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Root Word Err: To wander, to stray

2022-08-31T14:25:14+01:00

We all make mistakes. It's part of being human! But do you know which Latin word, which has become a major root word in English, usually references making mistakes? The original Latin meaning probably doesn't mean what you think! Ever heard of the root word err? This week on the Bespeaking blog we were inspired by one of my favorite podcasts, Word Root of the Day.  Therefore, we present to you the Latin word err and some words in English which derive (come) from it. If you are interested in this kind of thing, check out our blog from last [...]

Root Word Err: To wander, to stray2022-08-31T14:25:14+01:00

English Phrases: Their Origins and Meanings

2022-08-31T14:19:24+01:00

We've talked about idioms a lot here on the Bespeaking blog (English idioms, Sports Idioms, and More Idioms), but it's only because English speakers use them so much! And all this talk about idioms had us asking, "Where do they come from?" So this week we did some research on several English phrases to find out the origins (as well as the meanings). Check out these 5 crazy stories below and pepper your speech with our findings. Raining Cats and Dogs   Meaning: If it's raining cats and dogs, unfortunately you're not going to find your new furry best friend [...]

English Phrases: Their Origins and Meanings2022-08-31T14:19:24+01:00

Sports Idioms – Learn English Sports Idioms Used in Daily English

2024-01-25T11:49:09+01:00

The biggest sporting event of the year in the US was this past Sunday night: the Super Bowl! I have to say, after living in Germany for so long (and not being the biggest football fan in the first place), I wasn't aware that the Super Bowl was on until after it had already happened. Whoops! However, it got me thinking about how many sports idioms we have in English and wow... are there a lot of them! Here are some of our favorite sports idioms with explanations as to what they mean and which sport they come from: Par [...]

Sports Idioms – Learn English Sports Idioms Used in Daily English2024-01-25T11:49:09+01:00

How to Stay Motivated When Learning a Language – Easy English Blog

2022-08-30T18:43:33+01:00

Learning a new language is hard. If you want to learn English well, you have to stay motivated (active, energized, interested). Learning how to stay motivated when learning a language can be the hardest part. Don't give up (stop)! Here are some tips to keep learning and stay motivated. Make a Routine Add language learning to your routine. Just like (the same as) having dinner or watching a TV program, set (fix, decide) a time each day to learn some new words. Maybe one hour or even five minutes of learning each day. Pick a time and make that your [...]

How to Stay Motivated When Learning a Language – Easy English Blog2022-08-30T18:43:33+01:00

Present Continuous English Tense

2022-08-30T18:27:12+01:00

I remember when I was studying at Universität Potsdam one summer, I tried to make a sentence using the present continuous tense…in German. My German professor sighed, looked at me and said, "Erin, I told you yesterday. There is no present continuous tense in German." And there isn’t. So this may be a tricky grammar point for you if you're learning English and your native language also doesn’t have a present continuous tense. But don’t worry- we'll break it all down for you right here! Bonus: All examples of present continuous in this blog are underlined. After reading the explanations, try [...]

Present Continuous English Tense2022-08-30T18:27:12+01:00

Genders in English- Masculine, Feminine, Neutral, & Common

2022-08-30T17:43:12+01:00

Nouns do not have genders in English like they do in French or German. Our nouns are neither grammatically male, female, or neutral, nor so-determined based completely on the ending of the word. This is something that makes the concept of learning gendered languages (like French or German) particularly difficult for native English speakers. That doesn't, however, mean that English doesn't differentiate (show the difference) between the genders when it comes to talking about people, or that we don’t have genders at all! That said, you may be surprised to learn that there are actually four noun genders in English: [...]

Genders in English- Masculine, Feminine, Neutral, & Common2022-08-30T17:43:12+01:00

Who vs Whom: The Difference and How to Use Them

2022-10-30T21:42:00+01:00

Who vs Whom: an old favorite point of contention (discussion point). Admittedly, even I, your trusted weekly blogger, sometimes have trouble remembering which is which. Maybe it’s because the pronoun “you” is the same regardless (in all cases) if the object is direct or indirect…? Or because whom is weird to pronounce…? The good news is when it comes down to understanding the difference between who and whom, it's actually not that hard! Just like with Affect vs Effect, there's a very simple trick to remember it. Good luck! The Trick If you're trying to navigate (handle, decide) who vs [...]

Who vs Whom: The Difference and How to Use Them2022-10-30T21:42:00+01:00

Learning English: Your New Year’s Resolution – Easy English Blog

2024-01-02T06:59:33+01:00

What did you do on New Year's Eve – December 31st? Did you have a party? Did you make a New Year's resolution (promise to do something better in the new year)? Why not make learning English your New Year’s resolution! Try one of these tips below and some of our previous blogs Other Ways to Learn English and How to Use More English Everyday They'll help you learn English better and faster. Set a Reasonable (do-able, possible) Vocabulary Goal Set a goal for learning. Make sure it's a goal you can accomplish (finish, do, succeed at). Try to learn between 5-7 [...]

Learning English: Your New Year’s Resolution – Easy English Blog2024-01-02T06:59:33+01:00

7 Spanish Words Used in English

2022-10-30T21:36:26+01:00

We've said it before, but English is truly a wonderful language because it has taken on words from many other languages. It's one of my favorite things about English, and can make it a bit easier for new learners, since they recognize some words from their mother tongues. This week we’ll tackle (work out, handle) Spanish words used in English. On the Bespeaking blog, we've covered loan words from German (here and here), as well as loan words from  French, Latin, US vs. UK words, and even Yiddish. So we figured it was about time we rolled around to (finally did something) [...]

7 Spanish Words Used in English2022-10-30T21:36:26+01:00

How to Say “Sorry” in English

2022-10-30T21:35:18+01:00

We all make mistakes and learning how to say sorry in English (or any language) can be extraordinarily (very) helpful. From bumping into someone accidentally on the street, to what you could say to a friend, or what you could say if you offend someone (although we hope this doesn't happen), here are some ways you can say sorry in English! I'm sorry "I'm sorry" is a good, quick way to apologize to someone if you happen to bump into them (lightly touch someone) or if you have made a mistake. It's not too serious, as in you haven't offended (insulted, hurt their [...]

How to Say “Sorry” in English2022-10-30T21:35:18+01:00

Common Abbreviations in English

2022-10-30T21:32:20+01:00

In this busy day and age (current time), there are so many expectations on our time and so many (more) things we want to do, that we take shortcuts (use a shorter/easier way) all over the place. Think about it: emails are getting shorter, text messages are bare bones (almost nothing), and sending a picture is faster than explaining a situation sometimes. We just don't have the time we need anymore...even when we speak! (How lazy can we be??) Learning common abbreviations in English can take your language fluency to a whole new level. You don't want to use these [...]

Common Abbreviations in English2022-10-30T21:32:20+01:00

Silent Letters in English

2022-10-30T21:28:01+01:00

English can be one of the hardest languages to learn. So if you've decided to take on this job, kudos to you! With all the irregular verbs, similar words with different meanings (like affect and effect), and silent letters in English, things can get pretty hairy (complicated). To try and alleviate (get rid of) some of the confusion, we're talking all about silent letters in English this week on the Bespeaking blog. Silent letters can be tricky when trying to write and spell words correctly, but it is easy when it comes to pronunciation- especially when they aren’t pronounced at [...]

Silent Letters in English2022-10-30T21:28:01+01:00
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