Category: tips

English Corner – ‘Speak, Speak, Speak’

“However, if there is one piece of advice that has stood the test of time for language learners around the world, it is this: speak, speak, speak.”

Learning a new language such as English can feel like an intimidating journey without end, filled with new grammar rules, unfamiliar sounds, and seemingly endless vocabulary to master. However, if there is one piece of advice that has stood the test of time for language learners around the world, it is this: speak, speak, speak. When it comes to mastering English, speaking as often as possible is not just a strategy; it is a necessity to reach your goals.

Many learners prioritize reading, writing, and listening when studying English and while those proficiencies are important, speaking should be the #1 priority in terms of mastery. Unfortunately, speaking is often overlooked due to the fear of making mistakes or feeling embarrassed. Yet, speaking is the skill that ties all the other proficiencies together. It brings the theory of the language into practice, turning abstract concepts into tangible communication that gives learners real satisfaction when they can hold a conversation or form a sentence.

Speaking English frequently will help you:

  1. Internalize New Vocabulary and Grammar: Reading and memorizing vocabulary is one thing but using it in conversation solidifies your understanding and context. Grammar becomes less about rules and more about the natural flow of how it is used.
  2. Improve Your Pronunciation: Speaking allows you to practice forming sounds, intonations, and rhythms unique to English. Over time, this reduces the accent barrier.
  3. Build Confidence: The more you speak, the more you’ll realize that making mistakes is a natural part of learning the language. Each conversation is a step closer to fluency.
  4. Engage in Real-life Communication: Real-world language use is unpredictable and time-tested. Speaking prepares you to handle unexpected topics, expressions, and idioms.

One of the biggest obstacles for English learners is the fear of making mistakes as I have noticed during my years as an ESL teacher and business founder. This fear can be paralyzing, leading to hesitation or complete silence because the fear can be so overwhelming. However, embracing mistakes as learning opportunities is critical to one’s success in language learning. Language experts all agree on this that the fastest way to improve is by making errors and correcting them.

Consider these pieces of advice to overcome this fear that many English language learners have:

  • Shift Your Mindset: Understand that mistakes are not failures but steppingstones to your eventual success. Every mispronounced word or wrong tense is a chance to learn and how to get better at it.
  • Practice Self-compassion: Remind yourself that everyone starts somewhere. Even native speakers make mistakes and often without realizing it!
  • Celebrate Small Wins: Successfully ordering coffee in English, knowing how to phrase a question, sentence, or completing a short conversation is worth celebrating as a victory in your English learning journey. These moments build confidence and will keep you learning the language to keep improving.

To truly immerse yourself in English, you need to create as many speaking opportunities as possible in your life. Here are some practical strategies that my students have used and for which I would recommend to you:

1. Join an English Conversation Group

Local or online conversation groups provide a supportive environment for practicing English. Participants are often fellow learners, so the atmosphere is encouraging rather than judgmental. Meetup platforms, language exchange groups, and community centers are great places to start.

2. Engage in Language Exchanges

Language exchanges pair you with someone who wants to learn your native language while helping you practice English. This mutual learning arrangement benefits both parties. Applications like Tandem and HelloTalk make it easy to connect with language partners worldwide.

3. Speak with Friends and Family If Possible

If you have English-speaking friends or family, use them as practice partners. Even brief daily conversations can make a difference. If they’re fluent, ask for feedback on your pronunciation and grammar.

4. Talk to Yourself

While it may feel odd at first, speaking to yourself in English is highly effective. Describe what you’re doing, narrate your thoughts, or practice imaginary conversations. This helps you think in English and reduces hesitation. You can also create your own written conversations and then practice them out loud to yourself to improve your confidence.

5. Participate in Online Communities

Platforms like Reddit, Discord, and Facebook groups often have English-speaking communities centered around specific interests. Join discussions via video calls or live chats to engage in real-time conversations. Focusing on a shared interest will have you more engaged in the conversations too.

6. Attend Online or In-Person Lessons, Workshops, or Classes

Enroll in speaking-focused workshops, lessons, or classes. These are often led by experienced instructors who can guide you through structured practice and provide valuable feedback.

7. Immerse Yourself in English-Speaking Environments

Whenever possible, travel to English-speaking countries or immerse yourself in communities where English is the primary language. Immersion forces you to adapt and speak naturally to people of different ages and backgrounds. You can also create new friendships that way, which may last a lifetime and help you to practice even more beyond your say in that English-speaking country.

Mastering any language requires you to step out of your comfort zone. It can be awkward and even nerve-wracking to speak in a language you’re not fluent in or one that you can’t even speak at all. However, growth happens when you push past your discomfort and keep working at it until you begin to succeed.

Here’s how to embrace the challenge of learning conversational English:

  • Set Realistic Goals: Begin with manageable goals, like introducing yourself, ordering food or drinks or asking for directions. Gradually increase the complexity of your conversations as you become more comfortable and focus on different possible topics to talk about with a language partner or with your teacher.
  • Accept Awkward Moments: If you’re misunderstood or stumble over words, laugh it off and try again. Humor lightens the pressure on yourself, and others will understand that you are doing your best.
  • Learn from Feedback: When someone corrects you, take it as constructive guidance rather than criticism. They are not looking to undermine your goals but rather to help you succeed.
  • Focus on Progress, Not Perfection: Fluency takes time and may even take a lifetime as a non-native speaker. Celebrate progress in terms of being understood in the conversation instead of fixating on perfect grammar or pronunciation.

Speaking English frequently doesn’t just improve your language skills; it also brings numerous personal and professional benefits to highlight as reasons to keep speaking:

  • Cultural Exchange: Engaging in conversations allows you to learn about different cultures, which broadens your perspective on the world.
  • Networking Opportunities: English is the global lingua franca, especially in the academic and business worlds. Proficiency opens doors to international friendships and professional connections that can last your entire career.
  • Increased Self-confidence: Mastering English empowers you to navigate diverse settings with confidence and resolve.
  • Cognitive Growth: Learning and using a second language enhances brain function, improving memory, problem-solving, and creativity.

Consistency is key to mastering any skill, and speaking English is no exception. Aim to speak daily, even if it’s just for a few minutes each day. Regular practice leads to steady improvement, and over time, speaking English will feel as natural as your native language.

