I had my first class at university today, so I woke up at 6:30 a.m. I’m really sleepy right now. After class, I studied English. Maybe because I woke up early, my mind was clear, and I was able to concentrate really well. I went to my cousin’s house for the first time in a while, and we talked about all sorts of things. It was a lot of fun. It was also great to eat my grandma’s cooking again after so long. Today was such a fulfilling day, so I think I’ll sleep really well tonight. I don’t have any specific plans for tomorrow either, so I think I’ll study English again.

Bonjour french learners, try this quiz!!

If you've ever done an IELTS listening test and felt like the speaker was trying to trick you… you're absolutely right. They are. And today, I'm going to show you the exact trick they use — the one that steals marks from 9 out of 10 candidates. And the best part? Once you know it, you'll never fall for it again. Let's do a quick test together. I'm going to say a sentence — just like the speaker in the real test would. And I want you to write down the answer you hear. Ready? So, the meeting is at three p.m. on Tuesday… oh wait, sorry — let me check my diary again. It's been moved to four p.m. No, actually… hmm, it says Wednesday. Yeah, Wednesday at three p.m. What did you write? Tuesday? Three p.m.? Four p.m.? If you wrote Tuesday — or even four — you just fell into the trap. The correct answer is Wednesday at three p.m. Here's the secret: the first answer you hear is almost never the final answer. In IELTS listening, speakers love to correct themselves. They say something, then change it. And most candidates — under pressure — write down the first thing they hear and move on. That's how marks disappear. So how do you catch it? Listen for these magic words — the signals that a correction is coming: "Actually… / Sorry, I mean… / No, wait… / Let me check… / On second thought… / I've just realized…" Whenever you hear one of these, stop writing — and listen carefully. The real answer is coming right after. Let me show you another classic version — this time with spelling. Listen: Our new teacher's name is… Sarah. S-A-R-A-H. Actually, no — sorry, I'm confusing her with my cousin. It's Sara. S-A-R-A. If you wrote S-A-R-A-H because you heard the spelling first… wrong. The speaker corrected herself. The answer is S-A-R-A. And numbers? Oh, they love numbers: Your room number is 204… sorry, no, that was last year. This year it's 402. Same trap. First number? A decoy. The final number? Your answer. So here's your golden rule: never write the answer in the first two seconds.

Language is a tool to communicate annd connect with the people and their culture across the world.

Question for English language learners. English tutor Alice here. If you could speak to someone from the United States what would you want to talk about? What's something that you'd love to learn about the US? What topics do you love to talk about with your friends? Do you know what small talk is? Is small talk with strangers common where you live? Here in the US it is very common. We do small talk with strangers. We talk about the weather, hobbies, sports, food and more! We talk to strangers in grocery stores, book stores, libraries and more places.

30-day Grammar Challenge (B2) #day21

Check your English slang. Do you know this expression?

There are lots of ways to say that you like or dislike something in English, and ‘I like it’ and ‘I don’t like it’ don’t always tell us exactly how we feel. Let’s look at some useful expressions that can help you describe your preferences more precisely – from mild preference to very strong feelings. If you are fond of something, you like it, often because you have enjoyed it for a long time or have a warm feeling towards it: ‘I’ve always been fond of old houses.’ If you have a soft spot for something, you have a particular affection for it, even if there isn’t an obvious reason: ‘I’ve always had a soft spot for romantic comedies.’ If you are into something, you like it and are interested in it. This informal expression is often used for hobbies, music, fashion, and other interests: ‘I’m really into photography at the moment.’ You can also say you are crazy about something when you like it very much: ‘She’s absolutely crazy about jazz.’ At the other end of the scale, if you loathe something, you dislike it very strongly: ‘I absolutely loathe getting up early.’ Similarly, detest means to dislike someone or something intensely: ‘She detests people who are rude to waiters.’ Sometimes, however, we simply want to say that something isn’t for us. If something isn’t your cup of tea, it isn’t the kind of thing you like or are interested in. This informal expression is particularly common in British English: ‘Horror films aren’t really my cup of tea.’ Finally, if something puts you off a food, activity, or experience, it makes you less interested in it or less willing to try it: ‘The bad weather put me off going for a walk.’ Which of these expressions do you use already? And what’s something you’re crazy about that other people might not be?

English tutor Alice here. Question for ESL students. Where do you love to travel? Where do you wish you could travel? I live in the US. I was born and raised here. I love visiting southern California! I would love to travel to France and Wales.

Phrasal verbs from A to Z #day1 - A