A story about my star student & why you must learn vocabulary now!
I once had a student named Marketa. Her energy and passion for learning English were incredible. If she couldn't find the right word, she'd say 27 other words to describe exactly what she meant.
"What's your secret?" I asked her one afternoon over coffee. After she told me her story, I realized just how important English was for traveling.
How to Pronounce words with '-aught' & '-ought'
Do you have problems pronouncing words with '-aught' & '-ought'? You're NOT alone. Even my most advanced students pause before they say these words, afraid of the U, G & H. But don't be afraid! They're actually so easy!
If you can say 'GOT, NOT, forGOT and roBOT,' then you can pronounce thought, bought, taught and brought.
I'm going to tell you a story about a man named Mr. Bot, and I want you to listen to the words that rhyme (that have the same sound). Whenever you want to say one of these difficult words, remember Mr. Bot and what he TAUGHT you. :)
Have a lovely day!
Jennifer
Understanding MAKE & LET: Part 2
This is video number 2 in a 2-part series about the verbs MAKE & LET. If you haven't watched Part 1, I recommend you do that now, and then come back.
Today we're going to talk about verb LET. Now, as we learned in the video about MAKE, two things are important to consider. First, who has the most power in the relationship between the two people? And second, what does each person want? Now, LET usually has a more positive connotation than MAKE, for example: My boss MAKES me stay late on Friday nights. It's not something I want. Whereas LET...My boss LETS me go home early on my birthday. That's something I want. It's a little more positive. Let's get started.
Understanding MAKE & LET: Part 1
This video is part of a 2-Part series on MAKE & LET and the difference between them.
Now, today we will focus on MAKE. MAKE can be kind of difficult to understand because in English we use it with so many different meanings. For example, you can MAKE a mistake, you can also MAKE dinner. You can also MAKE your husband make dinner. That third meaning is what we're going to talk about today.
To understand MAKE & LET, we need to look at two factors: First, who has the power in the relationship? Second, What does each person want?
Don't be AFRAID of Halloween!
Today were are talking about Halloween!
Halloween is a holiday on October thirty-first. Children dress up in costumes, knock on strangers' doors and yell, "Trick or Treat!" and the strangers give them candy. Basically, it's the best day of the year.
The official fruits of Halloween are pumpkins. But we don't eat them, we carve them. To CARVE means to cut a hard material, like a pumpkin skin, to produce an object or design.
Expressions & Idioms with SEE, LOOK & WATCH
Last week we learned what SEE, LOOK & WATCH literally mean. Today we're going to learn 21 expressions commonly used by native English speakers.
SEE
To see eye-to-eye means to agree with someone. I see eye-to-eye with my boss. We usually agree on most topics. When you tell someone I see your point, it means they have just said something and you agree with that thing. See you later is an informal way of saying goodbye. As you are explaining something and someone says I see at the end of your explanation, it means they understand you, they can relate to what you are saying.
SEE, LOOK & WATCH
SEE, WATCH and LOOK are all things we do with our eyes. But which verb should we use, and when? Well, it depends on a few things: First, do we intend to focus on something? Or, did we only notice something, accidentally? Second, was the thing we were looking at still, like a statue? Or was it moving, like a theater performance? Third, were we focused on how it looked? For example, the color, the shape? Or, were we focused on how it moved? Lastly, I'll show you a few exceptions. Let's get started.
FOR & SINCE
This week, we'll learn about the difference between FOR and SINCE. FOR and SINCE are always very difficult for my students. In fact, I hear students mistaking them almost every day. In this video, I'll teach you a trick for remembering the difference. We use FOR and SINCE to answer the question "How long?" FOR can be used in the present, the past, and the future. I studied FOR 9 hours….past. We’ve been on holiday FOR 2 days.…present perfect. I’ll be in China for 4 weeks.…future.
Do you work Hard? ...or hardly work?
A student of mine was really excited to tell me, "I worked HARDLY on my homework." I think I know what she meant, but that's not what she said. What do you think the problem with her sentence was? Today, we'll learn. This is something I teach at the pre-intermediate levels. But even my advanced students make this mistake. What's the difference between HARD and HARDLY? Easy, right? One's an adjective and one's an adverb. Well, it's not so simple...
SO & SUCH
How to LEARN ENGLISH
I’ve taught hundreds and hundreds of students. But one hour a week with my students was not enough. I wanted to give them more. So I created these videos to help them in their own time: in between meetings; on the bus on the way home and when they wake up in the morning. Each video will show you the structure of the word phrase or part of speech so you’ll know exactly how to use it. That’s not right…much better. Each video will show you the level of English even if you’re an advanced student, it’s worth watching all the videos to remind you of things you may have forgotten. Each video will show you why you will use this structure or phrase. It might be to express an idea…or an opinion. It might be to express probability or uncertainty. Or it might be to express your emotions...