Issue #7
Issue #7 of Coffee Break English is about learning a new language. It practises the small words and fixed phrases that carry a learner's story: you are fluent in a language, translate into it, sound like a native speaker, and get by in a country. It also covers the collocations every learner needs, like master a language, expand your vocabulary, the language barrier and on the tip of my tongue. Inside you will find a video lesson on when to use the present perfect or the past perfect with a six-question illustrated quiz, a news reading lesson on the new words added to the dictionary this year, with a check-your-understanding quiz and vocabulary, a ten-question English with Tea quiz, a crossword, and a speaking exercise where you talk to Aly out loud using your microphone. Each issue pairs a short English with Coffee and English with Tea practice set with a downloadable PDF workbook (video lesson included) and an interactive web lesson, free to try below.
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❌ She’s fluent on three languages, including Mandarin. → ✅ She’s fluent in three languages, including Mandarin. The fixed phrase is “fluent in,” not “fluent on.”
❌ It takes years to win a new language, but it’s worth it. → ✅ It takes years to master a new language, but it’s worth it. Use “master” (or “learn”) a language — “win” doesn’t fit this meaning.
❌ This course teaches by native speakers from around the world. → ✅ This course is taught by native speakers from around the world. The course doesn’t perform the action itself, so it needs the passive “is taught.”
