Last week we talked all about vocabulary to rent an apartment in English. With that vocabulary already under your belt (learned, understood), we thought we would focus on vocabulary for buying a house in English this week. Buying a house is different to renting an apartment and you're going to need some new vocabulary in order (be to able) to do so. If you're switching (changing) from renting an apartment to owning a home, be prepared for some differences across the board (from beginning to end). Here's some of the vocabulary for a buying a house in English that you may need: Open House When you're looking for a [...]

  What do you like to do in your spare (free, extra) time? What are some things you enjoy? Things you do in your spare time are called your hobbies. Hobbies are a lot of fun and help us relax. When you meet people, they may ask about your hobbies. It's important to be able to talk about hobbies in English. Sometimes, there are set (fixed, always the same) phrases we use to talk about hobbies in English. That means that there are certain ways we can say things. Here are some of the ways you can talk about common (typical) hobbies. Listen to Music Everyone [...]

As an American living abroad, I've become very aware of distinct American phrases I use on a daily basis. I have very few friends here from the United States, so when I use one of these distinct American phrases, I sometimes find myself explaining certain terms or phrases that I wouldn’t have to at home. In a tiny effort to help bridge (close the gap, explain) some cultural misunderstandings and to help you understand your friends from the U.S. more easily, here are six distinct American phrases you may hear and what they mean. Jump the Shark The phrase jump the shark is used [...]

Common Cooking Vocabulary in English Do you enjoy spending time in the kitchen? Do you like baking or cooking to relax? If this sounds like you, then you just may need some cooking vocabulary in English.   Sometimes I notice that I have gaps (whole, things I don’t know) in my German, one of which is cooking vocabulary. There are some things that they don’t teach you in class that you only learn by living in that language. This week, we hope to fill some of your language gaps with this cooking vocabulary in English.   Boil   When you heat [...]

Talk about Family in English There's nothing better than family time. I always love getting to spend time (be) with my family. It's especially (very) nice when you live far away. When I go back to where I live, it's good to know how to talk about family in English. Every family is different. Some have a lot of relatives. Some have very few. No matter how many family members you have, we have some family vocabulary you can use to talk about family. Parent(s) Your parents are the people who raised (were there from baby to adulthood) you. You may be their biological or adopted (legally taken) child. But [...]