Posts by Ethan
What English Learners can Teach Politicians
Today’s lesson starts with a story (you can probably relate to it). Often when I meet new people, they ask me what I do (normal, right?). Sometimes this is kind of a difficult question to answer. If I’m not in the mood to go into a lot of detail, I just say, “I have my…
Read MoreThe Truth About Speaking with Native Speakers
I’m going to let you in on a little secret today: I’m going to reveal to you one of the biggest lies told to English learners everywhere! Again and again I’ve heard the same question from my students and RealLifers from around the world: How can I speak with native speakers? English learners are always…
Read MoreHow the Best Teachers Motivate Students
Have you ever had a fantastic teacher? One that made you LOVE whatever subject they were teaching? A teacher who made you excited to go to class every day? We all know what a big difference a good teacher can make. But what makes the best teachers special? How do they motivate us to be…
Read MoreCan I get fluent without living in another country?
I have a quick quiz for you: TRUE or FALSE: I have to live in an English speaking country to get fluent. … … … … … ANSWER: False!!! NO, it is not necessary to ever step foot in an English speaking country to get fluent. I have met thousands of learners…
Read MoreDo you get nervous speaking English?
If you are like most language learners I have met, then I would guess that you sometimes (or always) get scared before speaking (or even by the idea of speaking). Even in foreign languages I speak fluently, I sometimes still get nervous, especially when I have not spoken in a long time or if I am speaking to…
Read MoreEducation is ‘F’-ed Up!
Justin, Chad, and I are all together again in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. Lately we have been talking a lot about education: The problems, the much needed solutions, the role of technology, and how RealLife can make a bigger impact on how people around the world are educated. See, we now have over 20 years of…
Read MoreWish or Hope: What’s the Difference?
If you’re like most English learners, you confuse the words wish and hope. These two terms are similar—both dealing with desires—but the meaning and context of them is very different. Using one in the place of the other can sound strange and even cause misunderstandings. Thanks to a recommendation from one of our community…
Read MorePresent or Introduce: Which is correct?
Mistakes with false cognates are far too common among English learners. False cognates—words that are the same/similar between different languages, but have different meanings—are always tricky [deceitful] for language learners. The mistake of using present instead of introduce is made by almost every English learner, especially in business settings, where we make acquaintance of new…
Read More5 Phrasal Verbs You Need to Learn Right Now
You probably already know this: Phrasal verbs are SUPER common in English! But how often do you actually use phrasal verbs when you speak? You do not need phrasal verbs to be understood, and many of them have a (less common) Latin equivalent in English. However, I’ve noticed one of the things that makes the…
Read MoreLearn English with Game of Thrones
If you are like me, you wait all year for the new season of Game of Thrones. Seriously, it’s like Christmas, or your birthday. We GoT fans (as we abbreviate it in English) mark the days on our calendar to find out what will happen next. But for non-native speakers, you probably find the language…
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