Learn English with Bob the Canadian

The world of fitness has some cool strategies that you can use to get healthier and more fit. The world of learning English is actually quite similar. Just like exercising, learning English requires you to make a plan, challenge yourself, and sometimes take a rest! In this English lesson I'll talk about how you can use some of the strategies normally used for exercise to help you learn Englis...

Have you learned the English words and phrases that you would need to buy and sell used items? We live in a world where you can buy anything you want new, but sometimes it's better to simply buy something that is used. In order to do this, it's important that you learn the right English vocabulary. In this English lesson I'll help you learn over 35 words and phrases that we use when...

Have you learned some English alternatives to the phrase, "I don't know!" Sometimes it can be awkward when you are having an English conversation and you don't have the answer to an question. You might be tempted to say, "I don't know." but you're worried that native English speakers don't say that. Well guess what? They do! In fact it is the most commo...

Let's learn some English words and phrases about pet peeves. Pet peeves are the things in life that really bother a person. It can be people who chew with their mouth open, or my personal pet peeve, people who text and drive. Please note: This lesson is a bit of a repeat, but it was originally taught 3 years ago. I've made a few changes, added a few things and this English lesson is now...

You may have noticed that in my English lessons I sometimes will say a word twice for emphasis. I might say, "This lesson is going to be really really fun!" or "This is a very very special English lesson!" This might be a little bit confusing when you're learning English. How do you know when you're supposed to use two words in a row to emphasize something? Well in th...

When you are learning English it can be hard to know what preposition of place you should be using. English prepositions can be a bit frustrating, especially ON, AT, BY, IN, and more. As you learn English these little words are very critical to know how to use, yet it can be a real challenge to understand and master how to use them. In this class English class I will try to help you understand how...

Have you learned how to talk about a bad day in English? Sometimes I'm sure you have great days, awesome days, even spectacular days. Sometimes though you have a bad day. I hope they are rare, but when they happen I want to make sure you've learned how to talk about them in English. In this English lesson I'll teach you 10 sentences that you can use when you have a bad day. These ar...

In this English lesson I'll help you learn words and phrases to talk about where you store your things. People have things. Messy people leave their things everywhere. Organized people store their things so their house or place or work is neat and tidy! In this free English class you'll learn the names of all the areas and things we use to stay organized. In this English lesson you'...

Have you learned to exaggerate in English? English speakers (and no doubt speakers of other languages) like to exaggerate. We like to make things sound better, bigger, or worse than they actually are.  In this English lesson I'll help you learn 10 common English phrases that exaggerate the truth just a little bit! By the end of this lesson you'll be able to say phrases like a native Engl...

In this English lesson I will talk about the country of Canada because today is Canada day! I was born and raised in Canada, and since this English lesson is live on July 1st (Canada Day), I thought it would be a great topic for today. In this English lesson you will learn words and phrases like: capital, mounties, official languages, national sport, national anthem, toque, prime minister, premier...

Welcome to this English lesson about common English phrases about money. Money has always been a very popular topic for an English class, so I thought I would do one and focus on some of the phrases that we use when talking about rich people, spending, people who save money, and people who love to spend it. Many people enjoy these types of English lessons because they like to learn about money and...

In this English lesson I'll help you learn the English vocabulary for some of the items that you use each day.  I'll be honest. I took the list from the last English lesson on everyday items and I walked around my house and added anything I saw that wasn't in that lesson.   So to be accurate, these are items that I use almost daily from the time I get up in the morning until the tim...

Do you want to learn English words and phrases so you can talk about flowers? Jen and I are flower growers, so we are surrounded by them. I'm going to take some to show you some of our flower growing areas and you'll learn how to use some English phrases to talk about flowers. In this English lesson I will teach you some English words and phrases about flowers. I'll talk about the e...

In this English lesson I'll help you learn words and phrases to talk about confusing things. The world is normally a nice, easy to understand place. Sometimes though you need to talk about a confusing situation. This free English class will help you do just that. Maybe you're trying to figure out how to get somewhere. Maybe you're making something new and you're trying to under...

Welcome to part 2 of my English lesson about things that go together. As you found out last time, there are times when you learn one English word, and there is another word that is often used at the same time. It's a good idea to simply learn both words right away. Some words just go together naturally. In this free English class you will learn about some of these word pairs. I hope that afte...

As you learn English you'll want to be able to wish people well, or indicate that you hope they'll enjoy something. Maybe you just want to show them something interesting, or give them something. All of those things are done using the verb TO HAVE in the imperative. In this English lesson you'll learn to wish people well when they leave on a trip, how to get their attention, or simp...

In this English lesson you'll learn all about hair. Humans have hair. We get our hair cut. We wash our hair. We dye our hair. It's something that makes us unique and so in this English lesson I'll help you learn to talk about hair. We'll go over more than just the basic vocabulary. This will be an extensive lesson about hair and I'm sure you'll learn things you did no...

Can you learn English by talking to strangers? Should you talk to strangers? If you want to learn a few more English words, and you want to have English speaking conversations, this lesson has some tips for you! If you've recently moved to an English speaking country, or if you're visiting one, I'll show you when and where it's appropriate to have English conversations with str...

In this English lesson I'll help you learn how to talk about security in English. We all want to be safe. We all want to live in a safe and secure world. There are things we buy, and there are things we do to make ourselves feel safe. In this free English class I'll talk about those things. Although not a common topic, I think it is important as an English learner that you learn about th...

A common questions I hear from English learners is, "How do I stop translating in my head?" It's a great question. I understand the frustration. You're doing all this hard work to learn English and your brain still wants to translate everything you hear, or translate before you speak. It would be so nice if you could just think in English and not be slowed down by translating i...

Life is filled with situations and experiences and as you learn English it's always a good idea to practice describing them. We've all been somewhere crowded. We've all been stuck somewhere. We've all had the normal situations and experiences that happen in life. In this free English class I will help you learn how to talk about those situations and experiences. In this English...

I'm sure in English class you learned that the word funny means amusing or hilarious. It's used to refer to something that makes you laugh. When someone tells a funny joke, it makes you laugh. Did you know that sometimes the word funny doesn't mean funny in this way? Well in this English lesson I'll help you learn 10 different ways we use the word funny, and most of them aren&a...

In this English lesson I'll help you learn how to talk about your daily routine. It's always a good idea to be able to describe your day in English, from the time you wake up, until the time you fall asleep! This free English class will help you do just that! In this class you'll learn words and phrases like: to wake up, to get up, to make lunch, to go to bed, to take a shower, to p...

In this English lesson I'll help you learn some common English questions that English speakers use every day. For the last couple of weeks I tried to keep track of the most common questions that I would either ask, or be asked as I went through my days. This lesson is about the top ten questions that I heard. I hope this English lesson helps you learn and master these questions so you can ask...

Sometimes when you learn one English word, there is another word you should just learn right away as well. Some words just naturally go together. In this free English class I will help you learn some of these word pairs and the verbs that go along with them. After this English lesson you'll be able to use all of these words easily in your next conversation. In this free English class you&apos...