OUR NEXT READ: DR JEKYLL AND MR HYDE
A mysterious classic by Robert Louis Stevenson, full of secrets, suspense and questions about human nature.
We’ll discover the story together.

At Once Upon a Book Club, we use adapted audiobooks to match the level of our readers and make the most of every reading experience in English. Listening while you read helps with pronunciation, rhythm and understanding spoken English.

Want to know more about the author before we begin?
Watch a short video about Robert Louis Stevenson

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Ywk_fbziS4&t=24s


NUESTRA PRÓXIMA LECTURA: DR JEKYLL AND MR HYDE

Un clásico misterioso de Robert Louis Stevenson, lleno de secretos, suspenso y preguntas sobre la naturaleza humana.
Vamos a descubrir la historia juntos.

En Once Upon a Book Club usamos audiolibros adaptados al nivel de nuestros lectores para aprovechar cada lectura como una oportunidad de practicar inglés. Escuchar mientras leemos ayuda con la pronunciación, el ritmo y la comprensión del inglés hablado.

¿Querés conocer un poco más sobre el autor antes de empezar?
Mirá un breve video sobre Robert Louis Stevenson.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Ywk_fbziS4&t=24s 

Spring is here! And it's a good time to do a little spring cleaning in your English, too.

You don't always need more vocabulary. Sometimes, you simply need more ways to express the same idea.

Instead of always saying “I want to…”, try:

I'm hoping to…
I'm hoping to travel more this year.

I'd like to…
I'd like to improve my English.

I'm planning to…
I'm planning to take a short trip.

I might…
I might start a new activity.

These expressions aren't exactly the same. They help you show whether something is a wish, a hope, a plan or simply a possibility.

So this spring, don't just learn more English.

Find more ways to say what you mean.

What are you hoping to do this spring? 

 Thanks to Edutopia

 

When You Don’t Know the Word: Don’t Stop — Explain It!

You know the word in your own language, but suddenly you can’t remember it in English. What do you do? Stop speaking? Say “I don’t know” and give up?

Not at all. You can explain the word.

This is a very useful skill, especially in conversations, meetings and situations where you need to keep speaking.

You can say:

• It’s something you use to…
• It’s a person who…
• It’s a place where…
• It’s something you…
• It’s similar to…
• It’s the opposite of…
• It’s like a…
• I don’t know the exact word, but…

For example, you want to say “ladder”, but you can't remember the word.

“I don’t know the exact word, but it’s something you use to climb up and reach high places.”

Or you want to say “neighbour”:

“It’s a person who lives near you.”

You don't need perfect vocabulary to communicate successfully. Sometimes, the ability to explain a word is more useful than knowing every word.

And there is another advantage: when you explain something, the other person can often help you find the word:

“It’s something you use to open a bottle…”

“A bottle opener?”

“Yes! That’s it!”

So next time a word disappears from your mind, don’t stop the conversation. Go around the word!

                            English needs its building blocks

When you learn English, it is not enough to know lots of words. You also need to understand how those words work together.

One important thing to remember is that English usually needs a subject.

In Spanish, we can say:

Llegué tarde.

We don't need to say yo because the verb llegué already tells us who did the action.

In English, this is different:

I arrived late.

If we only say “arrived late”, the verb arrived does not tell us who did it. It could be I, you, he, she, it, we or they.

So, without the subject, the person listening to us or reading our message may not know who actually did the action.

The same idea applies to the object of a verb. English usually puts the object in the sentence as a separate word.

For example:

I want to buy it. → Quisiera comprarLO.
We have to meet her. → Tenemos que verLA.

In Spanish, lo and la can become part of the verb: comprarlo, verla. In English, it and her are separate words.

This is a small difference, but it is important to notice it when you are building sentences in English.

Of course, there are exceptions. In headlines and very informal conversation, you may hear or read:

Want to come?
Wanna come?

But when you are learning English, it is useful to first understand and practise the complete structure. Then you can learn when English speakers naturally leave things out.

A useful habit

When you speak or write in English, don't only ask yourself:

“Do I know the words?”

Also ask:

“Does my sentence have everything it needs?”

Look at the subject + verb + object and check how the words work together.

These small details can make a big difference to your English.

At English Connection, we believe that learning English means understanding your needs, your goals and your own learning process.

That is why we invite you to try a free meeting and discover our approach for yourself.

Your time matters. Your needs matter. Your English journey should respect both.

 

Understanding people who speak too fast

You understand English.

But then someone starts speaking very fast — and suddenly, you feel like you don't understand anything.

Don't panic. Don't pretend you understood. Manage the situation.

Here are five things you can do.

1. Don't try to understand every word

Listen for the key information: names, numbers, dates, places, decisions and important verbs.

You don't need every word to understand the main message.

2. Ask them to slow down — professionally

You don't have to say:

You're speaking too fast.

Try:

Could you speak a little more slowly, please?

or:

Would you mind slowing down a little?

Both are polite and professional.

3. If you missed one part, ask for that part

You don't need to ask them to repeat everything.

Try:

Sorry, I didn't catch the last part.

Could you repeat that last point?

I didn't quite catch the date.

This makes your request clear and specific.

4. Check that you understood the important information

This is especially useful at work.

So, just to make sure I've understood: the meeting is on Thursday, right?

or:

So, you're asking me to send the report by Friday, correct?

You're not showing weakness.

You're making sure you got it right.

5. If you still can't follow, take control of the conversation

You can say:

I'm having a little trouble following you. Could we take it one point at a time?

That's calm, clear and professional.

TAKE THIS WITH YOU

When someone speaks too fast:

Don't panic.
Don't pretend.
Don't give up.

Ask.

Clarify.

Check.

Understanding everything immediately isn't the goal. Making sure the message is clear is.