Are your dream destinations currently out of reach? The global pandemic has turned many travel plans into mere fantasy. Even during ordinary times, we don’t always have the time and money to travel but going abroad and gaining new experiences are still on our minds. Luckily, there are now countless ways to create a travelling atmosphere from your own couch. By virtual travelling, you can move from one continent to another in an instant and get to know new cultural…
The famous, over 150-year-old Oxford English Dictionary includes 600 000 English words. Of course, only a fraction of them are in active use nowadays. In practice, the vocabulary of a native English speaker consists of about 20 000–35 000 words. In contrast, the vocabulary of a student of English as a foreign language usually consists of about 2 500–9 000 words. Does that sound like a lot? In daily speech – at home, at work, and when travelling – you luckily need to be…
As the summer holiday season approaches, you may find you’ve got some extra time on your hands. That means you can make some serious progress toward your language-learning goals, but it doesn’t mean you need to spend the summer poring over books and dry learning material. Here are a few ways you can enjoy your summer while making the most out of all that free time. First and foremost for any learner, it’s critical to establish a solid foundational understanding…
Small talk is part of our daily life. It serves as an ice-breaker in social situations, eases the atmosphere and stands in for silent moments. Making light-hearted conversation is a skill which every one of us can learn – even in a foreign language! You can use the following easy phrases to help you with small talk in English. I’m so pleased to meet you – This is a good way to start a conversation with someone new. I’ve heard so much…
As most popular movies and TV shows are produced in the States, we non-native English speakers are usually more familiar with American expressions and idioms than with British ones. In my opinion, it is a bit of a pity because the British have many funny expressions and idioms that would spice up and bring more humour into our conversations. To fix this state of affairs, we have gathered 15 awesome British expressions with example sentences and their meanings in this…
Many of us use Instagram daily in our free time as well as at work. Instagram is useful for many things – also for learning languages! International Instagram accounts give you funny, everyday advice on using a new language easily and fast. Here are a few recommendations of Instagram accounts that support language learning. Follow these accounts and add a touch of foreign languages to your day! French: OhLaLaJadore On this Instagram account you will find useful French phrases illustrated…