Emma's ESL English

This week we're learning about the advantages of learning to confidently pause when you're speaking in public. It's not an easy skill to develop, it takes nerve and practise. But it's very beneficial and can really add value to your speech. In the episode I'll talk about Nelson Mandela and Barak Obama, who are both very skilled at this. I mention many videos in the episode so I...

In this episode we'll find out who wrote the American Declaration of Independence that officially formed the country 'America' and split it from Great Britain. Who signed the Declaration of Independence? And what on earth is a Founding Father? No worries, I've got all the answers! Understand why Independence Day isn't actually the day America became the United Stated of America...

This week on the podcast we are celebrating Pride. **Please note: if you are against anything to do with the LGBTQIA community or pride in general, then this week's episodes are not for you. Scroll on. There are many other episodes you can explore. I know there are lots of people who feel overwhelmed by the diversity that we're now seeing in the world and on TV. Personally, I've chosen...

In this episode I'm going to introduce you to some quintessentially summery English songs. These will be well known to most native speakers and are often used as background music in shops, so even if we don't know who sings them, we usually know all the words! I have covered weather before on the podcast. Head to Episode 9 for words about rain and Episode 68 for phrases about the sun. Both...

Today we are talking about words and phrases we can use to talk about hot weather. If you live somewhere hot or you're travelling with native speakers, these are great words and phrases to use to describe where you are. Native English speakers (and the British especially) LOVE talking about the weather! In the UK we get A LOT of different kinds of weather, so it's our most common small tal...

Sometimes, there's no getting around it, we have to say something under high-pressure conditions. In these situations our anxiety can really get the better of us. In this episode we'll cover 5 tips to help you manage your anxiety when speaking unexpectedly. Remember, it's always worth building your toolbox with more tips and ideas for dealing with anxiety because we never know when it...

This week we're talking about impromptu speaking, that's situations where suddenly, without preparation, you need to say something. This is often extremely stressful and it can be difficult to make a good answer. In today's episode I'll give you five tips to help you manage these situations and hopefully survive them successfully. If you struggle with anxiety, tune in tomorrow when...

On today's episode we're talking about preferences: 'I prefer chocolate to ice cream'. I'll review the grammar and difference in grammar between 'like' and 'prefer' as well as the different vocabulary you might use in English to express your preference for something. We're discussing phrases such as 'I prefer', 'I would rather' and 'my pr...

In this video I'll be reviewing some of the phrases and idioms in this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_sqxYGubJTc This video, just like yesterday's is also made by Izzy Sealey. This time I chose this short video (7 min) because I think it will be useful for many of you. It's titled: How to make time for language learning with a full time job. I hope you will go and watch this v...

In this episode I will review some vocabulary from the first six minutes of this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NSQlQcJumME You don't need to watch the video to listen to this podcast episode. This video is by a YouTuber called Izzy Sealey. She is a doctor in the UK who is learning Chinese and speaks with an RP (or received pronunciation) accent. In this video we will cover some of the...

This week we're looking at some English Grammar. I have collected all the sentences from this episode from things my students have said. The correct use of 'well' is quite a common challenge. This is understandable because we can use 'well' to talk about how we feel, then it's an adjective, or we can use it to talk about a skill or ability level and then it's an adverb!...

Last week, in Episode 138, I read 'Winnie the Pooh Goes Visiting', I decided to spend some time looking at some of the phrases from this story as they are great examples of phrases commonly used in the UK. In the UK being polite is a very important part of our culture, but this can be very confusing for foreigners and even for native speakers, because what we mean and what we say may not a...

Today we're going to look at my Chinese Learning Journal. Although mine is in Chinese I think there are a lot of principles that work for learning any language. Key things to remember when choosing a journal: 1. Choose the right size 2. Choose the right paper 3. Make it colourful 4. Use pictures to help you remember vocabulary 5. Use your own language to help you identify and remember sounds 6...

This week on the podcast we're reading Chapter 2 'In which Pooh goes visiting and get's into a tight place' from A.A. Milne's Winnie the Pooh. There are a few things to remember about this book, which I'll go into more detail about next week. The first is that the book was first published in 1926. Christopher Robin was a real boy, he was A.A. Milne's son, and Christophe...

In today's episode I continue the stories I was telling you about St Bees yesterday. This includes a story about the hand-carved swimming pool in the cliffs and my Grandma's St Bees Doctor story. We then go around to the church and I tell you a little bit more about the history of the church and area. Again, just like yesterday, this episode is best viewed as a video. If you are on Spotify...

In today's episode I take you on a walk from my parent's house down to the beach in St. Bees. This episode works best as a video. If you're on Spotify you should be able to access the video. In this episode I start at my parent's house, then go down through St Bees village. I have an ice cream on one side of the beach and then continue to tell you the founding story of St Bees on t...

Today we are continuing with yesterday's theme of preferences. Today we will discuss preferences in four different scenarios: business/work, food, free time and dating. During the episode I played one of Meghan Trainor's songs, No: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cMTAUr3Nm6I Today's Vocabulary Business I prefer your project plan to the other team's. Do you have a timescale for deli...

In this episode we're discussing what to look for when you're choosing a book to help you practise your English. Books can be great places to help you improve your English. You can read good quality language and depending on the kind of book you choose you can find vocabulary relevant to work, common dialogue spoken by native speakers and you can improve your grammar. Reading is a great us...

In this episode we're looking at another tip to improve your English: finding the right teacher for you. It's OK to Change Teachers: Remember you might need different teachers at different times in your development. In addition you might look for teachers that can help you solve a particular problem or help you with a particular kind of English, such as Business English or English relevant...

In these two episodes I covered some social media (especially Instagram/TikTok) sources you could use to practise your English. I also talked about the importance of finding sources that you enjoy and trust, that you understand and can comprehend easily. This will make it more likely that you stop and watch their videos when you are scrolling. In this episode I covered some Instagram Influencers....

This is one of two episodes that I will post about Social Media Sources. I decided the original recording was too long so I've split it into two. Today we are discussing finding sources for your English practise on social media outlets such as Instagram and TikTok. Tomorrow I will give you a list of some Instagram content creators that I think are fun and enjoyable and pretty easy for you to f...

In today's podcast we're studying Shakespeare's most famous sonnet, Sonnet 18 to celebrate Shakespeare's birthday on the 23rd. In this poem Shakespeare tries to tell his lover how much more beautiful than a summer's day they are and how he has immortalised them, how they will now live forever in this poem. This poem is construct using a rhyme scheme called 'iambic pentamete...

Today we're celebrating another birthday. You might not have heard of Ma Rainey, but she was a very influential singer and songwriter in the early 1900's in America. Today we'll learn a little about her background and her influence in American music. As I mentioned in the episode, Viola Davis recently portrayed Ma Rainey in the Netflix film Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, named after one...

In today's episode I'm talking about fluency. So many students, when I ask what their their goal is for learning English, they tell me: 'I want to be fluent in English'. In this episode I want to look at: What does 'fluent' actually mean? How can we make a clearer and more effective goal that will help you feel like you're really moving forward? How can we make a goal t...

Since today is the day that the first man, Yuri Gagarin, entered space we're celebrating by reading an article from the European Space Agency. If you'd like you can read along with me. You can find the article here: https://www.esa.int/About_Us/ESA_history/50_years_of_humans_in_space/Yuri_Gagarin There isn't much difficult vocabulary in this article although there are some unusual gram...