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Espresso English Podcast

Espresso English Podcast

718 episodes — Page 9 of 15

Mini-Course Lesson 3: 20 ways to use the word BREAK in English

⭐ Download the worksheet: http://bit.ly/miniexercise3 ✔️ Read the lesson text: https://www.espressoenglish.net/20-different-ways-to-use-the-word-break-in-english/ Hi students! It's day 3 of our mini-course all about words with multiple meanings, and our word today is BREAK. Get ready to learn lots of different ways to use this word in English. 1. The basic and most common definition is to damage something and separate it into pieces. Yesterday I was washing the dishes and I accidentally dropped a glass, and it broke. If you break your arm or break your leg, it means the bone has separated into pieces - ouch! You can break something by accident, as in the example of dropping a glass, or you can break it on purpose - if I have a big chocolate bar I want to give to three kids, I would break the chocolate into three pieces. 2. We also use break when something stops working, stops being functional, even if it's not physically in pieces. If your printer keeps showing an error message, and it won't print, you could say the printer is broken. ▶ Free E-Book: 500 Real English Phrases: http://bit.ly/FreeEbook500Phrases ▶ Espresso English Courses on Speaking, Vocabulary, Grammar, Pronunciation, & more! http://bit.ly/EspressoEnglishCourses ▶ Free Samples: http://bit.ly/EEFreeSamples ⭐️ Get a 50% discount when you join the Complete Program! ⭐️ 600+ lessons - http://bit.ly/CompleteProgram50discount --------------------------------------- FOLLOW ESPRESSO ENGLISH TO LEARN ENGLISH FASTER! - Espresso English Website: http://bit.ly/EspressoEnglishNet - On Facebook: http://bit.ly/EspressoEnglishFacebook - On Twitter: http://bit.ly/EspressoEnglishTwitter - SUBSCRIBE on YouTube: ➡️ http://bit.ly/subscribe2espressoenglish --------------------------------------- ABOUT ESPRESSO ENGLISH: Espresso English gives you clear and practical lessons to help you improve your English in just a few minutes a day. You can study anytime, anywhere - so that you can learn English quickly and easily. Visit our website for more English tips, e-books, and courses: http://bit.ly/EspressoEnglishNet ---------------------------------------

Sep 9, 202013 min

Mini-Course Lesson 2: 20 ways to use the word GET in English

⭐ Download the worksheet: https://bit.ly/miniexercise2 ✔️ Read the lesson text: https://www.espressoenglish.net/20-different-ways-to-use-the-word-get-in-english/ Hello students, and welcome to day 2 of our mini-course on words with multiple meanings! Yesterday's word was RUN, and today we'll focus on GET. Again – a very common word, but one that is extremely versatile – this means it can be used in lots of different ways. You already know the basic meaning of GET, but today you're going to learn 20+ more ways to use it. Let's get started: ▶ Free E-Book: 500 Real English Phrases: http://bit.ly/FreeEbook500Phrases ▶ Espresso English Courses on Speaking, Vocabulary, Grammar, Pronunciation, & more! http://bit.ly/EspressoEnglishCourses ▶ Free Samples: http://bit.ly/EEFreeSamples ⭐️ Get a 50% discount when you join the Complete Program! ⭐️ 600+ lessons - http://bit.ly/CompleteProgram50discount --------------------------------------- FOLLOW ESPRESSO ENGLISH TO LEARN ENGLISH FASTER! - Espresso English Website: http://bit.ly/EspressoEnglishNet - On Facebook: http://bit.ly/EspressoEnglishFacebook - On Twitter: http://bit.ly/EspressoEnglishTwitter - SUBSCRIBE on YouTube: ➡️ http://bit.ly/subscribe2espressoenglish --------------------------------------- ABOUT ESPRESSO ENGLISH: Espresso English gives you clear and practical lessons to help you improve your English in just a few minutes a day. You can study anytime, anywhere - so that you can learn English quickly and easily. Visit our website for more English tips, e-books, and courses: http://bit.ly/EspressoEnglishNet ---------------------------------------

