Cafetalk Tutor's Column

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  • Is it winter yet?

    Photo by Morgane Le Breton on Unsplash It’s been a while since I posted anything and that’s becaus...

    Zach McLaughlin

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    918
    Nov 20, 2023
  • Happy Halloween!

    The pumpkins are carved and the spider cookies have been made. The house has been decorated and the...

    Zach McLaughlin

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    894
    Nov 1, 2023
  • The world’s oldest dog

    How long do you think a dog can live? The average lifespan of a dog is 10 to 13 years, but Bobi, th...

    Zach McLaughlin

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    994
    Oct 24, 2023
  • Halloween traditions - bobbing for apples

    Halloween traditions have changed a great deal over the years, but one of the oldest Halloween trad...

    Zach McLaughlin

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    1035
    Oct 16, 2023
  • Talking about ghosts in English

    Different types of ghosts Halloween is fast approaching, so today I’d like to introduce some diffe...

    Zach McLaughlin

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    833
    Oct 13, 2023
  • Autumn home decor ideas

    Photo byJenny Kalahar onUnsplash While I love autumn decor of all kinds, I make an effort to use n...

    Zach McLaughlin

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    977
    Oct 11, 2023
  • Working at a chocolate shop: Part 2

    In Part 1, I introduced SOMA, a chocolatemaker in Toronto. But what is it actually like to work the...

    Zach McLaughlin

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    713
    Oct 10, 2023
  • Working at a chocolate shop: Part 1

    As some of you may know, my wife is the manager of a chocolate shop in Toronto called SOMA, and I a...

    Zach McLaughlin

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    1243
    Oct 6, 2023
  • Talking about fall in English

    Autumn vs fall: Is there a difference? According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, “Both are used...

    Zach McLaughlin

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    877
    Oct 3, 2023
  • Planning a fall getaway - busy October

    Photo - Leaves changing colour near my homeI feel like I missed fall last year because I had Covid ...

    Zach McLaughlin

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    863
    Sep 28, 2023
  • Quick tips: in the blink of an eye

    There are plenty of ways to express the quick passage of time in English. The most well-known is pr...

    Zach McLaughlin

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    815
    Sep 21, 2023
  • Changing language trends at work

    Photo by Austin Distel on Unsplash Business Insider published a new article recently detailing the ...

    Zach McLaughlin

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    1117
    Sep 15, 2023
  • The kitchen faerie

    Photo byTracey Hocking onUnsplash Earlier this year, I went into the kitchen after dinner and foun...

    Zach McLaughlin

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    755
    Sep 12, 2023
  • Talking about retirement in English

    In a recent post, I talked about pensions and retirement, so today I’d like to share some vocabular...

    Zach McLaughlin

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    1015
    Sep 6, 2023
  • Pensions and retirement

    Photo byAaron Burden onUnsplash Many people are concerned about their retirement and pension these...

    Zach McLaughlin

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    816
    Sep 5, 2023
  • Quick tips: stressful vs. stressed (out)

    When it comes to adjectives, one of the most common mistakes I hear is when people use the word “st...

    Zach McLaughlin

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    983
    Aug 22, 2023
  • Favourite summer activities (in Canada)

    Photo byMichael Niessl onUnsplash I recently came across an article about 11 summer activities tha...

    Zach McLaughlin

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    989
    Aug 21, 2023
  • Talking about insects in English: Part 2

    Things insects do While some insects fly or hop/jump, most insects crawl. Ex. Ack! A caterpillar ...

    Zach McLaughlin

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    724
    Aug 7, 2023
  • Talking about insects in English: Part 1

    Summer is a busy time for insects. You can hear the cicadas calling and the bees buzzing throughout...

    Zach McLaughlin

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    684
    Aug 6, 2023
  • Summer vacation plans

    Photo: My Dad, Mr. BBQAlthough I already took a few days off in June to visit Halifax, Nova Scotia,...

    Zach McLaughlin

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    766
    Jul 31, 2023
  • Talking about insults in English

    Nobody likes to be insulted, and most people don’t want to insult others, but insults occur all the...

    Zach McLaughlin

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    587
    Jul 27, 2023
  • Quick tips: how to say it's hot

    The summer heat has arrived, and everyone is talking about 30+ degree temperatures. So, how can you...

    Zach McLaughlin

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    811
    Jul 13, 2023
  • Beating the heat

    Photo by Sebastian Coman Travel on Unsplash   Canadian summers have been getting warmer, and even i...

    Zach McLaughlin

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    989
    Jul 12, 2023
  • Summer is here

    The dog days of summer (the hottest, most uncomfortable part of summer in the Northern Hemisphere) ...

    Zach McLaughlin

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    810
    Jul 4, 2023
  • Happy Canada Day!

    Photo by Jason Hafso on Unsplash   July 1st is Canada Day. It is a federal statutory holiday that c...

    Zach McLaughlin

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    776
    Jul 1, 2023
  • A week in Nova Scotia: Part 2

    In addition to Halifax, I also spent some time at a house in the countryside and visited several sm...

    Zach McLaughlin

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    588
    Jun 26, 2023
  • A week in Nova Scotia: Part 1

    Photo: A beer flight with my ex-coworker at the Good Robot brewery in HalifaxI’ve just returned fro...

    Zach McLaughlin

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    927
    Jun 25, 2023
  • Quick tips: to be cool/down with something

    I was listening to a song yesterday and heard a useful phrase that you’ll probably never find in a ...

    Zach McLaughlin

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    663
    Jun 13, 2023
  • Talking about fire in English: Part 2

    In this brief follow-up to Part 1, I will introduce just a few more words for talking about fire in...

    Zach McLaughlin

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    651
    Jun 11, 2023
  • Talking about fire in English: Part 1

    In my recent post titled Canada on fire, I mentioned that Canada has been experiencing unprecedente...

    Zach McLaughlin

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    516
    Jun 10, 2023

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