One student said she sometimes sees "police" and sometimes "the police" - which is correct? What's the difference? Today you'll learn the answer to this question, as well as find out why saying "a police" is wrong. Lesson text: http://www.espressoenglish.net/do-we-use-the-with-police
May 10, 2017•4 min•Transcript available on Metacast What situations would make you feel embarrassed? What situations would make you feel ashamed? Learn the difference between these confusing English words in today's lesson! Lesson text: http://www.espressoenglish.net/difference-between-embarrassed-and-ashamed
May 03, 2017•4 min•Transcript available on Metacast What's the difference between meet, meet with, and meet up with? You'll learn (with examples) in today's podcast! Lesson text: http://www.espressoenglish.net/meet-meet-with-or-meet-up-with
Apr 26, 2017•5 min•Transcript available on Metacast Today's episode is another free sample from the Business English Course. You'll learn 12 common business idioms by figuring them out from the context. One question you might be asking is, "Can we use idioms in business English?" The answer is "sometimes." In more official situations (such as writing a business report or formal letter), we avoid idioms. However, it is OK to use idioms in e-mails among co-workers as well as in conversations at work. Take today's lesson to learn expressions such as...
Apr 19, 2017•13 min•Transcript available on Metacast Have you ever been shy about participating in a meeting in English? It can be really hard to think of the right phrases in a professional situation, when everyone is watching you. Some English learners prefer to stay quiet. But I want to help you speak up confidently - so in today's lesson, you'll learn 82 practical English phrases to use in meetings. This is a free sample lesson from the Business English Course , which will teach you useful vocabulary and phrases for working in an English-speak...
Apr 12, 2017•14 min•Transcript available on Metacast It can be hard for English learners to know when to use the word “to.” In today's lesson, you'll see 6 common mistakes with "to" - and learn the correct way to say these sentences. Lesson text: http://www.espressoenglish.net/common-english-mistakes-with-the-word-to
Mar 29, 2017•7 min•Transcript available on Metacast Sometimes students ask me about the "rules" of English pronunciation - but it's impossible to teach "rules," because there are so many exceptions. A lot of English words are pronounced differently from the way they appear to be written. In today's lesson, you'll learn about common pronunciation mistakes - and the right way to pronounce these words. I encourage you to LISTEN AND REPEAT, because the best way to remember the right pronunciation is to practice! Watch the video: http://www.espressoen...
Mar 22, 2017•10 min•Transcript available on Metacast Prepositions can be very challenging, even for advanced English learners! Today I’ll teach you 10 of the most common mistakes students make with prepositions. Lesson text: http://www.espressoenglish.net/10-common-english-mistakes-with-prepositions
Mar 15, 2017•7 min•Transcript available on Metacast Can you find the mistakes in these sentences? They are all incorrect. They don’t sound natural. “I bought yesterday a new t-shirt.” “Please finish quickly the report.” “I’ll put on the table the dishes.” What’s wrong with these sentences? Listen to today's lesson to find out! Lesson text: https://www.espressoenglish.net/common-english-mistakes-with-direct-and-indirect-objects/
Mar 08, 2017•6 min•Transcript available on Metacast If you're tired of using the same basic and boring English words all the time, today's lesson will teach you some new vocabulary. You'll learn 20 very powerful adjectives , such as excruciating, destitute, miraculous, absurd, and jittery. You can practice your pronunciation by repeating these words after me, and study the example sentences to see how they are used....
Feb 01, 2017•8 min•Transcript available on Metacast Do you know the difference between get away with and get along with ? Do you know what sleep with really means? Can you use deal with , stick with , and mess with in a sentence? Today's lesson will teach you 10 useful phrasal verbs with "with"!...
Jan 25, 2017•8 min•Transcript available on Metacast You probably already know that “right” and “wrong” are the same as “correct” and “incorrect” respectively. These words are also used in a lot of informal expressions and idioms in English. Today I’ll teach you ten of them! on the right track if you play your cards right it serves you right his/her heart is in the right place right on! wrong number get off on the wrong foot wake up on the wrong side of the bed don't get me wrong rub someone the wrong way Lesson text: http://www.espressoenglish.ne...
Jan 11, 2017•8 min•Transcript available on Metacast In December, I like to reflect on all the wonderful things we did during the year. How about you? How has your English improved this year? Here are some of the highlights for Espresso English in 2016. Lesson text: http://us4.campaign-archive2.com/?u=280ab49b7536a997b0d741c18&id=569a581180
Dec 28, 2016•6 min•Transcript available on Metacast I have a very special holiday gift for you: A FREE little e-book with 50 expressions... illustrated with short comics! You can download it, learn from it, and share it with your friends who are also learning English :-) Visit http://www.espressoenglish.net/gift to get the e-book
Dec 21, 2016•4 min•Transcript available on Metacast ""Give"" is a common English verb - and we use it in a lot of expressions. You can give advice, give someone a hug, give priority to a project, etc. In today's lesson, I'll teach you 10 ""give"" expressions you might not know: - give way - give credence - give (someone) grief - ...and more Lesson text: http://www.espressoenglish.net/10-english-expressions-with-give
Dec 14, 2016•7 min•Transcript available on Metacast BE CAREFUL! Most of these words are not very complimentary. A lot of them have negative connotations, so it’s not a good idea to call a person these names. But you might hear them in movies or in casual conversations between native English speakers. Lesson text: https://www.espressoenglish.net/12-slang-words-about-people/
Dec 07, 2016•6 min•Transcript available on Metacast A NEW English Power Pack is now available! What's the English Power Pack? It's SEVEN courses from seven different English teachers... with a huge discount. The special price is only available for one week - so don't delay! These are the courses included in this year's Power Pack: 75 Confusing English Words by Michael Travel English Expert by Gabby Advanced English Grammar Course by Shayna (me!) Feel Good English Super Pack by Kevin The Weekly English Workout by Jason - Fluency MC 180 ELLLO Liste...