Sep 8, 202012 min

Mini-Course Lesson 1: 25 ways to use the word RUN in English

⭐ Download the worksheet: https://bit.ly/miniexercise1 ✔️ Read the lesson text: https://www.espressoenglish.net/25-different-ways-to-use-the-word-run-in-english/ Hi students! Today is the first day of our 5-day mini-course about English words with multiple meanings. In this mini-course, we're going to look at 5 VERY common words and learn a total of 100 different ways to use them. This will improve your ability to express yourself in English, because you'll discover lots of new ways to use some words you already know. Here's how the course works: each daily lesson will focus on one word, and I'll teach you various meanings of that word in English, as well as how it's used in some expressions and phrasal verbs. After you watch the video, make sure to do the exercises so that you can review what you've learned and put it into practice! Practicing is the key to remembering these words and expressions so that you can actually use them when you speak English. Multiple Meanings Of RUN Today's word is RUN. This simple word has approximately 645 different definitions and uses – and you might be thinking, "It's impossible to learn them all!" – you're right, and it's not even necessary to memorize all 645 definitions. You should focus on the most common ones used in daily life – and that's what I'm going to teach you in today's lesson. We'll cover 16 meanings for "run" as well as some common phrasal verbs and idioms. ▶ Free E-Book: 500 Real English Phrases: http://bit.ly/FreeEbook500Phrases ▶ Espresso English Courses on Speaking, Vocabulary, Grammar, Pronunciation, & more! http://bit.ly/EspressoEnglishCourses ▶ Free Samples: http://bit.ly/EEFreeSamples ⭐️ Get a 50% discount when you join the Complete Program! ⭐️ 600+ lessons - http://bit.ly/CompleteProgram50discount --------------------------------------- FOLLOW ESPRESSO ENGLISH TO LEARN ENGLISH FASTER! - Espresso English Website: http://bit.ly/EspressoEnglishNet - On Facebook: http://bit.ly/EspressoEnglishFacebook - On Twitter: http://bit.ly/EspressoEnglishTwitter - SUBSCRIBE on YouTube: ➡️ http://bit.ly/subscribe2espressoenglish --------------------------------------- ABOUT ESPRESSO ENGLISH: Espresso English gives you clear and practical lessons to help you improve your English in just a few minutes a day. You can study anytime, anywhere - so that you can learn English quickly and easily. Visit our website for more English tips, e-books, and courses: http://bit.ly/EspressoEnglishNet ---------------------------------------

Sep 7, 202015 min

Free Mini-Course - Words with Multiple Meanings!

Today I want to invite you to join a FREE mini-course starting soon – all about English words with many different meanings and uses. During your English studies, you may have seen lists of the most common English words – they're simple words that we use VERY frequently, like run, set, play, and so on. You already know what they mean, right? But here's the problem: These common words have MULTIPLE meanings. In fact, if you check the dictionary, some of these words have hundreds of different definitions! So you already know their basic meanings… but you probably aren't familiar with all the various ways we use these words in English. For example, you know the basic meaning of the word cut. But what does it mean to "cut someone off" or "cut to the chase" or "make a cutting remark"? You know the basic meaning of the word play. But do you understand when someone says "it's a play for sympathy" or "Let's see how this plays out"? When you're learning English, studying individual words and memorizing basic definitions is not enough. You need to learn how these words are used in so many different ways in real life. That's why I'm offering this free mini-course about English words with multiple meanings. It starts on Monday, September 7th and runs for 5 days. Inside this mini-course, you'll learn 5 common English words that we can use in over 100 different ways. Again, this is completely free – you just need to sign up so that I can email you each new lesson when the mini-course starts on September 7. In each lesson, we'll focus on ONE word and I'll teach you 20 different ways to use that word. I'll give you examples to help you see how we use these expressions in real life, and then you can do practice exercises to review what you learned. I think you'll really enjoy it! https://www.espressoenglish.net/free-minicourse-words-with-multiple-meanings/

Sep 2, 20202 min

Agree with, agree on, agree about, agree that, or agree to?

One place I see a lot of students making mistakes is in using the verb agree. Specifically, which preposition to use after it: Do you agree on something or agree with something or agree to something? We actually use ALL of these in English - but in different situations. So today you'll learn 5 ways to use the verb agree correctly, with example sentences. It's really easy to make these little mistakes when you're learning English, and it's hard to discover and correct your own errors! As an teacher, I see a lot of the same mistakes being made frequently by students - and that's why I created the 200 common errors in English course. Inside this course, you'll learn the most common mistakes in grammar, vocabulary, spelling, and pronunciation - so that you can recognize them and avoid them. This is one of my newest courses at Espresso English, and students love it: "A great course. It's simple and clear. The best, most useful course I've taken so far. Thanks a lot." - Cesare "The curriculum, presentation, explanation and instruction is brilliant. I thoroughly enjoyed this course till the end and I highly recommend it." - Vithal

Aug 26, 20206 min

30 collocations with HAVE

HAVE is one of the most common verbs in English, and we use this word in many different ways! In today's lesson, you'll learn 30 different collocations with have. These are the typical combinations of words that native speakers often use. I'll show you the collocations in example sentences. You can also create your own sentences using these collocations to help you remember them better. A lot of students tell me they know a lot of English words, but they have a hard time putting the words together. Learning collocations will help you put words together in a correct way... in a way that sounds natural. You can learn 1000 common collocations inside my e-book. What's great about this e-book is that each lesson is super-quick - it only takes about 5 minutes to read the text, and 5 minutes to do the quiz.