Consider creating a schedule or habit that incorporates speaking practice into your daily routine. For example:

  • Morning: Practice some self-talk while getting ready for the day. (5-10 minutes)
  • Afternoon: Engage in a quick language exchange or chat with a colleague. (30 minutes)
  • Evening: Join an online conversation group or call a friend. (15-30 minutes)

Just these three activities can add an hour of English practice to your day without making it the focal point of your day. You can spread it out throughout the day and practice speaking with different people with each conversational opportunity having a different purpose.

To learn English effectively, you must step out of the classroom and into the real world. Speaking the language is the bridge between the theory and the practical use, the key to fluency, and the foundation for building confidence. By speaking as often as possible as consistently as possible, even with the inevitable mistakes, you’ll immerse yourself in the English language and accelerate your learning journey sustainably.

Remember, the goal of speaking English is not perfection but effective communication. Each conversation, no matter how imperfect or error-ridden, brings you closer to actual fluency. Please don’t wait to get started with speaking. Speak, speak, speak, and watch your English skills soar.

My Top Five Travel Tips For 2024

“I believe it is important to have a little bit of preparedness to avoid a lot of inconvenience or pain for your next trip.”

With the COVID pandemic now in everyone’s rear view mirror, the travel bug seems to be gripping more and more people to get out there for a trip in 2024. Now, even if you’re not traveling very far or wide, I believe it is important to have a little bit of preparedness to avoid a lot of inconvenience or pain for your next trip. I travel a good amount each year and have thought of my top five tips to use for your travel in 2024 and beyond.

If you follow this list, I promise your travel will be smoother and even help you book more trips in the future. Travel is one of life’s joys, but it can also be anxious, stressful, and even overwhelming. I’ve been in your shoes before which is why I thought it was necessary to draft a list that can help you avoid most travel issues and save you some time and money.

  1. Choose not to check a bag with the airline to avoid fees / delays / missed connections.

In 2024, everything associated with travel seems to incur a hidden fee or another step, which wasn’t the case five or ten years ago. You can be charged to select a seat on the airplane, to have WIFI access, to even have a basic drink or a snack depending on the fare you buy. It can be disappointing and even hurt your experience of traveling but I’d recommend avoiding these fees if you can but especially if the airline or other travel provider charges fee(s) to check your bag or suitcase. The cost of checking one bag can range from $30-$50 for a one-way flight and if you are on a tight budget, I don’t recommend checking a bag unless you really need additional clothes or shoes or extra medicine or toiletries to take with you.

Don’t give the airlines the satisfaction of getting another $100 out of you and you can save yourself time making a flight connection or getting to your hotel or Airbnb sooner when you don’t have to go to baggage claim to pick up your suitcase. Carry-on luggage is still mainly free in 2024 and if you pack enough for 1-2 weeks, you should be fine with not checking a bag. I would only make an exception to this advice if you’re away for more than two weeks or have a work trip, which requires formal clothes and shoes. If you’re also going to experience more than two climates, especially with heavier clothing needed for your trip(s), it’s probably best to check the bag.

However, laundry and cleaning services should help prevent the need for you to check luggage and it’s good to check with your lodging as that can save you the need to check a bag if you can wash your clothes at your destination to re-wear them without having to deal with dirty clothes repeatedly. Make sure to avoid fees, delays, and missed connections by not checking your bag. You will not regret it.

2. Look into earning miles or points at a hotel chain or an airline alliance if feasible.

What’s better than traveling? Traveling for free! If you have good credit, travel a lot, and enjoy the idea of indulging more in comfort when you’re on the road, I don’t see the harm in earning miles / points / rewards if you take a lot of trips. I won’t get into specifics in terms of my recommendations but there’s plenty of good information out there on rewards programs, credit cards for airlines, hotels, and ways to get into train or airport lounges when you spend a certain amount of money.

My key point here is it’s free to sign up for mileage programs or points programs if you’re willing to give up some basic personal information. It’s a good way to gather miles or points if you stay with a certain hotel chain or travel with the same airline / SkyTeam alliance members year after year. I think it is important to have patience with this tip as it may not reward you for a while but if you keep building up your miles, points, and continue to use your membership ID or number, you will be able to earn certain upgrades, free offerings, and be able to build up your credit when you pay off your bill on time.

Instead of continuing to let these mileage or points programs go by without you being a member, it doesn’t hurt to sign up to see when you get rewards or qualify for anything back especially if these programs are free to sign up to earn the miles or points. The rewards may take some time to earn but if you have travel multiple times a year, you’ll be reaping the benefits of your membership in no time.

3. Invest in useful travel gear (AirTag, portable charger(s), noise-cancelling headphones, sleep mask, earplugs)

If you can save money in baggage or other fees imposed by airlines or other companies, it’s always a worthy investment to make your travel experience more tolerable or enjoyable by upgrading your gear. If you want to get some sleep on the plane, an eye mask may help you catch a few hours of shut eye. If you’re worried about finding an outlet to plug in your phone or computer, portable chargers that fit in your backpack or even your suitcase can help you avoid your battery shutting down by getting one before you head off on the road.

From having used it multiple times, Apple’s AirTag(s) are an excellent way to track your luggage from when you leave your place to get to your destination. No longer do you have to worry about your bag being lost in the terminal or at the connecting airport, you’ll be able to track its location, activate its location if ‘lost’, and even signal to the person who has your luggage or to personnel on who it belongs to so you can contact them or know who to get in touch with.

As eye masks are good for shutting out the light to sleep, I can’t recommend enough getting some good ear plugs not only for plane noise but also if you’re staying in a noisy city or in a noisy hotel. If you’re sensitive to noise when traveling, earplugs are easily transportable, easy to use, and can be carried on you everywhere. If you want to listen to your music or podcasts alone and hear nothing else, noise-cancelling headphones or earphones can make your journey go by faster and make it more enjoyable to listen to what you want rather than the person next to you snoring in their seat.

4. Learn about your destination(s) beforehand – culture, foods, language, history

We all have busy lives, and it can be hard to read about the place(s) you’re going to. However, I highly recommend taking the time to learn at least a little about where you’re going even if it’s just the basics. You will have a much more enjoyable trip, especially if you’re going outside of your country by knowing a little bit about the people, the culture, the language, the history, and the popular foods. You’ll stand out in a good way as an educated traveler who respects the locals by putting in the time and the effort to know more about the people and the place(s) you’re visiting. It may not always be possible to know a lot, but you’d be surprised what some effort on your part can do to boost your travel experience.

