Espresso English Podcast

Remember that mistakes are an opportunity to learn - and today you'll learn from the mistakes of other students like you. Today's lesson focuses on errors that I and my teaching team have found frequently when correcting students’ homework. Maybe you've made some of these errors in the past, and now you know how to avoid them! But maybe you're making different mistakes, and you want someone to check your English to see if anything is incorrect. You can get correction from a teacher inside these Espresso English courses: Advanced English Grammar Course + Feedback on writing Reading Course + Feedback on writing Vocabulary Courses + Feedback on short answers Phrasal Verbs Course + Feedback on short answers Idioms Course + Feedback on short answers Everyday English Speaking Courses + Feedback on recorded speaking Pronunciation Course + Feedback on recorded speaking You can also join our Complete Program to get ALL the courses above (plus many more) at a 50% discount. I'd like to remind you that the most imp

In this lesson we’re going to look at 7 common pronunciation mistakes in words with confusing combinations of letters.. A lot of students ask me about rules, like how do we know when the letter e sounds like ee vs. eh, or when the letter g sounds like juh (general) vs. guh (get). Although there are some trends in English spelling / pronunciation, there are so many complications and exceptions that I’d encourage you NOT to focus on remembering rules. Instead, when you learn new words, always look them up in an audio dictionary - listen to the pronunciation and repeat it. Don’t try to figure it out by analyzing the spelling. I know it’s frustrating! English is very irregular, so it’s best to just learn the correct pronunciation of each word and not try to interpret them based on a logical system. In this episode, you'll learn: How to pronounce OO How to pronounce OU How to pronounce OUGH How to pronounce EA Pronunciation error with "urgent" Pronunciation errors with WOR Pronunciation errors with the "invi

This month I'm going to teach you about some common errors in English. These are mistakes that I've observed and corrected frequently during my years of helping English learners improve their skills. Today's lesson focuses on common errors with adjectives and adverbs. Do you want to get correction on YOUR English? Join one of our courses that includes teacher feedback! Here are the options: Advanced English Grammar Course + Feedback on writing Reading Course + Feedback on writing Vocabulary Courses + Feedback on short answers Phrasal Verbs Course + Feedback on short answers Idioms Course + Feedback on short answers Everyday English Speaking Courses + Feedback on recorded speaking Pronunciation Course + Feedback on recorded speaking Getting direct feedback from a teacher on your writing or speaking is one of the best ways to identify the specific errors you are making, and then correct them so that you can speak and write better in the future.

Here in the U.S., we’re in the middle of summer - the hottest part of the year! Today you’ll learn some English vocabulary related to summer and hot weather, with pictures to help you remember the words. Expanding your vocabulary is so important because the more words you know, the better you can express yourself in English. Inside my Vocabulary Builder Courses, you'll learn and practice 1000+ useful words. The lessons include lots of pictures to help illustrate the words, and there are also quizzes and short-answer exercises to help you review. Hope you're having a great summer... or winter... depending on where you are in the world  :-)

A gerund is a word that looks like a verb, but functions as a noun in the sentence. Gerunds are formed by using the -ING form of the verb - reading, swimming, studying, etc. - but when it comes to grammar, they act as nouns. Here are some common ways to use gerunds in English - and some practice sentences so you can use them yourself! You can study grammar for hours, but can you actually use grammar well? It's very important to create your own sentences with the grammar you are learning - this will help you remember it better, and then you'll be able to use English grammar more naturally when speaking or writing. You can try putting grammar into practice by yourself, but it's easier when you have a ready-made exercise or writing task. You'll find these inside my Advanced English Grammar Course. What if you're not yet advanced? In that case, I'd recommend studying my Basic & Intermediate English Grammar E-Books, or watching my grammar playlist on YouTube - you will learn a lot!

The word spot has a few different meanings in English.The word spot has a few different meanings in English. Here are the three most common: as a noun, a spot is a mark that is a different color.A leopard has spots. as a noun, a spot is a place, location, or area.This is a great spot for camping. as a verb, spot is an informal way to talk about seeing or detecting.He spotted an eagle in the sky. Today we'll focus on definition #2 - spot meaning a place, location, or area. There are many common collocations (word combinations) with "spot." Learning collocations is a great way to help you put words together in ways that sound natural. My 1000 collocations e-book makes studying collocations quick, easy, and fun! It only takes about 10 minutes to read each lesson and take the practice quiz, making this the perfect e-book for you if you don't have much time.

