Why are U.S. City & State Names so Weird? Improve your English Pronunciation of City Names
Place names can be confusing to pronounce in English. There are a couple of reasons for this. First, the names of cities, states, rivers, etc. are often derived from words in other languages, like Native American languages, Spanish or French depending on who lived in...
How English Accent Coach can make your English Sound Sophisticated
Part of being a truly proficient user of a language is having a wide ranging vocabulary. English in particular has a very large lexicon compared to many languages. There is very often more than one word or way to express the same idea in English. English also has many...
My Amazing 2017
Both personally and professionally, 2017 was an exciting and productive year. In fact, I'd have to say it was one of the best, or maybe even the best year of my life. It was a year full of fabulous travels, visiting family and friends, lots of fun times...
Speak English better- Remember a Smile goes a long way in American Culture
I want to talk to you a little about one of the reasons you may be losing opportunities in the American world. Surprisingly, it may not be your accent. Sometimes, people who speak English really clearly and have only a minor accent tell me they need to improve their...
Keys to Improve your English Pronunciation
I feel lucky because English is my first language. I have never had to struggle with pronunciation and spelling or grammar rules and exceptions. But as an English teacher, I have worked with people from all over the world who have learned or are currently learning...
Why Do People Have Accents?
One of the main causes of a foreign accent when learning another language is interference from our native language. As babies and young children, our brains learn which sounds are and are not important. The young child’s brain quickly learns to dismiss the sounds not...
Should I Change my Accent? Which Accent is Best according to American Accent Coach?
It is not necessarily bad to have an accent, and for some people I would not recommend spending time trying to change your speech. If people have trouble understanding you and your oral English is interfering with your life (in work, school, your business or your...
A Rockstar in China
Today I entered a new reality. It's a reality filled with adoring fans, screaming for autographs and pictures and boys telling me I'm beautiful. They hang on my every word, even though they can't understand what I'm saying. My name is in lights on the...
Thrilling modes of transportation in China
E bike with mittens and wind/cold shield at LYG Normal College[/caption]There are many ways to get around in China. Of course, there are cars, buses and taxis, and we've often seen images of Chinese people commuting by bicycle on TV and in movies. But there's a whole...