In exchange, be a good Ambassador for your own city and your country. If people ask, tell them a little about you in the conversation so they think of you as less of a stranger. If you’re only learning about who they are without telling them a little about yourself in response, it can make it a bit too one-sided in terms of the experience. People are generally kind, curious, and open-minded especially if you’re able to know a little about the language and the culture before you get on the plane. It’s good to know more also about where you come from, what you like, and how to teach a little about your own language in exchange.

Travel is not just about your own benefit but also for others’ benefit as well to learn about who you are as a traveler, where you came from, what you can impart to them, and how you can mutually learn from each other on the road.

5. Be flexible with your plans and open to spontaneous adventures or experiences.

Not everything in travel must be planned down to the last minute. I do recommend that it’s best to be open to changing plans or adapting new ones as you head out on your trip. I think it’s important to generally have an idea of what you want to do on your trip, especially if you can map it out daily. However, I think planning too much by the minute or the hour can lessen the overall travel experience and make it too rigid. I’ve found that the best memories can really come to you on the trip when something unexpected happens or when you saw or did something on a whim.

I do think there’s a healthy balance of researching what you want to do, having tour(s) or experience(s) pre-planned, but also to take some time to walk around, try something new, or go somewhere that appeals to you with no planning. If you happen to meet a fellow traveler or other travelers on the road, it can be great to join them as well spontaneously to do something fun together than on your own.

You should be ready to embrace the unknown when you’re traveling and to be flexible with your plans. I find it’s best to build connections with others and do things together rather than to stick with your pre-arraigned itinerary without straying from it. Travel is about leaping into the unknown to some extent and plans should be flexible. You have to be ready for anything when you travel and to expect the unexpected. We can try to control what happens, but you got to leave room for spontaneity, change, and flexibility when you travel. Sometimes, the best experiences in travel happen to you when you least expect them and had no idea you were going to have it happen to you.

Life, like travel, is something you can try to control but it’s out of our hands a lot of times. You must embrace the unknown, enjoy it while it lasts, and be willing to experience the new things to come your way. I hope you travel far and wide in 2024 and beyond and that these five tips can help you avoid any unnecessary anxiety, stress, or additional costs / delays from what I have imparted on to you all. I’ll see you on the road and good luck with your travel plans!

To Write, You Must Observe

“Being a good observer contributes to being a good writer. Taking the time to observe the world around you help to stimulate a good sense of what to write about and what could be put to paper.”

Being a good observer contributes to being a good writer. Taking the time to observe the world around you help to stimulate a good sense of what to write about and what could be put to paper. I find that observing people, animals, or just nature without distractions can stimulate your ability to process possible ideas whether for poetry, stories, or for articles. You can draw both hypotheses and conclusions from you observe the world around you. It allows you to come up with scenarios or storylines just from seeing what’s going on around you.

You can really let your imagination run wild with coming up with fictional events, stories, or essays when you can draw on what you observe. Being observant allows you to think about good ideas for what you would like to write further about or to come up with ways to flesh out a person’s story or history. A good writer can flesh out the details based on what they are observing and create a good story or plot from what they may see out in the world. Being an observer doesn’t have to be a majestic place like from a mountain top or overlooking a lake.

You can make insightful and creative observations just by sitting at your neighborhood café for a few hours or from walking through your local nature park. A simple change of scenery stimulates your mind just from putting yourself in an unfamiliar location. A writer should immerse yourself in different settings and bring a pen and paper or their laptop with them. Having a quiet place to observe is also much better than a noisy place, similar with how a pond or a backyard porch is better for observations to be written down than going to Times Square or Las Vegas to come up with good writing ideas.

I do believe certain places are better for writing down your observations especially if they are quiet and allow you to concentrate more. You’re able to not only come up with story or novel ideas in those places but can write more in-depth about what you’re seeing without being distracted in those crowded, noisier, or places with sensory overload. It is a key part of being a writer to hone your observations as much as possible without overwhelming your senses by trying to observe everything all at once.

It is more productive to focus your observational writing on a particular part of a place or scene rather than trying to make sense of everything going on around you all at once. To develop your creative writing abilities, when making observations, do your best to hone your story idea or your poetry to a specific animal, nature scene, person, or theme. Observational writing can really let you hone your descriptive abilities by letting you expand your vocabulary, develop your chance to set the scene, and use your imagination to create a story out of nothing.

I would also say that being a good observer does not end at fictional scenarios but can help you with your non-fiction writing as you can attend live events like concerts, protests, or speeches, where you can observe the speaker or the attendees and writing about the setting along with the sequence of events that happened from first to last. Observational writing comes in handy when you are a news reporter, journalist, or in forming opinions. Without being able to be at the scene or where something is happening as it happens; you rob your writing from being able to recall in as much detail as what happened and how it happened when you’re not actually there.

Experiencing something virtually or secondhand does not lend the same kind of credibility or have the same kind of feeling as when you’re there in real life when something is happening live. Your observations when writing should be experienced firsthand as much as possible. I’ve found that my own writing about things, places, or events I’ve been to is not as sharp when I wait a few days or a week after to recap what happened and the accuracy is not the same as when you are writing about it as it happens.

If you are looking to improve your writing skills, I recommend sitting yourself somewhere quiet and peaceful where you can make your live observations and develop them if you would like to into poems, stories, or essays to use your imagination. You can really develop your vocabulary, your prose, and your own form of storytelling through making live observations. Good writing tends to come from being a good observer. The more time you can spend in different places observing the world and its inhabitants, your writing is going to improve and will also help you develop your own narratives, settings, and plotlines. Be sure to use your observations to further your writing skills and to take your compilation observational notes to make yourself a better and more complete writer.

Stay on Top of Things

“Staying on top of the things in your life from finances to exercise to managing your home are all ways to have peace of mind. There are a lot of things in life we have no control over so I encourage you all reading this article to put those things you can control on your to-do list each day and each week.”

