2016

By Joseph DeMarini My students often ask me, “How can I improve my writing?” It’s a great question, and also one that has an unsatisfying answer; without an editor or native English speaker, it can be difficult for even high-level ESL students to self-correct and edit their writing with absolute accuracy. Unlike with speaking, a [...]

By Joseph DeMarini All languages have slang, but English may have one of the most diverse vocabularies of any in the world, simply because it is spoken in so many countries—from Cockney rhyming slang in the UK to the outback of Australia, there are often words only understood by speakers who grow up around these [...]

[ish_image image="4030" size="full" align="center" tooltip_color="color1" tooltip_text_color="color3"] By Joseph DeMarini London. Berlin. Ibiza. These are the cities typically associated with advancing dance music around the world, but for some inexplicable reason Melbourne is often overlooked. With a few tightly knit groups of DJs and promoters, every weekend in Melbourne has something fun on offer in a [...]

By Joseph DeMarini It’s been just over a month since Pokémon GO exploded onto the scene (and, subsequently, everybody’s phones), and with little guidance from the release company Niantic, people are finally starting to figure out the best places to catch their favourite monsters and the best ways to play the game. In Melbourne, a [...]

By Joseph DeMarini Smart phones have impacted every aspect of our lives—from social networking and instant communication, to the augmented reality of Pokémon GO. Here at Explore English, we’ve fully embraced the 21st century and like to upset the old order of “no phones in class” by telling our students to switch on their phones [...]

By Joseph DeMarini It’s the first week of August, and the annual Melbourne International Film Festival (MIFF) is in full swing around the city. Established in 1952, it’s the largest screen festival in Australia and one of the oldest festivals in the world. Though the festival showcases films from around the world, there are a [...]

By Joseph DeMarini So you’ve succeeded at Explore English: completed our most advanced courses and gotten the PTE or IELTS score of your dreams. Well, what’s next? If you want to stay in Melbourne, you’ll need to extend your student visa or find work. Without some proper qualifications and training, however, you may find it [...]

[ish_image image="3991" size="full" align="center" show_caption="yes" tooltip_color="color1" tooltip_text_color="color3"] Stomachs, get ready to GRRRUUMMBLLE!! Coming up the weekend of July 29th-31st, Melbourne is hosting the Sweet Tooth Truck Festival, featuring all the sugary goodness your heart desires—with plenty of options for vegans, too! The event will be hosted at The Food Truck Park on High Street in [...]

By Joseph DeMarini In the world of teaching English as a second language, there are several options for proper certification. The options range in price and hours of instruction, and beyond that into learning in a classroom and teaching real students. Many can be taken totally online, but typically the best and most widely accepted [...]

[ish_image image="3980" size="full" tooltip_color="color1" tooltip_text_color="color3" align="center"] By Joe DeMarini Don’t let winter get ya too down! It may be cold, windy and dreary out, but have I got the cure for you: booze! And lots of it. Melbourne has several fun brewery tours, and even more winery tours. Though the winery tours are probably more [...]