Cafetalk 讲师专栏

【一週兩次・讀台灣】台美關稅敲定15% 美認同「台灣模式」供應鏈合作

【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...

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...

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...

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...

Why did I decide to be a teacher? When did I decide?

Initially, tutoring was a hobby. Gradually, I started to replace my other activities with tutoring....

When and Why I Became a Teacher

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

Why am I a Teacher?

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

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...

Idioms - useful and fun!

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

Elevate your Japanese skills!!

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

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...

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...

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...

Winter weather words

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

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...

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...

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...

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...

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)...

你(nǐ)会(huì)读(dú)第(dì)三(sān)声(shēng)音(yīn)调(tiáo)吗(ma)？

你会读第三声音调吗？例如：五wǔ；耳ěr；笔bǐ；岛dǎo，雪xuě。 Can you read third-tone characters? For example, 五wǔ；耳ěr；笔bǐ；岛d...

The first propulsive--offensive action in this world

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

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...

Question about writing a decent proper English article.

Question: Why I no longer write English learning articles here? Answer: Because I have come to real...

新生命的孕育

这是zhèshì我wǒ见到jiàndào的de最zuì神奇shénqí的de新生xīnshēng命mìng的de孕育yùnyù。太tài奇妙qímiào了le，我wǒ儿子érzǐ真zhēn的de用y...

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). ...

English Idioms Challenge - Week 1

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

这个中国菜好吃吗？

你nǐ知道zhīdào这是zhèshì什么shénme美食měishí吗ma？是的shìde，锅guō外面wàimiàn的de一yī圈quān烤kǎo的de是shì馒头mántóu片piàn和hé大...

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...

'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...

新年就要到了！你听过“年”的传说吗？

??《“年”的传说》 很久很久以前，有一种怪兽叫“年”。 Hěn jiǔ hěn jiǔ yǐqián, yǒu yì zhǒng guàishòu jiào “Nián”. 它每到冬天的最后一天，...