It can be hard for a lot of us these days given what’s going on in the world. It is easy to be stressed out, anxious, and generally worried about the future. I would say that on the whole people don’t do well with uncertainty and not knowing what the future holds. It can be quite daunting not know what will happen a month from now, six months from now, or even a year from now. When I think of myself who prefers certainty and planning things out on a week-by-week basis, it can be frustrating to have to change or amend plans due to lack of feasibility or to remember that the world has changed, and you have to adapt to it.

Instead of fighting an uphill battle against the various changes going on in our society right now not alone to due to the pandemic but other economic and social factors, you have to learn to swim with the tide and to adapt as best as you can. Part of doing that is also knowing what it is strictly under your control each day and exercising that kind of control as best as you can. Given a lot of things in our lives now are out of our own control, the best way to combat that fact is to stay on top of the things we can control and to do them to the best of our abilities.

As I’ve mentioned in a previous article about the common-sense kind of wisdom of U.S. Navy Admiral William McRaven, who said that the best way to start your day is “to make your bed” and it relates to having a sense of control in a world where we often lack control. It is also a larger part of staying on top of things or tasks in your life that will always need your attention and won’t get done without your effort. Making your bed is a good habit to build each day and will make you feel better right away for taking action over a thing that you have direct control over.

Other things involve getting enough sleep each night (7-8 hours preferably) and managing that aspect of your life well so you can perform better in your work or schooling. Staying on top of things also involves our diet and our exercise routine. These things are more open ended but establishing what is a good diet for you, buying the food items each week that contribute to your diet, and then cooking the meals to reflect that diet are important things to stay on top of in your life. The general guidance for exercise is 3-4x a week and I’ll leave it up to you to decide how you exercise whether its weightlifting, yoga, running, sports, or even martial arts. The important thing to do is to keep track of how much exercise you’re getting each week, how consistent you are being with it, and whether you are seeing any improvement(s) in your life based on your exercise regime.

I also want to prioritize the importance of control over one’s domain or where you are living. You will feel better when your place is clean, when things are organized, and when you are not living in a place that is messy and unkempt. Part of being a responsible adult is to independently take care of yourself with your grooming, your appearance, but also your abode. Don’t let another thing that you have control over fall by the wayside. Take the necessary time to clean and to tidy your place up from the bathroom to the kitchen to the living room. Your self-esteem will be raised from doing that and you’ll be better off for exercising control of your living space, which is an important place where now we are working from more often and also studying from in this time of the pandemic.

When it comes to staying on top of things, it means making sure too that you are managing your finances whether it’s saving more money, not spending beyond your means, and recording your budget on a weekly or monthly basis. Financial management is a key thing to stay on top of and it will help you to organize your life in another necessary way. It is also a way to be in control because it’s your money and only you know where it’s going each month and how much money you have available to you.

Our own relationships with friends and family members are another aspect of our lives that we often overlook our control of. We can choose to associate with people who value us, respect us, and care about us and I would say that it’s important to prioritize those people, whether family, friends, or general acquaintances who value not only our time but who we are as human beings. You can control who you give your time and effort to in relationships and it’s important to exercise that right to let those people into your life who treat you well, who like you for who you are, and don’t try to belittle or demean you.

Lastly, I do want to mention that beyond taking care of your bed, your sleep, your diet and exercise, your finances, and your relationships, you have to take care of yourself. Mental health is extremely important as well as physical health these days and it’s important that you make time in your life to check in with yourself, to go easy on yourself in terms of not beating up on yourself too much for past mistakes. If you need to meditate or treat yourself to a movie or a video game or a hike on your own, I believe you should do so. If you need to talk to someone about your mental health in a private manner, I encourage it as well. Talking to a licensed professional is something you always have control over so you should feel free to do so if you need to help your mental health. There is absolutely nothing wrong with doing that and it should not carry with it any kind of stigma or reservation.

Staying on top of the things in your life from finances to exercise to managing your home are all ways to have peace of mind. There are a lot of things in life we have no control over so I encourage you all reading this article to put those things you can control on your to-do list each day and each week. Please make it a priority to handle those pending things in your life that you alone are responsible for and don’t let these small things pile up.

You will feel better and happier for handling the small things well before you take on the big things. If you want to make a difference in the world, start by making a difference in your own life and see how that positive momentum will carry you forward. If you can handle your own business successfully, you will gain more confidence and be more self-reliant, which are positive traits when it comes to handling uncertainty, unease, or the inability to know what the future holds. Take things on one day at a time and do the things you can to the best of your ability as often as you can.

English Corner – The Basics of Business

“However, as you get older and you advance in your career or your business pursuits, you may find it to your advantage to know the basics of business English. In addition to the vocabulary and the grammar, you need to be aware of the major steps before you can advance in your position.”

It is likely that you will want to improve your English for purely professional reasons at some point. If that’s not you, then this blog post will not apply to you. However, as you get older and you advance in your career or your business pursuits, you may find it to your advantage to know the basics of business English. In addition to the vocabulary and the grammar, you need to be aware of the major steps before you can advance in your position. I cover a number of these topics in both Business English private lessons and also in an online course specifically for this subject.

For this article, I am going to focus only on the basics of business English and how to get your foot in the door to give yourself a chance to either get hired, get promoted or at least feel more comfortable using your English skills in a professional setting. I am not going to make a huge list of items for you to accomplish but rather give five pieces of general advice for you to get started in this niche part of the language. If you can get these five tidbits down in terms of remembering and utilizing them, you should have no problem getting to the intermediate or advanced topics within the business English curriculum, which is covered in both private lessons and an online course.

Let’s start with the most obvious point and then become more and more obscure from point #1 to #5. Some of these points of advice will seem obvious to you and I hope that others will make you think of your own approach and how it could be improved. I believe you will find these five pieces of advice useful to get you started with Business English and to keep you learning these kinds of topics into the future.

  1. Network, Network, and Network Some More: Networking and connecting with others is the key place to start when it comes to getting started with developing your business English skills. Networking is the foundation for doing the most amount of business and it can take various forms. When you’re emailing, you’re networking. When you’re at an event meeting people and practicing your English, you’re networking. When you’re calling potential partners or future customers over the phone, that too is a form of networking.

The biggest skill you’ll need to develop and hone for the English-speaking business world will be to become a good networker in a non-native language. There is no better test for your speaking, writing, listening, and reading skills then to put yourself out there and network with others who are also English speakers, native or otherwise. Networking also takes a serious amount of effort so make sure you put in the time to practice whether it is for writing e-mails, developing your business cards, or remembering to show up for events.

