Spell-check it!

Do you want to write more professionally? Are you making the kind of mistakes that you could easily correct yourself? Level: medium • Category: writing; grammar • • • • • • • • • • • • When I’m marking a student’s writing task or checking a friend’s important email, I’m often surprised that […]
Hey Joe!

Who’s the greatest guitarist of all time? It’s Jimi Hendrix, isn’t it? Listen to his music, follow the lyrics and learn about the man. Level: medium • Category: listening; reading; pronunciation • • • • • • • • • • • • If English isn’t your first language, you probably know lots of music […]
Daily Rituals – How Artists Work

Real-life 5-part conversation about the book «Daily Rituals» by Mason Currey complete with transcript and language highlights. Level: higher • Category: listening, reading, vocabluary • • • • • • • • • • • • Listening to genuine conversations can be a more difficult task than listening to something that’s scripted. In real life, […]
The Real History of GoT

Everyone’s talking about Game of Thrones again! But where did they get the ideas for this world of bloodthirsty, warmongering, backstabbing kings and queens? Level: higher • Category: reading; listening • • • • • • • • • • • • If you’ve been following even a little of the Game of Thrones saga, […]
Seeing double!

Does English really have two ways of saying everything? In short, yes. But don’t blame us, blame the French! Level: higher • Category: vocabulary; listening • • • • • • • • • • • • Picking up new words and idioms isn’t always straightforward. I’m not sure I follow you! Acquiring new vocabulary […]
The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe

Before Harry Potter and the big-screen adaptations of Lord of The Rings, there was another fantasy world, a world in a wardrobe. Level: medium • Category: reading; listening; vocabulary • • • • • • • • • • • • If you have children who are also learning English, why not read a book […]
Real Business Emails

Emailing in a second language can be demanding: how you approach your contacts can have a huge effect on how they feel about receiving your email and how they respond. Level: higher • Category: writing; vocabulary; reading • • • • • • • • • • • • The vast majority of business correspondence […]
Myths debunked!

Did Paul McCartney die in 1966? Was Walt Disney cryogenically frozen? Should you think twice before performing Macbeth? Level: higher • Category: listening • • • • • • • • • • • • On the cover of The Beatles’ Abbey Road, Paul’s out of step with the others and he’s not wearing any […]
Hear your own words!

Get help with your pronunciation from native speakers! And help them with theirs. Level: basic • Category: pronunciation; writing; listening • • • • • • • • • • • • The idea behind RhinoSpike is very clever. Write a word list, sentence or paragraph in English which you would like to hear pronounced […]
IELTS course with free crocodiles

What’s the difference between the pronouns, «which», «that» and «who», and what do they have to do with crocodiles? Level: higher • Category: exams, listening, grammar • • • • • • • • • • • • IELTS is a great choice for an exam that prepares you for life at a university in […]