Aug 19, 20208 min

Question or doubt?

Students often say, "I have a doubt" and then ask me something about English. However, native speakers DON'T usually say it this way. If you want to know the answer about something, you should say "I have a question." So how can you use the word "doubt" correctly? You'll learn how - with lots of examples and expressions - in today's lesson! When you're not exactly sure about the right word to use, it can make you lose confidence in your English skills, and then you hesitate to speak. But when you KNOW how to use English words correctly, then you will be able to speak and write without fear of mistakes! That's why I wrote the 600+ Confusing Words Explained E-Book - to help you understand these words clearly and use them correctly :-) If you've ever hesitated because you're not sure about the differences between words like specially and especially, interfere and intervene, or distinct and distinctive - this e-book is for you.

Aug 12, 20206 min

How we pronounce CAN & CAN'T when speaking fast

You might be thinking... why make a video about pronouncing CAN and CAN'T - that's so easy and obvious! But there are some pronunciation changes when native English speakers say these words fast. This lesson will help you understand can/can't better when you HEAR them, and it will also help you SAY these words more naturally in sentences. These pronunciation differences between can and can't are small but important... and native English pronunciation is FULL of these little details! If you want to improve your pronunciation so that you sound more like a native English speaker, come check out my American English Pronunciation Course. I'll take you through all the sounds of the language, and you can listen and repeat lots of words and sentences in order to help you speak more clearly and confidently.

Aug 5, 20205 min

20 expressions with the word FREE

Do you know what it means to have a "free spirit" or "free rein"? Is being a "freeloader" a good thing or a bad thing? Today you'll learn the answers to these questions and much more - I'll teach you 10 interesting expressions with the word "free." Expressions like "get off scot-free" and "give someone free rein" are examples of idioms - short phrases that can't be explained or translated literally. What's the best way to learn idioms, if you can't translate them literally? The best way is to learn them in context - by seeing real examples of when native English speakers would use each expression. I made a course that will teach you 300+ idioms in 30 days! Each lesson has 4 steps: You'll try to GUESS the meaning of each idiom from an example sentence You'll LEARN the correct meaning of each expression from my teaching You'll REVIEW the idioms by taking a quiz You'll PRACTICE using the idioms by answering questions You can take lesson 1 for free... ...and join the course to get all 30 lessons.

Jul 29, 20206 min

20 collocations with the word "goal"

In soccer, we don't say "make a goal," we say "score a goal." Outside of sports, we don't say "follow a goal," but we do say "pursue a goal" or "work towards a goal." Learn 20 collocations with the word "goal"! "Collocations" are the common combinations of words that are frequently used by native speakers. These typical combinations of words can be hard to learn because often there are no rules that can help you know which words to use together - these expressions simply exist because people commonly use them in that way! However, you can learn collocations quickly and with the audio e-book 1000 English Collocations in 10 Minutes a Day. Each lesson presents common collocations on a specific topic, and includes a practice exercise.

Jul 22, 20204 min

Quick answers to your questions about idioms

A lot of students ask me about phrases and idioms they've heard in conversations and TV shows. In today's lesson, I'm going to share the answers with you, explaining each expression with a few examples. Quick answers to your questions about idioms There are a lot of idioms in English... and sometimes even native English speakers come across expressions we don't know! So how do we figure them out? We interpret them from the context. Based on the situation in which the idiom is said, we make our best guess as to what the expression means. My 300+ English Idioms Course helps you do this, too! Instead of just telling you what the idioms mean, I have you use your head... each lesson starts with a quiz where you try to interpret the idioms in context. Then I explain them to clear up any doubts. Try it yourself with this free sample lesson :-)

Jul 15, 20206 min

10 practical phrases for worries and relief

When you're worried, it's even harder to express yourself in English - but this lesson will help: 10 Practical English Phrases for Talking about Worries & Relief. These can help expand your vocabulary by going beyond the basic "I'm worried" and "I'm relieved." To learn more, join my Everyday English Speaking Course: https://www.espressoenglish.net/everyday-english-speaking-course

Jul 8, 20205 min

4 different ways to pronounce words starting with "U"

Did you know that these words all have DIFFERENT ways to pronounce the "u" in the beginning? ultimate union urgent urine In today's lesson, you'll practice pronouncing English words starting with U. Listen and repeat to improve your pronunciation! Just like when you do exercise in the gym to improve your physical condition, doing pronunciation exercises improves your ability to speak English correctly! That's why my American English Pronunciation Course is full of practice. Whatever sounds you find difficult in English, this course will help you improve. By listening and repeating the words and sentences aloud, you'll train your mouth to say them clearly. If you're not able to join the Pronunciation Course, you can always use my YouTube videos to practice listening and repeating what I say.

Jul 1, 20204 min

DON'T use a preposition in these 5 situations!

