Artículos escritos por profesores particulares de Inglés nativos

We use the modal verb can or can't to express ability (= capacity) or inability to do something in the present. Example: I can do it. / He can't drive. / Can you swim? However, to talk about general ability or inability to do something in the past, we use the modal verb 'could' or 'couldn't'.   Example: I could swim when I was four. / My grandmother couldn't speak French. Nevertheless, for questions in the past, we prefe...

La formalidad es un punto a tener en cuenta cuando escribimos trabajos o projects en la universidad o incluso en bachillerato. En ocasiones, no contamos con las herramientas necesarias para estructurar e hilar las ideas que queremos presentar. Pues bien, hoy os traigo algunas phrases que podéis usar para mejorar vuestros trabajos y quedar como kings and queens. ¡Ahí van!: 1. Establishing why your topic (X) is important: X is the m...

Some of my students find it difficult to remember or spell certain English words.  The good news is that we can learn to use our memory constructively to improve our retention and spelling of new words.  I would like to share a simple memory improvement technique that I remember (ha ha) from my NLP (Neuro Linguistic Programming) class I attended back in 2013. If you're finding it difficult to remember or spell a word, for example 'Rhyt...

Taking a break from life is by no means a new concept, nevertheless, the need for it has become exponentially more important. Research has shown that, unlike past generations, our brains are constantly being bombarded with information. Instant access to new information via our cellphones, tablets, laptops, and TVs have created a new reality for us.    Next time you are walking down the street, taking the metro or bus, at a restaurant, ...

Studying a new language can be very stressful and time-consuming. And many times, we tend to study this new language in our own country of origin - therefore, not having the opportunity to practice daily with native speakers. A little about myself, I was born in Ukraine - and when I was 7 years old, my family and I packed everything up, and left our country to live in Denver Colorado USA. As a child, it was a very difficult experience for me sin...

Have you stopped and asked yourself this question? Have you thought about why you started learning English? I am guessing, like so many  people you started learning English in school. Then your parents probably felt it was important and sent you to an academy. Myabe you were lucky enough to live in an English speaking country for a while. But why is this important? I  always like to know the "why" because it helps me understand your mo...

“Teacher talk: the secrets of comprehensible speech for non-native speakers of English” is a reading published by Pearson Education and written by Pearson Longman on 2006 which gives us advice about what kind of strategies we should use in our classroom to be better communicators.   First of all, for Longman the central theme of the chapter are the skills and tricks that teachers use in their classrooms to achieve a successful communication...

Welcome everyone! I would love to introduce you to my small, teeny-tiny project. Some of you may already know me, some of you don't, so I will introduce myself in case you are new around here! My name is Gema and I am an English tutor. I have been teaching English for the past 6 years now, which has been such a rewarding experience for me that I can't help sharing it with everybody who is eager to learn more and more about the English language. ...

Are you learning a new language? Do you like to cook? I do, but I like to eat even more. PIcking up recipes in a new language is one of the best ways to learn about a new culture (and even learn a little about your own in the process) while deepening your understanding of the language. Cooking Spanish recipes and eating with native Spanish speakers is by far my favorite way to immerse myself in the language. I can spend all day talking about foo...

Hello again! Hola de nuevo!! :) En el blog de hoy, quiero hablar de un tema que en todas mis clases de inglés, toma un rol muy protagónico. Aquí os presento una lista de los "False Friends" más comunes: Spanish Word(English Translation) Similar English Word(Spanish Translation)     A A actual (current, present-day) actual (real, efectivo) americano (person from North orSouth America) american (estadounidense) aprension (fe...

The Call is a worldwide acclaimed American thriller released in 2013. The plot starts one night when the 911 emergency operator, Jordan, receives a life-altering phone call from a teenager saying that a prowler was trying to break into her house. Still suffering because of the incident that doomed the girl's life to death, Jordan uncovers a sadist serial killer and focuses on his tireless hunt and capture before he can trap his next victim. The ...

Movies can bring the world to your students in very realistic ways. Films are multisensory, they have the ability to create an emotional connection between the message and the interlocutor in powerful ways. Furthermote, they can help you as a teacher not only to achieve your classroom goals, but also to introduce values and to raise awareness about current topics. Stories introduced through movies can create connections across time, place and cu...

Hi again!! In this blog, i want to focus on the specific needs students have when it comes to english learning. One day, one of my students came up to me and told me she wanted to improve her english skills at work. This kind of request drops you of guard, as you aways prepare your classes, focusing on the main english skills: Writing, reading, listening etc. Well, we had a discussion about it and we decided to focus her english classes on HR sk...

English is not only for the classroom. You need to take it outside with. If you don´t it will get stale which is the last thing we want after making so much effort over the years. There are plenty of language exchange events in Bilbao where people who have a conversation level meet to speak English in an informal setting over a drink or two.  Bilbao is becoming more and more International, so it´s only natural that you will find plenty of o...