15 grammar Goofs

Read More

The 7 Social Media Slang Terms in English You Need to Know

Do you use any social media? You probably have an account on more than one platform. That isn’t surprising since nowadays, this is one of the ways we often choose to meet new people and stay connected with our friends and family. In the era of continuous migration, social media has become the lifeline that connects us to the world.

The fact that you’re reading this article on the internet already makes you part of this world without borders. But do you know how to speak the language of this international house? Do you really know the slang used on social media? Have you mastered the English acronyms used along with their meanings?

English Vocabulary for the Internet and Social Media

Not long ago, studying English in an academy was all that you needed to achieve a level that was good enough to communicate with the world without problems. But all that is changing by leaps and bounds. Nowadays, thanks to the contributions of the thousands of people who use English every day on social media – especially the youngest users – new words and abbreviations are constantly being born. To really be connected in this medium, you also need to know the slang. In this article, we want to tell you the abbreviations, the words, and all the internet vocabulary in English that you’ll need to navigate the cyber ocean. After reading, you’ll know exactly what to say as well as what others are talking about.

Abbreviations in English and Their Meaning 

Of everything that happens with English social media slang, keeping up with the acronyms is probably the most difficult. When you find a series of capital letters, it isn’t only necessary to know English, you also need to know the English used on social media networks. We’re going to explore some of the most used and fundamental acronyms so that you won’t miss anything that’s happening around you. 

AMA 

• Meaning: Ask Me Anything 
• Source: Began as a series on Reddit. When an authority on a subject opens up the possibility of asking questions, they begin with that abbreviation: AMA. 
• Where to find it: In forums or in conversations with experts 
• How to use it: “Hi, I’m Sam and I came to tell you everything you want to know about phishing. AMA!” 

Bae 

• Meaning: Before Anyone Else 
• Source: While Urban Dictionary considers this word to be a Danish term referring to faecal matter, it’s used across social media as an expression of love in English. It’s a replacement for “babe” (baby, love, sweetie, boyfriend, girlfriend, etc.). 
• Where to find it: In countless memes and posts 
• How to use it: “I’m meeting bae tonight. I’ve missed him all week!!”

Dafuq 

• Meaning: (What) the f***? 
• Source: Created as an alternative to the existing WTF acronym. 
• Where to find it: In memes and posts that show surprise or astonishment 

How to use it: -Wanna go for a picnic in the graveyard? –No, man! Dafuq is wrong with you?


English Social Media Vocabulary 

Now that we’ve cleared up your doubts about the most commonly used English abbreviations, let’s see some of the slang that you’ll have to know when browsing the social media networks. This vocabulary will also be very helpful when you post since it will improve the reach of your posts and help increase your followers.

Read More

How celebrities learn English

Antonio Banderas: 

“I knew… yes, no, woman, man.” The famous Spanish actor Antonio Banderas, currently nominated for an Oscar for his role as Salvador Mallo in Pain and Glory, is a clear example showing that to learn English, you need a lot of determination. But above all, you have simply got to believe in yourself. When Banderas took part in the production of The Mambo Kings (1992), he found learning English to be an uphill battle. He used to study English for eight hours a day in an academy and felt that he wasn’t progressing enough. According to Banderas himself, he had to recite his lines phonetically from memory (without understanding exactly what he was saying). To communicate with the director, he had to use a simultaneous interpreter. Banderas remembers that to participate in this film, his agent sent him to London for an interview, and, of course, it was entirely in English. Banderas learned only three sentences: Yes, of course, and I can do that. While the other person spoke fluently, Banderas only nodded and repeated the expressions. Even though it was clear that Banderas didn’t speak a word of English, nothing prevented him from travelling to New York and joining the team of this famous film, which would open the doors of Hollywood to him.

Penélope Cruz:

The Spanish star Penélope Cruz has been very successful in recent years thanks to roles in which she has had to use English, but she hasn’t always had it so easy. Originally from a small town near Madrid, Spain, the idea of success in Hollywood wasn’t a realistic goal, especially without knowing English. Penélope has admitted in several interviews that since she studied French in secondary school, English came later and she struggled to learn it. After getting her first English role in the 1998 film Hi-Lo Country, Penélope still couldn’t speak much English and memorised her scripts word for word even without knowing what they meant. Obviously, as her career progressed, she received more help to perfect her English. This is how she managed to become the first Spanish actress to win an Oscar in 2004 for the movie Vicky Cristina Barcelona and to have her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. When asked the secret of her success when it comes to learning English, Penelope replied that learning phonetics was fundamental for reading the scripts.



