Susa English

I read this text by a Finnish coach Tiina Vainionpää, and I wanted to translate it so we could all profit from its wisdom.

"Do you choose the fast route – or the one that gets you there?

Instantaneous good feeling.
Instantaneous relief.

The human mind wants everything immediately.
Preferably yesterday.

That’s why many choose the easy one.
And that’s why many stay put.

A sustainable solution requires discipline.
Repetition even when you don’t feel like it.
Choices that don’t feel good right now.

If you often choose the fastest route – the momentary good one – you’ll notice that over time you’re running in circles.

Fast gives you a feeling.
Sustainable gives you results."

This applies to every endeavor in life, like learning English. I've never met a student who consistently showed up and didn't make progress.
Was it always easy? Nope. Fun? No, not really.
But, did it give satisfaction and pride in the end? Undoubtedly, wholeheartedly, without question, yes. 🌊

So, make a decision to stay disciplined in a world that doesn't always encourage it.

A pack of dogs is my favorite pack. 🐕

This week the kids and I continued to work on prepositions. 🌲🛁 🛏️ 🚗

This is a fun test for young and older people as well. Can you get all of these prepositions right?

Let's get specific about prepositions:
mark on or in the calendar 🗓️ ✔️

Both "mark on" and "mark in" a calendar are acceptable, but usage often depends on the type of calendar. Use "on" for physical wall calendars (you mark on the surface), and "in" for diaries, planners, or digital calendar applications. Either works for noting down events to ensure they are remembered.

Key Usage Differences:

Mark on the calendar: Typically refers to a physical, flat calendar (e.g., "I marked the date on the wall calendar").

Mark in the calendar: Often refers to a notebook, diary, or app (e.g., "I've got it in my calendar/phone").

In April we work on prepositions of place and time. 📐

They can be tricky but this illustration can help. From bigger to smaller places.

It's April Fool's Day so don't do this...

Throw someone ____ the bus" is an English idiom meaning to blame or betray another person (often a friend, colleague, or ally) for selfish reasons, typically to protect oneself or gain a personal advantage.

🔵 Common Idioms for Time Passing Quickly

Time flies (when you're having fun): Used to describe enjoyable or engaging moments that pass without you noticing.

In the blink of an eye: Indicates that something happened so fast it was almost impossible to see or notice.

Before you know it: Describes something that happens sooner than you expected.

Gone in a flash: Used when an event or period of time ends very suddenly.

Where did the time go?: A common rhetorical question used when you are surprised by how much time has passed.

Overnight: Used for something that completed much faster than expected, often implying it happened while people were sleeping (e.g., "an overnight success").

In no time (at all): Suggests that a task or period was finished very quickly.

Time slipped away: A more reflective way to say time passed unnoticed, often used in quiet or emotional contexts.

As fast as lightning: Compares the speed of an event to a lightning strike.

Like sand through an hourglass: Refers to the regular, unstoppable passage of time.

A mile a minute: Often used for things happening at a very rapid, continuous rate (e.g., "talking a mile a minute").

I think that good life is a life that you can enjoy consistently. Working on long-term goals, like learning English.

What's your favorite?

I like "letting your life be ordinary but meaningful".

Let's talk about the first conditional.

It is used to talk about possibilities. The first conditional talks about an action and a reaction to it. For example, "if you consistently learn new words in English, you will increase your vocabulary".

The structure is if and the present simple tense, followed by the simple future tense. These clauses can be interchanged. You can then also say that "you will increase your vocabulary in English, if you consistently learn new words".

The second slide gives you prompts to try and finish the sentences yourself.

Let's get specific—because to be honest, that's how you go from an intermediate level English speaker to an advanced one.

What are the different types of foot actions?

You probably know kicking the soccer ball. But how about stomping when your team is put in penalty or tiptoeing so that no one knows you're going back to the kitchen for another piece of chocolate?

Marching is more than regular walking. Crossing legs is considered ladylike yet bad for blood circulation.