Each week I will send out some handy tips and useful exercises for adults learning to navigate and use the English language. Please feel free to share this newsletter with friends and colleagues.
Skiing is a popular winter sport. I prefer watching others ski as I sit in the warmth of the lodge by a beautiful fire, as I sip on a hot beverage.
Grammar Tip
Idioms
A group of words that have a meaning other than its literal meaning.
Example: Under the Weather
Meaning = illness or sick
Here are some common idioms (and their meanings) you might hear at a workplace in the U.S.
A dime a dozen = Common or usual
Call it a day = Stop working for the day
Go back to the drawing board = Start over
No pain, no gain = You have to work hard to get ahead
It’s Greek to me = I don’t understand it
Here are a few more. Can you guess their meaning?
Six of one, half a dozen of another =
On the ball =
Make a long story short =
Hang in there =
Bite the bullet =
Tough break =
Ahead of the curve =
Big picture =
Reading Tip
Read the introduction for the article below about the best ski resorts in Europe:
Deciding where to ski in Europe can be a dizzying experience — the act of descending down mountains on two planks is both a beloved pastime and a lifestyle in most of the continent. However, while ski areas can be found all over Europe, the countries of France, Switzerland, Austria, and Italy are particularly renowned for their ski-friendly climate, terrain, and infrastructure. Here, villages have decades (and in many cases, centuries) of experience welcoming powder-hungry travelers and understand that the sport is about more than simply heading down a mountain on skis or a snowboard. So, in addition to powdery pistes, you’ll find lively après-ski scenes, fine-dining restaurants set in wildly scenic locales, and lodging that is both luxurious and unpretentious.
Finish reading the article here:
https://www.travelandleisure.com/hotels-resorts/mountain-ski-resorts/best-ski-resorts-in-europe
Tip: Look up words you don’t recognize and add new vocabulary to your ongoing vocabulary list.
Listening Tip
Get ski tips from an expert with this short video. Even if you don’t ski, practice listening to English with a non-native speaker while watching this video:
Weekly Challenge
Write an ending to each of these sentences:
- If I had fewer meetings, I could spend time _________________________________________
- If I were sent to work in another country, what I would miss most is ____________________________________
- If I could retire, I would ________________________
- What’s nice about learning English is ____________
- My ideal boss would be_________________
- My career goals include _________________________
- I do not like working with people who _______________
- My dream vacation would be _____________________
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