Vocabulary
Vocab Jam: Learn 15 New Words with “Everybody Wants to Be a Cat”
Cats were revered in ancient Egypt—harming one could even be punishable by death!—and today, funny cat videos dominate the internet. I'd wager that more people have heard of Grumpy Cat than have heard of Frida Kahlo. Is it any wonder that everybody wants to be a cat?...
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Vocab Jam: Learn 10 New Words with the Classic Song “Ol’ Man River”
If you're a fan of learning English with music, buckle up, because I've got a great song for you this week. Learn 10 new vocabulary words with the classic song "Ol' Man River" from the musical Show Boat. If you want to test your listening, too, try using the song as a...
read moreWords of the Day
Word of the Day: VULTURE
Today's English word of the day is: vulture. Keep reading to learn the meaning of 'vulture', hear the pronunciation, and read two examples of the vocabulary in use. With each English word of the day, I only focus on one definition. To see every meaning of the word,...
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Word of the Day: CALLIPYGIAN
Today's English word of the day is: callipygian. Keep reading to learn the meaning of 'callipygian', hear the pronunciation, and read two examples of the vocabulary in use. Quick note: Unlike my other ESL words of the day, this word is not known or used by most...
read moreListening + Pronunciation
Spooky English Listening Practice: 10 Eerie Dictations + Heaps of Halloween Words
As Halloween approaches, ghouls and goblins haunt the alleyways, and spooky words keep cropping up in conversation. Practice your English listening skills and learn heaps of eerie words with these 10 short Halloween dictations for ESL students! Boo! [learn_more...
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English Dictation Exercises: 20 Mini-Dictations Featuring Phrasal Verbs with Take
Phrasal verbs are difficult enough, but phrasal verbs with take are particularly hard because, well, there are so many of them! In another post, we looked at 20 phrasal verbs with take, complete with visual vocabulary cards and a practice quiz. But will you understand...
read moreHistory + Culture
“The Star-Spangled Banner”: History + Vocabulary for ESL Students
A couple of my in-person students asked me the other day about the U.S. national anthem, "The Star-Spangled Banner". They go to a lot of soccer games here in D.C., so they hear it a lot. They wanted to understand the history of the song, and the meaning of the lyrics....
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Olé! 8 Spanish Words Used in English
It's not surprising that a lot of English words originated in Spanish. There were a number of political marriages between the English and Spanish over the years (Catherine of Aragon, anyone?), a military rivalry (ever heard of the Spanish Armada?), and, of course,...
read moreTips + Tricks
Getting in Shape and Staying that Way (+ Bonus Audio! 🎧💙)
Guest post by Alberto Alonso UPDATE! Alberto really cares about helping people learn English, so he's gone the extra mile for you guys. For the first time ever on this blog, you can listen to the post in addition to reading it! If this helps...
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Are You in a Learning Motivation Slump? 3 Tools to Help You Remember that Learning English is Fun!
Even if you love learning English, sometimes we all need a little boost to stay motivated. Sometimes, that motivational boost comes from reading inspiring stories about other successful English learners, or envisioning what you can accomplish when you succeed, or...
read moreWriting Prompts
ESL Writing Prompts Inspired by Game of Thrones
Are you worried that your Game of Thrones addiction will hinder your English learning? Are you concerned that your daydreams about riding dragons are getting in the way of your progress as a kick-ass ESL student? Fear no more. I'm a Game of Thrones junkie, too, which...
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Bird Writing Prompts 🐥: 10 Creative Writing Ideas for English Learners
The imagination is one of the most underused tools in language learning, but it can help you progress in your English journey by leaps and bounds. Creative writing is one of the best ways to activate your imagination in a way that helps you expand your English. But...
read moreGrammar + Spelling
Transitive and Intransitive Verbs
Guest post by Rob of Ginseng English What are transitive and intransitive verbs? When you are learning a new verb, one of the most important things to learn about that verb is whether it is transitive or intransitive. Transitive verbs have direct...
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Funny Spelling Mistakes! Test Your English with These 13 Hilarious Spelling Errors
Any student of the English language can tell you that English spelling is, well, awful. There seems to be no rhyme or reason to it. Comb rhymes with home but not bomb, and lost rhymes with tossed but not host! Simply put, WTF? Well, guess what? Spelling is hard for...
read morePersonal + Miscellaneous
Here We Go! More Stepper Questions Answered 🤗 (+ 45 Bonus Vocab Words!)
I love getting to know you guys, and I love letting you get to know me, too! A few of you asked me some personal questions recently on Twitter, so we're back for another round of Stepper Questions Answered! But, you guessed it, there's more to this post than...
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Advanced English Vocabulary at the Blessing of the Animals
When people think of Washington, they often think of politics and imposing marble monuments, a place of history and intrigue. However, on the feast day of Saint Francis of Assisi, forget all of this and prepare yourself for a surfeit of fluffiness! Francis of...
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