2. Remember the Small Details: In business, you not only have to remember the big details whether its’ for a project, a trip, or a presentation but it’s even more important to be aware of the small details. Mastering the small, insignificant details can make the difference between a successful business deal or an absolute disaster. What are the small details? Well, they could be a number of things. I like to think of them as peoples’ names, technical details, the times and dates of meetings, and staying on top of your tasks each and every day.

Preventing yourself from slacking off or getting complacent falls under this category of remembering the small details. You may think that names, dates, or the technical details are not important but if you forget or you neglect them, something is likely to blow up in your face. You may also hurt someone’s feelings or cause someone else to feel overwhelmed when you make little mistakes. In business, even small issues can become big issues, so it is better to strive to be a perfectionist than to let the small things slide. It does not mean obsessing over every little thing, but it means treating every part of a task the same and not slack off when something does not interest you because it could mean you making more careless errors. The little details can also make you stand out in a good way when you remember them and earn you greater respect and comradery at your work when you don’t make those careless errors too.

3. Put in The Extra Time: Similar to the Art of Networking extensively when you are starting out in business, putting in overtime to network or to get some extra work done or to put more effort on a project can develop your business acumen a lot quicker. Being a reliable and hard worker on a team can make up for your lack of knowledge in certain areas of the target language like English. However, you should be willing to put in extra time to study and work on the English skills needed to develop your proficiency in business, regardless of what type of business vocabulary and grammar you need.

You will need more than just the normal eight or nine hours doing your job but to develop your English level for business, you’ll need to be studying and practicing an hour per night to get really good at the English needed for your career.For this practice, you will need to mix it up with speaking practice, writing for potential work projects, and listening to other native speakers and seeing if you understand what they are telling you. Extra time not just for your job but also for your business English needs will set you apart if you are willing to put the effort in on a consistent basis over weeks or months in order to move ahead in your career.

4. Mastering Pleasantries: No business can be done without the correct way of speaking to both colleagues, potential partners and your superiors. You have to know how to talk to and interact with each type of person in your office or in your company. This involves studying pleasantries and the different vocabulary words that these conversations involve. There are different formalities and informalities involved when you’re talking with others professional depending on who they are. How you talk to your boss is different to how you talk to your intern who is in college.

Being proficient in business English means being able to have both productive and appropriate conversations with people from the higher ups to the new folks who just arrived. Greetings and goodbyes as well as making small talk are all important aspects of successfully doing business. Any good businessperson also is well versed in cross-cultural communication especially through the medium of a global language like English. Most of business is done over lunch, dinner, or an adult beverage.In order to have productive conversations, it starts with knowing how to address people in your own company and in other companies. It all starts with mastering pleasantries and then you can keep practicing mastering the entire conversation later on.

5. Know Who You Are (Background and Experience): Before you can begin to write about yourself let alone develop your professional resume (CV) and cover letter, you have to be able to know who you are. Knowing who are you means knowing how to write about yourself without bragging too much or boasting of things you did not do. You have to be aware of both your strengths and your weaknesses. You also should know what your skills are and what you still need to learn about. This trait of business involves having self-awareness and giving a fairly accurate perception of who you are professionally to other people.

Before you develop a resume, a cover letter, or even a short writing sample, it’s important that you firstly recounter your professional background up to this point where you start writing out everything in English. You’ll need to be aware of how to tie all of your professional experiences together, come up with a longer ‘pitch’ of what you bring to the table and how a company or business would benefit from you being there. Lastly, it’s key to brainstorm about your experiences, your career goals, and what your professional profile would be before you start putting pen to paper. This fifth basic trait may be the hardest to pull off but if you are to become comfortable using English for business purposes, you need to know who you are as a professional and about what you offer before you start jotting it all down.

These five basics of business for English may seem untraditional but you have to know how to walk before you can run, or you have to know how to network before you can sign the big deal for your firm. Your English skills for business have to master pleasantries, networking, and brainstorming before you can master presentations, deal making, or writing a formal cover letter. Taking these five basics seriously and getting them down first will not only make you a better English learner but you’ll also generally become a better businessman or businesswoman for having taken these bits of advice into consideration and acting on them to improve professional.

Once you have the basics down, let me know if you would be interested in a private Business English lesson or in enrolling in a Business English course to take your language skills in this area to a higher level. The sooner that you get started, the quicker you can advance in your career pursuits!

Three Tips for Public Safety

A recent incident and rather close call as well regarding my personal safety reminded me of how important it is to take certain precautions when you are out and about especially in an unfamiliar setting. If you’re in a new city or a new country, you’ll want to double down even more on your own safety when you don’t know your way around or are not able to communicate well in the local language. Urban environments tend to be the most difficult safety wise which is why I am compiling a list of these three public safety tips that I often use and which you may also find useful.

Now, these three tips may not be able to keep you 100% safe, but they will lower the odds and substantially minimize your exposure to risky situations and potential danger. One tip that should be common sense to begin with but which I sometimes neglect is to always be on your guard in some measurable way. To let your guard down even just for a little while can be all someone needs to attack, harm, or rob you in some way. The most important thing you can do in an unfamiliar setting is never let your guard down and to stay vigilant.

These three tips add on to that basic philosophy and will help you in additional ways. While I am far of a safety expert and am not a security professional, I give these tips based on my own experiences and reasoning. I hope that you find them useful and are able to utilize them for your own personal security. While this is definitely not an exhaustive list, I definitely believe that these three tips are some of the most common sense and reasonable out there when it comes to exercising caution in public.

  1. Keep away from the sidewalk curb or edge

You may not see this tip as being very important, but I find this is an underrated one when it comes to staying safe in public. You’ll want to maintain your distance from oncoming traffic as much as possible and I find that it’s safer to be closer to the building than to the curb. These days, you simply never know if a car, bus, or even a truck could lose control and end up mounting the curb to cause serious harm to you or another person.

Also, if you happen to be in a city where snatch-and-grab robberies can happen quickly, you want to make it as hard as possible for those robbers in a car or in a motorcycle to nab your personal items. You will want to keep away from them as much as possible when walking on the sidewalk. It makes it easier for them to grab your purse, bag, backpack, or phone the closer you are in proximity to the street.

