When you get to a certain level of English (especially intermediate level) it can be hard to see real progress, and you don’t really feel motivated to keep studying. You might think “I can communicate well and people understand me. Why should I keep studying when I can’t see concrete results?” This seems logical. But…
A quick way to sound more like a native English speaker is to use phrasal verbs in conversation. You don’t need to use them all the time, but one or two in a conversation makes you sound more natural. Summer Holidays – 10 Phrasal Verbs If you’re planning your summer holiday, here are 10 phrasal…
Don’t let fear of making a mistake get in your way. In my article on LinkedIn, I argue that there are only four things you should worry about when you speak or write in English. Of these, the most important is what happens as a result of what you say. Does the other person understand…
So far we’ve looked at how the 1% coaching method can help you get quick and easy wins in English grammar, pronunciation and vocabulary. In this post, I’m going to show you some ways it will help you when you speak English. Typical speaking problems Often, there are two main things that make you less confident about…
One area of English where you can ALWAYS make quick, effective improvements is vocabulary. With English vocabulary, a great place to start making improvements is “collocations”. These are words which naturally go with other words. So, for example, we say “apply for a job” (not “ask for a job”) or “a dream job” (not “a…
Following on from my post about quick grammar wins, I wanted to share with you some ways that you can quickly improve your pronunciation to make a big overall impact. Pronunciation is a huge area of English, and it’s also an area where people feel most anxious. But first of all – remember that having…
Last week I published an article on LinkedIn about how the 1% coaching method works for non-native English professionals. You can read it here: The 1% Coaching Method And Why It Works For Non-Native Professionals How the method works is by improving small details by 1% rather than focussing on doing one thing 100% better. So…
If I asked you what you should improve first in your English, you might say “Everything!” Or you might say “You tell me – you’re the coach!” Both answers are equally correct – but neither address the real problem. The real problem is time. If you believe, like me, that learning a language is a…
When you have a busy life, you just don’t have hours and hours of time to dedicate to learning English. This is why long, traditional English courses can be so frustrating. An hour a week for six months is a big time commitment – but also not long enough to make a big difference in…
Mistakes are an inevitable part of learning a language. Or, in fact, learning anything at all. We learn something new, test it by using it, make a mistake, test again – this time succeeding. That’s fine for the theory, but when it happens to us, it can feel very different. Language and communication are such…
One of the biggest challenges when you want to improve your English (or when you want to improve anything) is lack of time. The people I help have different needs and goals, but they all share the same problem: not enough time for traditional (classroom-based) English courses. Traditional courses do have their place. They’re great…
What’s your first reaction when you know you’ll have to speak in English – maybe at an international meeting or conference, or when you have company visitors? You might feel anything from ‘slightly worried’ to ‘complete fear’ or panic. This is totally normal. If you don’t often speak English, you’ll probably be anxious about ‘performing’…
When you learn a language as an adult, there’s one area where you will have more difficulties than a child. This area is pronunciation. In fact, most of the people I teach and coach are worried about their pronunciation and their accent. They’re worried that: a) people won’t understand them b) people will laugh or…
As a Cambridge ESOL Speaking Examiner, I can tell you that one of the things that great candidates do – at any level – is understand and use phrasal verbs. In fact, using them well will make you sound more like a native speaker. But, using phrasal verbs accurately (or at all!) is one of…
“My English vocabulary is weak. How can I improve it?” Do you also have this problem? If your goal is to be able to speak English more fluently, you need to be able to find the right words quickly. By the way, you don’t need a HUGE vocabulary to express yourself clearly. You can do…
How can you practise your English regularly if you don’t live in an English-speaking country? Regular speaking practice is essential to stay fluent in English. When you speak regularly, you’re more likely to remember vocabulary and phrases (especially if they’re new words and phrases) and you also get the chance to keep practising the pronunciation.…
Are you getting frustrated because English rules seem illogical or too different from your native language? Read on for three ways to feel less stressed when you learn English. One of the biggest problems learning a new language is that – at the beginning at least – it doesn’t make sense. Here are a couple…
