In the month of February I'm going to do a special series of “phrase of the day” videos - so I'll take a phrase I've heard recently on TV or in daily life and teach it to you here. Make sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel so you don't miss any phrases! 

Sometimes you might get discouraged when studying English. Becoming fluent takes a really long time and lots of effort and practice, so it's easy to lose your motivation.  Today I want to share some motivational quotes with you and show you how these sayings relate to your English learning. I hope this lesson will help you feel more optimistic about your English studies! My goal here at Espresso English is to help you build up your English skills, one lesson at a time! One of the best ways to learn from me is to join my Complete Program – it contains ALL my e-books and courses, a total of more than 400 lessons.  If you took 400 lessons at an English school or with a private teacher, it would cost thousands of dollars – but you can get my Complete Program for a discounted price. Click here for more information and registration.

We have a saying in English that "the devil is in the details" - this means that you need to be careful, because the small parts of a situation/task can cause major problems or difficulties. Sometimes this is the case for learning pronunciation - a tiny difference in a sound can change the word completely. In today's lesson, I'm going to help you practice 10 words that students often mispronounce, resulting in a totally different word. When it comes to pronunciation, the only way to improve is to practice a lot! Don't just read about pronunciation rules... you need to practice SAYING words and sentences repeatedly in order to develop good pronunciation habits. My courses on Pronunciation and Shadowing have great pronunciation practice exercises to help you avoid mistakes like the ones in this lesson. At the end of each course, you can send me a recording of your speaking, and I'll give you an evaluation of your pronunciation.

Many of us have hopes and plans for what we would like to accomplish in the new year! Today I'll teach you 50 common collocations with these words. Collocations are combinations of words that are frequently used together. Studying common collocations is a great way to help you form better sentences that sound more natural in English. Wow, that was a lot of collocations! Do you want to keep learning - and practice, too? Check out my e-book 1000 Collocations in 10 Minutes a Day. Each lesson will teach you collocations related to a particular topic - such as relationships, sports, memories, feelings, study, travel, weather, and more - and at the end of each lesson there's a quiz to help you review what you've learned.

This is one of my FAVORITE lessons of the year  :-) Did you know that the dictionary is updated all the time? The publishers add words that have come to be used frequently in the media and in everyday life. Let's learn some of the new English words added in 2018. There were 12 words in this lesson... but the English language has more than 170,000 words in total. How are you supposed to learn so many? My Vocabulary Builder Courses will teach you USEFUL English words in a clear and effective way. These are the words that native speakers use all the time, and the courses make it easy for you to learn and practice them. There are two levels of the Vocabulary Builder, so if you really want to expand your vocabulary a lot, I recommend joining both levels!

It's December 31st - we're at the tail end of the year! (= the very last part) In today's lesson, you'll learn 8 English idioms with the word end.Remember, don't try to translate these idioms literally word by word - if you do, they might not make sense. Instead, learn each one as a whole expression. We're about to start a new year... wouldn't you like to learn some new expressions in English? You can learn 300 Idioms in 30 Days in my course! In 2018 I updated the course with new videos  :-)  I recommend that you try a free sample to see what the lessons are like. NOTE: Even though the course is called "300 Idioms in 30 Days," you can certainly keep the lessons for more than 30 days. There's NO time limit to your access, so you can study as slowly or as quickly as you want. I hope you have a nice end-of-year celebration!

Phrasal verbs are very common in everyday spoken English - and many students ask me about the definitions of phrasal verbs they've heard in conversations, TV shows, or movies. Today I'm going to explain five phrasal verbs that you might not know yet: square away, step up, space out, blow over, and swear off. If you come across (encounter) a phrasal verb that you can't understand, please e-mail me and I'll explain it in a future lesson. Do you want to see how native English speakers use phrasal verbs in conversation? Take my Phrasal Verbs in Conversation Course! The course will help you learn more than 500 common phrasal verbs in English. You can see how the phrasal verbs are used AND practice them with the exercises included in each lesson. You can try a free sample here, and sign up for the course here.

