Alexandra Conte - Language Coach

05/08/2026

Why Some People Study English for Years… and Still Freeze When They Have to Speak!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3-2LmUhXBK4

Video riassuntivo della mia Newsletter mensile Curiousity Killed the Cat - August 2026

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15/05/2026

I hate phrasal verbs” — a short story about why English refuses to behave
If you’ve ever said “I hate phrasal verbs”, you’re in very good company. Most learners feel the same way at some point:

why give up and not “surrender”?
why look up instead of a nice Latin verb like “consult”?
why run out, take off, figure out… why so many particles everywhere?
And the most common question is even more logical:

“If Latin or French words already exist and are easier to remember, why didn’t English just use those?”

The short answer is: it actually did.
The longer answer is: English is a linguistic layering cake with several historical accidents baked in.

English didn’t start with phrasal verbs — it grew them back
Old English (the ancestor of modern English) belonged to the same Germanic family as German and Dutch. It already had a system very similar to German separable verbs:

up ārisan → “to rise up”
ūt gān → “to go out”
So originally, English thought in the same way German still does today:
verb + direction = meaning

Then came two massive historical disruptions:

1. The Vikings (Old Norse influence)
They mixed with Old English and reinforced the habit of using short, concrete words for actions and directions.

2. The Norman Conquest (1066)
Suddenly, French became the language of power, law, education, and prestige.

And this is where English split in two layers:

A two-layer vocabulary system is born
After the Norman influence:

🔹 Germanic English (everyday, physical, direct)
give up
go out
come in
take off
find out
🔹 Latin/French English (formal, abstract, “elegant”)
surrender
exit
enter
remove / depart
discover / ascertain
So the question “why not just use Latin verbs?” has a historical answer:

English does use them — but in more formal, written, academic contexts.

Phrasal verbs survived because they stayed:

shorter
more expressive
more native
more flexible in speech
While Latin/French verbs became:

formal
institutional
less conversational
Why phrasal verbs survived (even though they seem messy)
Because they are incredibly efficient in real communication.

Compare:

I gave up smoking (natural, spoken)
I surrendered smoking (sounds unnatural)
She looked up the word
She consulted the dictionary for the word (formal, heavy)
And what about dialects like Venetian?

Yes — and this is the fun part.

Dialects like Venetian (Veneto) also use constructions that behave very similarly to phrasal verbs.

In Venetian, you often get:

🔹 verb + particle structures
tirar su (to pick up / lift)
ndar via (to go away)
vignir fora (to come out)
meter dentro (to put inside)
far fora (to get rid of)
Just like English:
verb + small directional word = new meaning

This is not a coincidence. It’s a very old European pattern:
humans love to explain actions through space.

And yes — even your Venetian grandmother was secretly using the same linguistic logic.

14/11/2025

“My junior students are learning English and developing their soft skills! Check out the amazing high-engineering creations they built during their English class with me!”

31/10/2025

Creep it real this Halloween!! ⚰️🪦🎃🧙‍♀️🧛‍♂️🧟‍♂️

15/10/2025

Hallo Sprachliebhaber!

Heute bringen wir ein bisschen Farbe in dein Deutsch – mit zwei Redewendungen, die alle benutzen: von Teenies bis zu Großeltern.

1. „Na klar!“>> "certo!", "ma sicuro!"
Das sagt man ständig – es bedeutet einfach „Natürlich!“ oder „Aber sicher!“.
Beispiel:
A: „Kommst du morgen mit ins Kino?“
B: „Na klar!“
Tipp: Mit dem kleinen „Na“ davor klingt es viel natürlicher und entspannter als nur „klar“.

2. „Das passt wie die Faust aufs Auge“ >> "ci sta bene come un pugno nell'occhio"
Wörtlich klingt das seltsam („passt wie die Faust aufs Auge“ 😅), aber es heißt: etwas passt überhaupt nicht zusammen – also ironisch!
Beispiel:
„Seine pinke Jacke und die grünen Schuhe – das passt wie die Faust aufs Auge.“

15/10/2025

Hello English lovers 😃

Expressions to Boost Your English

If you want to sound more fluent and confident in English, learning useful everyday expressions is key. These short, natural phrases help you express ideas clearly, add nuance, and sound more like a native speaker. Below you’ll also find the closest Italian equivalent for each expression.

1. “What’s the catch?” 🤔
Use this when something sounds too good to be true and you suspect there’s a hidden downside.
Example: “You’ll lend me your car for free? What’s the catch?”
Italian equivalent: “Dov’è la fregatura?”

2. “Don’t get me wrong.” 😅
A polite way to disagree or clarify your opinion without sounding rude.
Example: “Don’t get me wrong, I like the idea — I just think we need more time.”
Italian equivalent: “Non fraintendermi.” / “Non mi fraintendere.”

3. “I’ll keep you posted.” 😎
A natural phrase to say you’ll share updates or information later.
Example: “We haven’t made a final decision yet, but I’ll keep you posted.”
Italian equivalent: “Ti tengo aggiornato.”

4. “You’ve got to be kidding.”😬
Used to express surprise or disbelief in an informal, friendly way.
Example: “You’ve got to be kidding — the meeting was cancelled again?”
Italian equivalent: “Stai scherzando?”

5. “It’s not a big deal.” 🙂
Say this to show that something isn’t serious or worth worrying about.
Example: “Don’t worry about the mistake — it’s not a big deal.”
Italian equivalent: “Non è un problema.” / “Non è niente di che.”

6. “Let’s call it a day.” 🥳
A nice, natural phrase to suggest stopping work or an activity.
Example: “We’ve done enough for now. Let’s call it a day.”
Italian equivalent: “Per oggi può bastare.” / “Chiudiamola qui per oggi.”

18/09/2025

Let's start this English course year with....loads of love 🥰🥰🥰

19/09/2024

Imparare a comunicare in inglese usando manualità e creatività: fatto 😃!