Are you ready to practice your pronunciation? Today we’re going to work on three very common words in English: where, were, and we’re - individually and in sentences. To get the most benefit out of this lesson, don’t just watch... instead, actually repeat everything after me! When it comes to pronunciation, practice makes perfect! If you keep working on it - especially by listening to a native speaker and trying to imitate - your pronunciation will get better and better. I can help you practice more if you join my Pronunciation and Shadowing Courses, which include lots of listen-and-repeat exercises. You can try some free samples here: Lesson 1 - American English Pronunciation Course Lesson 1 - Shadowing with Shayna

Today I'll teach you 10 English expressions with the words "easy" and "hard." These individual words have simple definitions, but when they are used in idioms, the expression might have a different meaning than you expect. You'll learn what it means when we say "easy does it" and "hard pass," as well as "he got off easy" and "that's hard to swallow." Take the lesson to find out what these idioms mean! How can you learn idioms like these more effectively? My 300+ English Idioms Course can help you! Each lesson follows this format: First, you’ll see an example of the idiom in context and you’ll try to guess what it means. Then, you’ll learn the correct meaning of each idiom from my explanation and examples. Finally, you can practice using the idioms with quizzes and short answer exercises. The best part is that you can send in your answers to the exercises - I and my assistant teacher will check them to make sure you understand the idioms and are using them correctly. You can sign up and start learning today

Do you know when to use "of" vs. "from" in English?  Using the wrong preposition is a very common mistake. Many other languages have just one word for both "of" and "from," but in English we use these two words in several different ways. Learning English grammar can seem like an impossible task... but I want to help you do it step by step! That's why I have grammar products for all levels of English learners: Basic & Intermediate English Grammar E-Books Advanced English Grammar Course My students who have these e-books and courses love the easy-to-understand lessons and practical examples and exercises. If you're having difficulty with grammar, or if you want to build your confidence in using English correctly, check out the e-books and course.

Phrasal verbs are combinations of a verb + preposition, like get up and find out. Phrasal verbs often have specific meanings that may not be obvious from the words themselves. In today's lesson, I'll explain four phrasal verbs that students have asked me about recently: hook up, plug away, ward off, and whip up. These are just a few of the THOUSANDS of phrasal verbs we have in the English language - and we use them every day! You can learn more than 500 phrasal verbs in the Phrasal Verbs in Conversation Course. This is an easy and fun way to learn phrasal verbs in context and put them into practice in your own English.

Spoken English has a lot of little expressions that are used frequently by native speakers - and some of these expressions are so similar that you might accidentally mix them up. Two such expressions are "give you peace of mind" and "give someone a piece of your mind" - they sound almost the same, but they are in fact very different. I hope this lesson has helped make these expressions clear! As always, try to put the phrases into practice by creating your own examples. If you want to learn hundreds more phrases that native English speakers use in everyday life, you can join my Everyday English Speaking Courses. They are based on dialogues, and very useful for improving your spoken English.

A lot of English learners get confused about the words food, dish, meal, and cuisine. These all refer to the general topic of eating, but there are some important differences in how we use each one. In today’s lesson, I’ll explain when to use these words so that you’ll understand them clearly. If you enjoy my explanations and you want to learn more, then you'll love my e-book, 600+ Confusing English Words Explained! This e-book will teach you the distinctions among "families" of words (like ache, pain, and hurt; critic, critical, criticism, and critique) as well as words that look or seem similar, but are actually different (explore and exploit, interfere and intervene, raise and rise).

Are you ready for some pronunciation practice? In today's lesson we're going to work on pronouncing English words starting with DR-. There are two small but important details that you need to know in order for your pronunciation of these words to sound good - click on the lesson to learn, listen, and repeat! If you want to train all the different sounds in English and improve your pronunciation, you can sign up for my pronunciation and shadowing courses. There's a discount if you join both courses together.

