English Language Articles

Articles about learning, using and teaching the English language, including advice, tutorials, opinions and lesson plans from various authors and contributors. Articles cover topics from English grammar, spelling and punctuation, through to language teaching, career development, specialisations, and ideas and suggestions for the classroom.

Latest Articles & Notes

The top six grammar points for IELTS New Pinned

Category: English Language Examinations Topic: Exam Traps and Tricks

The most important grammar for IELTS Speaking, Writing and Listening.

How to teach British and American English Pinned

Category: Teaching English Topic: Varieties and Dialects

The most important differences between UK and US English, and the best ways to present and practise them.

How to teach British and American times, dates and numbers Pinned

Category: Teaching English Topic: Varieties and Dialects

Differences in British and American times of day, dates, large numbers, units, etc, with teaching ideas and classroom activities

32 bad IELTS tips Pinned

Category: Learning English Topic: Exam Traps and Tricks

Things that you shouldn't do in IELTS, even though some people say you should

English Conditionals: An Introduction Pinned

Category: General Articles Topic: General

Everything you need to know about English Conditionals.

How to teach British and American vocabulary

Category: Vocabulary Topic: Varieties and Dialects

The most important differences between British and American words and phrases, with teaching tips and classroom activities

Big list of British and American vocabulary by topic

Category: Learning English Topic: Varieties and Dialects

Nearly 900 different UK and US meanings and expressions on food, travel, places, people, law and order, education, medicine, STEM subjects, business, sports and games, multi-word verbs, idioms, office vocab, the arts and media, nature, and politics.

100 words with different meanings in British and American English

Category: Learning English Topic: Varieties and Dialects

Big list of different UK and US meanings of expressions like bill, biscuit, blow off and brackets, including compound nouns and phrasal verbs.

How to teach British and American spelling and punctuation

Category: General Articles Topic: General

Teaching tips and classroom activities for colour/ color, kilometre/ kilometer, commas in lists, and other British and American spelling and punctuation differences.

How to teach British and American grammar

Category: Teaching English Topic: Varieties and Dialects

How to present and practise the most important grammatical differences between British and American English

How to teach British and American functional language

Category: Teaching English Topic: Varieties and Dialects

Important differences in requesting, thanking, etc in the US and UK, including how to teach those differences.

How to teach giving and asking for directions

Category: Teaching English Topic: General

Teaching tips and classroom activities for showing people where to go with "go straight ahead", "turn right", "take the second turning on your left", "opposite the station", etc.

The 100 most useful acronyms for EFL learners

Category: Learning English Topic: Learning and Teaching

The most important acronyms for English language learners to learn

The 100 most useful abbreviations for EFL learners

Category: Learning English Topic: Learning and Teaching

The most important short forms for people learning English as a foreign language.

British and American body language and gestures

Category: Teaching English Topic: Varieties and Dialects

A guide to gestures and body language in the UK and USA, including differences and similarities, and comparisons to other countries.