Learners tend to focus on things like grammar, vocabulary, and whether the email makes sense. Of course, these things are all important,but yu can get all of these things right, and still end up with a bad email.I explain what I mean in today's podcast episode and give you a couple of questions to ask yourself before hitting that "send" button. ...…

I'm a teacher, but I'm also a learner.In October, I started a part-time university degree, and I'd like to share a couple of the things that I've learned and strategies that I've developed for those times when I don't understand something.I'm doing an IT course, and my particular problems are usually related to maths, but these tips can also be ...…

In episode 57, I talked about how listening to podcasts can help you to learn English. But there are loads of podcasts out there - how do you choose the best ones to help you meet your learning goals? Find out in this episode.You can find the show notes here:https://englishwithkirsty.com/podcast/episode147…

This episode came about because of a question in the Facebook group. I'm talking about different ways to ask for something to be done, and when it's appropriate to use each one.You can find the show notes here:https://englishwithkirsty.com/podcast/episode146

"Telephone skills are important, but there are times when using the telephone actually makes a job take longer. I want my business English students to feel confident about using the telephone, but also to decide whether making a phone call is the best way to get a job done. Here are some things to consider.You can find the show notes page here: ...…

Do you have anything else that you would add to this list?You can find the show notes here:https://englishwithkirsty.com/podcast/episode144

Most of the time we use adverbs to describe verbs, because we're describing how we're doing something:I slammed the door angrily.However, if we're describing how someone feels, or how something looks, sounds, or tastes, we use an adjective, because we're describing that thing.The food tastes delicious - not deliciouslyThe ring looks expensive - ...…

Whether you're worried about any type of public speaking, or you have concerns specific to speaking publicly in another language, I have some tips to help you!

I work with students from a number of countries. With some I only communicate in English, but when I'm working with German speakers, I can add additional value because I also speak German. Today I'm looking at how it can help if you have a teacher who speaks your language, and what you need to be careful about in this situation. Here are the sh ...…

In today's episode, I'm talking about job interviews - specifically, 11 things that you should think about if you're giving a presentation as part of a job interview:Here's where you will find the show notes and other resources:https://englishwithkirsty.com/podcast/episode140

This episode is from my Wise Old Owl series, in which learners ask questions about the English language. Today I'm looking at a vocabulary question.You can find the show notes here: https://englishwithkirsty.com/podcast/episode139

Today's episode is about 20 things that you shouldn't do if you want to win an argument or come across well in discussions. You can find the blog article or contact me using the show notes page: https://englishwithkirsty.com/podcast/episode138

Today isn't about teaching you something. I am sharing an experience that I had a couple of weeks ago. I would consider myself to be an advanced learner of German, but a friend showed me that when I'm writing, I know a lot of words in my target language, but I don't sound the same as I do in my native language. This doesn't happen so much in le ...…

We all use filler words, but sometimes they can be really distracting if we use them too frequently in presentations. Today's episode is about filler words, why we use them, and when they can become a problem: Here's the link to the show notes page:https://englishwithkirsty.com/podcast/episode136

When I asked on the English with Kirsty page about the most difficult sounds in English, someone said that they find the "th" sound difficult to say. Actually there are two "th" sounds, and in this episode I talk about them,give some examples of words that have these sounds in them, and point out some of the mistakes that people make.You can fi ...…

In today's episode, I sum up everything we've gone through in the challenge, offer you a way to keep track of your plans and progress, and tell you about my English language coaching service.You can find out more by visiting the show notes page:https://englishwithkirsty.com/podcast/episode134

As we learned from the English language thoughts blog recently, you can pronounce the word “often” with or without the T sound in the middle. It doesn’t matter. Both ways are acceptable. However, in some other words, you shouldn’t pronounce the T sound, even though there is a T in the word. I thought we could take a look at some of those words ...…

