Hello Italki Community! I am Rose, a new teacher. I have my first student tomorrow. She is an advanced student from Italy. I would love to start posting here. How often do most of you post? What do you write about? I am a novelist and blogger, and though I keep that side of my career separate from teaching English, I find that my students of the last 3 years are fascinated by topics such as ancient civilisations (Atlantis & Lemuria), archaeology (Giza, Tepe, Tiwanaku, Teotihuacan etc), myths & legends (Greek, Sumerian, Mayan etc), spirituality within religion and other ancient texts, and subjects like Hollow Earth (as reflected in Jules Verne’s ‘Journey to the Center of the Earth’) … even Flat Earth debates (I am not a Flat Earther, but you’d be surprised at how many people are!), as well as many ‘out there’ topics like this. A decade ago, my novels were not ‘fashionable’ but today, almost all my students are really interested in these sorts of subjects - which gets them talking! As you know, a student who talks is a student we can teach! I have also noticed and many of my more advanced students on other platforms love to debate conspiracy theories. However, I do also teach more mainstream topics such as English Reading Comprehension (British Classics) and Talking about Daily Routine / Travel / Work etc. What do you talk to your more intermediate to advanced students about when you give a class? I’d love to know! Thanks folks! Good to be here! Rose 🙂

Start the new year with a fun challenge instead of another “I’ll do it tomorrow.” Why not learn a new language and surprise everyone (including yourself)? Learning a language this year could be your smartest decision yet. Go ahead — give it a try and see where your new words take you!

Hello, Does anyone know the exact date the European Portuguese CAPLE exams open registration for their first batch of exams? I have tried reaching out to my local Canadian exam centres. Haven't heard back but I missed the deadline last year and had to wait a year. thanks!

Is speaking more like a native English speaker from the United States a goal of yours for 2026? Do you want native English speakers from the United States to really understand you really well without the risk of misunderstand miscommunication and or assumptions? Meet Alice! Hello there! I've been an English tutor on Italki for 7 years now. Tutoring students from all around the world. Over 3,700 one on one lessons taught so far! Check out my tutor profile and book a lesson! If you want to work on improving pronunciation, phrasal verbs, prepositions, basic conversational skills. Let me know!

Being able to talk on a wide variety of topics is really helpful for getting a higher mark on the IELTS test. In this podcast I will help you to form opinions and ideas for Speaking Part 3 and Writing Part 2. You can also book a private lesson with me on my profile. Hope to see you in a lesson soon!

Differences in Some Thai Words Used by Men and Women Part 3: Third-Person Pronouns Third-person pronouns are used to refer to other people. The choice of pronoun often depends on the context, the level of familiarity, and the gender of the speaker or the person being referred to, making communication polite and natural. 1. Khao (/kʰǎw/, เขา) A third-person pronoun used to refer to people in general. Neutral, polite, and widely used. 2. Thoe (/tʰɤː/, เธอ) Used for women in the third person. Neutral, polite, and suitable for most situations. 3. Man (/mān/, มัน) Used for animals, objects, or people in a disrespectful way. Often conveys negative feelings or is used only among close friends. 4. Kae (/kɛː/, แก) Used for someone older or more senior. Commonly used in casual conversations and is informal. 5.Ai Nun (/ʔāj nán/, ไอ้นั่น) Used for men in the third person, usually in gossip. The tone and the speaker’s mood determine how strong or coarse it sounds. 6. Ee Nun (/ʔiː nán/, อีนั่น) Used to refer to women or ladyboys, usually in gossip. The tone and the speaker’s mood determine how harsh it sounds. 7.Nang (/nāːŋ/, นาง) Slang used by women or ladyboys to refer to others. Mostly used in casual or playful contexts 8. Nang (/nǎŋ/, นัง) Slang used by women or ladyboys to refer to others. Mostly used in casual or playful contexts 9. Nang Nun (/nāŋ nán/, นังนั่น) Used to refer to women, often in gossip or in a rude way. The tone and the speaker’s mood set how harsh it sounds. Thai third-person pronouns reflect gender, politeness, and social context. Some are neutral, while others are mainly used by women, men, or ladyboys, and some are informal or slang. Understanding these differences helps speakers use the right word for the person and situation.

English students, try this.

The day before Christmas, I went to a Christmas café in Shin-Okubo with my friends. The café was very famous, so there were many high school students and couples. Because of that, we had to wait in a long line for a long time. I felt very tired while waiting. However, when we finally entered the café, my feelings changed. Inside the café, there were many cute foods and beautiful Christmas decorations. The cakes and drinks were colorful and looked very nice. The decorations made me feel excited and happy. I really enjoyed the Christmas atmosphere there. Even though I was tired, I thought it was worth waiting. I want to visit the café again next year. On Christmas Day, I went to Costco with my university friends. We bought many kinds of food, such as pizza, chicken, and desserts. After shopping, we went to my friend’s house and had a Christmas party. We cooked and prepared a lot of food together, so the room was full of delicious smells. I ate a lot, and I became very full. We also wore Santa Claus and reindeer headbands. It made us feel more like Christmas. We took many pictures and talked a lot. I had a very fun and happy Christmas with my friends. It became a great memory for me.