I wanted to bring you to one of my favorite areas in LA – the second Little Tokyo – not in downtown, but close to UCLA. I went to the Nijiya Market there today and bought some delicious salmon sashimi (raw fish), which I ate for dinner. At this Japanese grocery store, they were fast [...]
I went out with my family to a friend’s house for a barbecue on this Fourth of July. This holiday is also called Independence Day. Many people have barbecues and watch fireworks. We usually go to the beach, but this year, I wanted something more mellow (relaxing). Here’s a quick video I did while watching [...]
Going to yoga is a great way to make friends and meet Americans … especially if you live in a big city in America like Los Angeles. People who do yoga are learning to be more open and accepting with all kinds of people, so they also tend to be very warm (kind, welcoming) toward [...]
This post will help you pronounce Y and R at the end of a word – RY. Watch and pass it on to everyone you know who speaks English as a Second Language! Have a great day!! Kim Transcript and Vocabulary Explanation: I had a question from one of you. A fifty-year-old (Kim’s note – [...]
The IF Clauses or Conditional clauses are really tough (hard, difficult). So, we’re going to start out with the basics. First, I’ll talk to you about the present real conditional. This is when you are talking about a real situation in the present that is not necessarily going to happen, but it might happen. So, [...]
You want to sound like a real native English speaker, so you start using “hafta” instead of “have to” and “wanna” instead of “want to” and “gonna” instead of “going to”, but people look at you strangely. Why??? There are a few reasons. 1. You are overemphasizing (making it too strong when you talk) hafta, [...]
You need to learn science vocabulary for life and the TOEFL. Nowadays, people often discuss science and technology in regular conversation, so make sure you learn the basics, especially about the human body and computers. Here’s a little test for you with very basic vocabulary: 1. What is a belly button? 2. Where is a [...]
No, this is not about that kind of massage! Get your mind out of the gutter (Don’t think dirty thoughts). In this video blog post, I just came from an appointment with my massage therapist/chiropractor. I thought some of you ESL learners may have back pain and you might need to know who to see [...]
If you want to write a strong TOEFL essay or even a good email, you have to get good at using details in your writing. In this blog post, I talk about an experience I had in which a really sweet transvestite did my makeup. (sweet = nice) (transvestite = a man dressed as a [...]
This is my next lesson on articles. I was in my kitchen, preparing for a party, so I took out a bunch of food and used it to explain articles. When you watch, please notice how I pause. Sometimes I say “Um.” Sometimes I say something wrong and correct myself. It’s not the perfect way [...]