Where to in 2021?

 Happy New Year!  We look to the new year for one of favourite hobbies: travel.

What are your core values in travel?

-fun factor

-relaxation

-sustainable travel

-communtity

-diversity

-culture

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Elementary? Vocabulary? Sure!

We are always finding looking for ways to motivate you. Today we have searched the world wide web for 'winter words'.

We use Quizlet with our many learners.  Give it a go?  Begin HERE

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I'm tired! Or......

 

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LISTEN-READ-SING

Who doesn't love Elton John?
Let's sing-a-long with him!

CLICK HERE

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Vocabulary challenge: root word 'port'

Hello English learning friends, 

How can you learn more words?
Easy!  Jump onto our Quizlet page and give it a try.
It could be IMPORTANT.
Click & GO

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Direction words...

...are important.  At the moment we sit at home or stay in our own country, but why not improve your English here?

Ready?  GO!

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15 grammar Goofs

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Tools & Equipment

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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.

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The Main Cooking Verbs

If you’re here, you probably like to cook, try new recipes, and search for exotic dishes on the internet to surprise your family or friends with. Or not. Maybe eating is what motivates you and you’d prefer to leave the experts with the onions that make you cry and the risk of burning themselves with oil when frying eggs. It’s okay, we don’t all have the same talents or interests. Anyway, today we want you to learn the main verbs related to cooking in English so that you can have a “taste” of learning English with ABA English. Are you ready to enjoy a delicious and simple vocabulary recipe full of practical examples? Mmmm, our mouths are already watering!

Cut 

On TV, chefs cut onions, radishes, and tomatoes with amazing dexterity. Be careful not to injure yourself with the blade of the knife. If you do so, you can use the same verb to describe what you’ve done. 

Edna cut the onions into small pieces. 

I cut myself with the knife and it hurts a lot. 


Cook 

Have you heard of chef Gordon Ramsay? You’ve probably seen him on the reality show Hell’s Kitchen, scolding the contestants and giving them a hard time. The fact is that cooking in a restaurant can be quite stressful. At the same time, though, it can be a satisfying job when the guests are pleased. 

Cook is used for the action of making food, but it’s also the person who does the cooking. 

Gordon Ramsay is a great cook; he is one of the greatest chefs in the world. 

I love cooking but I hate doing the dishes. 


Chop 

Chop means to cut into small pieces. If you find it in a recipe, this word suggests that you cut things into equal-sized bits, like the vegetables or meat for a goulash. Chop implies a powerful, quick movement with a large tool. You can also use it to describe cutting a piece of wood with an axe. Cut is a more general expression. You can use it when you are using scissors or a razor. 

Please chop the meat in small portions. 

If you’re chopping an onion, make sure to peel it first.


Steam 

Specialists say that boiled or “steamed” food is much healthier. That’s why it’s often recommended to eat this kind of food when you want to lose weight. Use the word steam when you’re talking about cooking something with water vapour. 

I have been steaming my vegetables lately. I want to lose some weight. 

Steamed food retains its minerals and vitamins.

Bake 

Pastries are one of the most delicious and tempting creations that human beings have ever invented. Which is your favourite? Bake means cooking something in the oven. 

She baked a wonderful cake for Mike’s birthday. 

Baking powder is used to increase the volume.

Grill 

Hamburgers, steaks, kebabs, sausages, the smell of smoke and live coals… Does that sound familiar? What a treat it is to have a BBQ with your friends! Grilling is one of the best cooking techniques, there’s no doubt about it. Grill means cooking on a wire grid over a flame. Roast is another term used for cooking using flames, but it’s usually a much slower process. Nowadays, it has become fashionable to use the expression roast when a person is in the hot seat and everyone makes fun of them, with the victim’s prior permission, of course. 

I’d like a grilled burger with fries, please. 

Roast chicken is one of my favourite dishes. 

Mix 

If you are not an expert in the kitchen, salads are an excellent option since they’re healthy and easy to prepare. To make them, you need to use the verb mix. Remember that the more colours your salad has, the greater variety of nutrients you’ll receive. You can also use mix when using an electronic device such as a whisk, blender, or mixer. 

Mix all the ingredients and then add some olive oil. 

Fry 

Frying is the most common way to prepare food. All you have to do is put some oil in the pan, turn on the stove, and cook whatever you like: some eggs, a piece of meat, or sauté some vegetables. In everyday language, the expression brain fried is often used when a person is very stressed, overworked, or worried, which keeps them from thinking clearly. 

Fried Green Tomatoes is a famous film from the ‘90s. 

My mom was frying some eggs with bacon.