The fear of making a mistake can stop you from speaking fluently. Read on for four ways you can become more fluent – and sound more like a native speaker of English! Are you worried that you’ll make a mistake when you speak English or that other people will think you’re stupid? The fear of…
When you get to a certain level of English (especially intermediate level) it can be hard to see real progress, and you don’t really feel motivated to keep studying. You might think “I can communicate well and people understand me. Why should I keep studying when I can’t see concrete results?” This seems logical. But…
A quick way to sound more like a native English speaker is to use phrasal verbs in conversation. You don’t need to use them all the time, but one or two in a conversation makes you sound more natural. Summer Holidays – 10 Phrasal Verbs If you’re planning your summer holiday, here are 10 phrasal…
Don’t let fear of making a mistake get in your way. In my article on LinkedIn, I argue that there are only four things you should worry about when you speak or write in English. Of these, the most important is what happens as a result of what you say. Does the other person understand…
So far we’ve looked at how the 1% coaching method can help you get quick and easy wins in English grammar, pronunciation and vocabulary. In this post, I’m going to show you some ways it will help you when you speak English. Typical speaking problems Often, there are two main things that make you less confident about…
One area of English where you can ALWAYS make quick, effective improvements is vocabulary. With English vocabulary, a great place to start making improvements is “collocations”. These are words which naturally go with other words. So, for example, we say “apply for a job” (not “ask for a job”) or “a dream job” (not “a…
Following on from my post about quick grammar wins, I wanted to share with you some ways that you can quickly improve your pronunciation to make a big overall impact. Pronunciation is a huge area of English, and it’s also an area where people feel most anxious. But first of all – remember that having…
Last week I published an article on LinkedIn about how the 1% coaching method works for non-native English professionals. You can read it here: The 1% Coaching Method And Why It Works For Non-Native Professionals How the method works is by improving small details by 1% rather than focussing on doing one thing 100% better. So…
If I asked you what you should improve first in your English, you might say “Everything!” Or you might say “You tell me – you’re the coach!” Both answers are equally correct – but neither address the real problem. The real problem is time. If you believe, like me, that learning a language is a…
When you have a busy life, you just don’t have hours and hours of time to dedicate to learning English. This is why long, traditional English courses can be so frustrating. An hour a week for six months is a big time commitment – but also not long enough to make a big difference in…
Mistakes are an inevitable part of learning a language. Or, in fact, learning anything at all. We learn something new, test it by using it, make a mistake, test again – this time succeeding. That’s fine for the theory, but when it happens to us, it can feel very different. Language and communication are such…
One of the biggest challenges when you want to improve your English (or when you want to improve anything) is lack of time. The people I help have different needs and goals, but they all share the same problem: not enough time for traditional (classroom-based) English courses. Traditional courses do have their place. They’re great…
What’s your first reaction when you know you’ll have to speak in English – maybe at an international meeting or conference, or when you have company visitors? You might feel anything from ‘slightly worried’ to ‘complete fear’ or panic. This is totally normal. If you don’t often speak English, you’ll probably be anxious about ‘performing’…
When you learn a language as an adult, there’s one area where you will have more difficulties than a child. This area is pronunciation. In fact, most of the people I teach and coach are worried about their pronunciation and their accent. They’re worried that: a) people won’t understand them b) people will laugh or…
As a Cambridge ESOL Speaking Examiner, I can tell you that one of the things that great candidates do – at any level – is understand and use phrasal verbs. In fact, using them well will make you sound more like a native speaker. But, using phrasal verbs accurately (or at all!) is one of…
“My English vocabulary is weak. How can I improve it?” Do you also have this problem? If your goal is to be able to speak English more fluently, you need to be able to find the right words quickly. By the way, you don’t need a HUGE vocabulary to express yourself clearly. You can do…
How can you practise your English regularly if you don’t live in an English-speaking country? Regular speaking practice is essential to stay fluent in English. When you speak regularly, you’re more likely to remember vocabulary and phrases (especially if they’re new words and phrases) and you also get the chance to keep practising the pronunciation.…
Are you getting frustrated because English rules seem illogical or too different from your native language? Read on for three ways to feel less stressed when you learn English. One of the biggest problems learning a new language is that – at the beginning at least – it doesn’t make sense. Here are a couple…