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Who are TJ Taylor? How to Improve your English Listening Comprehension By admin Posted on 19 August 2019 Posted in Uncategorized 1 Comment By Chiara Bruzzano Do you find that spoken English is sometimes difficult to understand? Do you watch Friends on Netflix and feel like you’re understanding everything? Then suddenly you hear the background laugh of the studio audience – and you can’t figure out why they are laughing? Do you ever have conversations in English where everything is ok – and then the other speaker says an entire sentence as if there were no spaces between the words? If this sounds familiar, then you’re in the right place! In this guide we will explain why understanding spoken English is difficult, and how you can improve your listening comprehension. Read more » How to Say and Use Numbers Correctly in English By admin Posted on 31 March 2019 Posted in Uncategorized 11 Comments By Shirley Jones Why is it easy to understand the difference between 13 and 30 when you read them, but it’s difficult when you hear them? How often do you ask ‘is that three zero, or one three?’ Or ‘just send me an email’? Have you noticed that in English some things about numbers are very different compared to your language? For example, how you say large numbers, or prices, or dates? If you’re like the people I teach, you’ve probably had similar problems, no matter what your level of English. This article will explain the biggest problems with using and understanding numbers in English, and how you can avoid and correct them. Read more » Pronunciation First: How to Learn English More Quickly By admin Posted on 28 October 2018 Posted in Uncategorized No Comments By Alex Taylor Is it really possible to learn a new language perfectly when you’re an adult? Why is it much harder now than when you were a child? Sometimes it might seem impossible, but you really can learn to speak a new language fluently even as an adult. It’s not that you need to work harder than a child to improve your English. Rather, you need to approach your learning differently. The main reason why it’s more difficult for adults to learn a new language is that adult brains don’t learn as well implicitly – we don’t soak up information like a sponge, the way a child does. Not only that, but adults like to use logic. Read more » How to Socialise in English – Your Guide to Small Talk By admin Posted on 27 May 2018 Posted in Uncategorized No Comments By TJ Taylor You survived the three hour meeting. You desperately need a coffee before the next meeting begins. You are enjoying your coffee in silence and you see John from the London office walking towards you. You become nervous. You know what is about to happen. It has happened so many times before. John: It’s a lovely day! You: Yes, it’s very nice. John: How are you? You: Good, thanks. How are you? John: Fine, thanks. You: [silence] John: [silence] The pause feels like an eternity. You: Erm…it rained a lot last week, didn’t it? We’ve all been there – at a wedding, a work function, or even an awkward tinder date. Asking and answering the same predictable questions, socialising with new people and making the dreaded ‘small talk’. Surely something with the word ‘small’ in shouldn’t create such a BIG feeling of fear and anxiety, right? Read more » Improve Your English Writing with These 4 Simple Steps By admin Posted on 5 May 2018 Posted in Uncategorized 1 Comment By Danielle Capretti Have you ever read a long, complicated sentence, but when you arrived at the end of it you forgot the beginning? Have you read such sentences over and over again, trying to understand them? More importantly, have you written sentences like this? Maybe you thought that long, complicated sentences make a better impression of your English? Some cultures consider that complicated sentences with complex vocabulary demonstrate the writer’s high level of education and knowledge. Not in English. In Anglo-American culture clear, direct communication is highly valued. The reason is that short, clear sentences demonstrate respect for the reader’s time and attention. Read more » Your Complete Survival Guide to Conference Calls in English By admin Posted on 26 November 2017 Posted in Uncategorized 6 Comments By JM Webster Do you find conference calls difficult? Do you become stressed during the call? Do you freeze when you have to speak? You’re not alone – many people find them difficult. When you think about conference calls which of the following problems causes you anxiety: • I don’t understand the accent of Mr McKay from Scotland / Mr Chopra from India. • Too many people talk at the same time. • If I don’t understand 1 or 2 words, I lose the meaning of the conversation. • My English isn’t good enough / I freeze when I have to speak English • The technology is difficult to use. Sound familiar? This article will help you overcome these problems and provides some useful tips and common English phrases to help you with your next call. Read more » Your Guide to Teaching English in Italy By admin Posted on 24 July 2016 Posted in Uncategorized 1 Comment By Alex Taylor Teaching English in Italy can be a tremendously rewarding experience, especially as Italian adults are generally very gratifying students. However, there are some common problems that it is important you are aware of, and some practices and Italian terms that you will find it useful to recognise. Read more » Your Complete Survival Guide to Business Meetings in English By admin Posted on 23 March 2015 Posted in Uncategorized 5 Comments By Sarah Li Cain Do you ever feel lost or anxious when you’re in a meeting with other English speakers? Even if you are comfortable speaking in front of others in your own language, expressing your thoughts effectively or leading a successful meeting in English can be difficult. This guide will provide you with example English phrases and useful tips that you can use at your next business meeting. I will also help you to prepare for the most common situations that you will face, and what to avoid. Read more » How to Overcome Your Fear of Public Speaking in English By admin Posted on 16 September 2014 Posted in Uncategorized 8 Comments By Marie-Anne Duffeler It was 2 am and here I was, lying in bed awake, thinking about the presentation I had to make at 9 am. I felt nervous. I wanted to sleep but I couldn’t. My mind was obsessed with this presentation I had to make – it was my big opportunity to impress my European boss! What could I do in my hotel room, waiting for the morning to come? Worry about the presentation? Agonize over the question session? What would you have done? Have you ever felt like this? Read more » Language Teaching Methods: An Overview By admin Posted on 12 August 2014 Posted in Uncategorized 45 Comments What is the best teaching method for learning English? According to academic research, linguists have demonstrated that there is not one single best method for everyone in all contexts, and that no one teaching method is inherently superior to the others. Also, it is not always possible – or appropriate – to apply the same methodology to all learners, who have different objectives, environments and learning needs. Read more » 8 Simple Steps to Increase your Confidence with English By admin Posted on 19 July 2014 Posted in Uncategorized 15 Comments By Sarah Li Cain Do you remember the last time you stood in front of an audience to speak English? You memorized what you needed to say, but you felt nervous, and perhaps your voice was shaky at the start. Afterwards, you scanned the room to see if anyone liked your presentation, looking for feedback from the faces around. Your boss makes eye contact and you hope he didn’t notice how anxious you were. Does this sound like you? Maybe you were in the same position not long ago? Read more » A, The or Nothing? How to Master English Articles in 2 Simple Steps By admin Posted on 30 May 2014 Posted in Uncategorized 17 Comments By...