•When you paraphrase, you write or say something that someone else has written or said, in your own words. •Paraphrasing is an important skill for you to practice because it shows your ability to express the idea of another person using different words, without copying the exact text or speech. •When you paraphrase properly, you …

Smart Goals for Language Learning
I give you some examples of SMART goals for language learning in the areas of reading, fluency, writing, and reading. You can then download the PDF and follow the directions to create some feasible habits for a successful language learning routine.
Summer Vacation in the USA
Some highlights from my trip to the USA in August of 2022.
How your TOEFL Essay is Scored
Body Paragraphs in your TOEFL Independent Essay Let’s talk about writing essays and the structure of the body paragraph. In my HS English classes, I teach the idea of an “argument sandwich” for the body paragraph…they make a claim (topic sentence), provide data (examples are fine), and provide a warrant (explanation). Nonetheless, the TOEFL independent essay …
An Unforgettable Harry Potter Vocabulary Quiz
Illustrated by Jonny Duddle I literally couldn’t put Harry Potter down when I was reading it because the pages were full of suspense, magic, and mystery. I was transported to another world and it felt like a great escape, where the creative twists and turns literally blew me away. To get a full sensory …

Top 3 Reasons To Master Phrasal Verbs
What are Phrasal verbs? Phrasal verbs are phrases that have a verb and another element, typically either an adverb, as in break down, or a preposition, for example, sleep in, or a combination of both, such as break up with. What kinds of phrasal verbs are there? There are four different kinds of phrasal …

5 Useful Fluency Tips
Do you feel like your speaking skills are getting rusty? Are you looking for some fluency tips to help you sound more natural and confident when you speak the language you’re studying? I am going to give you some examples from my own study routine. As many of you know, my first language is English …

What Kind of Traveler Are You?
Now that it is summertime, we are all longing for a vacation and to travel. The pandemic has made travel nearly impossible for most of us. However, borders are slowly opening back up and travel is becoming more feasible. Are you going anywhere fun this summer? Maybe we can start talking about travel plans and …

5 Brilliant Writing Tips for TOEFL
Improving your TOEFL Writing Score You are in the right place if your TOEFL writing score is lower than 25 and you don’t know why. If you WANT to score 25 or above on the writing section of the TOEFL IBT exam, these 5 writing tips for TOEFL will help you increase your score. One …

The Definite Article in English
When Do you Use the Definite Article in English? ➡️In English, there are two kinds of articles: definite articles and indefinite articles. An article is a word that comes before a noun. However, there is just one definite article: “the” in the English language. There are two indefinite articles: “a” and “an”. Are you comfortable …