I've noticed a pronunciation mistake that many students make when they say words like "succeed" and "successful." There are actually 3 different ways to pronounce CC in English! Today we're going to practice saying 26 words with CC. Listen and try to repeat after me. Listening and repeating - like you did in today's lesson - is one of the best ways to improve your pronunciation! With time and practice, your pronunciation will get closer to a native English speaker's. I've created two courses to help you practice your pronunciation: the American English Pronunciation Course and Shadowing with Shayna. I recommend taking them together, because the Pronunciation course focuses more on individual sounds, and in Shadowing with Shayna you can practice whole phrases/sentences. Both of them include an evaluation at the end, where you can record your speaking and I'll comment on your pronunciation!

Today you can test your knowledge of 10 common business English terms. This quiz only taught you 10 words and expressions... but you can learn hundreds more words and phrases inside my Business English Course! The course will teach you practical English for work. You'll learn day-to-day vocabulary for interacting with clients and co-workers, as well as specific words in the areas of management, marketing, finance, and much more. You can try a free sample lesson here, and register for the course here.

We recently had the holiday of Thanksgiving in the United States. Most people celebrate it with their families, but there's a growing tradition of also celebrating "Friendsgiving" - and that's the topic of this week's lesson. Click here to learn 15 vocabulary words/expressions from the article! I hope you've enjoyed my series of English in the news videos in November! If you want to learn more from me, consider joining one of my courses. I've created courses to help you improve all your skills - from speaking to reading to understanding idioms. You can take free samples of all my courses here.

Today’s article is about social media and mental health. This one is written in a more casual style, so it has some informal expressions we can learn. I’m going to teach you 15 words and expressions from this news article. I know many of you enjoy listening to my voice as I teach you English - and that's great! But do you have difficulty understanding other English speakers, who may speak faster or with a different accent? It's important to improve your listening comprehension so that you can understand anyone who speaks English - and I've created a Listening Course to help you do that! The course includes a variety of voices and accents, and both slow and fast audio to help you build confidence. You can click here to learn more about the Listening Course.

You might have seen a video on social media about a bear cub (that's a baby bear) trying very hard to scale (climb) a snow-covered mountain and eventually succeeding. A lot of people liked that video... but today's article talks about a potential problem with it. In this lesson I'm going to teach you 24 vocabulary words that are important in understanding the text. Do you want more practice reading and understanding articles in English? My new Reading Course will help you improve your comprehension and learn and practice new vocabulary. The lessons in the course are based on articles about various topics in history, science, and culture. They are designed to challenge you, teach you, and build confidence in your reading skills. You can click here to learn more about the Reading Course! Best wishes, Shayna 

This month, I'm bringing you a very special series of videos in which you can learn English from the news. Every week, I'll choose a current news topic and teach you key vocabulary and phrases in the context of the article. This week's lesson is based on an article about employees of Google protesting their company's policies about sexual harassment. You can read the original news here, and then watch my video explanation of 20 vocabulary words from the article!

The English language has a lot of regional variations and different accents - and there are some words with two different (but correct) ways to pronounce them!The English language has a lot of regional variations and different accents - and there are some words with two different (but correct) ways to pronounce them! Lesson text: https://www.espressoenglish.net/10-english-words-with-alternative-pronunciation/ In today's lesson, you'll learn some of the most common ones - like aunt, caramel, and route. So, which way should you say these words? You can choose whichever way you think sounds best... or whichever way other native English speakers around you tends to say them. One of the most important aspects of English fluency is to pronounce words clearly, so that other people can understand you easily. And you don't want to make embarrassing mistakes like pronouncing the word "sheet" like "shit"! You can improve your pronunciation by taking my American English Pronunciation Course. It has lots of listen-and-repeat exercises that will help you differentiate similar sounds and pronounce English words more accurately. If you want even more practice, take the Shadowing with Shayna course, too. In these lessons, you can repeat phrases and sentences after me in order to improve your speaking rhythm and speed.

