English with Kirsty

This is the second part of my interview with Gabriel Clark, a blogger, podcaster, and language teacher.

I have split our conversation into two parts because it became fairly long. In the second part of the interview we talk about:
* What learning another language has taught Gabriel about his own language.
* How word order is really important in English for communicating meaning
* Why pairs of words always come in a certain order (ablaut reduplication) and how this rule can take precedence over adjective rules
* Gabriel’s book, “102 little drawings that will help you remember English rules forever probably”, and a description of some of the drawings

You can find out more on the show notes page:
https://englishwithkirsty.com/episode176/

This is an interview with Gabriel Clark, a blogger, podcaster, and language teachers. Gabriel is also a language learners, so he's able to give some practical tips that have worked for him.

I split our conversation into two parts because it became fairly long. In the first part of the interview we talk about:

How speaking another language reduces barriers when you're living or working in another country
* How speaking your students' language can help you as a teacher
* How being a language learner can help you as a teacher, as long as you don't project your own learning style all of the time
* How it can be good for your language skills to speak with people who don't speak your first language
* 3 tips that helped Gabriel with his language learning.

You can find the show notes here:
https://englishwithkirsty.com/podcast/episode175

I mentioned our conversation club before, but in this episode we go into a bit more detail about who would benefit from it, how the club works, and what we do. Further information and the prices can be found on the club page:
https://englishwithkirsty.com/conversation

Most of our members are from Germany, so the club page page is in German, but if you have any questions, you can use the contact form, or go to the show notes page for this episode, where the contact form is in English:
https://englishwithkirsty.com/podcast/episode174

I don't think many people really enjoy exams. I didn't mind them much at school, but as an adult who hadn't done one for a while, I found myself slipping into some bad habits. Based on my own experience, here are 8 things to avoid if you have an exam - whether it's for an academic qualification, a language test, or something you're doing to improve your skills in your free time.

You can find the show notes here:
https://englishwithkirsty.com/podcast/episode173

Real life can give you inspiration for podcast episodes. This is what happened to me last week and what I learned from it about picking yourself up and trying again when it comes to using another language.

You can see the show notes page here:
https://englishwithkirsty.com/podcast/episode172

There is plenty of information out there about working from home, but some of it is a bit generic.I decided to share some things that I've learned and that have worked for me during my 8 years of working from home full-time.

I also wrote a blog post about this, so if you'd rather read the information, you can find it here:
https://englishwithkirsty.com/2020/03/22/things-that-ive-learned-during-my-8-years-of-working-from-home/

You can find out more about my 30 ways to improve your English challenge here - the new challenge starts on 14th April 2020:
https://englishwithkirsty.com/about-the-lessons/30-days/

I also mentioned the conversation club that I've set up with Jane, whom I interviewed on the podcast last time. This information is in German, so if you don't speak German and want to know more, send me a message and I'll help with that.
https://englishwithkirsty.com/conversation-club-with-kirsty-and-jane/

Today I have an interview for you with Jane Eggers, who some of you may remember from episode 16.

Jane is originally from the UK, but she now lives and works in Germany, where she has a German to English translation business called Jane Eggers Translations. We talk about Jane’s transition from using everyday German to using the language at work, who helped her, and what role her second language now plays in her business – not just because she translates from German to English, but also because a lot of her communication with customers is in German as well.

You can find the show notes and links to find out more about Jane here:
https://englishwithkirsty.com/podcast/episode-170/

I can help people to improve their English because I'm an English teacher, but I also understand the practical challenges of using another language at work because I do it myself every day when I communicate with my German-speaking customers.

Here are some challenges that I've faced in my own business journey, and how I've overcome them.

You can find the show notes here:
https://englishwithkirsty.com/podcast/episode169

It's the beginning of a new year, and people are thinking about what they want to change or do differently.

One thing could be to not let opportunities pass you by because of fears about your language skills. The job you didn't apply for/the meeting you didn't speak up in/the contribution you didn't make because you were so focussed on the difference between where your language skills are now and where you would like them to be.

I've been in these situations too with my German. Some of them are better now because I took action. Others are still work in progress – but I'm getting there!

