English Squared

Hey guys,

I tried to make a video, but it was a bit of a disaster - LOL. In English, this is a blooper - a mistake made, especially while on film. It happens to native speakers and learners all the time. 

The idea is to talk about perks and drawbacks (like pros and cons).

Leave a sentence and we will continue the conversation.

Good formats:

One of the perks/drawbacks of ___ is ___. 

Take care (-;
Andrew


           

Hey guys,

Don't make this mistake in English - lol!

Even native speakers make it all the time!

(-;

Hey guys,

“Edges” are intense places - zones of massive transition. I think everyone would agree that being on the edge of a building, canyon or cliff would be memorable. 

When the edge is less literal, we often say “brink” or “verge”. We would say things like “The country was on the brink/verge of collapse” meaning it couldn’t have been closer to collapse.

It can also be positive. Many would say that we are on the brink/verge of ridding the world of polio (it still exists in a handful of countries). 

What do you think we are on the verge/brink of?

Take care (-;
Andrew

           

Hey guys,

“Read the room” is a great phrase in the English language. You can use it in  business English and ordinary conversations as well.

It simply means to evaluate/assess a person or group of people (usually in a room) to determine what the general mood is (and how to best communicate with them).

Ex: After reading the room, she decided to shorten her presentation.


Take care (-;
Andrew

           

Hey guys,

Here is a phrase you will hear/read a lot in formal English speech: academic, journalistic, etc.

The phrase “to field questions” means to answer questions in a formal context (usually) from a variety of people.

If you are curious about any aspect of my explanation, I will field questions in the comments (-;

Take care (-;
Andrew

Hey guys,

Here is a phrasal verb in English. The verb "tap" usually refers to accessing beer from a barrel. 

Based on this we have “tap into” which simply means access.

Ex: Cigarette companies are always trying to tap into the teen market - this is both unethical and illegal.

Take care (-;
Andrew

Hey guys,

Here is another video in the series entitled: How to sound smart when you feel dumb (stupid)!

We have so much flexibility, fluidity and finesse in our first language, that small talk is effortless.

Doing this in our second language is trickier. You don’t alway have the right vocab, your jokes are too slow or don’t translate, etc. 

The idea behind this series is to start to give you the tools to feel more confident and function more effectively in your second language.

I hope it is helpful. Let me know if you would like some more tips.

Take care (-;
Andrew

Hey guys,

“Small talk” is a necessary part of life. Some people enjoy it, others don’t.

In addition, some cultures find it quite natural, while others find it strange and disorienting. 

Today, give me your best advice on small talk, and let me know if you would like a longer video on the subject. 

Hey guys,

“Scam” is not a technical word, but it is a word to describe business - specifically a dishonest business deal.

Usually it is when someone accepts your money but doesn’t deliver the product they said they would.

Maybe they deliver nothing or maybe they deliver an inferior product.

If you pay someone to translate your novel and they just run it through Google translate, it is a scam!

Hey guys,

In politics, business, and life in general, an important questions is: How do you sound smart when you feel dumb. 

Today we will look at two variations on the phrase “as far as” that will help.

As far as I know/ I understand.

If you leave a sentence, I will get back to you (-;

Thanks and have a great day!

Hey guys,

Here is a new vocab word for you.

To “overhaul” is to change a system, process, etc. drastically - essentially remaking it.

As mentioned, I overhauled my website over the summer: new photos, new graphics, new speed-search functionality…

Check it out and give me some feedback. It would be much appreciated.

I would also love to see lots of examples, so add “overhaul” sentences in the comments.

I will check them (-;