Rodrigo Santoro:

The most recognised Brazilian actor in Hollywood has participated in films such as 300, Ben Hur, and Pelé: Birth of a Legend. He didn’t learn to speak English until he was 27 years old. Santoro admits that in the beginning, he barely knew how to say basic expressions like “The book is on the table” or “Where is the restroom?” That’s clearly insufficient for the film industry. Faced with the challenge of participating in different productions in the United States, Santoro decided to live in North America for some time to study and really improve his English. Santoro said, “I didn’t grow up speaking in English or Spanish… Working in another language makes me think and does exactly what you don’t want when you are acting.” Although his native language is Portuguese, English has been the key that opened the door to Hollywood; an experience that has transformed his life forever.

Mila Kunis:

Actress Mila Kunis has such perfect English that few know that she was actually born in Ukraine. In 1991, when she was just seven years old, her parents decided to move to the United States with her and her brother Michael. They wanted to escape what they thought was anti-Semitism in Ukraine and seek a better future for their children. Kunis will always remember that her first day of school in a foreign country, saying it was like being blind and deaf at the same time since she didn’t understand either the language or the culture. After two years in the United States, Kunis’s father enrolled her in acting classes at the Beverly Hills Studio. Soon after, she got small roles in some ads that led to her adventures in the world of acting. Mila had to work tirelessly on her English even though she spoke Russian at home with her family. Today, she’s a very successful actress and has appeared in television series such as That ‘70s Show and films like Black Swan. In the difficult world of Hollywood, speaking English was necessary for Mila, and it was certainly worth it.

Read More

6 Idioms

Read More

Finish Vs. Finish Up And Other Verbs Vs. Phrasal Verbs

A student asked me, “Is there a difference between finish and finish up?” 

The answer is no. There’s no difference in meaning.

• I’ll be home soon, I just need to finish a few things at the office.
• = I’ll be home soon, I just need to finish up a few things at the office.

Finish up is the more informal way to say it, and if we were writing or speaking formal English then we would probably use finish because we try to avoid phrasal verbs in formal English.

CALL / CALL UP

Another word like this is call or call up when talking about calling someone on the phone. For example you could say:

• I called my grandmother.
• I called up my grandmother.

They’re the same.

IS THIS TRUE FOR EVERY VERB / PHRASAL VERB?

Is this the case for every verb and phrasal verb? The answer is no. Usually a verb when used by itself is different from the verb when used in a phrasal verb (which is a verb plus a preposition). Today I’ll teach you nine examples (there are many more).

THROW / THROW UP / THROW OFF

To use an extreme example, the verb throw means to make something go out of your hand with speed – ex. throw a ball. But if you throw up, it means you vomit, and if something throws you off that means it confuses you. As you can see, throw is very different from throw up and throw off!

FIGHT / FIGHT OFF

Other times the difference is not so drastic. For example if two people fight, it means they engage in violent conflict – but if one guy fights off an attacker that means he used violence to successfully defend himself and make the attacker go away. Both fight and fight off refer to violent conflict but fight off has the additional meaning of successfully defending yourself and making your opponent go away.

SHOW / SHOW OFF

Another example is show and show off. If a woman shows you her diamond ring it means she lets you see it – but if she shows off her diamond ring, this means she’s doing it arrogantly, she’s showing everybody her ring so that everyone could admire it and make her feel superior. That’s the difference between show and show off.

STAND / STAND UP

Let’s take a look at more of these phrasal verbs with up. Some of them are quite similar and can be used almost interchangeably.

For example, “I asked the students to stand” is the same as “I asked the students to stand up.” Both stand and stand up refer to the action of lifting your body up to your feet from a sitting position.

But if referring to someone’s location then we would say “There was a man standing on the sidewalk.” We wouldn’t say “There was a man standing up on the sidewalk.”

Standing up emphasizes the contrast between standing on your feet and sitting down or lying down, but for someone’s location we would standing and not standing up.

GROW / GROW UP

Another one is grow and grow up. You can grow flowers or the population of a town can grow, it can increase – but grow up is only used for the specific case of children becoming bigger, older, and more mature. You can’t grow up flowers or grow up the population of a town.

CHOKE / CHOKE UP

The verb choke means to have something stuck in your throat so that you have difficulty speaking or breathing. For example, if you swallow a large piece of meat without chewing it completely, the piece might get stuck in your throat and you might choke.

However, the phrasal verb choke up means something slightly different. To choke upmeans to be so overwhelmed by emotion that you find it difficult to talk. For example, if you are giving a eulogy (a eulogy is a speech at a funeral about the person who has died) – so if you are giving a eulogy at your mother’s funeral, you might choke up. You would be so overwhelmed by sadness, the emotion would be so intense that it makes it difficult for you to get the words out. That’s what it means to choke up, and it’s different from the verb choke.

CRACK / CRACK UP

Here’s one that’s completely different. The word crack is both a noun and a verb, meaning a thin, broken line in a hard surface. If you’re driving your car and a small rock hits your windshield, the windshield might crack, get a small line of breakage in the glass.