Prepositions like in, of, at, from, and to are used very frequently in English. However, there are some cases in which you SHOULDN'T use one – and in today's lesson, you'll learn 5 times you should not use a preposition. This is one of my top grammar lessons on Espresso English. I hope you enjoy it! English grammar can certainly be complicated... but I'll make it clear to you when you join my Advanced Grammar Course! The 45 lessons in this course will teach you all the verb tenses as well as adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, sentence structure, and other more complex topics. You also have the option to practice your writing, and send your texts for feedback and correction by a teacher on the Espresso English team. What if you're not yet advanced enough for that course? Then I'd recommend joining 200 Common Errors in English. You'll learn how to avoid the most common mistakes in grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation, spelling, and learning strategy.

Jun 24, 20205 min

Compliment vs. Complement vs. Complimentary vs. Complementary

These two words are pronounced the same, but they are spelled differently and have different meanings! Lesson text: https://www.espressoenglish.net/difference-between-compliment-and-complement/ This is a free sample from the e-book 600+ Confusing English Words Explained. It will help clear up your doubts about how to use English words correctly, so that you can speak and write more confidently. Click here for more information.

Jun 17, 20202 min

Learn 36 compound words to expand your vocabulary

Today I'm sending you a special class all about compound words! Compound words are when two or more words are put together to form a new word with a new meaning - like notebook, mother-in-law, and post office. Sometimes compound words are easy to understand: a bookstore is a store that sells books; a dishwasher is a machine that washes dishes. But others might not be so obvious, for example: brainstorm – an intense process where you think of many different ideas scapegoat – someone who bears the blame for others In this lesson, you'll learn the meanings of 36 compound words in English. If you'd like to continue improving your vocabulary, you'll really enjoy the Vocabulary Builder Courses at Espresso English. Level 1 of the course focuses on essential everyday words for things in daily life, work, study, travel, describing people, describing the world, etc. Level 2 of the course goes deeper into these subjects and also has lessons on more advanced topics like binomials, metaphors, word roots, and prefixes and suffixes. You'll learn more than 1,000 words in each level of the Vocabulary Builder!

Jun 10, 202028 min

My secret for staying motivated with Espresso English

My recent videos were all about staying motivated when learning English... ...but what's MY secret to staying motivated when teaching English? There are some days when I feel sad, lazy, and discouraged. Sometimes I don't have the energy to prepare new lessons, and I don't want to turn on my video camera. Yes... even your English teacher lacks motivation sometimes! But here's how I get motivated again: I visit a page on the Espresso English website that you might not know about... it's called "Student Stories." Read student stories - and add yours - by clicking here! - https://www.espressoenglish.net/student-stories/ It has SO MANY wonderful comments from students like you - all talking about how my lessons have helped them and changed their lives. When I read these student stories, it always makes me happy - and then I feel motivated and EXCITED to create more lessons and help more students! What's amazing about these stories is that there are students from lots of different countries... students of all different ages... students in a variety of jobs and life situations. All have learned and improved with Espresso English, and this is so encouraging to me as a teacher. So my secret to staying motivated is... hearing from YOU when you've enjoyed my lessons! Thank you so much to everyone who has sent me nice comments. Whether you're one of my long-time students who has followed my lessons for years... or whether you're one of my newer students who recently joined... I always love hearing from you. By the way, if you want to add your story to the "student stories" page, you can click here to send it! I hope you're having a great week. I'll send you more English lessons soon :-)

Jun 4, 20203 min

273 - Stay motivated tip #10 - Challenge and reward yourself

I'm sharing my tenth and final tip for how to stay motivated to learn English. This one is really interesting and fun, and it can really help you keep up your motivation and desire to make more progress in your English. Tip #10 is Challenge Yourself, Then Reward Yourself When You Reach Goals Sometimes when you're studying English by yourself, it can be discouraging because there's nobody to say "Nice work!" or celebrate your successes. But if you give yourself challenges and rewards, it can give you the motivation to keep going and not quit.

May 31, 20204 min

272 - Stay motivated tip #9 - Find a learning partner

Today's tip for staying motivated is Find A Partner Or Join A Community Scientists have discovered that one of the most effective motivators is "peer pressure" – that's encouragement or expectation from people who are similar to you.

May 28, 20203 min

271: Stay motivated tip #8 - Make learning English fun

today's tip for how to stay motivated to learn English is very important. It's so simple, but it will make a big difference in your English learning experience. Make Learning Enjoyable You don't have to study the exact same way every time! Try to have some variation, to keep things interesting. Here's another tip for making English more fun – find material in areas of your interest. Finally, learn from a teacher who you like!