Do you know the difference between wait and await, sleep and asleep, and wake and awake? These words seem simple, but there are some small grammatical differences in the way we use them in sentences. Take today's lesson to find out how to use them all correctly. Lesson text: https://www.espressoenglish.net/wait-and-await-sleep-and-asleep-wake-and-awake/ Small mistakes like saying "await for" often don't affect communication; however, they show that you're not a native English speaker. This is why I want to help you understand how to use similar and confusing words correctly - so that your English can have fewer mistakes and become more fluent! My e-book 600+ Confusing English Words Explained describes many of the most common errors English learners make, and shows you the right way to use these words. I think you'll find it very helpful :-)

Today you’re going to learn the difference between break in, break out, break down, break up, and break through. Some of these phrasal verbs have multiple meanings. Lesson text: https://www.espressoenglish.net/5-phrasal-verbs-with-break/ It can be very hard to remember the meanings of phrasal verbs if you just study lists and definitions. That's why in my lessons, I always try to give you real examples of the phrasal verbs used in sentences! In my Phrasal Verbs in Conversation Course, you can learn more than 500 phrasal verbs in the context of dialogues. It's a fun and natural way to learn these essential elements of the English language.

Today I want to clear up some confusion around the words sometime, sometimes, and some time.  Are they all the same? No! These words have different meanings and uses. Take today's lesson to find out how to use each one of them correctly. Lesson text: https://www.espressoenglish.net/sometimes-sometime-or-some-time/  Can you make your own example sentences with all three? It’s important to put what you’re learning into practice! My English courses can help you do that – many of them have quizzes and practice exercises, and in some cases you can send in your answers for evaluation: Short answer exercises with correction: Phrasal Verbs Course, Idioms Course, Vocabulary Builder Courses Writing tasks with correction: Advanced English Grammar Course Speaking tasks with correction: Everyday English Speaking Courses These are extremely valuable opportunities to get direct feedback on your English from a teacher!

Some informal and idiomatic expressions in English just don't seem to make sense. In today’s lesson, I’ll explain four phrases that my students have asked me about: nothing to sneeze at there'll be hell to pay to each his own a far cry from Don’t try to translate or understand these phrases literally – that’s a common mistake among language learners. If you try to understand it word by word, it won’t make sense. Instead, you need to understand each phrase as a whole unit, with a particular meaning. Lesson text: https://www.espressoenglish.net/four-english-expressions-that-dont-seem-to-make-sense/  You can see how each of these expressions is difficult to understand by itself, but easier to learn if you have an example situation where it would be used. This is why I highly recommend learning phrases in context, not just trying to memorize lists of phrases and definitions, and my Everyday English Speaking Course Level 2 can help you do that. The lessons are based on more advanced conversations that are full of expressions like these. You can click here for a free sample.

There are many English words that have similar spellings and pronunciations, and it’s common for English learners to use the wrong one. Today I’m going to teach you three examples of how small differences can change the meaning of the word completely. We're going to practice these: college / collage / colleague message / massage course / curse Pay close attention to make sure you’re saying and writing these words correctly! Lesson text: https://www.espressoenglish.net/three-spelling-pronunciation-changes-that-completely-change-the-word/  As you can see, a small pronunciation mistake can result in a big change in meaning. This is why it’s important to have good pronunciation in English. Remember that excellent pronunciation isn’t something you can get overnight – it takes lots of practice and training. You can get some of that training in my Pronunciation and Shadowing Courses, which have lots of opportunities to listen and repeat. When you’re confident that your pronunciation is good, you can speak English without fear. I hope to see you inside one of my courses!

I’ve just gotten back from a road trip with my family, and I’m going to use this opportunity to teach you some vocabulary for driving and traveling by car. Lesson text: https://www.espressoenglish.net/english-vocabulary-for-a-road-trip/  To learn more vocabulary that’s organized by topic, you can join my Vocabulary Builder Courses, which will teach you hundreds of useful words. Level 1 of the course covers topics like daily life, work & study, travel & entertainment, people & ideas, and society & the world. Level 2 of the course is more advanced and will teach you deeper, more complex, and more colorful vocabulary.

In today’s lesson I’m going to show you six mistakes that real students of mine have made – and you might be making, too! The purpose of this lesson is not to make you feel bad about those mistakes, but instead to learn from them. Lesson text: https://www.espressoenglish.net/six-english-grammar-mistakes-you-might-be-making/ One problem with language learning is that if you make a fairly minor mistake that doesn’t affect communication, native speakers often don’t correct you because they understood what you meant in general and they don’t want to make you feel bad by pointing out an error in your grammar. And then you might go on making the same mistake for months or even years! If you want to get your English corrected, join my Advanced English Grammar Course, which includes writing tasks that you can send me for feedback.