Dec 01, 2016•10 min•Transcript available on Metacast English vocabulary in this lesson: retire downsize get rid of clutter antique heirloom knick-knack take a pass outdated junk Watch the video: https://www.espressoenglish.net/learn-english-from-the-news-unwanted-gifts/
Nov 23, 2016•14 min•Transcript available on Metacast Vocabulary in this lesson: stunned polls cherish setback shatter the glass ceiling reaching out second to none seek common ground Watch the video: https://www.espressoenglish.net/learn-english-vocabulary-from-the-u-s-election-results/
Nov 16, 2016•15 min•Transcript available on Metacast VOCABULARY IN THIS LESSON: a divisive issue burst / surge / influx a tight presidential race struck a chord with voters uneasy about the changes sizeable counties struggling in school embraced the newcomers dismissed out of hand goes by the wayside Watch the video: https://www.espressoenglish.net/learn-english-from-the-news-immigration/
Nov 09, 2016•13 min•Transcript available on Metacast I have a special treat for you today! This is an interview with Olly from iwillteachyoualanguage.com - he has learned many languages, and he has some great advice on how to learn English, how to speak English confidently when you might be afraid to talk to a native speaker, and more. Make sure to check out Olly's website and podcast at www.iwillteachyoualanguage.com
Nov 02, 2016•27 min•Transcript available on Metacast Native English speakers use a lot of slang words in casual conversations! Today you'll learn some English slang words related to the topic of money. Click here for the lesson text: https://www.espressoenglish.net/slang-words-about-money/
Oct 26, 2016•6 min•Transcript available on Metacast Do you want to understand conversations better, learn the expressions native English speakers use, and speak more fluently? This course has more advanced conversations that are full of common informal expressions used by native English speakers. It teaches you the phrases in context so that you’ll be able to remember and use them – and become more fluent as a result. Today's lesson is a free sample from the course. Click here for the lesson text: http://www.espressoenglish.net/free-sample-lesson...
Oct 19, 2016•13 min•Transcript available on Metacast Do you ever feel sad and discouraged about your English-learning progress? Do you sometimes find it hard to stay motivated, because learning English takes such a long time? Are there days when you just don't feel like studying? If you've ever experienced these emotions, today's lesson is for you. Today I'm teaching you 10 practical ways to stay motivated in your English learning. Click here for the lesson text: http://www.espressoenglish.net/10-practical-ways-to-motivate-yourself-to-study-englis...
Oct 12, 2016•15 min•Transcript available on Metacast In today's lesson, you'll learn 10 English phrases with the word ""start"". Click here for the lesson text: https://www.espressoenglish.net/10-fresh-phrases-with-the-english-word-start/ Sometimes the hardest thing about studying English is just sitting down and starting, right? You have to make time to do it... and then you have to search the whole internet to find something interesting to study. It's hard to start! My courses are designed to make it easy for you to start studying every day. The...
Oct 05, 2016•7 min•Transcript available on Metacast In this lesson, you will learn how to keep a conversation going, without running out of things to say! Here’s an example of how NOT to have an English conversation: “Did you have a good weekend?” “Yes, I did. And you?” “Yeah.” Unfortunately, the conversation stops here because there’s no natural way to continue it. This is OK if you only want to have a quick conversation (for example, if you are quickly passing a co-worker in the hallway). But how can you have a longer conversation in English? C...
Sep 28, 2016•6 min•Transcript available on Metacast When you watch a TV show or movie in English, have you ever heard someone described as foxy, ripped, a brat, a munchkin, or an old fart? These are all slang words for types of people. In today's lesson, you'll learn what they all mean - as well as whether each one is offensive or OK. Click here for the lesson text: http://www.espressoenglish.net/english-slang-words-for-appearance-age
Sep 21, 2016•8 min•Transcript available on Metacast Sometimes people ask me to explain in detail the difference between a collocation, a phrasal verb, an idiom, a slang word, a proverb, etc. To be honest, that's the wrong question. All of these types of expressions are part of the English language, but most native English speakers could NOT tell you the technical differences between them. The most important thing for an English learner is to know what they mean and how to use them. So today's lesson is a mix of idioms, phrasal verbs, and collocat...
Sep 14, 2016•10 min•Transcript available on Metacast Here's a fun way to study prepositions - let's learn some casual conversational expressions using IN and ON. You might hear a native speaker say things like, - ""I'm in the same boat."" - ""You're on a roll!"" - ""Do you ever feel like you're in a rut?"" - ""That car looks like it's on its last legs."" Today you'll learn what all these expressions mean... so that you won't be confused when you hear them in conversation! Click here for the lesson text: http://www.espressoenglish.net/15-conversati...
Sep 07, 2016•7 min•Transcript available on Metacast Do you want to understand English conversations better, learn the expressions that native speakers use, and speak English more fluently? The Everyday English Speaking Course – Level 2 will help you! This course has more advanced conversations that are full of common informal expressions used by native English speakers. It teaches you the phrases in context so that you’ll be able to remember and use them – and become more fluent in English as a result. Click here to learn more and sign up: http:/...
Aug 31, 2016•5 min•Transcript available on Metacast