Cafetalk 講師專欄

English Idioms Challenge - Week 3

Hey all! This is the third weekly English learning challenge: to try & use this idiom in your n...

Recipes and Cooking Shows. Practical English!

Do you want to improve your language skills, but find it difficult to find the time?I have a sugges...

Daily English Upgrade #015: Say It Better — “Interesting” (more specific reactions)

“Interesting” is fine — but adding one detail makes you sound more natural. Upgrades: That’s intere...

You Don’t Need Confidence - Just Willingness

Under-confident people tend to have an exaggerated view of what 'confidence' looks like. I mean who...

Gaining Confidence Online

Online classes can be intimidating if you are used to an in-person experience.  Prior to the pandem...

How to feel more confident in online classes?

Totally get this—online classes can mess with your confidence in sneaky ways. You’re not alone, and...

Inner Alchemy #03: Transforming Your Deepest Sorrow into Life Energy—Beyond Emotional Turmoil: The Secret Process of Self-Awakening

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Hannya Within the human heart, there exists a force we call the “Oni” (unawak...

How to Feel More Confident in Your Online English Class

  If you feel nervous, shy, or unsure when joining an online English class, you’re not alone. Many ...

Why Reading News Articles Helps You Learn English

Reading news articles is a powerful way to improve your English. News uses real, everyday la...

Travel Japanese You Can Use Today (within 60 seconds)

If you’ve ever traveled in Japan and thought, “I studied… so why can’t I reply fast enough?”—you’re...

How Do You Like Your Coffee? The Ethics of Coffee.

Does coffee help you get to the other end of the day? I must admit, that when I am really busy, it ...

Daily English Upgrade #014: Pronunciation — L/R quick wins (light/right, glass/grass)

If L/R is difficult, don’t aim for “perfect.” Aim for clear difference. Practice pairs (slow → norm...

New Business English lesson: Making Small Talk and Networking

Great business relationships start with small talk.   If your small talk is smooth and natural, it ...

【一週兩次・讀台灣】台中男持棍毆打黑狗 動保處獲報收容安置

【一週兩次・讀台灣】 教科書を飛び出し、台湾の「今」を知り、生きた台湾華語をマスターしませんか？ 毎週2回、最新の台湾ニュースを題材に、台湾特有の文化、時代を映す言い回し、そして興味深い社会現象を...

How to Feel More Confident in Online Classes

Remember how tricky it was to learn how to ride a bicycle? After a few weeks of unsteady riding , s...

Daily English Upgrade #013: Mini-Conversation — Asking for recommendations

A natural flow: ask + follow up. Ask: Do you have any recommendations? What would you recommend? Fo...

How to Feel More Confident in Online Language Classes

Many language learners think confidence is something you either have or don’t have. If you are shy,...

Asian Food in Africa

When I first started watching Asian dramas on TV, I was slowly introduced to Asian food. I had neve...

Inspirational podcast on 'Haiku'

I am a big fan of 'Luke's English Podcast' and think it's a great resource for upper intermediate &...

I didn’t adopt a cat… A cat adopted me.

I recently got a cat, but it happened in a very unexpected way. I have always loved cats and when I...

From Words to Confidence: Your English Journey Starts Here

English is more than grammar and vocabulary — it’s a bridge to people, opportunities, and confidenc...

聽力不用完美，先聽懂「關鍵字」就好

  ---日本語版はスクロールダウンしてご覧ください。---   我碰到學生告訴我，自己對聽力不太拿手，時常聽不懂。 其實這個狀況不只是正在學習新語言的學生，連母語者都可能有這種情況。例如，對話內容...

不冷淡，只是更體貼：給語言學習者的《日本無聲規則》

i日本常常讓人覺得非常友善——但有時也會「難以讀懂」。 你並沒有做什麼「壞事」，但氣氛卻微妙地變了。沒有人直接說什麼，可你就是能感覺到空氣中有一個無聲的訊息。 這正是我創作 Podcast《Japa...

28 Years in the Sky: Lessons from the Cabin Manager’s Seat

When you spend 28 years traveling the world at 35,000 feet, you see it all. I started my career as ...

Daily English Upgrade #012: Tone Control — Polite disagreement (“I see your point, but…”)

Disagreeing politely is a real skill. Soft disagreement: I see your point, but… That makes sense, b...

The Fresh Cilantro and Basil Story

The Fresh Cilantro and Basil Story (Vocabulary list at the end) Chapter 1: Cilantro Cilantro, in pa...

How an Alphabet Reform Shaped Modern Turkish

When people start learning Turkish, they are often surprised by how phonetic it is. What you see is...

It is Time For Tea!

Did you know that 'it is teatime' , can mean different things, depending on where you live in the U...

【一週兩次・讀台灣】徐若熙加盟軟銀鷹 喊話挑戰大聯盟

【一週兩次・讀台灣】 教科書を飛び出し、台湾の「今」を知り、生きた台湾華語をマスターしませんか？ 毎週2回、最新の台湾ニュースを題材に、台湾特有の文化、時代を映す言い回し、そして興味深い社会現象を...

Confidence: The Unstudied Rule of English

There is a persistent illusion among many learners of English that confidence must wait for correct...