In this episode of Kev’s English Podcast, Kevin Dean dives into one of the most common mistakes IELTS candidates make in Writing Task 2: using memorised phrases.

Learn why sentences like “In the contemporary era…” or “This essay will discuss both views…” actually hurt your lexical resource and coherence scores — and what to say instead.

✅ Perfect for IELTS students aiming for Band 7 or higher
✅ Useful for those struggling to sound natural in academic writing
✅ Includes real examples from students + better alternatives

🎯 Want more tips? Visit theenglishnative.com
🎥 Watch 600+ videos on writing at The English Native YouTube
📸 Follow Kevin on Instagram: @thee.nglishnative

Don’t forget to subscribe and share with other IELTS learners!

Kev's English Podcast

KEP 33: IELTS Writing Task 2: The Phrases You Must Avoid for Band 7+

Hello everyone,welcome to my channel.Today my daily topic is ask for the day off.
I ate something wrong ,so I feel sick and want to vomit.I take some medicine and lie down for a day,I feel really bad.And when I think about tomorrow is Monday,I have a lot of work to do,I feel anxious,it’s not good for my health.so when Monday coming,I send a message to my boss,ask for a day off.
So today we learn some new words and sentences
1.请假 qǐngjià
2.我生病了wǒshēng bìngle
3.呕吐ǒutù
4.吃药chīyào
5.躺在床上tǎngzài chuángshàng
6.明天是周一 míngtiān shì zhōuyī
7.我有许多工作wǒyǒu xǔduō gōngzuò
8.我感到焦虑wǒ gǎn dào jiāolǜ
给我的老板发信息gěi wǒ de lǎobǎn fā xìnxi

Daily Talk

请假

Series: The Woman Behind the Words

Many women speak clearly in their own language —
but the moment English enters the room, something inside tightens.

Thoughts speed up.
The body contracts.
The voice becomes careful instead of alive.

This episode explores why this happens even to brilliant, experienced women —
and why the collapse is not about grammar, ability, or vocabulary.

It’s about the internal script that gets activated under pressure:
the fear of being judged,
the urge to sound “perfect,”
the pressure to perform instead of express.

You’ll hear why the voice loses presence in real moments,
what actually drives this reaction,
and how awareness alone begins to restore stability, clarity, and self-trust.

A gentle reflection inside the episode:

“Where do you abandon yourself the moment pressure rises —
and what would it feel like to stay with yourself instead?”

🌿 Mini-Exercise: “Reuniting the Two Voices”

Duration: 2 minutes — soft, no pressure

1. Close your eyes for one breath.
Notice how your body shifts when you think about speaking English.
Don’t fix. Just observe.

2. Ask yourself quietly:

“Who shows up when I speak English — the one who expresses, or the one who tries to survive?”

Let the answer arrive on its own.
Your nervous system will show you the truth faster than your mind.

3. Place one hand on your chest and whisper:

“Both versions of me are allowed to be here.”

This softens the internal split.

4. Now complete this sentence in your mind:

“When I speak English, the part of me that takes over is the part that wants to…”

(…be perfect, avoid judgment, stay safe, not bother anyone, sound smart — whatever is true for you.)

5. One final breath:
Let your shoulders drop 1%.
That 1% is where your real voice begins to return.

You can also explore this kind of work with me - book a private consultation with me on my profile. Hope to see you in a deep transformation soon!


“The Pro Behind the Words” - You don’t need new words. You need the REAL YOU who speaks them.

Episode 5 — “The Woman Who Stops Herself Mid-Sentence”

علی یک پسر کوچک است. مینا خواهرش است. او مینا را خیلی دوست دارد. هر روز، علی مینا را به باغ میبرد. در باغ، علی و مینا با هم بازی میکنند. علی یک توپ دارد. او توپ را به مینا میدهد. مینا توپ را میگیرد و به علی برمیگرداند. علی و مینا خیلی خوشحال هستند.

