Cohesion and Coherence: Making Your Writing Flow
From my own experience: When I wrote my first CELTA assignment, my tutor marked it: 'Ideas are good — but where is the thread? I lose you between paragraphs.' That was the day I understood…
Category: English Teaching
Register and Style: Switching Between Formal and Informal English
From my own experience: Four languages in one head means four different registers per language. In Bengali I speak differently to my mother than to a colleague. In English, I learned the same rule applies:…
Complex Noun Phrases: Pack More Into Every Sentence
💬 From my own experience: I worked on my CELTA written assignments at night, after hotel shifts that lasted until 2am. When I read back my early drafts, each idea occupied a full sentence. When…
Intonation: Using Your Voice to Mean More
💬 From my own experience: Working the floor at Merivale, I learned that the same words said with different intonation can mean the opposite. 'Of course, sir' said with a falling tone means genuine agreement.…
Error Correction: When to Step In and When to Step Back
💬 From my own experience: My first year of teaching, I corrected every error the moment it appeared. Lessons became error-correction sessions. My students stopped speaking. The day I learned to hold a correction until…
Discourse Markers: Signposting Your Ideas Like a Pro
💬 From my own experience: When I briefed my team at Establishment before service, I learned to signal transitions: 'First, the VIP table... Furthermore, we have a dietary request... Finally, one important reminder...' Those markers…
Connected Speech: How English Really Sounds
💬 From my own experience: When I moved to La Réunion, French people told me my English was 'too clear' — meaning I spoke like a textbook, not a human. Connected speech is what happens…
What Did You Do Yesterday? Past Tense Fun for Kids
💬 From my own experience: Children learn past tense faster when it connects to THEIR day. I always start with: 'Yesterday, I woke up and... I made coffee and... I played with...' Then I pass…
Animals in English: A Colourful Cambridge Starters Lesson
💬 From my own experience: My daughter is still small, but I already point at animals in books and say their names in English. Research is clear: early exposure to vocabulary — even before formal…
PPP vs TBL: Choosing the Right Framework for Your Lesson
💬 From my own experience: My CELTA tutor told me: 'A hammer is not better than a screwdriver. They solve different problems.' I had been using PPP for every lesson, even when the aim was…