Lastly, regarding events in the past, intentional attacks by criminals or terrorists using vehicles while a very remote possibility is something you could keep in mind by staying away from the street traffic. You should maintain awareness when you’re walking on the sidewalk as well which will lead me to my next point in a later tip. If you have a loved one with you whether that’s a romantic partner or a family member who might be more vulnerable, consider putting yourself closer to the street and have them be at your side closer to the building. If they’re older, don’t move as well, or have to take a call or answer some texts, it would be the wise thing to do to have them walk by your side away from the street especially if they’re distracted by something else. While this tip isn’t very popular, I find that it makes a lot of sense and can enhance your awareness.

  1. Face towards the entrance of the café or restaurant

Maybe you’re out at a café enjoying a nice coffee or at a restaurant celebrating your birthday, regardless of the circumstance involved, I recommend that when your sitting at a table or a counter or a bar, try to always face towards the entrance or exit to be aware of what’s going around you. Restaurants, cafes, and bars can be loud, distracting, and disorientating but it’s key to your personal safety to know where the entrances and exits are at all times in case of an emergency. Emergencies are unlikely to happen in these public settings but it’s better to be safe than sorry by knowing who’s coming in and who’s leaving. It’s also good to scout out the additional entrances and exits of the place you’re at if you can do a walk-around after you arrive.

If you are in a big group or a larger party of people at a restaurant or bar, try to do your best to sit facing the exit as well. It can be more difficult, but most people are not aware of this safety tip, but it shows that you are being responsible in caring for the safety of the group by looking at what’s going on around you. While it is extremely unlikely that anything bad would happen in a restaurant or a bar or café, you are at a significant disadvantage to react to any situation if you are facing towards the wall or towards the kitchen. What would even be worse leads me to my third tip involving using the smartphone at these kinds of places instead of minding your surroundings or paying attention to the people with you or around you.

  1. Put the phone away in public as much as possible

Your smartphone can be a big hindrance to both your awareness in public of potential dangers and hazards as well as making you an easier target for theft or robbery. While it is usually safe to use your phone in most places, depending on the city or country, you may want to leave it at home or wait until you’re at a café, bank, or a restaurant to use it. To walk around with it and advertise its value is an increased risk which you may want to do without. While it can be helpful in mapping out your location and where you need to go next, it can highlight the fact that you are a tourist or are not aware of your surroundings even more.

On top of that, walking with your phone out is not a good idea because you will be completely unaware as to what is going on around you in terms of cars, buses, bikes, motorcycles, or potential street hazards. Having your phone out not only compromises your safety but your awareness as well. Try to memorize your immediate area so you will not be tempted to use your phone as much. Also, even when you are out at a restaurant, café, or bar, it is best to use your phone sparingly so as to not distract yourself from your surroundings or from your friends or family who are out with you. Your phone is a great tool, but it can take away from your public safety very easily if you use it too much or make it obvious as to how much street value it has.

My key point in writing this article is to make sure you don’t fall victim to some sort of accident or tragedy because you weren’t paying attention. You should always be striving to be aware of your surroundings and to make it a personal priority to maintain vigilance in public. Things can happen very quickly and it’s extremely important these days to stay ready in case something happens unlikely as that may be. Use these tips at your own discretion and if you would like to add your own public safety tips, please feel free to do so in the comments section.

English Corner – The Keys to Public Speaking

It can be difficult to speak in front of another person when you are not so sure of your English abilities. You’re probably comfortable when you talk to your family or your friends but you struggle to practice your English skills in front of random strangers. You’re fine on the phone with your best friend and may have no problem talking to them one-on-one. You might even be comfortable speaking in front of a class to practice a dialogue that your teacher prepared for you.

However, what about when it comes to speaking in English in front of a large group? Public speaking makes most people uncomfortable or nervous even when they are talking in their native language. Fortunately, there are some things you can do to make it easier especially when it is your first time talking in front of strangers or an audience where you do not know anyone. The next time you have to do a presentation or make a speech, try these techniques and see if they help you. The more you practice your English in front of people who don’t know you, the more you’ll be able to gain self-confidence and get better at speaking even if you happen to make a few mistakes.

Choose a Topic You Know Well: Think about your background and experiences. Who are you? and what do you know a lot about? When you speak to a group for the first time, you have to be yourself. Don’t try to talk about something you know little about. Also, remember to not try to be someone you’re not. If you love sports, for example, do a presentation on your favorite baseball team and why you like them so much. You could also discuss what sport is your favorite to play and how it is played.

In order to grab the audience’s attention, remember to include personal stories from your own life and use a conversational tone as you would with a friend or a family member. Your audience wants to hear about your knowledge and expertise but they also want to get to know the real you along with how you were able to become the person you are today.

Practice and Practice Again: After you plan your formal presentation, it’s time to practice your English. If you do not want to practice it in front of friends or family, at least try to practice in front of a mirror or in front of your pet if you have one. You should use a clock or an alarm so that you know how long your presentation will take. Then, do your whole presentation out loud without stopping, even if you catch yourself making a few grammatical errors.

It is absolutely necessary that you follow through with your presentation even if you are not perfect at it during your practice runs. Also, please be sure to practice with the equipment you plan to use such as a laptop or projector. You may also need to practice with a microphone so you can know if you need to be louder or if you need to tone down your voice a bit for the future presentation. Practice more than once and when you have put that fear behind you, remember to practice in front of a friend or family member if possible. They might be able to give you some helpful advice about your tone, grammar, subject matter, etc. They will be your best critic because they know how your English is in spoken form.

Use Eye Contact and Gestures: Words are only one way that we communicate during a spoken presentation. You can also connect with your audience through your body language. First, always make eye contact with someone in the audience. Remember to look directly at different people in the audience so that they feel that you are talking to them personally. Second, use natural movement with your body and use gestures to get your points across. You do not have to wave your hands and arms around ecstatically but it is good to move them around to emphasize a certain part of your speech that you feel is uniquely important. Walking around the stage or platform a little can make you look less nervous and also gives you an air of confidence. On top of all that, being able to use your hands while you talk can also be helpful for your presentation.

