Cafetalk 讲师专栏

'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...

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,...

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...

I'm back!

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

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，...

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...

A Movie to remember

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

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...

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...

Idioms - useful and fun!

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

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...

Learn English with Naeemah

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

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...

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...

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...

Elevate your Japanese skills!!

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

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...

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...

The first propulsive--offensive action in this world

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

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...

When and Why I Became a Teacher

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

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...

My Top 5 English Corrections (From a Guy Who Once Complimented Someone’s “Fur”)

  Before we begin, I have a confession to make. A few years ago when one of my wife's friends visit...

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...

When and Why I Decided to Become a Teacher

I decided to become a teacher when I realized how powerful communication is. I’ve always enjoyed he...

Why am I a Teacher?

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

The Unexpected Moment That Made Me a Teacher

My official journey as a teacher began in 2021, but the spark was lit in a quiet corner of a primar...