May 25, 20203 min

270: Stay motivated tip #7 - Plan to come back after a break

Hi there! Today I'll share my seventh tip for how to stay motivated to learn English, and that is: Plan For Breaks, But Also Plan To Come Back If you have a very busy day, it's OK to skip your studying – just make sure to come back to it the next day. If you're going on vacation for a week, it's OK not to look at English. Relax and enjoy your vacation, then resume your studies afterwards. The key is always to come back to English – don't let yourself get so busy that you forget to study for weeks and months.

May 22, 20203 min

269: Stay motivated tip #6 - What to do when you feel lazy

Hello students! I'm back with another tip for how to stay motivated to learn English. This tip is for you on those days when you really have low motivation and you feel lazy, and you just aren't very interested in studying English. When You Feel Lazy, Just Take A Baby Step A "baby step" is a very small action.

May 19, 20203 min

268: Stay motivated tip #5 - Keep an English success journal

Today I'm giving you tip #5 on how to stay motivated when you're learning English. This is something very practical and if you do it, you will find it very helpful and encouraging. Keep A Record Of Your Progress (Success Journal) It's very motivating to keep a record of what you've accomplished. Get a notebook, and after every study session write down the date and a summary of "what I learned today." This results in three benefits.

May 16, 20203 min

267: Stay motivated tip #4 - Visualize your English goals

Hi students! Are you ready to learn tip #4 for how to stay motivated to learn English? This one is something you can put into practice every time you sit down to study. Visualize The End Goal, And Know That Every Bit Of Time You Invest Is Bringing You Closer! Do you know WHY you want to learn English? Whatever your reason is, try this simple exercise: when you sit down to study English, spend a couple minutes visualizing (imagining) reaching your goal. Then, tell yourself that EVERY study session (including this one) is bringing you closer to that situation. This makes your studying more enjoyable and more meaningful, because you know that what you are doing is useful and that you are making real progress.

May 12, 20202 min

266: Stay motivated tip #3 - Don't take mistakes so seriously/personally

Hi there! I'm back with tip #3 on how to stay motivated when learning English, and this is a big one – it is: Don't Take Mistakes So Seriously/Personally MISTAKES – they have the power to make you afraid to use your English… they can also make you feel humiliated when someone corrects you… they represent your failure to know the rules of English… right? WRONG! Mistakes only have all that power if you allow them to have such power. Remember that making mistakes does NOT mean you are stupid. Choose to view mistakes as an opportunity to learn, not a disaster!

May 9, 20204 min

265: Stay motivated tip #2 - Never compare your English to others'

Hi students! It's Shayna from EspressoEnglish.net and I'm excited to share with you my second tip for how to stay motivated to learn English. Tip #1, which we learned last time, is to be encouraged because your English is probably better than you imagine. Now let's consider tip #2, which is: Never Compare Your English Skills To Others'

May 6, 20203 min

264: How to stay motivated when learning English - Tip #1

Do you ever feel sad and discouraged about your English-learning progress? Do you sometimes find it hard to stay motivated, because learning English takes such a long time? Are there days when you just don't feel like studying? If you've ever experienced these emotions, then you will really enjoy the lessons I have for you this month. I'm going to teach you 10 practical ways to stay motivated in your English learning. Click here for tip #1! This is a special series of lessons that isn't specifically about grammar or vocabulary, but instead about how you can stay motivated and keep learning English, even when it feels hard. I'm making these videos for you because I want to see you succeed in your English learning, and these will be my top tips to help you keep going!

May 3, 20204 min

263 - How to pronounce long, complicated words in English

Today I'm going to teach you an exercise for practicing the pronunciation of long, difficult multi-syllable words. Our example words for this exercise will be particularly and individualistic. But you can use this exercise with ANY English word! I hope you'll remember the tips in this lesson next time you see a long, complicated English word! When it comes to pronunciation, practice makes perfect. The only way to get better at English pronunciation is by doing it, by saying the words, and by training your mouth to make the right sounds. I have two courses that can help you train and improve your pronunciation – the American English Pronunciation Course and Shadowing with Shayna. These courses have lots of exercises that will give you the practice you need to speak more clearly, confidently and correctly.

Apr 29, 20206 min

262 - Phrases for education - 7 expressions and 1 common error

Today you'll learn some common English expressions for talking about education. This lesson will also help you put these phrases into practice by asking you questions that use the expressions - so you can pause the video and say your answer, or write it down! And at the end of the lesson, I explain a very common error in English when talking about what you studied in school or college... make sure to watch or read to the end so that you can avoid this mistake. If you're following my lessons, it means you want to improve your spoken English. Watching YouTube videos is one way to do that, but it's even better to join my Everyday English Speaking Courses. You'll learn hundreds of real English phrases that are useful for daily life - what to say in daily life, when traveling, when socializing, even when arguing or disagreeing. It will help you speak English more confidently in any situation. To finish up this lesson on education, I just want to say that I'm so glad you're learning English with me! There are a lot of English teachers on the internet, and many of them are really great - but it's an honor to have you watching and reading my lessons. I'm so happy that I can help you learn English :-)

