What does snow look like? Snow (an uncountable noun) is made up of millions of individual snowflakes. Each snowflake is unique. No two snowflakes look the same. Of course, snowflakes are so tiny that it’s impossible to compare them, but every Canadian schoolchild learns that each snowflake is unique! A light snowfall creates a dusting […]
Author: Melanie
English Vocabulary: What are Collocations?
A collocation is a combination of two or more words that are commonly used together, in a way that sounds natural to a native English speaker. Learn the Words That Go Together. What are collocations? a waste of money brand new a collection of test results front and back phone number in the middle of […]
Make English a part of your life!
Have you ever thought or asked a teacher one of these questions? How can I speak English fluently? How can I improve my spoken English? How can I speak better English? These are the most common questions I am asked! In this article, you’ll learn some simple changes you can make to your life to […]
English Grammar: “Used to” Do Something
When you want to talk about your habits or your daily routine right now, use the present simple verb tense: I walk to school. I take the bus to work. I smoke. That’s probably the first thing you learned in your English class! What if you want to talk about habits or your daily routine […]
English Vocabulary: Brand Names that are Regular Nouns
This is a lesson for people learning to speak English as a foreign language. I have chosen common American brands for this article. An English learner recently asked me a question on Facebook about the word ‘Xerox.’ Even though it is a brand name, she heard people use it as a synonym for ‘photocopy.’ This […]
English Vocabulary: 16 NEW Words Added to the Dictionary in 2012!
16 New Words Added to the English Dictionary in 2012 | English Teacher Melanie Last week, the American dictionary company Merriam-Webster announced that it had added 100 new words & definitions to its Collegiate Dictionary [= dictionary for people in college/university]! These words are slang words and words that have been created […]
How to Say the Names of all the Summer Olympic Sports! (video)
In this video, you’ll learn how to say all the sports that are part of the Summer Olympics. You’ll see a picture of the sport, the name of the sport, and the IPA pronunciation/phonetic transcription of the sport name. Watch my lips, listen, and repeat after me! Learn more: English Vocabulary: The Olympic Games […]
English Grammar: How to Use the Verb “Suggest”
A lot of English learners struggle with the verb suggest because suggest is an unusual English verb. It is not used in a sentence the same way that other verbs are. Suggest means mention or recommend something to think about, or something someone should do. You suggest a thought or an idea. 1. “I […]
English Grammar: Have to do something
Have is one of the most common verbs used in English. A previous article explained when to use have got. Have and have got can also be used with the preposition to. 1. Use have (got) to in the affirmative/positive form to talk about an obligation, or something that is necessary to do. Have […]
English Listening: Where are All the Children? | Episode 30
[smart_track_player url=”http://traffic.libsyn.com/englishteachermelanie/Where_are_all_the_children__Episode_30_-_English_Teacher_Melanie.mp3″ title=”30 Where are all the Children?” artist=”English Teacher Melanie” social=”true” social_twitter=”true” social_facebook=”true” social_gplus=”true” social_pinterest=”true” ] Listen to a story about Halloween! You’ll also learn how to link the American T sound in natural spoken English. Welcome to the English Teacher Melanie Podcast, a podcast for intermediate to advanced English learners who want to […]