Not long ago, one of my students shared with me a funny, but slightly embarrassing story regarding mispronunciation. She wanted to thank the technician who was fixing something in her house. But instead of “thank you for your patience,” what came out of her mouth was “thank you for your passion.” The guy looked perplexed […]
Almost native: the power of an adverb
What do you do when you get stuck in English?
Mistakes in English: embrace fear, start speaking
“Stop worrying about mistakes and start speaking. Be confident.” I’ve seen this advice so many times. I’ve even given it myself. But the truth is that it rarely works. Most non-native speakers that I know are afraid of making mistakes when they speak English and just telling them not to be fearful is of no help. Fear […]
New country, new me
Late bloomer in a world of glorified prodigies
Late bloomers are underestimated. Wikipedia describes a late bloomer as a person whose talents or capabilities are not visible to others until later than usual. I often see articles about successful people who have achieved their success very early in life. You know what I mean – lists like 30 under 30 that make many […]
Cultural bridges – adjusting to new life in the US
There’s something about bridges. They always remind me of the time when I left my native country and began my life as a “foreigner.” I don’t know why they have such an effect on me; maybe because they always connect two pieces of something – land, buildings, or anything that needs to be connected. So […]