Today's question comes from a student who was watching a movie. In this movie, one character said to another, "Get lost," so the student is asking what this expression means in context. Today, I'll explain this phrase and also teach you some other informal expressions with the word "get," such as get a grip, get off my case, get bent out of shape, and more. That's just a small sampling of the many colorful informal expressions that we have in the English language using the word "get." In order to remember these phrases better, I suggest trying to write your own sentences with them! If you want to add more interesting expressions to your own English, join my 300+ English Idioms Course. Not only will you learn a lot of common idioms, but you'll also practice them with quizzes and short-answer exercises that you can send in for correction and feedback.

Today I have a special guest - his name is Ben, and he's an expert in IELTS test preparation. He'll share some top strategies for each section of the IELTS exam, so if you're preparing for the IELTS test - or if you've taken it before but you want to increase your score - listen carefully to this episode and put the tips into practice.

Today I'm going to teach you three pairs of confusing words that have the prefix IN-. In many words, IN- means the opposite or "not": independent = NOT dependent incorrect = NOT correct However, there are some exceptions that might be confusing, and you'll learn three of them in this lesson: invaluable, infamous, and inflammable. I hope this lesson has helped clarify the meanings of these confusing words. The English language has a lot of words that seem similar, but are actually different - and many English learners make mistakes with them. That's why I wrote the e-book 600+ Confusing English Words Explained - to help you understand these words clearly, so you can use them confidently! What will you learn in this e-book? Click here to see the full list of confusing words in the book.

Someone asked me if there's a difference between finish and finish up. The answer is no - there's no difference in meaning. Finish up is just more informal. But is this the case for every verb / phrasal verb? No! In today's lesson you'll learn the small differences between show and show off, follow and follow up, and several more verb and phrasal verb pairs. There are certainly a lot of little details to remember when it comes to phrasal verbs. That's why it's so important to learn phrasal verbs in context - when you learn how phrasal verbs are used in real situations, it's much more effective than trying to memorize lists of definitions. You can learn this way inside my Phrasal Verbs in Conversation Course! Not only will you learn more than 500 phrasal verbs through the dialogues in the lessons, but you'll also put them into practice with quizzes and exercises.

I’ve heard a lot of students' speaking samples in my courses, and today I’d like to address a few of the pronunciation mistakes that I’ve been correcting. First of all, don’t feel bad if you make a pronunciation mistake! It’s really easy to do this in English, especially because we have so many similar sounds and so many words that are pronounced differently from the way they’re written. So if you mess up a word – don’t be embarrassed, it’s not the end of the world. I can usually understand what you were trying to say. Let's practice together so that you can improve your English pronunciation! When it comes to pronunciation, practice makes perfect. You need to repeat English words many times in order to learn to say them easily and naturally. It's also important to have someone correct any mistakes, so that you don't form bad pronunciation habits. You can get both practice and evaluation inside my courses - American English Pronunciation and Shadowing with Shayna. These courses have lots of exercises to

If you watch TV and movies in English, you'll probably see a lot of new words and expressions that might not come up in your regular English study. Sometimes it’s hard to understand what certain phrases mean, so students write to me and ask for clarification. In today’s lesson, I’ll explain ten phrases from TV shows and movies that students have asked me about recently. If you ever come across a phrase that you can’t figure out, feel free to e-mail me and ask me what it means, and I’ll do my best to explain it! Informal spoken English – like the kind you hear in movies and native speakers’ conversations – is full of expressions that English textbooks often don’t teach So how can you learn these expressions WITHOUT getting confused and lost? One way is to join my Everyday English Speaking Course - Level 2! This course teaches you informal phrases, idioms, and slang in the context of conversations. It's a great way to improve your comprehension and learn a lot of surprising new expressions. Speaking Level

Today's lesson will teach you 33 collocations and expressions about decisions. Collocations are combinations of words that native English speakers use naturally. Learning these word combinations makes it easier to put together your ideas in English, so that you can express yourself better. You'll also learn some informal expressions, like "a tough call," "in a quandary," and "the lesser of two evils." Click on the lesson to learn! One major difficulty for English learners is often knowing how to put words together. How can you know if you're using the right word or expression? Learning collocations helps give you the "building blocks" for better sentences in English. That's why I wrote the e-book 1000 Collocations in 10 Minutes a Day - to teach you which words go together naturally. Each of the 50 short lessons in the e-book is accompanied by a quiz to help you practice and review. You can learn a lot in just a few minutes every day!