Espresso English Podcast

Today's lesson is all about the expression "gonna" and when you CAN and CAN'T use it. I'll also tell you about "gonna go" - is this correct? Listen to the lesson to find out. I hope this lesson has been helpful! If you want to learn more from me, come check out my courses, where I can teach you about conversational English, grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation, phrasal verbs, idioms, business English, and more.

Today's quick pronunciation tip involves a very common verb: the word "say." You might be surprised that there's slightly different pronunciation in the different forms of this word. In this lesson I'm going to ask you to repeat after me, because the best way to practice pronunciation is for YOU to say the words and sentences out loud, not just watch me say them :-) You can get a LOT more pronunciation training inside my courses called American English Pronunciation and Shadowing with Shayna. Inside these courses, you can practice all the different sounds in English - both in individual words and in sentences. The lessons will help you improve your pronunciation and reduce your accent, so you can speak more clearly.

Students often ask me if we can use idioms and slang in professional situations - and the answer is "it depends." Some expressions are not appropriate for the workplace, but there are many that you can use in conversations among co-workers and less formal emails. Today you'll learn 15 English idioms & phrasal verbs you CAN use at work. There are several more lessons about business idioms inside our Business English Course. This course also teaches you essential words and phrases for professional situations like meetings, interviews, networking, and more. If you're more interested in idiomatic expressions more generally, we also have a course called 300+ Idioms in 30 Days.

The words experience and experiment might be the same in some languages... but in English they are different, and I often see students confuse them. Both of these words can be both nouns and verbs. Let's see how exactly they are used. Want more? Check out my e-book, 600+ Confusing English Words Explained, for lots of lessons that will help make these differences clear to you. Also, if you are confused about some English words, reply to this e-mail and let me know, so that I can create future lessons about them. Thanks for joining me today, and I'll talk to you next week!

Today I want to answer a question that is important for everyone who is studying English. Many of my students say, "I study grammar a lot and I understand it in theory. But when I speak, I can't think of the grammar in the moment, or it takes too long to remember the rules. So how can I use grammar correctly when speaking English?" This is a great question! It's true that when you're speaking there's really no time to think about grammar rules and to analyze each sentence. But what if the grammar just doesn't come to mind? What tends to happen is that you either freeze or pause a lot. I hear a lot of students with these long pauses in the middle of their sentences as they're thinking carefully about their grammar. I don't want that to happen to you! I want you to be able to speak more easily and confidently, using correct grammar. I really hope that you practice your grammar in the way I described in this lesson - trust me, it will come out more naturally with time! If you want to practice with the help of a teacher, we have two courses for you: In the Advanced English Grammar Course, you have the option of doing writing tasks with teacher feedback. In the Everyday English Speaking Courses, you can record your spoken English and get teacher feedback.

When you're studying English, I recommend focusing on learning phrases and not just individual words. When you only study individual words, it's hard to put them together into a phrase - but when you study phrases, then it's much easier for you to use the whole phrase when speaking. The problem is that sometimes you might hear or see a phrase that doesn't seem to make sense. This often happens with idioms and informal expressions. My students ask me about phrases all the time, and today I'll explain two expressions – "good grief" and "for goodness' sake." If you're interested in learning more phrases that native English speakers use in daily life - and especially learning these phrases inside the context of conversations - come check out my Everyday English Speaking Courses. More than 1,000 students have enjoyed these courses, and I hope you will, too!

Today I'll teach you about some common English-learning mistakes that I've observed among the hundreds of students whom I've worked with. This lesson is going to be a little different because it's not about fixing specific words or phrases; instead, it's about correcting typical problems that language learners tend to have in the way they approach studying. In some ways, these are the most important errors, because these habits or thoughts or attitudes are at the foundation of everything you do when you're working on learning English. So I'd encourage you to reflect and ask yourself if you've been making any of these common English-learning mistakes. This lesson covered some of the mistakes / problems you should avoid in English learning... do you also want to know what you SHOULD do? You can watch my free class on Secrets of Successful English Learners! That was a workshop I presented several years ago, but the ideas are still 100% true and relevant, and I'd encourage you to apply those GOOD learning habits to your life.

