by Jacqueline Schaalje FTTUB Here are some tips for managers who need to improve their English. They make up an important part of my students. It always amazes me that they haven’t thought of doing something about their English sooner. They really wait until they get stuck in their careers and then they suddenly think: “OMG,… Continue reading Manager Tips: How to Manage Your English-speaking Clients
By Jacqueline Schaalje Some of my students have asked me sometimes why there are so many ways to say the same thing in English. I usually answer that there are subtle differences in meaning. Sometimes, however, the differences are huge! You can say something rudely or politely, and there are many grey shades in between.… Continue reading Make Your English Sound Friendly and Polite
Originally posted on Can a languages teacher learn a language?:
Dear Students Last term my friend Mr Hicks tried to get me sacked. Tried to get all Modern Languages teachers sacked in fact. He didn’t put it quite like that when he gave his WellingTen talk on why we should stop teaching languages and teach linguistics…
Matt Biddulph Here are two quizzes about professions that I’ve put online. Click here for Quiz 1. Click here for Quiz 2. Quiz 1 1. Someone who builds robots is an: ______________ 2. Someone whose field of study is physics is a: ____________________ 3. Someone whose job is design is a: ________________ 4. Someone who… Continue reading Do You Know the Correct Names for Professions?
®Ros By Jacqueline Schaalje Additions that are glued to the end of a word are called suffixes. (From Latin: Suf comes from sub, which means under, and fix means attach.) There are many words in English to which you can add –ist or –ian and they will mean a person. For instance if we take… Continue reading How to Transform a Thing into a Person with –ist and –ian
By Jacqueline Schaalje It is time to head back to school! Starting school again is fun for most people, at least during the first week. For others, it can be a bit stressful. But do not worry. If you are stressed about it, there is probably a phone app that you can download to your… Continue reading Back to School Apps
By Jacqueline Schaalje Too + Adjective Too + adjective means too much of something. I put too much sugar in my coffee > My coffee is too sweet. The temperature outside is 35C. > It’s too hot. Adjective + enough means it’s just right. You can use this for questions: – Is the soup hot… Continue reading Too Much or Not Enough: Easy Grammar
By Jacqueline Schaalje NASA Your very first international conference call may make you feel nervous or even frightened. But try not to panic, either before or during the conference call. Panicking always makes us lose our focus and our ability to concentrate. This could lead to you forgetting the meanings of certain English words and… Continue reading Tips for Conference Calls: No More Nerves
Warning: If you are just starting to learn English, this article is not for you. I got many questions about the distinction about will and would. So let’s clear up. Will Will is used for the future. Examples: Tomorrow I will visit my parents. Or: Tomorrow I will be visiting my parents. (in future progressive)… Continue reading Will or Would?
As you know you can use will for the future. As in: 1 I will see you next Wednesday. You can also say: 2 I will be seeing you next Wednesday. What’s the difference? In 1, we’re using the simple future. In 2, we’ve used future progressive tense. (or future continuous) The future progressive tense… Continue reading Making Questions in Future Progressive (or Continuous)
English with a Smile 