Cafetalk Tutor's Column

Why do some people laugh to the point of tears?

Laughter that brings tears is a fascinating mix of emotions and body reactions. When we find someth...

Talking about humour in English: Part 2

In Part 1 of this series, we looked at the basics, some common phrases, and different types of humo...

The Importance of Tenses in IELTS Speaking

Mastering verb tenses is crucial for excelling in the IELTS speaking test. Proper use of tenses enh...

Tears of Joy with my Son

Being a parent is a journey. Nearly every day there seems to be something to cause stress, some kin...

Talking about humour in English: Part 1

Since the weekly column topic is about humour and laughing this week, I’d like to share some vocabu...

Dumb and Dumber: A Laugh-Out-Loud Comedy

  If you’re looking for a movie that will have you laughing so hard you cry, "Dumb and Dumber" is t...

HOW TO EXPRESS PAST IN ENGLISH

This video is the third in a series of four videos about expressing the present, past, and future t...

My Favorite Anime Growing Up

When I was a kid (back in the 1980s), Anime was nowhere near as popular in America as it is now. In...

Doors Open Toronto

Photo: Me in front of the ostrich food stall at the Evergreen Brick Works farmers marketThis weeken...

Morning Routine

One of the things I include in my morning routine is spending ten minutes following a yoga video on...

Chinese Verbs Without Temporal Forms

https://youtu.be/11NtkTKZ4ZwChinese Verbs Without Temporal Forms     In Chinese, verbs do not have ...

否定的「不」跟「沒」

Negative "不" and "沒"In Mandarin Chinese, there are two main ways to express negation: "不 (bù)" and ...

My neighbor blue bird / 近所の青い鳥（イソヒヨドリ）

  My morning routine is to drink coffee on the balcony. Do you like spending time on your balcony? ...

From Me to Us ( 一人からみんなへ：グループ学習の利点 )

Learning in a group offers many unique advantages compared to studying alone. When you join a group...

Too close for comfort

Although Toronto is still relatively safe compared to other major cities around the world, it has b...

My morning routine - how many verbs and idioms can you identify?

Each morning my alarm goes off at 7am. I usually toss and turn during the night so sometimes I hit ...

You're always welcome!

Dear Cafetalk Community,How are you doing? I hope you're doing well! Canada has finally moved past ...

Learn English Idioms and Phrases sound more confident especially when you speak to English speaker

Every language has its own idioms and expressions and the English language has plenty of useful phr...

PHRASAL VERB: To put (something) off

Image by Myriams-Fotos from PixabayPhrasal verb: to put (something) off Meaning: To postpone or del...

Can You Talk Flexibly About What Needs to Be Discussed?

Flexibility in speaking is a key skill for IELTS candidates aiming for higher band scores. The spea...

Language in my Morning Routine

Like many Cafetalk users, I am currently studying another language: Spanish. Unfortunately, I do no...

Listening to a new song every other morning...

Every morning, I like to find new music to pair with my coffee. While the beverage remains mostly t...

Improve Your English Pronunciation - Open your Mouth Wider !!!

For many non-native speakers, one of the most troublesome aspects of English pronunciation is that ...

It’s heating up over here!

It’s the day after the Victoria Day long weekend here in Toronto and the weather is really heating ...

My Morning Routine

Every day, I get up early to start my day. Most days, I wake up to my mobile phone alarm at 4:00 a....

My morning routine 私の朝の日課

I like to be a morning person, though I find it hard to wake up early. Still, I push myself out of ...

A Morning Routine: Dance Yourself Awake

Perhaps when you first wake up in the morning, the last thing you feel like doing is dancing. Your ...

The five main uses of "了"

現代華語裡面「了」主要有五個用法，其中一表示動作的完成；兩個主要表示狀態的改變；另外兩個主要表示某段持續的時間。   ❶表示動作的完成：這是最簡單的用法，但也是常常被用錯的文法。因為很多狀況之下「...

Let's celebrate international world bee day!

International Bee Day: Celebrating Our Essential Pollinator Happy International Bee Day! May 20th i...

New Vocabulary Lesson!

Dear Cafetalk Community,[Vocabulary Lesson]This is a great English vocabulary 4-pack lesson if you ...