The best way to make sure that something gets done is to make a plan. So a vague hope for change becomes a list of specific steps you want to change – so that 2020 is the year when we don't let opportunities or good things pass us by because we are not willing to leave our language comfort zones!

If this doesn't apply to you – is there something else that you would like to change this year? It doesn't have to be something you want to start or stop doing – sometimes it's just about making a conscious effort to prioritise or improve something.

Find the show notes here:
https://englishwithkirsty.com/podcast/episode168

Sometimes my students have difficulties when it comes to talking about their jobs in English. In this episode, I talk about nine of these problems and what people can do to solve them.

You can find the show notes here:
https://englishwithkirsty.com/podcast/episode167

Let's be honest – not everyone enjoys face to face networking, but sometimes we have to do it for our jobs, and sometimes it can be beneficial too. If you're learning another language, it can take even more determination to get out of your comfort zone and go and talk with new people.

This is the first part of a short series in which I give some tips and ideas to make these situations easier and even enjoyable!

You can find the show notes page here:
https://englishwithkirsty.com/podcast/episode166/

ometimes when you’re communicating in another language on the telephone, an unexpected question can affect your confidence. Here are some strategies to help with this problem.

You can find the show notes and links here:
https://englishwithkirsty.com/podcast/episode165

I have three updates for you today – here are the links where you can find out more about each of them.

https://ewkservices.com
This is my new EwK Services site where you can find my communication services such as proofreading, translation, transcription, communications advice and it's also the home of the new communications blog.

https://englishwithkirsty.com/about-the-lessons/30-days/
This is where you'll find out more about the 30 days to improve your English course, with a new task to complete every day and the possibility to get feedback on your tasks. At the time of writing, the next course will start on 1st August 2019, ideal for anyone whose English course will not be running over the summer. If you visit this page after this time, check the link for when the next course is scheduled.

https://englishwithkirsty.com/about-the-lessons/whatsapp-conversation-club/
This is the link for the WhatsApp club - find out more about how the club works and whether it's likely to be something that you would enjoy. We currently have spaces available in both groups, although space is limited in the beginner to intermediate group.

Not all adult language learners are looking for a course or a language trainer. Here are some tips for language learners who want to learn on their own:

Click here for the show notes page:
https://englishwithkirsty.com/podcast/episode163

In this episode, I'm talking about how learning and practicing your language skills along with other learners can help you to improve. I also share details of the new conversation groups that I'm starting for adults who want to improve their English.

To find out more or ask a question, contact me on podcast@englishwithkirsty.com

It's easy to feel confident doing the things that we do all the time, but even as more experienced language learners, there are still things that we can do to try something new and push ourselves out of our comfort zones!
https://englishwithkirsty.com/podcast/episode162

If you don't get the results you were expecting in a language test, it might not necessarily have something to do with your language skills. Some students struggle in language exams because they have difficulty with a certain type of question or task that is used to test language skills. In these cases, it often helps to develop strategies for dealing with this type of task, rather than just seeing it as proof that you struggle with that particular language skill.
You can read the show notes here:
https://englishwithkirsty.com/podcast/episode160

In this episode I'm talking to Corinne Wilhem about:
* The differences she has noticed in terms of language and culture as someone from the UK who now lives in Germany.
* Differences in UK working culture that German applicants should be aware of.
* Corinnes new podcast – Clever2Gether.

The show notes are here:
https://englishwithkirsty.com/podcast/episode159
and you can find out more about Corinne on her website:
https://bytesizedenglish.com

Today the wise old owl is answering a question about why we can say “a reply”, but not “a feedback” or “an information”.

Don't forget that you can send your own questions about the English language or grammar to the wise old owl - here's the link to the show notes page:
https://englishwithkristy.com/podcast/episode158

This is more relevant for people who are studying English. I know a number of my podcast listeners are either studying English at university or taking part in English courses online or where they live. I know that others are working through materials on their own.

At school it's easy – we know exactly where we have to be and when. We know what we need to learn in each lesson because our teacher tells us. Learning as an adult requires more organisation and time planning, and if anyone would like some help with that, these tips will hopefully give you something to try.

You can find the show notes here: https://englishwithkirsty.com/podcast157