Atefeh's Language Corner

Learning Persian Grammar with Stories - The Particle "را"

New Year (正月, shōgatsu) is the most important holiday in Japan. Most businesses shut down from January 1 to January 3, and families typically gather to spend the days together.

Years are traditionally viewed as completely separate, with each new year providing a fresh start. Consequently, all duties are supposed to be completed by the end of the year, while bonenkai parties ("year forgetting parties") are held with the purpose of leaving the old year's worries and troubles behind.

Homes and entrance gates are decorated with ornaments made of pine, bamboo and plum trees, and clothes and houses are cleaned.

On New Year's eve, toshikoshi soba (buckwheat noodles), symbolizing longevity, are served. A more recent custom is watching the music show "kohaku uta gassen", a highly popular television program featuring many of Japan's most famous J-pop and enka singers in spectacular performances.

Akari Talks Japan

How people in Japan prepare for the new year お正月準備

一. Dialogue 对话

A：今晚我和丽丽想去K歌，你要不要来？ 
Jīn wǎn wǒ hé lì lì xiǎng qù K gē ，nǐ yào bú yào lái ？ 

B：我不太会唱歌。我怕我唱不好。 
wǒ bú tài huì chàng gē 。wǒ pà wǒ chàng bÙ hǎo 。 

A：没关系的，一起玩开心就好啦！ 
méi guān xì de ，yī qǐ wán kāi xīn jiù hǎo lā ！

二. Words & Expressions: 

 1.【今晚】jīn wǎn: tonight 

 2.【歌】gē: song 

 3. 【唱歌】chàng gē: sing 
 
 4. 【怕】pà：be afraid of, fear 

 5. 【开心】kāi xīn : happy

三. Dialogue Explanation: 
 1. 今晚我和丽丽想去K歌，你要不要来？ 
Jīn wǎn wǒ hé lì lì xiǎng qù K gē ，nǐ yào bú yào lái ？ 
Lily and I want to go to Karaoke tonight, do you want to to join us? 

2. 我不太会唱歌。我怕我唱不好。 
Wǒ bú tài huì chàng gē 。wǒ pà wǒ chàng bÙ hǎo 。 
I’m not good at singing, I’m afraid that I can’t sing well. 
 note: "不太“ literally means "not too", which means "not very" or "not so". 

 3. 没关系的，一起玩开心就好啦！ 
Méi guān xì de ，yī qǐ wán kāi xīn jiù hǎo lā ！ 
Don’t worry, let’s just have fun together! 

 ☞ (不太会唱歌和唱不好是)没关系的= 没关系的 abbr. 
 
 ☞The "是... 的" construction for emphasizing details
the 是⋯⋯的 construction is frequently used when asking or telling details about the past.Although this structure is called the 是⋯⋯的 construction, the 是 is nearly always optional. You will often hear this structure with 是 omitted, so be aware. The only time 是 is required in this construction is when it's being negated. Other than that, 是 is commonly omitted.

e.g. 1
A: 你 骑 自行车 来 的 吗 ？(Emphasizing "by bike")
     nǐ qí zìxíngchē lái de ma?
      Did you come by bike? 

B: 我 走 来 的 。(Emphasizing "by foot")
     Wǒ zǒu lái de.
     I came by foot.

 e.g.2
A: 谁 告诉 你 的 ？(Emphasizing "who")
    shéi gàosu nǐ de?
     Who told you? 

B: 一 个 同事 告诉 我 的 。(Emphasizing "a colleague")
    yī gè tóngshì gàosu wǒ de.
    A colleague told me.