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Adverbs of Quantity

Imagine that adverbs of quantity didn’t exist. You’d have to go around everywhere saying an exact number if you wanted to make the person you were talking to understand the quantity you were talking about. It’s much more comfortable (and quicker) to say “I have a lot of pages left to read for class today” than “I have 367 pages left to read for class today!” Not to mention the fact that you’ll spend a lot less time counting.

The list of adverbs of quantity in English is quite long. But there are some that are more used than others. In this article, we’ll explain what adverbs of quantity are and how to use them. To make this grammar review even more complete, we’ll also give you some examples, tips, and practice exercises.

What Are Adverbs of Quantity? 

As their name implies, adverbs of quantity tell how much or how many of something there is. We’ll get more into the difference between those ideas soon. It’s important to remember that adverbs are used to describe verbs, adjectives, adverbs, or sentences. Also, adverbs generally end in -ly. 

Adverbs of quantity give the degree of something. Let’s look at an example. 

He ate chocolate cake. 

With that sentence, we just know that he ate cake. We don’t know to what degree he studied. That’s where the adverbs of quantity come in. 

He ate a lot of chocolate cake. 

He ate a little chocolate cake.

Countable and Uncountable Nouns 

Do you remember what countable and uncountable nouns are? Countable nouns are the names of objects, people, ideas, and so on that can be counted and, therefore, used with a number. These nouns have a plural form. 

For example: One computer, two computers, three computers 

Uncountable nouns are the names of materials, liquids, and other things that we see as a whole and not as separate objects. They have no plural form and, therefore, we can’t use them with numbers. 

For example: water, milk, work 

Knowing the difference between countable and uncountable nouns is very important when using adverbs of quantity because the adverb you choose will depend on if the noun is countable or uncountable.

How Much vs. How Many 

If you want to ask a question about the quantity of something, you need to use either how much or how many to start the sentence. The difference is easy, though! How much is only used with uncountable nouns while how many is only used with countable nouns. 

For example: 

How much money do you have? 

How much juice is in the fridge? 

How many apples do you want? 

How many CDs do you have?

Many is used with countable nouns to indicate a big number. In general, it’s also used in negative and interrogative sentences. 

For example: 

Do you have many international friends? 

There are not many movies I enjoy. 

Are there many people working at your company?

A Little vs. A Few 

Yet again, the choice between these adverbs is left to whether the noun is countable or uncountable. If you still have doubts, an online English course could clear up all of your doubts really quickly. In this case, a little is used with uncountable nouns to indicate small quantities. It’s used in both affirmative and negative sentences but not usually in questions. 

For example: 

There is a little milk in the coffee, but not much. 

Susanne only knows a little French. 

A few is used with countable nouns to indicate a small number. It’s also used in sentences that are both affirmative and negative but it’s not often found in questions.

For example:

I have a few sweets, would you like one?

There are a few problems with this program.

A Lot Of 

This adverb of quantity is in a world of its own. It can be used with countable nouns as well as with uncountable nouns. It’s generally used in affirmative sentences to indicate a big number or quantity. This is an adverb that you will definitely see a lot of! 

For example: 

There’s a lot of snow in the North Pole. 

It costs a lot of money to stay at this resort. 

There are a lot of tourists in the city centre today. 

There is a lot of sugar in this drink

For the original article please see abaenglish.com

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28 Essential Vocabulary Words for Spring

When the snow starts to melt…

When you can smell the flowers and leaves growing…

…that’s when you know spring is in the air!

Spring is a beautiful season. It brings warmth, growth and of course, new words.

Speaking about the weather is something English speakers do wherever they are—in every season. So knowing how to speak about spring will give you something to chat about with any native English speaker.

Spring is not just a season—it’s a symbol. So many new things grow in spring—from baby animals to sweet-smelling flowers—that the season represents new life and new beginnings.

Let your knowledge grow this spring, too, with these useful spring vocabulary words.

Spring Means Flowers and New Vocabulary

During winter, you need vocabulary words that speak about the cold, the snow and even some idioms and sayings. In spring, the vocabulary words become more flowery and pleasant.

You can use many of these new words in conversation, even if you’re not speaking about the weather. Some words have more than one meaning, like the words “breeze” and “shower.” You can say something is a breezewhen something is very easy, and you can shower someone with gifts when you give them a lot of gifts.

If you learn the different uses of these words, you’ll have words that you can use in conversation any time—not just during spring.

“Spring” and “to Spring”: What’s the Difference?

The word “spring” has two meanings: (1) the noun “spring” is a season, and (2) the verb “to spring” means to jump or leap forward suddenly. There are a number of sayings and idioms that use the verb “spring,” and it can be easy to confuse which “spring” is being used.

