Category Archives: Mother Tongue
Focus on: like
We very often sound redundant by sticking to same old words and expressions. Especially when it comes to a foreign language – after all, why should I do it differently, as long as such words and expressions have proved themselves effective … Continue reading
Collocations: Make a decision
Hey all! Here’s another collocation that makes students hesitate. As a matter of fact, Brazilian students either are not aware that make collocates with decision, or simply take it for granted by what we call false analogy, as in Portuguese … Continue reading
EFL/ESL in Brazil: who’s to blame?
As many of you should’ve already heard, last week the EF – Education First – published its global survey of English-language skills and, since then, many people have come to me sorely disappointed or in furious disbelief – after all, is … Continue reading
Britishism
Did you guys know that in Britain people use the term “ginger” to describe someone who’s red-haired? And did you know that, apparently, in 1998 people in the United States started using “ginger” instead of “red-haired”, due to the publication … Continue reading
English as a Foreign Language 