Apr 22, 20207 min

261 - Learn 10 business English verbs

In today's lesson you're going to improve your business English vocabulary by learning some interesting verbs that are used in the business world. If you work in an English-speaking environment – or if you want to do so – you'll encounter a lot of words that you might not have learned in English class. This video is going to teach you 10 business English verbs and how to use them. They're also used outside business, so you might also see these words in news articles, for example. If you're learning English for your job or career, one of the best ways to improve your skills is to join my Business English Course. Today's lesson has only 10 words, but inside my course you'll learn hundreds of common business English terms and phrases that you can use in a professional context. The Business English Course covers topics like finance, marketing, management, and more - as well as common professional situations like how to give a presentation or make phone calls in English. If you want to speak English more confidently at work, this course is for you!

Apr 15, 20207 min

260 - 4 ways to use the -ING form of verbs in English

Did you know that there are at least four different ways to use the -ING form of verbs in English? You might already know one or two of these, but after this lesson you'll have a more complete understanding of when we use English verbs in the -ING form. English grammar can be difficult, but I try to make it easy for my students! To learn grammar from me, you can get my $1 grammar e-books - these cover basic and intermediate grammar. If you're a more advanced student, then check out my Advanced English Grammar Course for very detailed lessons that will help make complex grammar topics clear to you. The e-books and course will give you a structured and organized way to learn English grammar and improve your speaking and writing.

Apr 8, 20208 min

259 - Say, tell, speak, or talk?

If you frequently confuse the verbs SAY, TELL, SPEAK, and TALK, you're not alone – these are some of the most commonly confused English words! They seem like they all mean the same thing - and they are similar - but we actually use them differently in English. In this lesson, I'll teach you the difference between say, tell, speak, and talk, and help you avoid some common mistakes with these words. For more lessons like this, check out my e-book, 600+ Confusing English Words Explained. When you read this e-book, you'll have a much better understanding of how to use English words correctly. I want to help you speak English better, so that you can talk with people more confidently! That's why I'm telling you about my e-book, 600+ Confusing English Words Explained. Other students say that this e-book has really helped them understand English words and when to use them. There, I just used all four words - speak, talk, tell, and say!

Apr 1, 20205 min

258 - How to pronounce English words ending in -ILE

Today I want to answer a question from a student who asked how to pronounce words ending in -ILE, like the word "mobile." Words with this ending are a little tricky because there's a pronunciation difference between British and American English. I'm from the U.S., so I'm going to teach you the way we say these words in American English. We'll practice 20 words with the -ILE ending - there are two different ways to pronounce it (plus a couple of exceptions). Come check out my American English Pronunciation Course if you want to improve your pronunciation so that you can speak more clearly and correctly! It has 30 lessons that are full of listen-and-repeat exercises, so that you can train yourself to pronounce words and sentences like a native English speaker. For additional pronunciation training, there's also my Shadowing with Shayna Course. You can get a discount when you buy these two courses together. Keep up the good work in practicing your pronunciation. Bye for now!

Mar 25, 20205 min

257 - 16 common collocations with "time"

"Time" is one of the most common words in English - but do you know all the different ways you can use the word time? In today's lesson, you'll learn 16 common collocations with the word TIME, such as: waste time, kill time, it's about time, stall for time There's also a quiz to help you practice the collocations in this lesson - you can click here to try it! One common problem among adults who are learning English is not having much time to study. Between work, school, family, and hobbies, it's hard to sit down and study English for hours and hours. That's why I create lessons that are short but effective - and one of the best examples of that is my e-book, 1000 Collocations in 10 Minutes a Day. Each lesson takes only about 5 minutes to read, and 5 minutes to do the exercise. This e-book is perfect for you if you have a busy schedule, but you still want to make progress in your English. It also includes audio, so you can listen to the lessons as well. For now, try to write some sentences using the "time" collocations you learned in today's lesson, because the best way to remember them is to practice.

Mar 18, 20207 min

256 - 20 phrasal verbs with GET

This lesson is on one of the topics that's most requested by my students – it's all about phrasal verbs with the word "get." We have get off, get by, get along, get over, get back, and lots more… and some of these have multiple meanings! These 20 phrasal verbs with "get" are very common in everyday English, so you need to learn them. I'll make them clear with definitions and examples. Now you know 20 different phrasal verbs with "get" – but what's the best way to remember them all? Phrasal verbs are easier to remember when you put them into practice – so try to write your own sentences using the phrasal verbs from this lesson. Inside my Phrasal Verbs in Conversation Course, you'll learn more than 500 phrasal verbs in English - and the course includes lots of opportunities for you to practice. After each lesson, there's a quiz to help you review, and writing exercises to help you use the phrasal verbs you've learned.

