Study Tenses Another Way: Past Verbs When we study verbs teachers generally introduce a tense and explain, for example: “The simple past is used for completed actions in a time before now”. Why not look at them based on what we want to say? It makes more sense. Here are some common ways to describe…

I’d like to thank everyone who has downloaded my books these last two weeks. It’s great to know that over 500 of you will read something I have written. Thanks a lot! You can see them all here: www.andymiles.com

Maximise your budget and minimise the time when you study a new language. 💡Never attend groups with mixed levels. You will either understand nothing or get bored. 💡Improve your listening by rotating teachers every two years or so. You will get used to different accents and be better prepared for real-life situations. 💡Avoid methods you…

Use data instead of adjectives and adverbs to write more clearly Want to write more clearly in English? Avoid vague adjectives and adverbs. Use specific data instead. See the examples below: ❌ The delivery arrived late (vague; late is not clear enough). ✅The delivery arrived ten hours late (clear; we specify a time). ❌ Our…

Study tenses another way. When we study verbs, teachers generally introduce a tense and say, for example: “The simple present is used for…” Why not look at tenses the other way round? It’s easier and makes more sense. Therefore, see examples of how we can organise some present verb tenses based on what we want…

Fundae fundaments for face-to-face lessons Fundae is a Spanish entity that refunds money to companies who run training programs. Several conditions must be met for the system to work. In the case of “traditional” lessons with a teacher, their main conditions are: No cancelled lessons:  Fundae allows no cancellation, which means classes can never be…

Don’t use slang, abbreviations or ironical phrases if you want to be understood when talking to foreigners One way to help others understand you better is to avoid ironical phrases. Irony doesn’t travel well from one culture to another and brings confusion, so try not to use it. Also, stay away from slang, which listeners…

It’s not nice to be ill—especially when you travel. The story behind this tip I was visiting my family in Canada when I got a toothache. As I lived in Spain, I wasn’t covered by the Canadian health system.  I called my Spanish dentist, who prescribed an antibiotic. However, I could not get one without…

One way to help listeners understand you better is to make it clear when you change subject. You can use phrases like “Now we will introduce the next proposal” or “We’ve discussed finance up to now. The next point in my speech will be production”.In this way, listeners will know that you’re now talking about…