Exploring “Mind”
Your MIND is that place in your head where you think, feel, and want. Your body does the physical things – the mind does the mental things. We use “mind” as a noun and verb in a variety of common expressions that show care or concern about something. Here are three:...
Say It Like a Native Speaker
Here is a word to practice the “D” sound. DELICIOUS is spelled in a way that looks like you might pronounce it “dee-lee-see-yoos” – but it’s actually pronounced ‘d’LISH-us.
Why We Have Accents When We Speak a New Language
When we speak a new language, why don’t we sound like a native? Why, for example, do most Americans speaking French still sound American? The answer mainly lies in where you place your tongue to say a sound.
Everyday Words Often Mispronounced
In English, many words are spelled with 3 syllables but pronounced with only 2 syllables. “Different,” for example, is written with 3 syllables but it is not pronounced “diff-er-ent,” but “DIFF-rent.” The stress falls on the first syllable and the second is reduced....
Accent on English | April 2020 Newsletter
This past month several students came up with new projects and sent me their rough drafts – an article, video project, and audio recording -- to edit for clarity, brevity, and natural language. Keep in mind that Soho Language Group provides not only English classes...
“Discover” – How the word works and doesn’t work in English
The first month of 2020 (twenty-twenty) has just finished! It’s been a busy month, but with 11 more months to go, the year is still new enough to wish everyone a Happy New Year – one full of joy, travels, and discovery … Speaking of discover, English has several verbs...
Hyperbole: Using Unbelievably Enthusiastic Words in Everyday English
hyperbole — or exaggerated speech — is absolutely necessary in American English if you want to sound positive or enthusiastic or otherwise make yourself clear. Without that extra assurance, you might leave the wrong impression.
Cultural Differences: What Americans Really Mean When They Ask, “How are you?”
A young French woman on an exchange program in New York walked into a clothes store on Fifth Avenue one afternoon. A salesperson greeted her with, “How are you today?” “I was shocked!” she told me, a day later. “Why is that so shocking?” I asked. “But that lady...
How Companies Can Benefit by Providing English Classes to Foreign Employees
The profiles below, composites of people I have taught, show some of the different ways a private English teacher can boost an employee’s abilities and bring value to the company.
Gad is Great … at Embracing American English
As a way to improve your non-native skills in English, it may seem a little funny for me to be promoting a Moroccan-French standup comedian and his show on Netflix, but voila! The one-hour comedy special (all in English), “My American Dream,” features the fun, funny,...