Look. See. Watch 👀 What's The Difference?

 

You've seen more than one hundred posts on English, but if you've looked through our old posts, you'll notice there hasn't been one on the following:

•  Look 👀
• See 👁,
• Watch🔭

Instead of watching something on social media, check out our latest post. 👇

Phrasal Verbs: Put

 I'm not putting you on when I tell you that learning phrasal verbs is essential for ESL learners. Today's post will focus on phrasal verbs using "put".

CAN vs BE ABLE TO

I hope I can show you how to to use can and  be able to with this post.

A Brief Look At Idioms

Idioms are tough because they are from English pop culture, history, and folklore. It's hard to really get their meaning by just looking at them. The best way to get the meaning is to look at the situations they are used in, and the "image" they put in your mind.

Grammatical Correctness VS Conversational English

First, let's me just say: having good grammar is important, but, in the goal in learning and using any language is communication. So, today, we're going to look at examples of where conversational English isn't always grammatically correct but is still okay.

Business English: Customer Service - Face To Face

Today's post will be on using English for face-to-face customer service. We'll cover general, everyday language for greeting customers/clients, explaining services/goods, saying "no", inviting repeat business.

Business English: Disagreeing Politely

Study the picture above, then read the short dialogue.

Aya, Brent, and Mos are having a sales managers' meeting.

Aya: Our sales people aren't meeting their targets. I think we should offer start offering higher commissions for-

Brent: What!? Are you crazy? That's a terrible idea. More training is what sales needs.

Mos: You don't know what you're talking about, Brent. Training seminars take too much time.

Aya: That's right. Higher commissions will make the sales team work harder. Also, training seminars are so boring.

Brent: Okay, let's go with higher commissions. But, I think you're both wrong. 

Mos: Thank you, Brent, for your opinion. 

Business English: Reported Speech

Please read the short dialogue below.

April 1st, 2016

Jiro: So, did Ms Rashid tell you what she needed for the conference next month?

Kim: Yes, I spoke with her yesterday evening. She asked if we could book a hotel conference hall in 
          the city center. I told her it would be more expensive, but she said location was more      
           important than price

Jiro: Good. Has she confirmed how many people will be attending the conference?

Kim: She said there would be 250 people attending.  Have you found a suitable hotel to book?

Jiro: Yes, I have. The Meridian Hotel. The manager said there were two conference halls available. But, he asked if we could confirm the booking by tomorrow morning.

The Man Wearing Glasses: Relative Clauses Explained

To talk about people, places, and things we often use words called adjectives (smart, tall, nice, etc).
 Today, we're going to look at another way of describing people, places, and things: relative clauses . Look at the photo and passage below.

Miki: Wow! Great photo. Who are these people, Ami?

Ami: My classmates from English school, and my new boyfriend, Francois.

Miki: Really? Is Francois the man with the big, funny hat?

Ami: Ha! Ha! No, he's the one wearing glasses and a red t-shirt. Fiona introduced  us last month. The guy wearing a sombero is Gilberto.

Miki: I think I remember her: Fiona is the girl in front of Francois holding  a yellow smartphone.

Ami: Yes, that's right.

Miki: It  looks like you were all at a house party.

Ami: Yeah. We wanted to go to a place that wasn't smoky, where we could relax.

Business English: Talking About Work Experience

 In today's post, we'll be looking at the language and grammar tools needed to talk about your work experiences (past and present). We'll discuss what to do, and not do, at job interviews.

Read the short passage  below:

James' Work Experience

I've had many jobs in my working life. In high school, I worked as a kitchen assistant in an Italian restaurant.  I was a customer service representative at medium-sized retail finance company for three years. Now, I teach English. I've been teaching English since April 2000. 

Question: When did James start teaching English?

Business English: Explaining Your Business Culture

Are you going to do business overseas? International business is challenging because you have to know the culture of the country (and company) you are going to visit. You should also be familiar with the culture and customs of any overseas visitors to your office.

In today's post, we're going to look at language to explain rules, customs, and guidelines to people from other countries using modal verbs of obligation 

 must, mustn't (must not)

can't (cannot)

 have/has to
need to

ought to/ought not to

should/shouldn't (should not)

can

don't/doesn't have to (do not/does not)

                                 don't/doesn't need to (do not/does not)


 Let's look at an example of how to use these words.

Business English: Small Talk With Business Visitors

In September we discussed "the art of conversation" in social situations. Today, we will look at small talk in international business. 

Using a second language at work can be stressful, but, remember the first rule: 

relax

Business people who travel abroad know that their hosts will be using a second language. So, focus more on making your guest and/or comfortable, and having a short but  lively conversation before "getting down to business".

Even if you are not the person the business visitor is meeting that day, you can create a good impression of your company if you  help the guest get to the meeting place and make them feel relaxed. 

Phrasal Verbs: Review #1

JLB Language Services' second post was all about phrasal verbs. That was more than two months ago, so let's do a brief review.

The Art of Conversation

For some, using a second language can be uncomfortable. Fear of making mistakes, and low confidence can make conversations with native speakers difficult, and tense.

First, RELAX.

People are usually okay with grammatical errors, and understand speaking a second language is not easy. 

Next. NO short replies or one-word answers.

A: Do you like baseball?

B: Yes, I do.

A: What's your favourite team?

B: The Toronto Blue Jays.

 Conversations don't need "right" answers. Add some extra information when you answer questions, and make sure to ask questions yourself.

A: Do you like baseball?

B: Yes, I do. I'm a Toronto Blue Jays fan. How about you? What teams do you like?

A: Oh, I like The Pirates, and The Yankees. 


It is difficult to stay on one topic for a long time, but, if you want to change it, try to do it naturally, using key words from the conversation.

A: Do you like baseball?

B: Yes, I do. I'm a Toronto Blue Jays fan. How about you? What teams do you like?

A: Oh, I like The New York Yankees. 

B: Ah, New York City. I would like to go there one day. Have you ever been there.


The most important thing to remember is, again, to relax, don't worry about minor grammar mistakes, have fun, and practice your English every chance you get.

For more on English conversation, watch Ronnie's lesson on Engvid.

 








 

Those Phrasal Verbs

Yes. PHRASAL VERBS 😱😆!