Here are a few sayings and phrases that use spring, meaning to leap forward:

• Spring into action — To quickly jump into doing something.

• Spring in your step — When you’re very happy, you might walk with a bit of a happy bounce.

• Spring to life — Have you ever been woken up by cold water on your head? It would make you spring to life, or jump up and be wide awake after being calm and unmoving.

• Spring a leak — When your boat springs a leak, or starts letting water in through a hole or a crack, you’d better know how to swim!

Now that you know which “spring” sayings and words are not related to the season, now let’s learn some words which are.

28 Fresh ESL Vocabulary Words for Spring

Spring Terms

1. Spring fever

Are you having trouble sitting still? Do you suddenly feel excited and ready to go on an adventure? You might have spring fever.

A fever is when your body temperature is higher than normal, usually because of illness. Spring fever is not an actual illness. It’s just a saying people use to describe that feeling of restlessness (or inability to sit still) that you get when spring is near.

2. Spring cleaning

When the cold winter is over, it’s time to put away the warm clothes. Many people use this clothes changing as an excuse to clean the entire house.

The term spring cleaning refers to this full-house clean that happens once a year when you clear the closets so you can fill them with warm clothes.

3. Spring break

In America, schools have vacation in the spring, usually in April, around Easter. It’s usually a week long, and many students take the chance to go out and have a fun time.

There are a number of movies about how wild spring break can get, like the recent “Piranha 3D.”

Let’s Talk About the Weather

4. Breeze

A breeze is a soft and gentle wind, usually pleasant and not uncomfortable. Breeze can also be used to mean that something is very easy, as in “passing that test was a breeze because I studied hard.”

If you use it as a verb, to breeze means to casually and easily go through something. For example, “After I finished the easy test, I breezed out of that classroom.”

5. Shower

You probably take a shower every morning, but in weather, a shower is a light rain. It takes a lot of rain to make a lot of things grow, so spring can be a very rainy season.

There’s a saying, “April showers bring May flowers,” which means that the gentle rains which often come in April are what makes the flowers bloom the next month.

You can also shower someone with something, usually something positive. You can shower your friends with presents or praise, meaning you give them a lot of presents or positive words. Imagine presents falling from the sky, like rain!

6. Drizzle

A shower might be a light rain, but a drizzle is even lighter. A drizzle is such a slight rain that you can barely call it rain. You can drizzle something too, like when you pour only a little bit of dressing on your salad.

7. Puddles

Once all that rain is done, you’re left with puddles. Puddles are small pools of water gathered on the ground. Kids love jumping in muddy puddles!

8. Thaw

When spring brings warmth and sunshine with it, the snow from the winter begins to thaw, or melt. Sometimes people use the word to speak specifically about early springtime, when this snow melting happens.

You can also use the word to talk about anything that gets warmed up after being frozen, like meat that’s been in the freezer. For example, “Did you take the chicken out of the freezer? It needs to thaw so I can cook it for dinner.”

9. Sun-kissed

When something was made warm by the sun, you can just say it was sun-kissed—kissed by the sun. It might be a patch of grass, or even someone who has a nice tan. Isn’t that a nice image, to be kissed by the sun?

10. Humid

There’s dry heat, and then there’s humid heat. When the air is very humid, that means there is a lot of water in the air.

Many people say that humid heat is worse than dry heat, since all the moisture makes the air feel thicker.

11. Rainbow

Sometimes you can see a rainbow after the rain—a colorful arc in the sky. Rainbows happen because of the way sunlight reacts with water particles in the air. They’re considered lucky, and you’re even luckier if you ever get to see a double rainbow!

The Birth of New Things

12. Bloom

When buds grow into flowers which open their petals, they are blooming. A flower can bloom (open its petals), and it can be in bloom (when it’s already open). Spring is the time for blooming flowers!

13. Blossom

Another word for a flower is blossom. Blossom is used mostly when there is more than one flower, like a group of flowers on a tree that are all blooming at the same time.

Sometimes you can even use blossom to describe something that is developing or growing in a healthy way, like a relationship or a person. For example, “He blossomed from a young boy into a handsome young man.”

14. Nest

A nest is a home that birds make, where they can lay eggs and care for their young. You see a lot of nests in the spring, since that’s when birds usually lay eggs. You might say that “Love is in the air!”

15. Hatch

When a baby bird comes out of an egg, that’s called hatching.

Hatch can also be used to describe the creation of a plot or an idea, usually one that is secret. For example, “The bank robbers hatched a new plan that would get them even more money.”

