2 . When you throw cats and dogs in a scene where they are falling from the sky, it might be hard for an English learner to know exactly what it means. So English learners should know the meaning of English idioms (习语).

It’s important to not only teach the meaning of idioms, but also teach how to use them correctly and effectively (有效地). When a non-native speaker uses an idiom correctly, he or she will sound very fluent. But on the other hand, if they use the phrase wrongly, they will sound the exact opposite.

Learning idioms is appropriate for intermediate to advanced (中到高级的) students. If you teach an idiom lesson to beginners or low-intermediate learners, they are very likely to use it wrongly. So how should teachers teach English idioms correctly?

Provide idioms in context, so students can fully understand the meaning. Be sure to provide a conversation around it as an example.

Watching videos of native speakers talking is a great way to show your students how idioms are used in the real world. FluentU is a great resource that can help you highlight the usage and context of various idioms used. FluentU takes real-world videos — like music videos, news and inspiring (鼓舞人心的) talks — and turns them into personalized language learning lessons.

Teach idioms in spoken form, not written, and explain to students how they are conversational, rather than formal. Have students practice the idioms in dialogue to help them understand how they’re used in spoken English.

Don’t just hand out a long list of idioms. Be sure to provide a small selection of 5-10 idioms and explain each one. If you provide too many examples, it’ll simply turn into an introduction of what an idiom is, rather than how to actually remember the meaning and use one effectively in dialogue.

There are several differences     1     which you need to be aware when it comes to British and American English. For example, while talking to an English person, it is better     2     (use) words such as excuse me, sorry, pardon me, and please whenever possible. Believe me, not using these words is considered rude     3     (behave) in the UK.

If you’re at work and get angry at your boss, don’t say “I’m pissed” to     4     British colleague (同事). In England, pissed     5     (actual) means drunk, so he might report your state to the boss. There is still hope for you, though: if your boss     6     (be) an American, he’ll understand that you’re just annoyed (恼火的) with him,     7     — let’s face it — is completely normal.

When nature calls, you’d better not use a     8     (confuse) word to find your way to the facilities. Here’s where the English help     9     (we) — they use the word toilet (both for the public and private one). Public toilet is also called the gents or the ladies. Americans, surprisingly, tend to be much     10     (careful) about the topic and use the word bathroom, and in the public building — a restroom or men’s room or ladies’ room.

5 . When it comes to travel, sometimes wandering is one of the most exciting things you can do. In a time when travellers are both more adventurous and eco-conscious than ever, it’s no surprise that there’s a wealth of new vocabulary to describe how we travel, when we travel and how the experience makes us feel. Here are eight of our favourite travel words that you may not have heard before.

We’ve kicked off a blog with the staycation, “a holiday in one’s own country”. The term first became popular in the mid-2000s, when the global financial crisis meant people had less income to spend on flash holidays and instead searched for cheaper local choices. Since 2020, the staycation is experiencing a revival (复兴). Benefits of staycations include cheaper travel costs, no spending hours in the airport and, of course, no need to worry about whether your passport expired (过期) last year.

Once upon a time, if you wanted to meet new people on your travels, you could stay at a hostel or with a host on Airbnb. Now, you can couch surf. And not just in “the staying at various friends’ houses until you find a new place to rent” sense: couch surfing is quickly becoming a hot new travel trend. Travellers can now choose to couch surf all across the world via a website which treats travel as a cultural exchange, allowing people to connect with willing hosts and crash on their sofas.

Given that single-use and climate strike were selected as the Collins 2018 and 2019 Words of the Year respectively, it’s clear that the climate crisis is very much on everybody’s mind. This desire to make more sustainable choices is also affecting the way we spend our vacation days. Ecotourism is another popular travel trend, defined as tourism that is designed to contribute to the protection of the environment. Examples of ecotourism include ditching short-haul flights, staying at eco-friendly resorts, or booking a staycation.