Tip # 2 for improving your spoken English: start a running list of the English words you use in spoken English the most often. Consider settings like English used at home, at work, and English used socially. Not sure how to say something? Go to youglish.com, select the language you want to hear, type the word in, and listen to many different people say the same word. Review this list and add to it daily.

Tip # 1 for improving your spoken English: find a role model! Find a native English speaker whose accent you like and listen to him often. Pay special attention to how he pronounces his words (this may very well be different from the textbook English that you learned in school) and mimic what you hear. Example role models for the general American accent: Walter Cronkite and President Barack Obama.

In the US, healthcare workers were among the first people to receive COVID vaccines. We had to get 2 shots 1 month apart. A lot of people, including me, were nervous about the viability of the vaccine because there’s no long term data on its safety and efficacy. The 1st shot made my arm sore and swollen for a week, but otherwise, it wasn’t bad. The 2nd shot made me sick for 2 days. I haven’t felt that sick in quite some time. I was tired, my joints hurt, I was freezing and sweating, and I had a fever. Otherwise, we still have to wear masks in the hospital, stay far apart from each other, and visitors are still restricted.