Today's lesson is all about spelling mistakes involving adding an extra letter to a word, or accidentally removing a letter from a word. There are so many words in English where these errors can happen, but again I'm going to focus on the most common ones. If you are looking for a quick way to check and correct your spelling and grammar, I recommend Grammarly - it's a free online tool! If you want to get personal correction from an English teacher, then I recommend joining our Advanced English Grammar Course or Reading Course, and selecting the option that includes teacher feedback.

Remember that mistakes are an opportunity to learn - and today you'll learn from the mistakes of other students like you. Today's lesson focuses on errors that I and my teaching team have found frequently when correcting students' homework. Maybe you've made some of these errors in the past, and now you know how to avoid them! But maybe you're making different mistakes, and you want someone to check your English to see if anything is incorrect. You can get correction from a teacher inside these Espresso English courses: Advanced English Grammar Course + Feedback on writing Reading Course + Feedback on writing Vocabulary Courses + Feedback on short answers Phrasal Verbs Course + Feedback on short answers Idioms Course + Feedback on short answers Everyday English Speaking Courses + Feedback on recorded speaking Pronunciation Course + Feedback on recorded speaking You can also join our Complete Program to get ALL the courses above (plus many more) at a 50% discount. I'd like to remind you that the most important thing is to practice your English- don't let the fear of mistakes stop you from trying to communicate! However, when you get your mistakes corrected, this can give you a lot more confidence because you'll know you're saying / writing things the right way.

In this lesson we're going to look at 7 common pronunciation mistakes in words with confusing combinations of letters.. A lot of students ask me about rules, like how do we know when the letter e sounds like ee vs. eh, or when the letter g sounds like juh (general) vs. guh (get). Although there are some trends in English spelling / pronunciation, there are so many complications and exceptions that I'd encourage you NOT to focus on remembering rules. Instead, when you learn new words, always look them up in an audio dictionary - listen to the pronunciation and repeat it. Don't try to figure it out by analyzing the spelling. I know it's frustrating! English is very irregular, so it's best to just learn the correct pronunciation of each word and not try to interpret them based on a logical system. In this episode, you'll learn: How to pronounce OO How to pronounce OU How to pronounce OUGH How to pronounce EA Pronunciation error with "urgent" Pronunciation errors with WOR Pronunciation errors with the "invisible Y" sound Having CLEAR pronunciation is one of the keys to speaking fluent English! If your pronunciation is bad, then it doesn't matter if you have great grammar or a huge vocabulary... because nobody will understand what you're saying. You can practice and improve your pronunciation inside my American English Pronunciation Course and Shadowing with Shayna Course. These courses also include an evaluation of your pronunciation by a teacher on the Espresso English team. We'll listen to your recording and send you comments and corrections on your spoken English.

This month I'm going to teach you about some common errors in English. These are mistakes that I've observed and corrected frequently during my years of helping English learners improve their skills. Today's lesson focuses on common errors with adjectives and adverbs. Do you want to get correction on YOUR English? Join one of our courses that includes teacher feedback! Here are the options: Advanced English Grammar Course + Feedback on writing Reading Course + Feedback on writing Vocabulary Courses + Feedback on short answers Phrasal Verbs Course + Feedback on short answers Idioms Course + Feedback on short answers Everyday English Speaking Courses + Feedback on recorded speaking Pronunciation Course + Feedback on recorded speaking Getting direct feedback from a teacher on your writing or speaking is one of the best ways to identify the specific errors you are making, and then correct them so that you can speak and write better in the future.

Here in the U.S., we're in the middle of summer - the hottest part of the year! Today you'll learn some English vocabulary related to summer and hot weather, with pictures to help you remember the words. Expanding your vocabulary is so important because the more words you know, the better you can express yourself in English. Inside my Vocabulary Builder Courses, you'll learn and practice 1000+ useful words. The lessons include lots of pictures to help illustrate the words, and there are also quizzes and short-answer exercises to help you review. Hope you're having a great summer... or winter... depending on where you are in the world :-)

A gerund is a word that looks like a verb, but functions as a noun in the sentence. Gerunds are formed by using the -ING form of the verb - reading, swimming, studying, etc. - but when it comes to grammar, they act as nouns. Here are some common ways to use gerunds in English - and some practice sentences so you can use them yourself! You can study grammar for hours, but can you actually use grammar well? It's very important to create your own sentences with the grammar you are learning - this will help you remember it better, and then you'll be able to use English grammar more naturally when speaking or writing. You can try putting grammar into practice by yourself, but it's easier when you have a ready-made exercise or writing task. You'll find these inside my Advanced English Grammar Course. What if you're not yet advanced? In that case, I'd recommend studying my Basic & Intermediate English Grammar E-Books, or watching my grammar playlist on YouTube - you will learn a lot!