16. Fledgling

When a young bird loses its fluff and gets feathers it can use for flying, it’s called fledgling.

Fledgling is also a term for anything that is inexperienced or recently created, like a “fledgling organization” or a “fledgling career.”

17. Seedling

Just like a fledgling is a young bird, a seedling is a young plant. The suffix (word ending) -ling can sometimes be used to mean something small, although it’s usually used with animals.

For example, a duckling is a baby duck and a gosling is a baby goose. If someone is very weak, you can call them a weakling (but you probably shouldn’t, since that’s not very nice!).

18. Robin

A robin is a type of bird with a black back and a bright red chest. In many parts of North America, a robin is one of the first signs of spring. If you see a robin, you can say that spring is officially here.

19. Fragrance

A fragrance is a pleasant or sweet smell. Many flowers can create a fragrance, but so can perfume and cologne (perfume for men).

20. Bouquet

Bouquet is a French word that the English language “borrowed.” A bouquet is a group of flowers, arranged to look nice together, and usually given in celebrations or to people.

It’s nice to bring your date a bouquet of flowers! Many spring flowers, like daisies, daffodils and tulips make great bouquets.

Spring Holidays

21. Easter

Easter is a Christian holiday that celebrates the resurrection (bringing back to life) of Jesus Christ. Easter happens between March 21st and April 25th, and it’s always on a Sunday—but the celebration of Easter lasts eight days.

During Easter, kids find hidden eggs (brought to them by the Easter Bunny), and often decorate them with bright colors.

22. St. Patrick’s Day

St. Patrick’s Day is a celebration of the protector saint of Ireland. It’s celebrated on March 17 every year. In America, people dress in green on St. Patrick’s Day, drink, party and just have a lot of fun.

23. May Day

On May 1, many countries celebrate May Day, which is a festival of the spring. “Mayday” is also a danger or emergency word used over radios by people like airplane pilots.

Surprisingly, the two phrases are not related. The emergency signal actually comes from the French m’aider, which means “Help me.” Let’s celebrate May Day without any reason to cry “Mayday!”

Feeling Great

24. Fresh

Something fresh is clean and new. Spring brings a fresh start for nature, fresh breezes and a fresh smell in the air. You can put on a pair of freshsocks, or feel fresh after taking a shower.

25. Rejuvenating

The word rejuvenating is used in soaps and creams more than in everyday conversation. It’s used to describe something that makes you feel younger or fresher, like a facial cream that promises to “rejuvenateyour skin.”

26. Vibrant

Something or someone that’s very bright or full or energy is vibrant. A vibrant red coat is a very bright red, and someone with a vibrantpersonality is a very enthusiastic or energetic person.

During spring, people say the environment or landscape is vibrant since it’s so full of life.

27. Thriving

Anything that’s alive can thrive—develop and grow very well. Things that become very successful are also described as thriving, like a “thriving company” or a “thriving relationship.”

28. Hopeful

Hope is one of the most powerful feelings you can have. It’s the belief or desire for something to happen. When you’re hopeful, you are full of hopefor something.

Out with the cold and in with the warm spring! Now you’re ready for anything that spring brings this season, thanks to these essential words.

For the original article please visit fluentu.com

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15 adjectives to describe a place

Alive

full of emotion and excitement:

Bustling

full of busy activity:

Calm

free from stress:

Charming

very pleasing and attractive:

Cosmopolitan

including people from different countries:

Enchanting

very interesting and attractive:

Fascinating

extremely interesting and attractive:

Fresh

new and therefore interesting or exciting:

Homey

pleasant and comfortable like home:

Inspiring

Making you feel you want to do or create something:

Lively

full of life and energy:

Peaceful

Quiet and calm:

Picturesque

(of a place) Attractive in appearance:

Unspoiled

beautiful because it has not been changed by people:

Vibrant

energetic and exciting:

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Learn 600 of the Most Important English Nouns

The 600 nouns in this list are part of Charles K. Ogden's compilation of 850 words, which he released in 1930 with the book "Basic English: A General Introduction with Rules and Grammar." This list is an excellent starting point for building up vocabulary to converse fluently in English.

While this list is helpful for a strong beginning, more advanced vocabulary building will help you improve your English.

