English as a second or foreign language

  • 4 silly myths about learning English

      Silly myth 1: “If you live in an English speaking country for just 3 months, you can speak English like a native speaker.” Can’t tell you how many dreams I’ve seen get shattered and hearts broken. Many seem to believe that it is almost a certain fact if you manage to live in…

  • English for beginners: Baby language?

    Hello baby, hello my baby, hello hello my special baby, how are you this morning? How are you, how are you, how are you this morning? How are you beautiful? Hungry sweetie? Awww, poor baby, hungry hungry you are! Aren’t you? okay, let’s change your nappy first shall we? does that make you happy?…

  • How adult learners of English go wrong!

    Language is a complex set of utterances or sounds humans use to decode each others’ messages. Allow me to use the following metaphor: You turn your PC on, it asks you to log in. You punch in your password, a series of letters and numbers which the computer has to recognize and read to…

  • From Advanced to Native-like English: Myth or reality?

    So you’re an advanced English speaker! You can speak fluently, you can say pretty much anything you want, you can even discuss politics, economy and other social issues intelligently and even eloquently. Congratulations. Many native speakers can’t do that with the language. You would be amazed to see how limited some native speakers’ vocabulary…

  • Native or non-native English Teachers: My Verdict

    Damn it they are everywhere! There are almost more English teachers out there than students.  Basically, anyone who speaks the language is eligible to teach it. In some countries, it is good enough if you are a native speaker, in others you are expected to have some form of certification (and not a qualification…

  • What English accent should I learn to speak with?

    There is no such thing as a better accent. It really depends on where you live, and who you speak English with. What accent would be easier for THEM to hear? We all want to be understood.  We want to be accepted by the society or entourage we live in. Having said that, I know for…

  • Should I Study Grammar?

    DUH! That is how I answer this extraordinarily clever question often asked by most English learners.  Most English learners automatically assume and even presume that the fact that I am specialized in pronunciation, must imply that I am “anti grammar”. Well, allow me to say that is a bunch of baloney! I do not…