The word spot has a few different meanings in English.The word spot has a few different meanings in English. Here are the three most common: as a noun, a spot is a mark that is a different color.A leopard has spots. as a noun, a spot is a place, location, or area.This is a great spot for camping. as a verb, spot is an informal way to talk about seeing or detecting.He spotted an eagle in the sky. Today we'll focus on definition #2 - spot meaning a place, location, or area. There are many common collocations (word combinations) with "spot." Learning collocations is a great way to help you put words together in ways that sound natural. My 1000 collocations e-book makes studying collocations quick, easy, and fun! It only takes about 10 minutes to read each lesson and take the practice quiz, making this the perfect e-book for you if you don't have much time.

Are you ready to practice your pronunciation? Today we're going to work on three very common words in English: where, were, and we're - individually and in sentences. To get the most benefit out of this lesson, don't just watch... instead, actually repeat everything after me! When it comes to pronunciation, practice makes perfect! If you keep working on it - especially by listening to a native speaker and trying to imitate - your pronunciation will get better and better. I can help you practice more if you join my Pronunciation and Shadowing Courses, which include lots of listen-and-repeat exercises. You can try some free samples here: Lesson 1 - American English Pronunciation Course Lesson 1 - Shadowing with Shayna

Today I'll teach you 10 English expressions with the words "easy" and "hard." These individual words have simple definitions, but when they are used in idioms, the expression might have a different meaning than you expect. You'll learn what it means when we say "easy does it" and "hard pass," as well as "he got off easy" and "that's hard to swallow." Take the lesson to find out what these idioms mean! How can you learn idioms like these more effectively? My 300+ English Idioms Course can help you! Each lesson follows this format: First, you'll see an example of the idiom in context and you'll try to guess what it means. Then, you'll learn the correct meaning of each idiom from my explanation and examples. Finally, you can practice using the idioms with quizzes and short answer exercises. The best part is that you can send in your answers to the exercises - I and my assistant teacher will check them to make sure you understand the idioms and are using them correctly. You can sign up and start learning today – or try the free sample lesson: English Idioms - Food.

Do you know when to use "of" vs. "from" in English? Using the wrong preposition is a very common mistake. Many other languages have just one word for both "of" and "from," but in English we use these two words in several different ways. Learning English grammar can seem like an impossible task... but I want to help you do it step by step! That's why I have grammar products for all levels of English learners: Basic & Intermediate English Grammar E-Books Advanced English Grammar Course My students who have these e-books and courses love the easy-to-understand lessons and practical examples and exercises. If you're having difficulty with grammar, or if you want to build your confidence in using English correctly, check out the e-books and course.

Phrasal verbs are combinations of a verb + preposition, like get up and find out. Phrasal verbs often have specific meanings that may not be obvious from the words themselves. In today's lesson, I'll explain four phrasal verbs that students have asked me about recently: hook up, plug away, ward off, and whip up. These are just a few of the THOUSANDS of phrasal verbs we have in the English language - and we use them every day! You can learn more than 500 phrasal verbs in the Phrasal Verbs in Conversation Course. This is an easy and fun way to learn phrasal verbs in context and put them into practice in your own English.

Spoken English has a lot of little expressions that are used frequently by native speakers - and some of these expressions are so similar that you might accidentally mix them up. Two such expressions are "give you peace of mind" and "give someone a piece of your mind" - they sound almost the same, but they are in fact very different. I hope this lesson has helped make these expressions clear! As always, try to put the phrases into practice by creating your own examples. If you want to learn hundreds more phrases that native English speakers use in everyday life, you can join my Everyday English Speaking Courses. They are based on dialogues, and very useful for improving your spoken English.

