...

Prepare yourself before and online class

How to Speak When You Don’t Know the Word

One of the most frustrating moments in English is this: You are speaking. You are confident. You kn...

Practice Makes Your Message Shine

There are times when I'm eager to share my thoughts with others, but the words just won't come out—...

学中文也能很有年味--马年大吉

??马年到！你知道这些“马”成语吗？ 说到马，你会想到什么？速度、冲劲、好运、一路向前。 在中文里，“马”也常出现在祝福语和成语里——短短四个字，气势拉满、寓意满分。 今年是马年，一起把这些高频“马...

Why are you studying English?

We often feel anxiety when we are learning something new. When you are a beginner at a new language...

【日本の日常 #03】猫の日｜ JP/EN/繁中

2月22日は「猫の日」です。理由はとても日本らしいもの。数字の「2」を「にゃん」と読む語呂合わせから、「にゃん・にゃん・にゃん」で猫の日になりました。日本では、数字の読み方を使った語呂合わせがよく見...

The Real Reason You’re Afraid to Speak English

Many English learners believe they are afraid to speak because their grammar is not perfect. But in...

Preparing for an Online Lesson (especially if you're nervous!)

I've had a number of people tell me they get nervous before their first session with a new teacher,...

【台湾旅行 #00】はじまり｜ JP/EN/繁中

3月の終わりごろ、3泊4日で台湾に行くことになりました。   今回の旅行は、主人の勤続20周年のお祝いです。 家族でその節目をお祝いできたらと思い、台湾へ行くことにしました。   今回は台北から入り...

Canada at the Winter Olympics: The good, the bad, and the ugly

Photo: Canadian men's curling teamThe 2026 Winter Olympic Games have wrapped up, and Team Canada wa...

Delay hinders Progress

As tutors and learners, we must understand one principle clearly: delay is the enemy of growth. The...

【東京駅周辺 #03】ジブリと日本テレビ｜JP/EN/繫中

東京駅から2駅、新橋駅の近くには、日本テレビの社屋があります。その外壁に設置されているのが、ジブリの世界観を感じさせる大きなからくり時計です。宮崎駿さんがデザインしたこの時計は、時間になると動き出し...

Tarot: A.I. versus Human

Can AI read tarot accurately? Yes. Somewhat. Is it better than a human? It depends on how deeply y...

Daily English Upgrade #029: Business Skill — Summarize + confirm action items

This makes you sound professional (and prevents mistakes). Useful phrases: Just to summarize, … So ...

【湘南ライフ #03】700年以上続くメンテナンス｜JP/EN/繫中

鎌倉のシンボルである「鎌倉大仏」。この大仏様がなぜ外にいるのか、ご存知でしょうか？もともとは立派な「大仏殿（建物）」の中に安置されていました。しかし、14世紀と15世紀に相次いだ台風や大津波によって...

几(jǐ)--how can beginners use 几(jǐ) to ask questions?

你会用“几”来问问题吗？（HSK1 超实用） Can you ask questions with “jǐ (几)”?很多初学者学会了“什么 / 谁 / 哪儿”，但一到问数量、年龄、时间、日期就卡住...

Do you have questions? Tutors are here to help!

We can sometimes feel shy when working with a tutor.  However, our tutors are here to help!  They l...

Spring flowers

Walking in my local park recently has been a real pleasure because the spring bulbs are really bloo...

Speak Better English: Admit You Have No Idea!

Speak Better English: Admit You Have No Idea! Communication / Confidence / Asking Questions "Ye...

Why Singing Is the Best Way to Fix Your Accent

Daily English Upgrade #030: Say It Better — “Thank you” (natural, strong versions)

“Thank you” is great. These upgrades sound warmer and more natural. Simple upgrades: Thanks, I appr...

Feeling inadequate is not a verdict. It is a phase.

The problem is not the feeling — it’s the conclusion we attach to it. Inadequacy often whispers: “Y...

Happy Birthday to me!

It's my birthday!   No, not my actual birthday...unfortunately that falls in late December ;-)   It...