Learn Chinese with Lucky Yancy

1. 去唱歌 Go To Karaoke 

自我介绍要根据不同的场合做不同的介绍。今天我们学习以下三种情况应该怎么做自我介绍。
1. 第一天上班，向组员介绍自己
2. 邀请同事吃饭
3. 面试时自我介绍
大家可以跟着里面的三段对话来练习。

中文小课堂

自我介绍

Alamin ang isa pang kahanga-hangang impormasyon tungkol sa mga buwaya

Learn Tagalog with Teacher Regina

Buwaya 4

In this episode we are going to hear a conversation between a new student and an old student in school. What they are taiking about? Let's listen now.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A：嗨，你好！你是新来的同学吗？
      hēi ， nǐ hǎo ！ nǐ shì xīn lái de tónɡ xué mɑ 
B：是啊，我是刚来这个学校的。
      shì ā ， wǒ shì ɡānɡ lái zhè ɡe xué xiào de 。 
A：我叫苏颜，你叫什么名字呢？
     wǒ jiào sū yán ， nǐ jiào shén me mínɡ zi ne ？ 
B：我叫阿丽莎。
      wǒ jiào ā lì shā 。 
A：你从哪里来的呀？
       nǐ cónɡ nǎ lǐ lái de yɑ ？ 
B：我是从俄罗斯来的，你呢？
      wǒ shì cónɡ é luó sī lái de ， nǐ ne ？ 
A：啊，我来自韩国。
       ā ， wǒ lái zì hán ɡuó 。 
B：韩国啊，哇！嗯，你也住在留学生宿舍吗？
      hán ɡuó ā ， wā ！ èn ， nǐ yě zhù zài liú xué shenɡ sù shè mɑ ？ 
A：没有，我在学校外面租的公寓。
      méi yǒu ， wǒ zài xué xiào wài miàn zū de ɡōnɡ yù 。 
B：喔，在学校外面租公寓很贵吗？
      wō ， zài xué xiào wài miàn zū ɡōnɡ yù hěn ɡuì mɑ ？ 
A：要三千人民币一个月呢。
      yào sān qiān rén mín bì yí ɡè yuè ne 。 
B：喔，真的有点贵额！你来北京多久了呀？
       wō ， zhēn de yǒu diǎn ɡuì é ！ nǐ lái běi jīnɡ duō jiǔ le yɑ ？ 
A：我来快三个月了。你呢？
      wǒ lái kuài sān ɡè yuè le 。 nǐ ne ？ 
B：喔，我是昨天刚来的。嗯，你学了多久汉语了啊？
       wō ， wǒ shì zuó tiān ɡānɡ lái de 。 èn ， nǐ xué le duō jiǔ hàn yǔ le ā ？ 
A：学了快五年了。
     xué le kuài wǔ nián le 。  
B：哇！怪不得你的中文讲得这么好！
      wā ！ ɡuài bù dé nǐ de zhōnɡ wén jiǎnɡ dé zhè me hǎo ！ 
A：没有没有！
      méi yǒu méi yǒu ！ 
B：嗯嗯，你这个周末有空吗？
      èn èn ， nǐ zhè ɡe zhōu mò yǒu kōnɡ mɑ ？ 
A：啊，我这个周末要去看演唱会。
      ā ， wǒ zhè ɡe zhōu mò yào qù kàn yǎn chànɡ huì 。 
B：哦，那不然我们下个星期？嗯，星期一晚上一起去吃饭，好不好？
ò ， nà bù rán wǒ men xià ɡè xīnɡ qī ？ èn ， xīnɡ qī yì wǎn shɑnɡ yì qǐ qù chī fàn ， hǎo bu hǎo? 
A：好呀好呀！我带你去学校门口那家火锅店，特别好吃。
      hǎo yɑ hǎo yɑ ！ wǒ dài nǐ qù xué xiào mén kǒu nà jiā huǒ ɡuō diàn ， tè bié hǎo chī 。 
B：那好啊！我们星期一晚上见！
      nà hǎo ā ！ wǒ men xīnɡ qī yì wǎn shɑnɡ jiàn ！ 
A：周一见！
      zhōu yí jiàn ！ 
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
New words:
公寓       ɡōnɡ yù         apartment
怪不得   ɡuài bu dé     no wonder