A lot of English learners get confused about the words food, dish, meal, and cuisine. These all refer to the general topic of eating, but there are some important differences in how we use each one. In today's lesson, I'll explain when to use these words so that you'll understand them clearly. If you enjoy my explanations and you want to learn more, then you'll love my e-book, 600+ Confusing English Words Explained! This e-book will teach you the distinctions among "families" of words (like ache, pain, and hurt; critic, critical, criticism, and critique) as well as words that look or seem similar, but are actually different (explore and exploit, interfere and intervene, raise and rise).

Are you ready for some pronunciation practice? In today's lesson we're going to work on pronouncing English words starting with DR-. There are two small but important details that you need to know in order for your pronunciation of these words to sound good - click on the lesson to learn, listen, and repeat! If you want to train all the different sounds in English and improve your pronunciation, you can sign up for my pronunciation and shadowing courses. There's a discount if you join both courses together.

Today's question comes from a student who was watching a movie. In this movie, one character said to another, "Get lost," so the student is asking what this expression means in context. Today, I'll explain this phrase and also teach you some other informal expressions with the word "get," such as get a grip, get off my case, get bent out of shape, and more. That's just a small sampling of the many colorful informal expressions that we have in the English language using the word "get." In order to remember these phrases better, I suggest trying to write your own sentences with them! If you want to add more interesting expressions to your own English, join my 300+ English Idioms Course. Not only will you learn a lot of common idioms, but you'll also practice them with quizzes and short-answer exercises that you can send in for correction and feedback.

Today I have a special guest - his name is Ben, and he's an expert in IELTS test preparation. He'll share some top strategies for each section of the IELTS exam, so if you're preparing for the IELTS test - or if you've taken it before but you want to increase your score - listen carefully to this episode and put the tips into practice.

Today I'm going to teach you three pairs of confusing words that have the prefix IN-. In many words, IN- means the opposite or "not": independent = NOT dependent incorrect = NOT correct However, there are some exceptions that might be confusing, and you'll learn three of them in this lesson: invaluable, infamous, and inflammable. I hope this lesson has helped clarify the meanings of these confusing words. The English language has a lot of words that seem similar, but are actually different - and many English learners make mistakes with them. That's why I wrote the e-book 600+ Confusing English Words Explained - to help you understand these words clearly, so you can use them confidently! What will you learn in this e-book? Click here to see the full list of confusing words in the book.

Someone asked me if there's a difference between finish and finish up. The answer is no - there's no difference in meaning. Finish up is just more informal. But is this the case for every verb / phrasal verb? No! In today's lesson you'll learn the small differences between show and show off, follow and follow up, and several more verb and phrasal verb pairs. There are certainly a lot of little details to remember when it comes to phrasal verbs. That's why it's so important to learn phrasal verbs in context - when you learn how phrasal verbs are used in real situations, it's much more effective than trying to memorize lists of definitions. You can learn this way inside my Phrasal Verbs in Conversation Course! Not only will you learn more than 500 phrasal verbs through the dialogues in the lessons, but you'll also put them into practice with quizzes and exercises.

I've heard a lot of students' speaking samples in my courses, and today I'd like to address a few of the pronunciation mistakes that I've been correcting. First of all, don't feel bad if you make a pronunciation mistake! It's really easy to do this in English, especially because we have so many similar sounds and so many words that are pronounced differently from the way they're written. So if you mess up a word – don't be embarrassed, it's not the end of the world. I can usually understand what you were trying to say. Let's practice together so that you can improve your English pronunciation! When it comes to pronunciation, practice makes perfect. You need to repeat English words many times in order to learn to say them easily and naturally. It's also important to have someone correct any mistakes, so that you don't form bad pronunciation habits. You can get both practice and evaluation inside my courses - American English Pronunciation and Shadowing with Shayna. These courses have lots of exercises to help you repeat after me and pronounce words and sentences the right way. At the end of each course, I'll listen to a recording of your pronunciation and give you feedback.

If you watch TV and movies in English, you'll probably see a lot of new words and expressions that might not come up in your regular English study. Sometimes it's hard to understand what certain phrases mean, so students write to me and ask for clarification. In today's lesson, I'll explain ten phrases from TV shows and movies that students have asked me about recently. If you ever come across a phrase that you can't figure out, feel free to e-mail me and ask me what it means, and I'll do my best to explain it! Informal spoken English – like the kind you hear in movies and native speakers' conversations – is full of expressions that English textbooks often don't teach So how can you learn these expressions WITHOUT getting confused and lost? One way is to join my Everyday English Speaking Course - Level 2! This course teaches you informal phrases, idioms, and slang in the context of conversations. It's a great way to improve your comprehension and learn a lot of surprising new expressions. Speaking Level 2 is geared towards upper-intermediate and advanced students, so I suggest you take the free sample lesson before joining, to see if it will be a good fit for your English level.

