the do's and don'ts  of learning new words and expressions in English

British English with Maria

Top mistakes when learning VOCABULARY

【北海道Hokkaido生活】
〈#149〉1月25日水曜日　天気/晴れ　気温/-11℃ 

・都道府県の中で一番大きい
・北海道人口：5,280,000人
・札幌市人口：2,000,000人
・北海道の西から東は、大阪から東京
・札幌市から西にある函館市までJR(列車)でだいたい4時間
・札幌市から東にある根室市まで車で6時間
・旅行の計画を立てる時
・東京の人もおどろく


都道府県/とどうふけん
函館市/はこだてし
根室市/ねむろし
計画を立てる/けいかくをたてる…計画を作る

レッスン待ってます♪

北海道Hokkaido生活 for Japanese learners

〈#149〉北海道はとても広い

Today we're talking about a phrasal verb that you can use to talk about those times that you don't know what to say. Those moments in meetings or presentations when someone asks you a question, or you get to a challenging part of what you're saying and you stop talking. You just can't find the right words. Maybe you'll find this a useful phrasal verb to describe what sometimes happens to many of us!

DAILY Business English VOCABULARY builder

Silence... sudden silence... Are you OK?


“I think one of the most difficult decisions I ever had to make was choosing what major and university to apply for after graduating from high school. I had to make this decision about 3 years ago, at which time I was at a crossroads in my life, and had to decide something that I knew would affect my whole future life in a pretty short space of time. 

Since I can remember, I loved anything to do with computers, and knew I wanted to further my studies in something related to computers, especially programming. After a few weeks of research on the internet, I narrowed my choice down to two universities. I was at my wits end trying  to make a decision between these two universities, when my mother reminded me that two of my cousins had both graduated in computer science. After some really sound advice from my cousins I decided to apply to the university which specialised in coding.

I can happily say that I think I made a really good decision, thanks to the great advice from my cousins, and I'm really happy with my choice, as well as with what I have learned in the last 3 years. I’m also feeling very confident about my future, and because of making this decision, I now feel very confident that I will find a good job in the future.


IELTS 85 Speaking

Describe a difficult decision you made

Do vs Make — What’s the Difference?

“Do your homework” or “make your homework”?
“Make a mistake” or “do a mistake”?

If you’ve ever been confused about when to use do and when to use make, this 3-minute episode will clear things up.

We break down the key difference, explain common collocations, and give you simple tips to remember what’s correct.
👉 Useful for daily conversation, work, and study
👉 Real-life examples
👉 Quick quiz at the end to test your memory

Listen now and stop second-guessing your English!

Go Steps English

Do vs. Make — What's the Difference?

People in Switzerland eat more chocolate than anyone else in the world.

According to data from World Population Review, the average Swiss person eats nearly 9 kilograms of chocolate a year — almost twice as much as people in America.

So it might be no surprise that a Swiss university is doing research on chocolate — looking for ways to make it healthier and better for the planet!

Chocolate is made using cocoa beans, which grow in pods on the cacao tree. Each pod holds 20 to 60 seeds — or beans — that are covered in sweet white pulp.

Researchers from the university ETH Zurich have found a way to mix the pulp with part of the pod to make a sweet gel, which can be used instead of the powdered sugar that's usually added to cocoa beans when making chocolate.

Typical dark chocolate might be made of 30% to 40% powdered sugar. Testing different recipes, the researchers found they could make chocolate that was up to 20% gel and about as sweet as chocolate with 5% to 10% powdered sugar.

The new chocolate also had 20% more fiber and 30% less saturated fat than typical European dark chocolate — meaning it's healthier to eat.

Main study writer, Kim Mishra, told The Guardian that the new chocolate has a fruitier taste than typical dark chocolate — although it also tastes more acidic.

The researchers said using parts of the cocoa plant that are usually thrown away reduces waste, while using the new gel would let cocoa farmers get money not just from their beans, but by selling the pulp and pod parts needed for the gel as well.

It may be a while before we can try this chocolate for ourselves. However, ETH Zurich has already filed a patent for the recipe.



Practice Listening, Reading & Comprehension

Scientists Make Healthier, Less Wasteful Chocolate

Listen to my introduction to this episode https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0l7vxnh to find ideas and questions to get you started. Then give me your response and let's build on it in class.

"People Fixing the World" whilst learning English with Teacher Eve

3D printed school with tablets

CHISTES MEXICANOS

FRACASO MATRIMONIAL.

Welcome to "The Real English Conversations Podcast!" In this episode, Curtis has a funny story to tell about a time he didn't bring an umbrella with him. Get ready to laugh as Curtis talks about the embarrassing moment on his way to get a haircut, when he got caught in the rain without an umbrella. If you've wanted to learn how to tell an English story, or you just like to listen to funny English stories, you'll LOVE this episode!

Learn English On Italki with the host of this Podcast:
Book a lesson with Curtis - https://www.italki.com/teacher/4672521/english