Author: Sourov
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Food & Drink Vocabulary: A Sommelier’s English Lesson
CEFR A2 · 5 min From my experience: I became a sommelier at The Ivy in Sydney. My job was to describe wine to people who could not see the bottle — only taste it. That forced me to learn that food and drink words are the most sensory vocabulary in English. One wrong adjective…
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Numbers 1–100: What the Star Casino Taught Me About English Numbers
CEFR A1 · 5 min From my experience: At the Star Casino in Sydney, every night was a number problem. Table 17 wants two martinis. Bill for $248. Thirty-five guests on the reservation. I learned English numbers fast because I had to — and so will you. Today's focus: Numbers 1–100, prices, and quantities Two…
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Hello, I’m Sourov — Greetings & Introductions in Real English
CEFR A1 · 5 min From my experience: When I landed in Sydney Airport in 2005 with one carry-on bag and what I thought was decent English, the first stranger I spoke to said ‘How ya going?’ I had no idea what that meant. It was not in any textbook. This lesson is about greetings…
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Telephone and Video Call English
B1 · 5 min Telephone and Video Call English No face, no body language — only words and intonation From Sourov’s world: My first phone call in French after moving to La Réunion was about a gas bill. No face to read. No body language. No way to point at anything. Just words and intonation…
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Skimming and Scanning — Two Different Reading Speeds
A2/B1 · 5 min Skimming and Scanning — Two Different Reading Speeds Same page, two reading jobs — know when to use which From Sourov’s world: As a sommelier at The Ivy in Sydney, I held dozens of wine labels every shift. When a guest asked about a wine, I did two completely different things…
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Future Forms — Will, Going To and Present Continuous (B1)
B1 · 5 min Future Forms — Will, Going to and Present Continuous Three ways to talk about the future — and each one sends a different signal From Sourov’s world: In Sydney, planning a dinner service at The Ivy looked like this: “I’m working the floor on Saturday” (already scheduled — present continuous). “We’re…
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Writing a Short Story — PEEL Structure
B1 · 5 min Writing a Short Story — PEEL Structure How to turn a moment into a story people actually remember From Sourov’s world: One night at The Ivy in Sydney, a champagne glass slipped from a tray. I caught it mid-air, less than a metre from a dress that would have cost more…
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Describing Emotions — Beyond Happy and Sad (A1/A2)
A1/A2 · 5 min Describing Emotions Move beyond happy and sad — speak with precision and colour From Sourov’s world: My daughter is about 18 months old. She can only say a few words — but her face says everything. One morning she discovers a snail in our garden in Saint-Pierre, La Réunion, and her…
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Gerunds and Infinitives — Enjoyed Working vs Wanted to Teach (B1)
B1 · 5 min Gerunds and Infinitives Two verb forms, one big difference — know which one to use after every key verb From Sourov’s world: I enjoyed working as a barista. I loved pulling a perfect espresso — the 9-bar pressure, the 28-second extraction, the crema that settles like velvet. But at the same…
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Connected Speech — Why Native Speakers Are Hard to Understand
B2 · 5 min Connected Speech — Why Native Speakers Are Hard to Understand Natural English is not four separate words — it is one flowing sound From Sourov’s world: When I first arrived in Sydney, I said everything in four clean, separate words: I-want-to-go. Every syllable perfect. People understood me, but something sounded stiff.…