Today's lesson will teach you 33 collocations and expressions about decisions. Collocations are combinations of words that native English speakers use naturally. Learning these word combinations makes it easier to put together your ideas in English, so that you can express yourself better. You'll also learn some informal expressions, like "a tough call," "in a quandary," and "the lesser of two evils." Click on the lesson to learn! One major difficulty for English learners is often knowing how to put words together. How can you know if you're using the right word or expression? Learning collocations helps give you the "building blocks" for better sentences in English. That's why I wrote the e-book 1000 Collocations in 10 Minutes a Day - to teach you which words go together naturally. Each of the 50 short lessons in the e-book is accompanied by a quiz to help you practice and review. You can learn a lot in just a few minutes every day!

Here's a free sample lesson from my NEW Current Events English Course! Today I'll teach you 20 words and expressions from a recent news article about social entrepreneurs who are changing the world. Original article: https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2019/04/15/712653034/no-fake-drugs-more-jobs-for-youth-end-child-sexual-abuse-online-a-vision-for-203 After you watch the video, download the vocabulary exercise to review and practice what you learned. If you enjoyed this lesson and want to get 30 more lessons like this, you can join the Current Events English Course to get daily lessons starting May 1. You'll learn more than 500 words and expressions inside this course - and all the lessons are based on topics that are relevant today. Remember, the course starts May 1, and that is also the last day to join. I hope to see you inside!

Join the course: https://www.espressoenglish.net/current-events-english-course One common suggestion given to English learners is to read or watch the news in English. This is a good idea, because you can learn how to talk about current events and relevant topics. But there's one BIG problem – If you're reading or watching the news and there are words or expressions you don't know, this can make it hard or even impossible to understand everything else. You might miss the main points and lose track of the story, all because of the vocabulary you're lacking. That's really frustrating. Wouldn't it be great to have a teacher or friend who can help guide you through an article and explain any words / expressions that are new to you? Then you could expand your vocabulary and understand the news more confidently. I'm here to help you! In May I'm creating the Current Events English Course, 2019 edition. In this course, I'll teach you English from real news articles on current topics. I'll explain the new vocabulary and phrases in context, so that you can understand clearly. If you've enjoyed my English in the News lessons in the past, then you'll love the Current Events English Course. Current Events English Course Details: Course begins on May 1, 2019 You'll receive one lesson a day for 30 days Video, audio, and text format You'll have permanent access to the lessons Varied topics based on what's happening in the world right now Learn more than 500 words and expressions in this course Practice the new vocabulary through quizzes + option of sending in your writing and getting feedback from a teacher The Current Events English Course is best for intermediate, upper-intermediate, and advanced English learners, because we will be working with real news articles that are written at a native-speaker level. How to join the Current Events English Course? You can sign up now by clicking one of the links below. $30 - 30-Lesson Course $60 - 30-Lesson Course + Teacher Feedback on Your Writing Registration is open right now! If you want to join, don't delay, because May 1 is the first day of the course AND also the last day to sign up. If you miss this edition of the course, then you'll have to wait for next year's version. Are you ready to improve your English vocabulary by learning about current events? Come join me inside this all-new course!

I received a great question from a student: Is it possible to use 'to' followed by the 'ing' form? For example, "I'm looking forward to seeing you." Normally we use to + the base form (ex. "I want to order pizza.") However, there are some specific words in English after which we use to + ING, and I'm going to tell you about them in today's lesson! English grammar can be quite difficult with all the rules and exceptions! You can learn, study, and practice inside my Advanced English Grammar Course. I'll explain the grammar clearly and help you put it into practice with quizzes. There's also an option to get corrections and feedback on your writing.