Improving your vocabulary will help you in all areas of your language learning. It will help with your reading and listening, because the more you understand, the less you will need to look up, and it will help with your speaking and writing, because it gives you a bigger pool of words when it comes to expressing your thoughts and ideas.I've go ...…

Some students love it! Others hate it! Whatever you think, grammar is an important part of language learning.It doesn't have to be boring or confusing. In fact, understanding how the language works can actually help you to improve, to make better sentences, and to ensure that you don't make avoidable mistakes.You can find the show notes here:ht ...…

Today's post is all about some problems that people have when it comes to improving their listening skills, and the advice that I give to my students who have these problems.You can find the show notes here:https://englishwithkirsty.com/podcast/episode130where I have also posted the links to other articles that you may find useful.…

People often have good intentions when they're learning a new language, but sometimes they do things that end up making it harder for them to learn. I'm talking about 5 of these activities today:https://englishwithkirsty.com/podcast/episode129

Some people find speaking to be the hardest of all the language skills. If your plan is to develop your speaking skills this year, today's episode is for you! Find out more here:https://englishwithkirsty.com/podcast/episode128

Imagine that you're sitting in a meeting and someone has a really bad idea. What do you say? You could of course say that it's a really bad idea, but that probably won't help your working relationship with that person. In today's episode, I look at some alternatives that are more constructive for when you want to say that something is a bad ide ...…

Episode 126of the English with Kirsty Podcast is the next part of my "better English in 2018" series. Today we're looking at how other people can help you to meet your language goals. https://englishwithkirsty.com/podcast/episode126/

Sometimes in English, we don't pronounce all of the letters in a word. If you do pronounce them, it will sound wrong, and other people may not know what word you want to say.Today we are looking at some examples using the letter L and some words in which you shouldn't pronounce the L sound.You can find the show notes here:https://englishwithkir ...…

Do you want to improve your English writing skills this year? Here are some questions to think about:1. Is writing important to you? 2. What kind of things do you want or need to write? 3. What activities would help you to write more? You could start a blog/write a diary/join a Facebook group about one of your hobbies/do a writing course/get a ...…

One reason why people sometimes struggle with spoken English is that words aren't pronounced in the same way as they are written. You might recognise all the words in a sentence, but when that sentence is spoken, sounds disappear, others are merged together, and some words sound differently when they're spoken quickly. Here are five examples.Yo ...…

Is reading more English books or articles part of your plan for improving your English in 2018? If so, here are some tips to help you find the right things to read so that it's an enjoyable experience, as well as an educational one!You can find the show notes here https://englishwithkirsty.com/podcast/episode122…

Today's episode is based on an article that I read. I talk about why it's important to focus on the value of your contributions, listen to others, and not feel that you have to speak as much as possible in order to be noticed.You can find the show notes here:https://englishwithkirsty.com/podcast/episode121…

So, you've identified what you want to improve in 2018 and how you're going to do it. Now it's time to think about the things that might prevent you from meeting your goals.Time – people often say that they didn't do their English practice because they didn't have time. How are you going to make sure that you have enough time, either by setting ...…

This episode gives some basic information about common dietary requirements, and also some things to consider when choosing where to take customers or colleagues for a meal. https://englishwithkirsty.com/2018/01/08/vocabulary-for-understanding-dietary-requirements-and-planning-meals-out/You can visit the show notes page here:https://englishwith ...…

So, you've identified what you want to improve in 2018. Now it's time to think about how you're going to do it!If you want to speak with someone in English, who will it be, and when will you speak with them? Will it be online or in person?If you want to read a book, which book will it be, how will you read it (hard copy/audio book/ebook), and w ...…

What 3 skills would you like to learn or improve in 2018? What would you like to be different in terms of your language skills? What would you like to be able to do that you can't do at the moment?I look at 3 reasons why people give up on their New Year's resolutions so that you can avoid these mistakes.Here's the show notes page: https://engli ...…

