General English

There are many ways to learn the English language. You can learn from books or holding a conversation with native speakers. You can also watch movies, shows, or listen to the radio or music to understand the language deeper. Obtaining a library full of English materials is vital to becoming better with a new language. […]

  English grammar is full of surprises. Despite learning the language in school, non-native and even native speakers still tend to get surprised and confused with the rules. As speakers, sometimes we unconsciously apply correct grammar rules as we speak. A common example is using the specific rule of adjectives. Adjectives have a specific order […]

English is a universal language and it is spoken by a sizeable population across all countries. Despite English being spoken in various places around the globe, there are striking differences with regards to their pronunciation. When you speak to other people from different nationalities, you get to hear different terminologies — often referred to as […]

As a person who is learning the English as a second language, had it ever crossed your mind why British English sounds distinct?  Aside from the different accents, pronunciations, and colloquial terms, there are area-exclusive rules needed to be followed — in speaking the Queen’s language. With all the things needed to be taken into […]

For newcomers in Melbourne, adapting is a challenge because the city is a cultural melting pot in terms of diversity. For non-native English speakers such as international students and newly arrived professionals, the city is a friendly community that offers a lot of opportunities for new residents to acclimate and feel welcome. When you’re new […]

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 [...]

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 Joe de Marini. Every country celebrates its independence or its birthday, and in this case, North America has two countries that celebrate one of each within the same week! July 1st (and this author’s birthday) is Canada Day, while July 4th is the USA’s Independence Day (so as not to be confused with the [...]

In English, like bread and butter or tea and biscuits; a sentence using phrasal words really does make the world go around. You may not have noticed that you’re actually using them, most of the time – because a phrasal verb is a combination of a verb + adverb or a verb + preposition, mostly [...]