April 1 is an informal holiday known as April Fools' Day! People celebrate by playing jokes and trying to trick people in funny and harmless ways. You might be wondering about this word "fool" - how is it used in English? I'll teach you all about it in today's lesson. Don't be fooled by confusing English words! There are a lot of them, and they can be very tricky to understand and use correctly. You can get clear explanations and examples inside my e-book, 600+ Confusing English Words Explained. It will help you understand the differences between similar words like farther and further, interfere and intervene, sensible and sensitive, and many more words with which English learners often make mistakes.

Do you know what to say in English in case of an emergency? In the moment, you might panic and not be able to think of the words – so it's good to learn and practice them beforehand. In today's lesson you'll learn how to talk about various medical emergencies, accidents, and other dangers. If you want to expand your vocabulary even more, join my Vocabulary Builder Courses to learn more than 1000 useful English words with pictures and examples. There's a discount when you buy Level 1 and Level 2 of the course together!

Today I want to teach you about a tricky little grammar mistake that I see a lot of students making when using the verbs see, watch, and hear. You'll also learn how the sentence changes when we add the word "that." This was just one small grammar point... but there's a lot more grammar to learn! If you're looking for a detailed course to help you master English grammar, check out my Advanced English Grammar Course. It has 45 lessons with quizzes to help you review and practice - as well as the option to get correction and feedback on your writing.

Do you have a hard time finding the right phrase to use in your business letters and e-mails? Today you'll learn 30 phrases for business correspondence. If you want to speak English more confidently at work, join my Business English Course! You'll learn phrases for everyday professional situations, as well as lots of vocabulary for marketing, finance, entrepreneurship, and more. There are even several lessons on idioms that are often used in the business world.

Are you wondering about the differences between clean, wash, clean up, and wash up? I'll teach you how to use them in today's lesson... along with a few slang meanings you might not know yet. The English language has a ton of words that appear to be similar, but are actually different in meaning and use. I wrote an e-book explaining the differences between lots of words that my students often confuse. After you read my 600+ Confusing English Words Explained E-Book, you'll have a clear understanding of how to use these words correctly!

In the month of February I'm going to do a special series of "phrase of the day" videos - so I'll take a phrase I've heard recently on TV or in daily life and teach it to you here. Make sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel so you don't miss any phrases!

In the month of February I'm going to do a special series of "phrase of the day" videos - so I'll take a phrase I've heard recently on TV or in daily life and teach it to you here. Make sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel so you don't miss any phrases!

In the month of February I'm going to do a special series of "phrase of the day" videos - so I'll take a phrase I've heard recently on TV or in daily life and teach it to you here. Make sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel so you don't miss any phrases!

In the month of February I'm going to do a special series of "phrase of the day" videos - so I'll take a phrase I've heard recently on TV or in daily life and teach it to you here. Make sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel so you don't miss any phrases!

Sometimes you might get discouraged when studying English. Becoming fluent takes a really long time and lots of effort and practice, so it's easy to lose your motivation. Today I want to share some motivational quotes with you and show you how these sayings relate to your English learning. I hope this lesson will help you feel more optimistic about your English studies! My goal here at Espresso English is to help you build up your English skills, one lesson at a time! One of the best ways to learn from me is to join my Complete Program – it contains ALL my e-books and courses, a total of more than 400 lessons. If you took 400 lessons at an English school or with a private teacher, it would cost thousands of dollars – but you can get my Complete Program for a discounted price. Click here for more information and registration.

We have a saying in English that "the devil is in the details" - this means that you need to be careful, because the small parts of a situation/task can cause major problems or difficulties. Sometimes this is the case for learning pronunciation - a tiny difference in a sound can change the word completely. In today's lesson, I'm going to help you practice 10 words that students often mispronounce, resulting in a totally different word. When it comes to pronunciation, the only way to improve is to practice a lot! Don't just read about pronunciation rules... you need to practice SAYING words and sentences repeatedly in order to develop good pronunciation habits. My courses on Pronunciation and Shadowing have great pronunciation practice exercises to help you avoid mistakes like the ones in this lesson. At the end of each course, you can send me a recording of your speaking, and I'll give you an evaluation of your pronunciation.