Mar 11, 202012 min

255 - 10 idioms for extreme emotion

If you want to speak fluent English, it's important to learn phrases and expressions - NOT just individual words. This is especially important when studying idioms. Why? Because it's often NOT possible to understand the meaning of the idiom by looking at the individual words... instead, you must learn the meaning of the entire idiomatic expression. In today's lesson, I'll explain 10 idioms for describing strong emotions. I guarantee you'll learn something new! We have so many interesting and colorful idioms in English, but traditional English books often don't focus on idioms. This means you can be very good at "textbook English," but then you'll have difficulty understanding TV shows, movies, and informal conversations – because these are all full of idiomatic expressions. If you're looking for a simple and fun way to learn the most common idiomatic expressions, sign up for my 300 English Idioms Course. You'll get 30 lessons that will help you discover English idioms in context - AND practice using them!

Mar 4, 20206 min

254: Quiz - 10 Common English spelling mistakes

Today's lesson is a quiz to help you practice some English words that are frequently spelled wrong. These spelling mistakes are made by both English learners and by native English speakers. Can you spell all 10 words right? It's much easier to avoid mistakes in English when you know exactly what to watch out for! You can learn to correct the most common English mistakes inside my course, 200 Common Errors in English. These are the most common mistakes that are made by students who are learning English, just like you. I'll teach you how to fix them, so that you can use English more confidently – without worrying about mistakes. Thanks for taking today's lesson, and I hope to see you in the course!

Feb 26, 20206 min

253: English phrases for talking about the weather

Today you'll learn 14 conversational English phrases about the weather. If you want to know how to talk about the weather in English, beyond the basic phrases of "It's sunny" and "It's raining," then this lesson is for you. As you can see, these are real English phrases that native English speakers use to talk about the weather – from hot weather to cold weather, good weather to bad weather – I hope you've learned some useful vocabulary and expressions today. To continue learning everyday English, come check out my Everyday English Speaking Course, where you can learn English phrases in the context of conversations about daily life, traveling, shopping, restaurants, and more. Thanks for joining me for this lesson - bye for now!

Feb 19, 20207 min

252 - Pronunciation Practice: Difficult words with "R"

Today we're going to practice pronouncing some difficult English words that feature the letter R, like choir, drawer, rural, library, temperature, and more. Do you have a difficult word that you want to know how to pronounce correctly in English? If so, tell me about it, and I'll add it to my list for future lessons! If you want to continue learning pronunciation and practicing with me, come check out my Pronunciation and Shadowing Courses. They will help you learn to pronounce English words and sentences more clearly and naturally. Keep on practicing and with time, you will be able to pronounce these difficult R words well.

Feb 12, 20206 min

251 - 10 vocabulary words starting with "F"

We've just started the month of February, and I realized it's been a long time since I did an English vocabulary lesson with pictures – so in today's lesson, you're going to learn 10 vocabulary words starting with the letter F. In addition to learning what these words mean, you can also practice pronouncing them by repeating the words after me. That's just a small sampling of the many English words we have, starting with F. You can continue learning English vocabulary inside my Vocabulary Builder Courses. The lessons in those courses have lots of pictures, so it's easy to learn the words – and there are exercises to help you practice. There are two levels of the Vocabulary Builder Course, and you can get a discount when you buy both levels together.

Feb 5, 20204 min

250: English phrase - Hindsight is 20/20

Today I'm going to explain the expression "hindsight is 20/20." It's now the year 2020, so I thought this would be an interesting phrase to learn! I don't want you to have regrets about your English learning. I don't want you to get to the end of the year and then to look back and say, "Oh, I should have studied harder, or I wish I'd taken that course, but I didn't, and so my English didn't really improve this year." Instead, I want you to take action! Practice your English every day. Join one of my courses. Just keep working on your English consistently as the months go by. Then, when we get to the end of the year, you won't have regrets. You won't think, "Ah, I wish I'd dedicated more time to my English, but hindsight is 20/20." Instead, you'll be able to say, "I did my best this year, I learned a lot of new things, and my English has improved in the year 2020." That's my hope and my wish for you! And I'm so glad I can help you learn more English through these lessons.

Jan 29, 20204 min

249 - How it feels to be fluent - My language-learning story

When you're learning a language, it's common to feel sad about your progress. You want to become fluent... but it seems like that goal is so far away! If you hear an expression that you don't know, or have difficulty understanding a fast conversation, it's easy to lose confidence in your abilities. You might think negative thoughts like "My English is so bad." You might wonder, "Will I ever become fluent in English, or is it impossible for me?" Let me tell you about my language-learning experience...

Jan 27, 20206 min

248: How to speak English confidently!