Do you want to know how people celebrate the New Year in the UK? Find out here!You can also visit the show notes page:https://englishwithkirsty.com/podcast/episode114

There are plenty of articles about staying safe when you're travelling for work, but as well as giving general tips, I also want to focus on some language-specific issues. Especially at first, it takes more energy to function all day in a new language, and you may encounter new situations that you haven'tt experienced before, on account of the ...…

Do you ever have problems with people on the telephone because they just won't stop talking, even though you think the conversation should be coming to an end? If so, here are some tips to help you!https://englishwithkirsty.com/2017/11/14/how-to-end-conversations-with-difficult-callers/Or you can visit the show notes page:https://englishwithkir ...…

Have you wondered why there are a lot of fireworks in the UK around 5th November? Find out in today's episode!

This week's podcast is about feeling unwell - the kind of things that you might say or hear in the office when people are saying that they don't feel well, and why. I thought this was topical for this time of year because a lot of colds and flu viruses are going around:If you want to see this vocabulary written down, go to the show notes page:h ...…

First impressions are important, and this also applies when you contact people for the first time. Here are 11 things that don't come across well when you're trying to sell products or pitch an idea. I have used examples of messages or emails that I have received in order to explain my points.The show notes page is here: https://englishwithkirs ...…

Sometimes students tell me that they want to sound like a native speaker. Today I share 10 things that you shouldn't say, even though some native speakers say them. WE're not talking about mistakes here, but things that don't sound good, are annoying, or that don't make a positive impression.You can find the show notes here: https://englishwith ...…

Today we have three answers from the wise old owl:What's the difference between tips and hints?What's the difference between remind and remember?Why do we say At Christmas, not on Christmas?Click here for the show notes:https://englishwithkirsty.com/podcast/episode109

Today I'm talking about dealing with difficult behaviour, and an example of how you can speak to a colleague about a problem – explaining why their behaviour is a problem for you, and a possible solution to make things better for everyone.You can find the show notes here: https://englishwithkirsty.com/podcast…

Today I have a business travel vocabulary quiz for you. See how many questions you get right (the answers are at the end!)Click here for the show notes page:https://englishwithkirsty.com/podcast/episode107

In today's episode, I tell you about the Bank holidays in different parts of the UK. You also have the chance to enter to win a copy of my book, and you can join in my free language challenge, which starts on 11th September. All the details and links are on the show notes page:https://englishwithkirsty.com/podcast/episode106…

In this episode, you can find out about 10 foods that you might come across in the UK. I've tried to choose ones with names that don't make it clear what's inside. Click on the links on the show notes page to be taken to recipes on external sites.https://englishwithkirsty.com/podcast/episode105

In this episode, I share things that I learned when I was the only non-native speaker in a team of German speakers.Some lessons were related to language, whereas others had more to do with communication styles and interactions between members of the team and how they made me feel.Overall, it was a positive experience, but it also helped me to g ...…

Today I will give you 7 ideas about what you can do to work on your English language skills while you are on holiday.Being on holiday means that you don't follow many of your normal daily routines. When one of my students asked me what he could do to keep up with his English language practice while he was on holiday, I came up with 7 ideas. I'v ...…

Today we're talking about adjectives – words that describe something. Native English speakers don't usually learn this at school, but there is a generally accepted order that you can use to work out the order in which your adjectives should go.You can access the show notes here:https://englishwithkirsty.com/podcast/episode102…

How did I change from being someone who was scared to speak my second language, even at informal gatherings, to someone who uses it confidently at work every day? Find out in today's episode! I give three tips to help anyone who is shy about speaking, or who needs to bring one of their other language competencies (reading, writing or listening) ...…

I wanted to do something special to celebrate 100 episodes of the English with Kirsty podcast.Some people do interviews, or talk about what they've learned whilst making the other 99 episodes – but my listeners aren't here to learn about podcasting! They want to learn English!Therefore I decided to put together a resource to help people with th ...…