Politely Disagreeing Without Losing — Functional Language
1. 'You're wrong' vs 'I see it slightly differently' I see it slightly differently — acknowledges the speaker, opens dialogue
Tag: speaking
LLFE-A12 · Learning Never Stops — Talking About Learning Experiences
📖 From the teacher's desk: At 40-something, I completed the Cambridge CELTA course — sitting alongside trainees half my age, writing assignments, being observed teaching, receiving feedback. It was humbling and energising in equal measure.…
LLFE-A11 · Island Life — Describing Where You Live in English
📖 From the teacher's desk: La Réunion is unlike anywhere I have ever lived. We have an active volcano (the Piton de la Fournaise), coral reefs, ancient forests, and tropical beaches — all on one…
LLFE-A10 · Four Languages, One Head — Discussing Multilingualism
📖 From the teacher's desk: English and Bengali are my native languages. I learned French as an adult here in La Réunion — I even passed the DCL exam at C1 level, which proved to…
LLFE-A08 · I Disagree, But… — Polite Disagreement in English
📖 From the teacher's desk: Managing multicultural teams in Sydney's hospitality industry meant navigating strong opinions — about menus, rosters, service standards — every single day. In my mixed-ability classes in Brittany, I noticed that…
LLFE-A06 · Moving Abroad — Discussing Change and New Starts
📖 From the teacher's desk: Moving from Sydney to La Réunion with Vanessa and our young son was one of the biggest adventures of my life — and one of the hardest. A new language,…
LLFE-A03 · Where Are You From? — Talking About Your Hometown
📖 From the teacher's desk: When people ask me where I'm from, I never know where to start — born in Bangladesh, grown up in Australia, now living in La Réunion. I've learned that describing…
LLFE-A01 · At the Bar — Ordering Drinks in English
📖 From the teacher's desk: As a sommelier and bar manager at The Ivy and Merivale venues in Sydney, I took thousands of drinks orders in English every week. The language of ordering drinks is…
LLFE-YL01 · What’s Your Name? — Greetings and Introductions
📖 From the teacher's desk: When I first arrived in La Réunion, my little one came home from crèche one day and said "Bonjour!" to everyone she met — even the cat! Greetings are the…
Your Story in English: Personal Introduction
"Hello, my name is Sourov. I'm originally from Bangladesh — I grew up in a city called Chittagong on the coast. I moved to Australia in 2005, and I lived in Sydney for many years.…