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Grow your English Skills with Articles, Guides, and Resource Posts from ESOL Advantage:
English Skills
Pronunciation: Can and Can’t
Pronunciation: Can and Can't - This video lesson will help you recognize the difference between can and can't in American English...
American Humor Part 3 – Riddles
Understanding American Humor - Part 3: Riddles - Understanding what people think is funny—and why—is a challenge for anyone who tries to learn...
Where Could English Tutoring Take You?
Where Could English Tutoring Take You? - You have goals for your life: places you want to go, things you want to experience, people you hope to...
American Humor Part 2 – Knock-Knock Jokes
Understanding American Humor - Part 2: Knock-Knock Jokes - Understanding what people think is funny—and why—is difficult in any language. The...
Understanding American Humor – Part 1
Understanding American Humor - Part 1: Puns - Understanding what people think is funny—and why—is difficult in any language. In fact, one sure...
English Pronunciation and The Magic of Vowels
English Pronunciation and The Magic of Vowels: Every language learner knows the uncomfortable feeling: You just started a friendly conversation...
4 Steps to Confident Conversations
4 Steps to Confident Conversations - It happens quickly: At a small gathering of people, you suddenly find yourself face-to-face with someone...
Polite English: 3 Common Mistakes When Saying Please
Polite English: 3 Common Mistakes When Saying Please - Everyone recognizes the importance of being polite, whether it's in your first or second...
How to Make an Apology That Builds Trust
How to Make an Apology that Builds Trust - Regardless of where you live or what language you speak, we all make mistakes in life. Some people...
5 Ways to Feel Confident in Your Spoken English
5 Ways to Feel Confident in Your Spoken English - How can you build confidence in your spoken English ability? Every language learner dreams...
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ESOL Advantage
ESOL Advantage
It’s not uncommon to see people misuse the word “penultimate” to describe something as better than the best, even more ultimate than ultimate, but it actually means “the next to last.” 'Penultimate' comes from a Latin word that means 'almost ultimate.' “Penultimate” comes from
ESOL Advantage
A reader named JC asked when he needs a comma before the word because. He wondered about this exchange: What did you like about camp? I liked swimming and hiking because they were fun. Does he need a comma before because they were fun? The
Grammar Guides
Vocabulary: Using Say, Tell, Talk and Speak
Vocabulary: Using Say, Tell, Talk and Speak - This video lesson will help you recognize how and when to use these four important verbs. Click...
Participial Adjectives: Grammar Guide
Participial Adjectives: Grammar Guide - This video lesson offers rules and examples for understanding participial adjectives and using them to...
4 Apostrophe Rules: Grammar Guide
4 Apostrophe Rules: Grammar Guide - Apostrophes may be small, but they have a big impact on grammar! Correct usage of the apostrophe shows...
Understanding Clauses and Phrases: Grammar Guide
Understanding Clauses and Phrases - Developing advanced language skills requires understanding the structures and rules that are working...
3 Rules for English Phrasal Verbs: Grammar Guide
3 Useful Rules for English Phrasal Verbs - Look at the following sentences: “We need to find out when this happened, and why.” “If you don’t...
5 Rules for Using A and The in Sentences: Grammar Guide
Using A and The in Sentences: Grammar Guide - Even for people who are quite fluent in English, using A and The can still be confusing. This...
Conditional Sentences: Grammar Guide
Conditional Sentences: Grammar Guide - Conditional sentences are all about expressing possibilities. They include a main clause that offers...
Their, There, or They’re: Grammar Guide
Grammar Guide for Their, There, and They're - The story is told about a local fast-food restaurant that wanted to share an exciting addition...
Living
Being a Good Houseguest: 7 Helpful Tips
7 Helpful Tips for Being a Good Houseguest - The rules and expectations for what it means to be a good houseguest have a lot of variety from...
3 Steps to Reduce the Risk of Cyber Kidnapping
3 Steps to Reduce the Risk of Cyber Kidnapping: On December 28, Chinese exchange student Kai Zhuang ran away from his host family out into the...
The History of New Year’s Resolutions
The History of New Year’s Resolutions: Each year as the calendar turns from December to January, people around the world take time to celebrate...
4 Fun American Thanksgiving Traditions
4 Fun American Thanksgiving Traditions: Each November, Americans from all kinds of backgrounds celebrate Thanksgiving, a U.S. national holiday...
Your First Halloween in the U.S. – 5 Things to Expect
Your First Halloween in the U.S. - 5 Things to Expect: Halloween—there is no denying that this October celebration is an important part of...
4 Surprising Things About Parenting in the U.S.
4 Surprising Things About Parenting in the U.S. - Moving to the United States from another country brings changes and challenges of all kinds....
3 Great Ways to Make New Friends in the U.S.
3 Great Ways to Make New Friends in the U.S. - Moving to the U.S. can be both an exciting and a lonely experience. “At home in Japan I had a...
Resources
American English Vowel Sounds
American English Vowel Sounds: American English has a large number of vowel sounds: around 20 of them! This set of sounds changes in different...
Resources for Vocabulary Building
Resources for Vocabulary Building - These are some of my resource picks for students who want to focus on building vocabulary. I've used all...
Great ESL Books for Kids (Updated)
Great ESL Books for Kids (Updated) - When it comes to ESL books for kids, the options can be overwhelming! How to choose? Every good English...
Pronunciation and Grammar Resources
Pronunciation and Grammar Resources - Pronunciation and Grammar can be a very useful combination for English Language Learners. Whether you...
Vocabulary and Grammar Resources
Pronunciation and Grammar Resources - Here are a few great resources for focusing on vocabulary and grammar:Grammar Resource:Top Pick: Grammar...
Videos
Vocabulary: Using Say, Tell, Talk and Speak
Vocabulary: Using Say, Tell, Talk and Speak - This video lesson will help you recognize how and when to use these four important verbs. Click...
Pronunciation: Can and Can’t
Pronunciation: Can and Can't - This video lesson will help you recognize the difference between can and can't in American English...
Participial Adjectives: Grammar Guide
Participial Adjectives: Grammar Guide - This video lesson offers rules and examples for understanding participial adjectives and using them to...
Mailing a Letter: English for Everyday Activities
Mailing a Letter: English for Everyday Activities Discover important vocabulary and expressions related to the everyday activity of mailing a...
Changing a Light Bulb: English for Everyday Activities
Changing a Light Bulb: English for Everyday Activities Discover important English vocabulary and expressions related to the everyday activity...
More
For more great English resources, take a look at our recommended links. All included links feature free options, though some have for-pay options as well.
Community:
- English Language Learner’s Alliance – A Bellevue, Washington organization that sponsors activities for English Language Learners
Grammar:
- British Council LearnEnglish – This site features British English rather than American, but offers useful free lessons on a variety of grammar topics
- Dave’s ESL Cafe – Free resources for a variety of grammar topics that includes helpful examples and explanations
Pronunciation:
- The Pacific Northwest English Study – A scholarly look at unique pronunciation features of Pacific Northwest English
- Rachel’s English – A great collection of activities for both pronunciation and listening comprehension. Includes free and premium options.
Writing
- The Purdue Online Writing Lab – Helpful guides to MLA, APA, and Chicago Styles for academic writing