Crack up has a totally different meaning. To crack up means to suddenly start laughing. For example, if you tell a great joke to a group of your friends everyone would crack up,they’d start laughing.

FOLLOW / FOLLOW UP

To follow someone means to go wherever they go, for example, if you have a very devoted dog, the dog might follow you around the house.

The phrasal verb follow up means something a bit different. To follow up means to take another action that continues the process of an action that was previously taken. It’s often used for further communication or research. For example, if you’ve emailed your friend and he hasn’t responded for the past week, then you might follow up with a phone call. The phone call continues the process of communication that began with the email. You are following up.

HOLD / HOLD UP

Finally we have the verb hold. To hold something is to have it in your hand, but the phrasal verb hold up has three different meanings.

First is the literal meaning – to hold up means to hold something in your hand in a high position, for example, at the parade I held up a flag.

If someone says, “Hold up!” – that means “Wait!” You can also say something like the project was held up, that means the project was delayed.

Finally, if criminals hold up a bank or hold up a store, it means they rob the bank or the store. They go in with guns and demand to take all the money – so that’s a third definition for the phrasal verb hold up.

**********************

The answer to the original question is that sometimes verbs and phrasal verbs have the same meaning. In other cases the phrasal verb has a slightly different meaning. And then there are some cases where the meaning of the verb and the phrasal verb are just completely different.

Read More

Mobile Phone Phrasal Verbs

Read More

British vs. American English

Read More

What to Say in English in Dangerous Situations

When travelling abroad, you could find yourself feeling unsafe or in danger. Curiosity can lead us to unsafe places in a city, or we could come across odd-looking people with a rather shady appearance. And what do you say if the bill you have just been given at a restaurant is too high compared to what you were expecting?

In these kinds of situations, as well as in many more, it is important to know how to speak either the local language or at least English, which considered the lingua franca for communication abroad. That is why we have decided offer you this little life-saving phrase book, in order to help with some of the situations you might face while on holiday.

If your neighbour at the bar is annoying you

Imagine you are sitting in a bar, sipping your cocktail while watching the sea. Suddenly the person at the table next to you starts giving you unwanted attention. While the best option is to get out of there, if you want to finish your drink in peace before leaving, then you could say:

Thank you for your attention, but I would prefer to be alone.

Excuse me, could you leave me alone, please?

Thank you, but I do not need any company. I have an appointment soon.

Thank you, but I do not need any company. I am not alone.

Look, if you do not leave me alone, I’ll call security.

If you do not stop bothering me, I’ll call the police!

If you realize that the bill is way too high

Unfortunately, you might receive an odd surprise when the moment to pay the bill arrives. Sometimes a rushing waiter may make a mistake or maybe someone wants to take advantage of a naive stranger. Here is what you could say:

Could you explain why I have to pay this amount?

According to my calculations, the bill should be different. Could you show me your calculations?

Excuse me, there has been a mistake!

I believe there is a mistake here.

At the train station late in the afternoon

Train stations are the places for the soul, places for goodbyes and hellos, of departures to remote destinations and the daily bustle of commuters. Unfortunately, they might also attract undesirable people. If you run into someone with a shady look, you could say:

Thank you, but I do not need anything.

I’m sorry, but I have no money.

I’m not interested, thank you.

Please stop touching me or I will call the police.

Please stop bothering me or I will call the police.

Ready to Leave?

These are only some of the emergency sentences that could come in handy. If you are preparing for a journey abroad, the best thing to do is to think ahead and improve your English :) 

Read More

Nonviolent Communication: How to Resolve Conflicts in English

In everyday life, both with family and at work, it is natural to have differences of opinion or to feel hurt by the words or actions of someone close to us. To make a difference, however, it is important to be aware of how we handle difficulties and how the lessons we learn can become a treasure.

Often, the first path we want to take is that of a fit of anger or an escape, but neither reaction is appropriate. If exaggerated reactions lead to unpleasant consequences, not resolving conflicts with others leads to an aggravation of the situation and a breakdown in relationships. To avoid this, do not let too much time pass before acting and follow these minor precautions:

• Do not react impulsively.If you realize that you are about to lose your patience, it is better to move away and face the situation later, after you have released your anger and can control it better.
• Try to look at the situation objectively.It is not easy to look at a situation through the eyes of the person in front of us, especially if they have hurt our feelings. Instead, try to discover what happened and analyse it with a cool head while trying to consider it from as many angles as possible.
• Show empathy.Far from having to agree with those that you do not, showing empathy means that you express understanding of the feelings of others. This favours constructive communication.
• Show that you are willing to admit your mistakes.It may not be easy to admit, but, usually, not only one side in a disagreement is correct. You must be prepared to admit your errors, even when it is not easy.
• Be assertive.Learn how to present your reasons calmly and clearly at the same time. Express your feelings and instead of pointing with your finger, talk about yourself, how you feel, and why you feel that way.
• Listen.Far from limiting yourself to speaking alone, be prepared to listen to the other’s reasons and, if possible, to admit a change of perspective.