Many of us have hopes and plans for what we would like to accomplish in the new year! Today I'll teach you 50 common collocations with these words. Collocations are combinations of words that are frequently used together. Studying common collocations is a great way to help you form better sentences that sound more natural in English. Wow, that was a lot of collocations! Do you want to keep learning - and practice, too? Check out my e-book 1000 Collocations in 10 Minutes a Day. Each lesson will teach you collocations related to a particular topic - such as relationships, sports, memories, feelings, study, travel, weather, and more - and at the end of each lesson there's a quiz to help you review what you've learned.

This is one of my FAVORITE lessons of the year :-) Did you know that the dictionary is updated all the time? The publishers add words that have come to be used frequently in the media and in everyday life. Let's learn some of the new English words added in 2018. There were 12 words in this lesson... but the English language has more than 170,000 words in total. How are you supposed to learn so many? My Vocabulary Builder Courses will teach you USEFUL English words in a clear and effective way. These are the words that native speakers use all the time, and the courses make it easy for you to learn and practice them. There are two levels of the Vocabulary Builder, so if you really want to expand your vocabulary a lot, I recommend joining both levels!

It's December 31st - we're at the tail end of the year! (= the very last part) In today's lesson, you'll learn 8 English idioms with the word end.Remember, don't try to translate these idioms literally word by word - if you do, they might not make sense. Instead, learn each one as a whole expression. We're about to start a new year... wouldn't you like to learn some new expressions in English? You can learn 300 Idioms in 30 Days in my course! In 2018 I updated the course with new videos :-) I recommend that you try a free sample to see what the lessons are like. NOTE: Even though the course is called "300 Idioms in 30 Days," you can certainly keep the lessons for more than 30 days. There's NO time limit to your access, so you can study as slowly or as quickly as you want. I hope you have a nice end-of-year celebration!

Phrasal verbs are very common in everyday spoken English - and many students ask me about the definitions of phrasal verbs they've heard in conversations, TV shows, or movies. Today I'm going to explain five phrasal verbs that you might not know yet: square away, step up, space out, blow over, and swear off. If you come across (encounter) a phrasal verb that you can't understand, please e-mail me and I'll explain it in a future lesson. Do you want to see how native English speakers use phrasal verbs in conversation? Take my Phrasal Verbs in Conversation Course! The course will help you learn more than 500 common phrasal verbs in English. You can see how the phrasal verbs are used AND practice them with the exercises included in each lesson. You can try a free sample here, and sign up for the course here.

I've noticed a pronunciation mistake that many students make when they say words like "succeed" and "successful." There are actually 3 different ways to pronounce CC in English! Today we're going to practice saying 26 words with CC. Listen and try to repeat after me. Listening and repeating - like you did in today's lesson - is one of the best ways to improve your pronunciation! With time and practice, your pronunciation will get closer to a native English speaker's. I've created two courses to help you practice your pronunciation: the American English Pronunciation Course and Shadowing with Shayna. I recommend taking them together, because the Pronunciation course focuses more on individual sounds, and in Shadowing with Shayna you can practice whole phrases/sentences. Both of them include an evaluation at the end, where you can record your speaking and I'll comment on your pronunciation!

Today you can test your knowledge of 10 common business English terms. This quiz only taught you 10 words and expressions... but you can learn hundreds more words and phrases inside my Business English Course! The course will teach you practical English for work. You'll learn day-to-day vocabulary for interacting with clients and co-workers, as well as specific words in the areas of management, marketing, finance, and much more. You can try a free sample lesson here, and register for the course here.

We recently had the holiday of Thanksgiving in the United States. Most people celebrate it with their families, but there's a growing tradition of also celebrating "Friendsgiving" - and that's the topic of this week's lesson. Click here to learn 15 vocabulary words/expressions from the article! I hope you've enjoyed my series of English in the news videos in November! If you want to learn more from me, consider joining one of my courses. I've created courses to help you improve all your skills - from speaking to reading to understanding idioms. You can take free samples of all my courses here.

Today's article is about social media and mental health. This one is written in a more casual style, so it has some informal expressions we can learn. I'm going to teach you 15 words and expressions from this news article. I know many of you enjoy listening to my voice as I teach you English - and that's great! But do you have difficulty understanding other English speakers, who may speak faster or with a different accent? It's important to improve your listening comprehension so that you can understand anyone who speaks English - and I've created a Listening Course to help you do that! The course includes a variety of voices and accents, and both slow and fast audio to help you build confidence. You can click here to learn more about the Listening Course.