Never Say “You’re Sorry”: Finally, don’t ever apologize for being nervous during a presentation, especially when English is not your native language. The audience probably doesn’t know or realize how nervous you are, and they are more interested in hearing about your topic for which you are an expert in. Also, if you don’t know the answer to a question, it’s alright to admit that you don’t know it and to move on to the next one. You don’t have to say you’re sorry. However, it’s great if you can explain to that audience member that the question is not something you know about. When you can do this in a polite manner, you will be able to move on to the next question without offending the audience you’re talking to.

Do Your Best: Nobody’s perfect at public speaking even if their native language is English. You may make a few mistakes but the audience will respect and admire you for giving it your best and presenting to them about a worthwhile topic. As the old saying goes, “Rome wasn’t built in a day” and neither will the perfection of your public speaking skills. The main things to take out of your public speaking experience are to develop your grammar, diction, vocabulary, and overall cadence. Putting yourself out there is hard to do but you will be a better English speaker for it and after having gone through these experiences, you will have more confidence and better communication skills. Whether you are pitching your new business, explaining your scientific discovery, or examining the witness at a trial, good public speaking is absolutely key to your professional development.

Mind Your Surroundings

In an era of nearly unlimited distractions, the best way to make yourself stand out is to mind your surroundings. Ironically, this should not be that hard to do yet so many people struggle today with keeping their eyes and ears clear of distractions. One of the main reasons for this phenomenon is the fact that technology has rendered us with the ability to avert the need to use our eyes actively in sizing up our environment by focusing instead on flashy advertisements, fluorescent smartphones, and glittering video board. Our eyes are being constantly assaulted by so many visual cues from inanimate objects that we have an increasing amount of trouble focusing on what’s real and what’s in front of us. Not only are our eyes being affected by this distracted kind of living but our ears as well. If you want to see the extent of this, go to any street corner, subway / bus stop, or any public park, instead of listening to nature with the sound of birds chirping and leaves falling, we instead close ourselves off from the natural world with our earphones, headphones, and even earplugs.

Now I’m as guilty as listening to loud music through my earphones and also focusing on my smartphone or a cheesy advertisement as much as the next person, however, I try to be as self-aware as possible in limiting the amount of time I devote my eyesight to screens and my hearing to artificial sounds. What I worry about and what I would encourage you, dear reader, to do is to know the time(s) and the place(s) to put the distractions away for good and to focus on the world around you. You may not think it is important now until something unfortunate or unseemly happens to you because you were not in touch with the immediate environment. Anything can happen in a split second and if you are not prepared for that to occur, especially in public, you may end up regretting your decision to look at your phone or to listen to music when you should have put the ear-pods away. ‘Mind your surroundings’ is a simple wish I have for everyone especially when you are not at home or in a private domicile. When you are in an unfamiliar environment, you have to be much more aware of your surroundings than you would otherwise because it could even mean the difference between life and death.

Unfortunately, it’s become well documented especially in recent years with the rise of mobile technology how a few folks have met an early end to their lives because they simply were not paying enough attention to their environment. These terrible accidents and freak of nature incidents could be avoided if people put down their phones, their headphones, and their smart watches to listen and look carefully at where they were going. Unless you have an important call, are lost in an unfamiliar area, or have to look at you watch for the time, it can wait. Minding your surroundings is especially true in public places. You need to be watching out for where you are going, or it could cost you. This is especially true when you are not familiar with the local environment or may not speak the language if you are traveling to a new country. Being able to hear the sound of cars / buses going by, of what pedestrians are doing or saying, and to orient yourself to find out which neighborhood or part of town you’re in, this is absolutely critical to do, and you do not need modern technology in order to do this.

While it’s definitely true that most people have good intentions, this is not always the case. Do not let yourself become an easy target especially when it would only take a few precautionary steps to keep yourself aware of your environment. Multiple people have died from texting while driving, looking at their smartphone as they crossed a busy intersection, or have fallen off a cliff from a ‘selfie’ gone wrong. While we live in an era of technological abundance, let us not also live in a time that is bereft of common sense. You owe it not only to yourself but to your friends and your family to make wise decisions in terms of managing your interactions with the immediate environment. The steps you can take are quite simple, but they take serious discipline which may not be easy.

A few tips that I personally think would make a big difference involve some measure of personal responsibility but are really not that strenuous in terms of total effort. Sitting yourself in a restaurant facing the entrance and exit of a restaurant is key if something unfortunate were to happen or if you would like to have a good idea of what’s going on throughout the place, especially if you’re seated further into the room than right by the entrance. I find this tip to be really underrated when you are with close friends or family members who you want to look out for when they are sitting across from you and facing away from the entrance and/or exit.

Another tip of mine is to put your phone on airplane mode or simply turn it off when you are on the go. If you are walking for a little while, driving in a car (all the time!), or are involved in an activity, which requires serious concentration, you should not tempt yourself to be on your phone, smartwatch, etc. because it may lead to deadly consequences if you are not careful. A public service campaign that I fully support is titled, “It can wait”, which shows how 99% of texts or phone calls can wait a half an hour or even more when you’re busy doing other actions such as driving. Having the discipline to use a hands-free method or to contact the person(s) before you operate a vehicle or other machinery is common sense and saves lives.

Above all, the advice of ‘mind your surroundings’ is also appropriate in terms of being able to assess your environment quickly and accurately. You cannot do this if you are listening to music, texting, or have your eyes peeled to the ground. Maintain your awareness, be vigilant, and be sure to maintain eye contact that is dead ahead. You may not think that these tips are important now, but you do not want to regret being distracted if it comes to backfiring on you in the future. Whether you are at a movie theater, the beach, in your car, hiking a mountain, kayaking in the lake, you need to be able to be aware of who and what is around you at all times. If you’re lying in bed or relaxing on the couch, then I would say it’s not bad to let your guard down. However, in public, especially when you’re traveling to a new area, city, country, etc., you need to put the distractions away, mind your surroundings, and pay careful attention to what is going on around you. Unfortunately, this needs to be said in today’s world where every minute, our senses are absorbed all of the time especially in urban environments.

Nobody’s perfect but you really have to adapt yourself to the various locales that you put yourself into. A seasoned traveler, explorer, or observer can tell you that being aware and mindful is a key trait to have that will keep you moving forward. Please do your best to follow some of the tips I have laid out and some of the cautions that I have listed. Keep the texting, calling, and Tweeting to a minimum when you’re on the go and you should be fine. Always mind your surroundings to the best of your ability.

