Posts

Posted on

Stay motivated and keep learning (8)

Sometimes, for lots of reasons, it can be difficult to stay motivated when learning a language.  

Have you ever planned to learn some vocabulary or revise some irregular verbs but then just didn’t feel like it? Perhaps you found something more interesting to do.

Don’t be frustrated if this happens – it’s normal!

If you want to improve your reading skills try reading a book in English that you already know very well in your native language. (It could be a book from your childhood or a book that you have previously read several times).

As you are already familiar with the story / text, it should help you understand the English.

Some books are available to buy with English on one page and a second language on the opposite page.  Here, you can translate both languages line-by-line and see more easily how sentences and grammar are formed.

Have fun learning English!

Louise

Posted on

Like … (31)

There are many expressions commonly used in English to express similarity. 

There is no magic rule to help you remember them.  You just have to learn them.  Sorry!

Take a look at the examples below.

To read someone like a book.

If you can read another person like a book, you can very easily analyse and understand them – especially their emotions, intentions and motivations.

E.g. He always knows when I am lying.  He can read me like a book.

To be like an open book.

If someone is like an open book, they are very open, honest and their feelings can be easily interpreted by others. They are easy to understand and have no secrets.

E.g.  Her life is like an open book.  She is very honest and has nothing to hide.

Have fun learning English!

Louise

Posted on

Stay motivated and keep learning (7)

Sometimes, for lots of reasons, it can be difficult to stay motivated when learning a language. 

Have you ever planned to learn some vocabulary or revise some irregular verbs but then just didn’t feel like it? Perhaps you found something more interesting to do.

Don’t be frustrated if this happens – it’s normal!

Sometimes people lose motivation when they start to doubt their progress. It’s all too easy to get frustrated when you can’t see progress being made or you feel your progress is too slow.

It can be helpful to find ways to prove to yourself that you have made and are still making progress. Go back to an earlier lesson or a previous chapter in a coursebook, or a previous learning level on a language app.  See how easy it now is for you to understand the words and answer the questions.

Remind yourself how earlier on in your language learning journey you couldn’t understand much of your favourite tv series in English but now you can watch an episode and understand much more (or even, perhaps, nearly everything). 

Regular progress checks are a great way to keep motivating yourself to learn more as they really do show how far you have come.

Have fun learning English!

Louise

Posted on

Like … (30)

There are many expressions commonly used in English to express similarity. 

There is no magic rule to help you remember them.  You just have to learn them.  Sorry!

Take a look at the examples below.

To be drawn to someone / something like a moth to a flame.

This is used to describe a situation where a person is instinctively or very strongly attracted to someone or something. (Just as a moth is attracted to bright lights or flames.)

E.g.  The bright lights of Hollywood are irresistible.  Young actors are drawn to the city like moths to a flame.

To be like a rat up a drainpipe.

This is informal language used in a situation where a person moves very quickly and opportunistically.

E.g.  He shot off like a rat up a drainpipe. (He got away very quickly.)

Have fun learning English!

Louise

Posted on

Stay motivated and keep learning (6)

Sometimes, for lots of reasons, it can be difficult to stay motivated when learning a language. 

Have you ever planned to learn some vocabulary or revise some irregular verbs but then just didn’t feel like it? Perhaps you found something more interesting to do.

Don’t be frustrated if this happens – it’s normal!

If you don’t already do this it might be useful to keep a log of all your language exchanges or online classes.

The log would show how much time you have already spent learning and speaking English in those settings and how much progress and effort you would be giving up if you decided to stop learning now.

Reviewing the log from time to time and remembering how much effort you have already made could motivate you to keep going.

Have fun learning English!

Louise

Posted on

Like … (29)

There are many expressions commonly used in English to express similarity. 

There is no magic rule to help you remember them.  You just have to learn them.  Sorry!

Take a look at the examples below.

To avoid something / someone like the plague.

If you avoid someone or something like the plague, you stay away from the situation / person as much as possible.  You make a determined effort to go nowhere near the person or thing.

E.g. He’s terrified of dogs and avoids them like the plague.

To feel like a million dollars / bucks.

If you feel like a million dollars, you feel very attractive, well-dressed and/or healthy.

E.g.  She got a new hairstyle and some new clothes and felt like a million dollars.  Her new look gave her lots of confidence.

Have fun learning English!

Louise

Posted on

Like … (28)

There are many expressions commonly used in English to express similarity. 

There is no magic rule to help you remember them.  You just have to learn them.  Sorry!

Take a look at the examples below.

(To be) like a dog with a bone.

This is used when describing someone who is fixated on a particular problem or topic.  The person is determined to continue and is unwilling to stop (talking about it) until the problem is dealt with or a solution is found.

E.g.  As a journalist if she senses it’s a good story, she won’t let it go.  She’s very determined – like a dog with a bone.

(To be) like a fish out of water.

This is used when someone is feeling out of place or uncomfortable in a new environment or with new people.

E.g.  I had lived in big cities for my whole life.  When I retired and went to live in the countryside I felt like fish out of water at the beginning.  I had to get used to my new way of life.  Now I love it!

Have fun learning English!

Louise

Posted on

Typical German speaker mistakes in English (50)

I often hear these mistakes made by German speakers who are learning English.

They say:  I have worked by Aldi for 5 years.

This is totally understandable but the preposition is wrong.  When talking about where we work we use the preposition ‘at’.

Correction:  I have worked at Aldi for 5 years.

Have fun learning English!

Louise

Posted on

Merry Christmas!

Thanks for taking the time to read my posts this year.

Have a great Christmas and see you next year for more tips on how to improve your English.

Louise

Posted on

Typical German speaker mistakes in English (49)

I often hear these mistakes made by German speakers who are learning English.

They say:  I have a new boss.  She is in the department since the beginning of September.

Since is the keyword in this sentence and tells us which tense we need:  Present perfect tense and not present tense (as in the example above.)

Correction:  I have a new boss.  She has been in the department since the beginning of September.

As an alternative we can remove the word ‘since’ and use the past simple tense.

Alternatively: I have a new boss.  She started in the department at the beginning of September.

Have fun learning English!

Louise