Refine your communication skills and express yourself more clearly in an English-speaking environment.
(416) 535-VtoW (8869)JOKE – The Difference between Complete & Finished
I received this recently in one of those anonymous emails that get passed around. Some words seem pretty much the same until you change the context! People say there is no difference between COMPLETE & FINISHED. But there is. When you marry the right one, you are...
The Problem with Learning English from Teenagers
One day my daughter was trying to tell me something but, as teenagers are prone to do, she was mumbling so badly, I couldn’t understand half of what she was saying. I said with a smile, “You should join my pronunciation class.” Her response was to speak with extreme...
JOKE OF THE MONTH – Canadian Export?
I was speaking with client of mine from Colombia a while back. Since Canada was signing a free trade agreement with Colombia at the time, I asked him what Canada exported to Colombia. “Weed,” he said. “I don’t think so,” I replied with a smile. “That’s what Colombia...
Similar Expressions, Different Meanings
Like the police officer who confused PASSED AWAY with PASSED OUT (see the joke “Idiom Danger” below,) many of us mix up English expressions. For example, we may blend two idioms, mix up the preposition in a phrasal verb, incorrectly hear the words in an expression or...
JOKE OF THE MONTH – Idiom Danger
A friend of mine recently told me a story about a former student who had become a police officer. One day, he was attending a young man who had fainted. Since the young man was unconscious, the officer called an ambulance which whisked him away to the hospital. The...
INTONATION – Uptalk!
Have you noticed that some people sound less authoritative than others? It could be because they are unsure, hesitant or speaking too quietly for the context. But commonly the reason is the intonation being used – what we call “uptalk.” Also known as “upspeak,”...
VOCABULARY – The real meanings of “of course!”
I was on the phone recently getting some tech support. As is often the case, I was talking with someone from India. I wanted to know whether I was doing something correctly and, after explaining it to the technician, I asked if I was doing it in the right way. “Of...
VOCABULARY: Phrasal Verbs
Phrasal verbs are verbs that are used with prepositions or adverbs, thus creating a different meaning from the original verb. For example, TURN is different than TURN ON (meaning to flick the switch to on, or the more sexual meaning of to excite) or TURN INTO (which...
SPEAKING CLEARLY: Communication as a Two-Way Street
Many of us know the English idiom, “It takes two to tango.” This saying applies very much to communication between native and non-native language speakers – especially in a multicultural, immigration-rich society like Canada.
It is common for non-native English-speakers to feel that any misunderstanding is due to their errors with English. This perception often drains confidence….
JOKE OF THE MONTH: A Canadian Breakfast?
A guy walks into a bar. He's relatively new to Canada and he likes beer. So, he orders his favourite imported beer. As he finishes his beer, he asks the bartender a question. “Next time I visit your bar,” says the new Canadian, “I’d like to order a Canadian beer. What...