English Corner – Introduction to Action Verbs

When you are first getting the basic structure of English sentences, it’s important to base those same sentences around key verbs in the language that we use every day. Knowing what action verbs are as well as when and where to use them is key to becoming better at the beginning stages of your English language studies. In this blog post, we will cover what an action verb is, what it does, and we will cover numerous examples in the past and present tenses in order for students to understand how to use these ‘action verb’s and apply them to regular sentences.

I recommend taking these examples and studying them on your own by copying them or saying them out loud depending on if you are working on your speaking or writing. You can also have a friend, or a family member help you understand what these ‘action verbs’ mean by listening to the context of the sentences and how these different ‘action verbs’ are used. Please remember to memorize this type of English vocabulary because ‘action verbs’ are perhaps the most commonly used in English and will come up quite frequently in both the written and spoken form. Do your best to read through this article and then on your own time or in the comments section, please feel free to give a few examples of sentences that use ‘action verbs’ to complete them.

An action verb is a verb that expresses physical or mental action.

The action verb tells us what the subject of our clause or sentence is doing-physically or mentally.

Examples of Action Verbs:

To find an action verb:

1) Find the word in the sentence that is something someone or something can do.

2) Remember that the action can be physical or mental.

Examples of action verbs: think, smell, love, do, act, run, swim

Examples of action verbs in a sentence:

Maria walked to school.

‘Walked’ tells us what Maria was doing physically. (Past Tense)

Louie thought about the math problem.

‘Thought’ tells us what Louie was doing mentally. (Past Tense)

Below are some more examples of sentences that contain action verbs:

The action verbs are italicized.

1) Sam and Dave ride the bus to school each morning.

2) Jordan wants a horse for her birthday.

3) Isaac reads a chapter in his book each night.

4) Do you think it will rain today?

5) I believe that fairies, monsters, and unicorns are real.

6) Will you help me with my Math homework?

7) Please call your mom, Teresa.

8) The chicken strutted across the road without any fear.

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1) Are you doing your homework today?

2) McGregor and Mayweather will be fighting in the boxing match tomorrow.

3) She is singing a cover of a famous song by Ella Fitzgerald.

4) I’m smelling the flowers and their scent is divine.

5) She is acting in the top musical on Broadway these days.

6) Are you thinking what I’m thinking?

7) We are dancing to the beat of the Salsa music.

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Lastly, as you can see from the numerous examples I have provided, there are dozens of ‘action verbs’ in English but the ones I would like you to focus on primarily are the few that come up most frequently. From my experience as both an English as a Second Language teacher and a student of other languages, ‘action verbs’ like ‘run, go, swim, jump, walk, play, dance, sing’ are all vocabulary words that you should memorize first. Once you have those ‘action verbs’ under your belt, you will be able to move on to more complicated and longer ‘action verbs’ such as ‘think, strut, believe, smell, etc.’ In order to gain an advantage in getting better with English vocabulary, make sure to focus your efforts on ‘action verbs’ first before moving on to other vocabulary topics. 

English Corner – Countable and Uncountable Nouns

It’s important to distinguish between countable and uncountable nouns in English because their usage is different in regard to both the determiners and the verbs. Countable and Uncountable nouns are grammatical topics that are likely to come up again and again in your studies so it’s important to know the main differences between them. If you are looking to improve your usage of numbers and to know how to use them to refer to person(s), place(s), and things(s), which are one or more in amount, then you will need to have a good grasp of countable and uncountable nouns.

Compared to many other grammar topics, countable and uncountable nouns are among the easiest to master but they are also the easiest ones to make careless mistakes about. By not paying enough attention to these basic rules, you will put yourself at risk of not referring to them correctly in either a direct or indirect manner. Please be sure to use the examples below to better your understanding and to also write out your own example sentences as well to get more practice. With enough effort, you’ll be able to tell the difference between the significance of one cow and five pencils. Most nouns are countable but there are a few exceptions which are not countable which you will find out more about in the rest of this ‘English Corner’ blog post.

Countable nouns are for things we can count using numbers. They have a singular and a plural form. The singular form can use the determiner “a” or “an”. If you want to ask about the quantity of a countable noun, you ask “How many _______?” combined with the plural countable noun.

Singular: One cat, one woman, one job, one store, one idea.

Plural: Two cats, three women, four jobs, five stores, six ideas.

She has three dogs. I own a house. I would like two books please. How many friends do you have?

Examples of Uncountable Nouns: tea, sugar, water, air, rice, knowledge, beauty

We cannot use a/an with these nouns. To express a quantity of an uncountable noun, use a word or expression like some, a lot of, much, a bit of, a great deal of, or else use an exact measurement like a cup of, a bag of, 1kg of, 1L of, a handful of, a pinch of, an hour of, a day of. If you want to ask about the quantity of an uncountable noun, you ask “How much?”

-There has been a lot of research into the causes of this disease.

-He gave me a great deal of advice before my interview.

-Can you give me some information about uncountable nouns?

-He did not have much sugar left.

-Measure 1 cup of water, 300g of flour, and 1 teaspoon of salt.

-How much rice do you want?

Exceptions to the Rule of Countable v. Uncountable

Some nouns are countable in other languages but uncountable in English. They must follow the rules for uncountable nouns.

The most common ones are:
accommodation, advice, baggage, behavior, bread, furniture, information, luggage, news, progress, traffic

  • I would like to give you some advice.
  • How much bread should I bring?
  • I didn’t make much progress today.
  • This looks like a lot of trouble to me.
  • We did an hour of work yesterday.

Be careful with the noun hair, which is normally uncountable in English, so it is not used in the plural form. However, It can be countable only when referring to certain examples such as the individual hairs on someone’s head.

Examples:

1) Did you wash your hair last night?

2) Your dad is getting some grey hairs on his beard.

As shown in the multiple amount of examples, Countable nouns can be singular or plural although they mostly are plural in usage. This is in contrast with uncountable nouns which are only singular in their nature and can never be plural. This is an important grammatical distinction which will help you to understand the main difference between these two types of nouns. Do your best to study these examples, create your own sentences, and know why countable nouns are singular and plural while uncountable nouns are only singular. Whether it’s one potato or a hundred potatoes, you have to be able to count both.