English with Mina

On my website , you can find exercises and video lessons, tips and blog posts. You can book classes, see my calendar and learn more about learning with me. See you there!

Preparing for a Job interview?  Need to write a cover letter? Or maybe you just need to feel more confident when using English at work? If your answer to any of the questions is yes, then   Business English is the course for you!  I have helped many students get their dream job in companies such as Emirates, Logitech etc. by preparing for the job interview and learning about writing a cover letter. In these lessons, we will use materials from Business English Books as well as authentic materials. We will practice business communication skills such as: giving updates, delegating tasks, explaining how things work, giving presentations, writing emails, placing and handling orders, looking at case studies, cash flow problems etc.  I have been an English teacher for over 10 years but I have also worked at an international bank and at a company in London so I will be using my teaching and my professional experience in the corporate world to help you with y...

It can be a little more difficult to stay motivated at B1 level. When you are a beginner, everything is new and exciting and you feel that you are making progress every day!  At B1, you are now able to understand a lot, you can communicate but you still don't feel confident. You start to think that maybe the problem is with you. Maybe you are just not talented enough for learning languages? You think that maybe it's time to give up...  Don't give up! You have come a long way and you can achieve some of your biggest goals!  You can learn to feel so comfortable, be able to talk about any subject and explore the many wonders of English. It's important to find a way to stay motivated. Having an English coach helps a great deal. But if you are learning by yourself, it is important to know what your goal is and what are those things you need to master to get to the next level. Whether you are learning English through individual lessons with your teacher, by yourself ...

Whether you learned English as a high-school subject, studied it at a private language school or picked it up watching  TV and YouTube, you have probably wondered what your current level of English is.   Level Testing can be useful for you and your teacher. If you want to do a free English Level Test , you can do it here: ENGLISH WITH MINA FREE LEVEL TEST The Common European Framework divides learners into three broad groups that can be divided into six levels; for each level, it describes what a learner is supposed to be able to do in reading, listening, speaking and writing. The following table indicates these levels.   * Level group Level Description A Basic user A1 Breakthrough or beginner ·          Can understand and use familiar everyday expressions and very basic phrases aimed at the satisfaction of needs of a concrete type. ·        ...

There’s a lot of authentic reading material available online but it can be hard to find something at your level of English. You probably already read authentic texts such as news reports, blogs, film reviews, social media posts, advertisements, shopping sites and magazine articles. But if you are looking for useful reading materials designed specifically for learners of English here are some helpful links: https://breakingnewsenglish.com/ https://www.newsinlevels.com/ https://www.cambridgeenglish.org/learning-english/activities-for-learners/?skill=reading And here is a piece of software which is designed to make reading easier for language learners: https://rewordify.com/ According to their website- Rewordify.com is powerful, free, online software that improves reading, learning, and teaching. This site can: Intelligently simplify difficult English , for faster comprehension Effectively teach words , for building a better vocabulary Happy Reading!

Join the Skype call so we can chat together in English.  Topics will include: Traveling, life in different countries, hobbies, movies, books and other favourite past times. Completely FREE.  Have fun and practise your English conversation skills. To participate: add me on Skype and I will give you a call /include you in the conference call when the event starts. My Skype username is: englishwithjasmina Event time: Wednesday, 15th November from 8pm to 9 pm  More info :  here

Can you put this dialogue in the correct order? Yes, but not too much, I put a bandage over it and carried on cooking. While I was cooking, I cut my finger. Did it hurt? 1. What happened to your finger? I had a little accident. How did it happen? J TASK A: Look at the questions below, and answer them  M E A N I N G While I was cooking, I cut my finger . 1. Which action started first?  a) cutting my finger b) cooking 2. Which action was longer? a) cooking b) cutting my finger      3.  Did I have to stop cooking  a) yes, for a little bit b) no 4. I started cooking at 5pm and finished at 6:30. Which sentence is correct and why: a) At 6 o’clock I cooked dinner. b) At 6 o’clock I was cooking dinner. --------------------------------------...

I used  Headway  as a high  school student , many many years ago. I've also enjoyed using it as a teacher, for over a decade.                        Can you imagine how I felt when I was told I would be appearing in the video ad for this amazing coursebook? The photos were taken at a seminar in Oxford that I went to after I won  1st prize at the Oxford University Press Competition . What do you think of the video?