Phrases

Let’s look at some sentences in English that are assertive, respectful, and appropriate for resolving conflicts, both in your private and professional life.

Showing empathy…

I understand the way you feel, but…

I am really sorry you feel this way, but I didn’t mean that…

I see your point, but…

Admitting your mistakes…

I am sorry if I was misunderstood.

I am sorry for not expressing myself in the right way.

Being assertive…

I felt bad because…

Honestly, I didn’t expect you to act in that way.

I was hurt by what you said.

I don’t think you acted in the right way.

I feel as if I have been accused of something I have not done.

I admit that I am a bit sensitive, but it hurts when someone talks to me in that way.

When learning a foreign language, there is a tendency to translate your thoughts directly from your mother tongue. Communicating correctly in stressful situations, however, requires good preparation and mental effort. 

Read More

British Slang Words

Read More

Informal Contractions

Contractions are words that are created by combining words in order to shorten them from their original form. Contractions are used when speaking and when writing in casual situations. Common contractions are words like she's and don't and can be both written (informally) and spoken.

Informal contractions often combine with the following words:

• + to
• + you
• + of
• + would have
• miscellaneous

Informal contractions are contractions that break grammar rules and are only used in very casual speech. Two or even three words could be merged. An apostrophe is often not used.

Here also a short video to help you out :)

Read More

BrainPOP ELL

This website it wonderful. 

You'll find a range of different things to do - from testing yourself, listening, reading, the works!

Read More

Small Talk in English

In this post, I want to add a few more suggestions on how you could captivate at small talk in English and truly engage with your conversation partner. 

#1 Share anecdotes

There’s nothing better than sharing stories or anecdotes with someone. That shows the other person that you can relate to what they’re saying or have experienced. That forms a bond.

For example, if your partner says he or she spent time living in another country and you did as well, share a story or two about your years abroad. You’ll most likely encourage the other person to tell you about some similar memories. 

#2 Allow the other person to teach you

If you’re not familiar with a subject, be honest and ask the other person to explain a little more. The chances are they’ll be delighted to go into more detail and you get to learn something new. If you’re an inquisitive (curious) person, you’ll love it.

This goes back to the idea of letting other people do most of the talking. Asking other people to explain what they mean might prompt them to talk for a few more minutes and it takes the pressure off you for a while.

#3 Practise with everyone you meet

If small talk is outside your comfort zone, practise small talk with everyone you meet. It could be with the barista at your favourite coffee bar, with your dry cleaner when you pick up your dry cleaning, or with your hairdresser’s. 

Even if this practice is in your own language, it will allow you to start feeling comfortable with striking up (starting)  and maintaining interesting conversations. 

What you can then do is imagine having these conversations in English and recording them. 

#4 Copy good conversationalists

If you watch talk shows or listen to podcasts, listen to the talk show hosts and their guests.

Try to remember the kinds of questions they ask, how they follow up on the other person’s answers, and even how they make use of silence. 

One of my favourite talk show hosts is Graham Norton on the BBC. He knows how to make his guests feel comfortable and engage with him freely.

#5: Talk about something that happened to you

Instead of asking a stranger you meet at a conference or someone you don’t know that well a question, you could start the conversation by telling them something that happened to you earlier in the day. 

This allows the person to ask you a question or add what they know to the topic. For example, you could say: “I had the funniest conversation with my son this morning”. 

If you’re a social media user and often post comments about your experiences, you could use those as an example.

# 6: Introduce some of your past failures

Have you noticed that when people talk about their successes and accomplishments, the reaction from the other person is a simple nod of the head and mumbled “Congratulations”? The conversation soon fades away.

However, when we share our past failures they feel more comfortable. Not because they’re happy you’ve failed, but because these failures resonate with them too.

For example, 

“I was in a presentation the other day. I raised my hand to ask a question and when the presenter invited me to ask it, my mind went completely blank! I spent the next couple of minutes talking about anything and everything frantically trying to remember my question so as not to look a complete idiot. What a nightmare.”

This will get a lot of laughs as people will relate to these moments of sudden blankness and start sharing their stories too. They’ll also feel relieved that it doesn’t just happen to them.

#7: Know that you’re not alone

I think this is so important. You’re not the only one who finds small talk uncomfortable, even more so in English. Some people may look confident but deep down they’re struggling and have worked hard to improve their small talk skills. So don’t think it’s just you and don’t feel ashamed if you find it hard to engage in small talk. You will improve with time – one tiny step at a time.

Read More