Do you often feel nervous when speaking English? Today I'm going to tell you my top tips for improving your confidence when speaking English. First, I'll give you three reasons why it's important to improve your confidence about your English. Then, I'll teach you three mental exercises and three physical exercises that will help you speak English more confidently! If you do these things, then your confidence will improve! I believe that YOU CAN learn to speak confident English, because I've seen many of my students become more confident by taking my lessons and practicing these tips. If you want to learn more from me, come join my English courses. You'll get clear and practical lessons that will help you learn vocabulary, phrases, grammar, pronunciation, idioms, and much more.

Jan 22, 20209 min

247: 10 new words added to the dictionary in 2019

Every year I like to teach a lesson on new words that have been added to the dictionary recently. The English language is always changing and evolving, and we're always creating new words or new meanings for existing words. Today you're going to learn 10 new words and definitions that were added to the dictionary in the past year. These are just a few of hundreds of new words that have been added to the dictionary in the past year, and I hope you found them interesting! It's really important for you to have a good foundation of English vocabulary, so that you can express yourself without pausing and trying to think of the words. My Vocabulary Builder Courses can help you get this good foundation of essential English words. These courses are really helpful in building your vocabulary so that you know what to say in English. Thanks for joining me today, and I'll talk to you in the next lesson!

Jan 15, 20206 min

246 - Holiday or vacation?

It's just a couple days away from Christmas, which is a major holiday in the United States. So in today's lesson I'm going to teach you about the difference between the words holiday and vacation. English learners often ask me about this, and it's a little tricky! Now put it into practice! What's your favorite holiday? Describe it in English. What did you do on your last vacation? Write about it in English. One common expression you'll often hear in December is "Happy Holidays!" - wishing someone a nice season of celebration, regardless of whether they celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, or another special time. So, happy holidays to you! Make sure to follow Espresso English on YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter so that you don't miss any lessons in the new year.

Dec 23, 20194 min

245 - Correct your English errors FAST!

Today's lesson is about common mistakes, but first I want to say one thing: Please don't let the fear of errors stop you from speaking English! It's MUCH more important to communicate and practice your speaking, even if it's not perfect. However, one of the fastest ways to correct your English errors is to focus on avoiding the most common mistakes - and I'll teach you 5 in this lesson. In my years of experience as an English teacher, I've heard many of the same errors very frequently, so I created a course to help you fix them! It's called 200 Common Errors in English, and you'll learn how to avoid errors in grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation, spelling, and more. Click on the link for more information and free samples. I think you'll find it very helpful in correcting any mistakes you might be making in English.

Dec 18, 20196 min

244 - How to improve your English listening

If you have difficulties in listening to and understanding English, you're not alone. This is one of the most common problems for English learners. It's frustrating and embarrassing when you can't understand, but in this lesson I'm going to explain why it's so difficult and teach you how to improve your listening skills. You can also improve your listening skills by joining my Listening Course, which has 45 lessons with exercises that help you understand more and more. The audios in this course are available at both slow and fast speeds, so you can listen at whichever level feels most comfortable. Whether or not you choose to sign up for my Listening Course, I hope this lesson has given you some practical tips for working on your listening and learning how to understand English better!

Dec 11, 20197 min

243 - Later vs. Latter

Today I'm going to explain the difference between LATER and LATTER. These words are only different by one letter, but they have different meanings and they're pronounced differently, too. That's all for now! If you want more, you can find lots of great explanations inside my 600+ Confusing Words E-Book. Thanks for joining me for today's lesson, and I'll talk to you later :-)

Dec 4, 20194 min

242 - Learn 7 MORE everyday English phrases!

After last week's lesson on common informal phrases, a lot of students e-mailed me saying, "please make more lessons like this!" So today I'll teach you more: You'll learn informal spoken expressions like "No hard feelings," "Join the club," and "Just my luck!" (that last one might be different from what you expect...) Let me know if you have any questions about these phrases - or if you have another phrase that you're not sure what it means or how to use it. One of the best ways to learn real phrases to use in daily life is to join my Everyday English Speaking Courses. You can see what the lessons are like by taking the free samples available here: Free sample - Level 1 Free sample - Level 2

Nov 27, 20197 min

241 - Learn 8 everyday English phrases and expressions

There are lots of little phrases that native English speakers use in daily life. But if you don't live in an English-speaking country, then you don't have the chance to hear these expressions - except maybe in movies or TV shows. So today I'll teach you 8 common informal phrases that you might not find in textbooks - and I'll give you examples of situations in which we use them. Do you want to learn more conversational English? I'd like to invite you to join my Everyday English Speaking Courses - the lessons are based on dialogues, so you can learn phrases in context. There are two levels of the course - Level 1 focuses on practical situations (traveling, socializing, shopping, etc.) and Level 2 has more advanced conversations. These are my most popular courses!

Nov 20, 20197 min