1. account
2. act
4. adjustment
5. advertisement
6. agreement
7. air
8. amount
9. amusement
10. animal
11. answer
12. apparatus
13. approval
14. argument
15. art
16. attack
17. attempt
18. attention
19. attraction
20. authority
21. back
22. balance
23. base
24. behavior
25. belief
26. birth
27. bit
28. bite
29. blood
30. blow
31. body
32. brass
33. bread
34. breath
35. brother
36. building
37. burn
38. burst
39. business
40. butter
41. canvas
42. care
43. cause
44. chalk
45. chance
46. change
47. cloth
48. coal
49. color
50. comfort
51. committee
52. company
53. comparison
54. competition
55. condition
56. connection
57. control
58. cook
59. copper
60. copy
61. cork
62. copy
63. cough
64. country
65. cover
66. crack
67. credit
68. crime
69. crush
70. cry
71. current
72. curve
73. damage
74. danger
75. daughter
76. day
77. death
78. debt
79. decision
80. degree
81. design
82. desire
83. destruction
84. detail
85. development
86. digestion
87. direction
88. discovery
89. discussion
90. disease
91. disgust
92. distance
93. distribution
94. division
95. doubt
96. drink
97. driving
98. 

dust
99. earth
100. edge

101. education
102. effect
103. end
104. error
105. event
106. example
107. exchange
108. existence
109. expansion
110. experience
111. expert
112. fact
113. fall
114. family
115. father
116. fear
117. feeling
118. fiction
119. field
120. fight
121. fire
122. flame
123. flight
124. flower
125. fold
126. food
127. force
128. form
129. friend
130. front
131. fruit
132. glass
133. gold
134. government
135. grain
136. grass
137. grip
138. group
139. growth
140. guide
141. harbor
142. harmony
143. hate
144. hearing
145. heat
146. help
147. history
148. hole
149. hope
150. hour
151. humor
152. ice
153. idea
154. impulse
155. increase
156. industry
157. ink
158. insect
159. instrument
160. insurance
161. interest
162. invention
163. iron
164. jelly
165. join
166. journey
167. judge
168. jump
169. kick
170. kiss
171. knowledge
172. land
173. language
174. laugh
175. low
176. lead
177. learning
178. leather
179. letter
180. level
181. lift
182. light
183. limit
184. linen
185. liquid
186. list
187. look
188. loss
189. love
190. machine
191. man
192. manager
193. mark
194. market
195. mass
196. 

meal
197. measure
198. meat
199. meeting
200. memory

201. metal
202. middle
203. milk
204. mind
205. mine
206. minute
207. mist
208. money
209. month
210. morning
211. mother
212. motion
213. mountain
214. move
215. music
216. name
217. nation
218. need
219. news
220. night
221. noise
222. note
223. number
224. observation
225. offer
226. oil
227. operation
228. opinion
229. order
230. organization
231. ornament
232. owner
233. page
234. pain
235. paint
236. paper
237. part
238. paste
239. payment
240. peace
241. person
242. place
243. plant
244. play
245. pleasure
246. point
247. poison
248. polish
249. porter
250. position
251. powder
252. power
253. price
254. print
255. process
256. produce
257. profit
258. property
259. prose
260. protest
261. pull
262. punishment
263. purpose
264. push
265. quality
266. question
267. rain
268. range
269. rate
270. ray
271. reaction
272. reading
273. reason
274. record
275. regret
276. relation
277. religion
278. representative
279. request
280. respect
281. rest
282. reward
283. rhythm
284. rice
285. river
286. road
287. roll
288. room
289. rub
290. rule
291. run
292. salt
293. sand
294. scale
295. 

science
296. sea
297. seat
298. secretary
299. selection

300. self
301. sense
302. servant
303. sex
304. shade
305. shake
306. shame
307. shock
308. side
309. sign
310. silk
311. silver
312. sister
313. size
314. sky
315. sleep
316. slip
317. slope
318. smash
319. smell
320. smile
321. smoke
322. sneeze
323. snow
324. soap
325. society
326. son
327. song
328. sort
329. sound
330. soup
331. space
332. stage
333. start
334. statement
335. steam
336. steel
337. step
338. stitch
339. stone
340. stop
341. story
342. stretch
343. structure
344. substance
345. sugar
346. suggestion
347. summer
348. support
349. surprise
350. swim
351. system
352. talk
353. taste
354. tax
355. teaching
356. tendency
357. test
358. theory
359. thing
360. thought
361. thunder
362. time
363. tin
364. top
365. touch
366. trade
367. transport
368. trick
369. trouble
370. turn
371. twist
372. unit
373. use
374. value
375. verse
376. vessel
377. view
378. voice
379. walk
380. war
381. wash
382. waste
383. water
384. wave
385. wax
386. way
387. weather
388. week
389. weight
390. wind
391. wine
392. winter
393. woman
394. wood
395. wool
396. word
397. work
398. wound
399. writing
400. year

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