Many people tell me they can speak and understand English, but they are never sure how to use it correctly because they never learned English grammar. These posts are intended for such people. They will be in English, I will try to use simple words and clear examples and clarify some issues that many students have a problem with. People usually tell me:  "Here's the deal: I can watch movies without subtitles, I can understand English and yes, I can speak but I don't know how to use the tenses! How many tenses are there? When do I use what?" Let’s begin with the Present Tense. There are two present tenses in English. Present Simple and Present Continuous Tense, and soon you will see why.  THE PRESENT SIMPLE TENSE

If you've never studied with me before - take advantage of this special offer and get 50% off your first lesson. Getting ready for a job interview? Moving abroad? Need to pass an exam? Whatever your needs, the lessons will be tailor-made to suit you! To get your 50% OFF voucher go to my  Facebook page @englishwithmina  and click on the OFFER!

Last week, on my Facebook page , I started a new daily habit that I am sharing with you. The new daily routine is posting one little-known word/expression a day, giving you the sentence where I came across it and its source (books, videos, magazines etc.), and adding the definition by linking to one of the many free online dictionaries. You are invited to practice it straight away by writing a comment on the post which includes the little-known word/expression in it. Keep checking the Facebook page as I am planning to give out some rewards and organize competitions for the most avid vocabulary learners! The words added so far are: ENCOMIUM SOMNOLENT TO ENSCONCE INEFFACEABLE PS. If you want to make sure you don't miss a new blog post or a competition - SUBSCRIBE to my blog!

 OK so it's been a while since the last post...  Yes, I know, spring is the best time to start new things or to do some  spring cleaning  to give old things a  new lease on life ... But who cares?! I have decided to start blogging again on this very cold January afternoon. Now, the choice is yours: wrap up warm and dare to go for a winter walk - or stay indoors with a nice cuppa and chill out while learning some new idioms with the word COLD in them :      break out in a cold sweat Lit.  or  Fig.  to  become   frightened  or  anxious   and   begin  to  sweat.   I  was  so  frightened,  I  broke   out  in a  cold    sweat.   Larry  broke   out  in a  cold   sweat   when  he  cut   his   hand. give someone the cold shoulder To  deliberatel...

Napoleon's homework        What is the best way to learn to speak and write in English? The most effective way is by speaking and writing in English . Students speak during the lesson, and between the lessons the students should try to write a sentence or two every day, perhaps by writing a sort of diary. It does not need to be long or complicated, just a few sentences about how the day went. Or they can choose to write a little letter or email to their teacher. In fact, all the communication with the teacher even through text-messages or email should be in English. That is certainly the best way to make progress.         It seems Napoleon's teacher gave similar advice to his student. As the article on BBC NEWS website says, when Napoleon was captured by the British and  forced to spend the last six years of his life on the island of Saint Helena, he decided it was time he learned English. He worked hard and...

  I've prepared many students for this daunting exam. I've also had to take the IELTS test myself a few years ago, for administrative reasons. It is not as terrifying as it seems! You can learn to develop the skills and techniques and you can pass the test! The more time and effort you put into it, the higher the score will be. I am going to write articles about the test and its different sections: Reading, Writing, Listening and Speaking. Before I do that, and post them here, I would like to hear about the main concerns you have. What would you like to read about, concerning the IELTS test? Some topics: Why the Reading Test should not be called Reading Test? What textbooks can you use for self-study? How do you write an essay under pressure?

English File Competition May, 2012 Your Blog author won 1st place in the competition for the most original speaking based lesson plan : English File Competition The prize is a seminar at the Oxford Teachers' Academy entitled Teaching Adults, and a stay at   Keble College in Oxford from 25th to 27th July 2012.

Skype lessons - what's that all about? Earlier this year, I decided to start taking Italian lessons. I have done an Italian course in the past, but it was a long time ago and I have forgotten a lot of the vocabulary and all the grammar rules. I asked around and found someone I judged to be the best Italian teacher in my city,   Olja Andric . She has her own   blog , and to me that says a lot   . It turned out also that this teacher does something called Skype lessons! Shortly after, I learned my younger sister (also an English teacher) had been taking lessons from the same teacher and she was doing it on Skype. “What are these Skype lessons” I wondered, “and are others really doing that?” My sister told me it was not really much different than an ordinary lesson “in real life”, but I admit I was   baffled . And interested! So, I contacted the Italian teacher and we agreed to have our first Skype Italian lesson  It was 10 pm, quite late but it was a...