William Shakespeare was a poet and playwright who lived in the 16th century. He is regarded as one of the greatest writers in the history of the English language. You might know him as the author of the famous “Romeo and Juliet.” Many of the English idioms we use to this day were invented or popularized by Shakespeare – you’ll learn eight of them in this lesson! Lesson text: https://www.espressoenglish.net/eight-english-idioms-from-shakespeare/  To learn more idioms, join my 300+ English Idioms Course.

Today I want to teach you the correct way to say four words that I often hear students mispronouncing or confusing: recipe, receipt, debt, and debit. Listen and repeat to practice your pronunciation, so that you can be confident you're pronouncing these words correctly and not mixing them up! Lesson text: https://www.espressoenglish.net/how-to-pronounce-recipe-receipt-debt-debit/ A lot of English learners want to know the “rules” of English pronunciation, but unfortunately it’s hard to teach any rules since the pronunciation is so irregular. There are some trends and patterns in English pronunciation, but there are SO many exceptions. In my opinion, it’s better to train your pronunciation by listening and repeatingafter a native speaker, not by trying to memorize rules. You can get a lot of listen-and-repeat practice inside my courses on Pronunciation and Shadowing.

Today we’re going to take a closer look at the word TEST – specifically the collocations (common combinations of words) that are often used with “test.” Learning collocations like these can make it easier for you to put together phrases and sentences in English. Lesson text: https://www.espressoenglish.net/english-collocations-with-the-word-test/ You can learn a lot more inside my e-book, which will teach you 1000 collocations in 10 minutes a day. It has short lessons and quizzes that you can easily complete even if you don’t have lots of time to study.

Have you noticed that when you listen to informal English conversations, you hear some expressions that you can't understand? Today I’m going to teach you three casual conversational expressions, what they mean, and how to use them: quite a bit might as well just my luck! Lesson text: https://www.espressoenglish.net/informal-english-quite-a-bit-might-as-well-just-my-luck/ To continue learning lots of informal English from conversations, check out my Everyday English Speaking Course Level 2.  The lessons are based on dialogues that are full of informal expressions, so you can learn them in context. This course is great for upper-intermediate and advanced English learners. It will help you improve your understanding of conversational English and learn a lot of great new expressions that native English speakers use.

In today's lesson I want to clarify the difference between the confusing words careless and carefree. It’s easy to mix them up, but they have quite different meanings and connotations. Lesson text: https://www.espressoenglish.net/careless-or-carefree/ I hope this lesson has helped you understand the difference! For more explanations of confusing words, check out my e-book, 600+ Confusing English Words Explained. It will teach you the differences between similar – but different – words such as averse and adverse, specially and especially, and many more.

Today I want to teach you how to use the word “lack” correctly. I’ve noticed some of my students making a little mistake with this word, so this lesson will help you learn which one to use – “lack” or “lack of.” It’s a very small detail, but it’s important to learn so that your English grammar is correct. Lesson text: https://www.espressoenglish.net/english-grammar-lack-or-lack-of/ These little details of English grammar can be confusing! That’s why I created the Advanced English Grammar Course, to help make the rules of the language clear – and to help you put them into practice.

OUGH is pronounced at least 5 different ways in English! In today’s lesson, I’m going to teach you how to pronounce OUGH in some common words and example sentences. Remember to practice your pronunciation by repeating after me – because the best way to improve your pronunciation is to practice it actively! Lesson text: https://www.espressoenglish.net/how-to-pronounce-ough-in-english/ How can you know which way to pronounce OUGH when you see a new word? Unfortunately, there’s no way to know – you need to look up the word in an audio dictionary or ask a native speaker. That’s one reason English pronunciation is so confusing. It’s essential to have good pronunciation if you want to be fluent in English! I can help you improve your pronunciation even more if you join my American English Pronunciation Course. In addition to the lessons, you’ll also get an evaluation of your pronunciation at the end of the course.