Recent Posts
Talking about home in English: 12 useful expressions
What makes a place feel like home? Explore expressions such as home comforts, get home and a home from home, with clear definitions and everyday examples to help you talk about the places, people and familiar things that matter to you.
How to Practise Speaking English: 5 Practical Ideas
Want to practise speaking English but don’t have many opportunities? Here are five practical ways to get more speaking practice, plus a free seven-day English speaking challenge PDF to help you get started.
I Understand English but Can’t Speak It: Why You Still Don’t Feel Ready
You understand English. You’ve studied the grammar and know plenty of vocabulary. But when it’s your turn to speak, the words disappear. The problem may not be your English it may be that you don’t yet trust yourself to use it.
6 Natural Ways to Say You’re Busy in English
Discover six natural ways to say you’re busy in English, from “I’m tied up” to “I don’t have much headspace.” Learn what each expression means, when to use it, and how to talk about your limits more naturally and confidently.
How to Talk About Relaxing in English: 8 Natural Expressions
How do you like to relax? You might spend an evening watching a film on the sofa, take a long bath after a stressful day or escape somewhere peaceful for a few days.
English has plenty of useful expressions for describing these different kinds of rest. In this post, we’ll look at eight natural English phrases for talking about relaxing, resting and recovering your energy.
How to Describe Your Personality in English
Learn how to describe your personality in English in a way that feels natural, personal and genuinely like you. Discover useful sentence structures, modifiers and examples that go beyond a simple list of adjectives.
12 English Idioms for Talking About Summer Holidays
It’s summer again and so far this one has been a scorcher! Perhaps you’re heading abroad for a week or two, spending a few days by the seaside or simply taking some well-earned time away from work. Whatever your plans, summer holidays tend to come up in English conversations at this time of year.
Here are 12 English summer idioms and expressions for talking about holidays, travel and taking a break.
English Collocations with Identity: Meanings and Examples
In this guide, you’ll learn some of the most common English collocations with the word identity, with clear meanings and natural examples.
These are not simply textbook definitions. They are useful phrases that fluent English speakers use to talk about their lives, cultures, experiences and sense of self.
Learn English on Substack
If you are learning English as an adult, it is easy to collect useful content without knowing what to do with it. Substack offers something different, a calmer, more thoughtful space to read, listen, reflect and use English in a meaningful way. Here is why I think Substack is one of the best places for adult English learners right now.
13 English Phrasal Verbs for Talking About Learning
Learn 13 useful English phrasal verbs for talking about learning, studying and improving your skills. This post includes clear meanings and natural examples to help intermediate and advanced English learners use phrases like pick up, brush up on, try out, go over and build on with more confidence.
14 English Phrases for Talking About the Experience of Learning
This post gives you 14 phrases in English for talking about that experience, from the early stages of confusion all the way through to growing confidence and breakthrough moments. Each one comes with a definition and a natural example sentence.
These are the kinds of expressions that native speakers use in everyday conversation. Learning them will help you talk about your own experience more fluently and naturally.
Fear of Speaking English: What Resilience in Language Learning Really Looks Like
If you have a fear of speaking English, it does not mean you are bad at it. Here is a more honest look at resilience in language learning, and why steadiness matters more than sounding perfect.
How to Ask for Help in English: 8 Useful Phrases for Real Life
If you’ve ever wanted to ask for help in English but were not sure what to say, these phrases will help. Here are 8 natural ways to ask for support, advice, or a listening ear in real-life situations.
10 British English Phrases That Help You Sound Emotionally Intelligent
Want to sound more warm, thoughtful, and natural in English? These 10 British English phrases can help you show empathy, disagree politely, and connect more genuinely in real-life conversations.
9 Natural English Expressions for Talking About Resilience
Resilience is something we hear about all the time, but in everyday English, people do not always talk about it directly. In this post, I’m sharing 9 natural English expressions for talking about difficult times, recovery, and slowly finding your footing again.
Bouncing Back: 10 English Phrasal Verbs for Resilience
This month’s theme is resilience, and in this post I’m sharing 10 useful phrasal verbs for talking about life’s harder moments in natural English. From push through to bounce back, these are the kinds of expressions native speakers use when describing setbacks, recovery, and finding a way to keep going.
Five tips for using Claude prompts to improve your English speaking practice
Using Claude to practise your English speaking is a great start. But there is a difference between having a conversation with an AI and actually making progress. A lot of it comes down to how you set the session up. Today I’ve got five practical tips to help you get more out of every conversation plus a PDF of twenty ready-to-use prompts to get you started.
How to Use AI to Practise Speaking English
Speaking practice is one of the hardest parts of learning English to do on your own. In this post, I’ll show you how to use Claude, a free AI tool, to practise speaking English on your own, get useful feedback, and build a simple regular habit.
How to Talk About AI in English: 15 Phrasal Verbs You Need to Know
AI is one of the biggest topics in the world right now, and if you want to talk about it confidently in English, you need the right vocabulary. In this post, I'm sharing 15 phrasal verbs for talking about AI, complete with definitions and natural example sentences. Perfect for upper-intermediate to advanced English learners.
How to Talk About Uncertainty in English
When life feels unsettled, it can be hard to find the right words. In this post and video, I’m sharing useful English phrases for talking about uncertainty in a natural, honest way, from everyday expressions like wait and see to more nuanced phrases like hang in the balance.