🏢BUSINESS WORDS I LOVE! ‘PRACTICABLE’
I LOVE the word ‘practicable’. It is one of my favorite words. It is similar to ‘possible’ but more specific: Here’s the difference: Possible = something that CAN happen — it’s within the realm of reality. Practicable = something that can actually be DONE given real world constraints — time, resources, circumstances. Example: Something can […]
💻A REMINDER OF ENGLISH IN SOFTWARE!
Today, I was talking with my student who made the ‘Product Checker’ .( https://peteslab.com/student-creates-a-quality-test-tool/) He reminded me of the importance of English in his use of Python and SQL to make his Product checker. Below is a list of ten of the major software tools that are English-based. Top 10 technical fields/tools that are heavily […]
📚🍻’BOOKS ‘n BEER this week: ‘In Watermelon Sugar.’
Here we are yesterday at the bar, struggling with ‘In Watermelon Sugar’ by Richard Brautigan. Its a sort of dystopian-utopia story and one of the craziest things I have ever read. But, very interesting! The papers are some AI analyses on the book, which often turn out to be wrong! You can see some of […]
🎤👩🏼🎤🎶STUDENT WINS CHATUSHKA SINGING CONTEST!
A student of mine recently won a singing contest in traditional Chatushka music! Contestants had to randomly draw papers from a large box and then sing the lines that were on the papers! Her prize was a traditional ‘Platok’, pictured below. CONGRATULATIONS! 🎊
📚🌍MY TOP (BOOK) READERS? WHERE ARE THEY FROM?
Some of my top readers over the past two years so far have been from these countries: Currently, there is a ‘man on the move’ from Italy with 26 books read!
🛫🌎TWO STUDENTS VACATION IN THE USA!
Two students from Europe are using their ENGLISH skills in the USA right now! They are visiting the Western USA for two weeks! 🤠🐎
💼🛫STUDENT MOVING TO THE USA! 🎉
One of Pete’s students — a professional Engineer and Project Manager — has just received an exciting two year work assignment from her company. She will be living in the USA for two years! She has been studying with Pete since January 2025. She worked hard, stayed consistent and improved her English significantly. She started […]
🎤🎼BORN A RAMBLIN’ MAN❓
While watching ‘Supernatural’ Jose heard a song he liked, ‘Ramblin Man’ by the Allman Brothers. We did some practicing yesterday and he even taught ME the second verse! Lyric video is below. My father was a gambler down in Georgia And he’d wound up on the wrong end of a guuun And I was born […]
🛫🌏STUDENT HEADED FOR SRI LANKA!
A student has a trip planned to Sri Lanka in August! For months we have been doing dialogues, reading travel guides and history information, and studying vocabulary to prepare for the trip. There’s a lot of English spoken in Sri Lanka!
🛫🌍STUDENT VACATIONING IN PORTUGAL
A student has a trip planned to Portugal in mid August! In classes we have been reviewing travel guides, vocabulary and many dialogues for months to prepare for this adventure!
⁉️MOST COMPLICATED WORD IN ENGLISH! :
📚🍻BOOKS ‘n BEER: IN WATERMELON SUGAR🍉
In Watermelon Sugar is a strange and dreamy novel by Richard Brautigan, published in 1968. It takes place in a gentle, mysterious world where almost everything is made from watermelon sugar—houses, furniture, even a dress. The story follows an unnamed narrator as he remembers his past, his lost love Margaret, and the violent trouble caused by […]
📙 SUMMER READING: KEEP IT SHORT!
📙 THIS WEEK I AM READING: ‘In Watermelon Sugar’ a very weird dystopia-utopia book from 1968. The book has been a fun challenge so far and maybe the best part about reading it in the summer: It’s only 144 pages! (Not recommended for ESL students in English. Buuut: possibly in your native language? Maybe not […]
🎬GLADIATOR: “Are you NOT entertained?”
DRAMA ENGLISH PRACTICE—-GLADIATOR : MAXIMUS “Are you NOT entertained!? ARE YOU NOT entertained!!?? Is this NOT why you are here!!??””
🎬PRIDE AND PREJUDICE 2005
MOVIE DRAMA CHALLENGE: PRIDE AND PREJUDICE 2005: Can you say the lines ‘correctly.’ (See the parentheses. 😉 ) Mr. Darcy:So, what do you recommend, to encourage affection?(He is genuinely curious but also somewhat guarded. He respects Elizabeth’s intelligence and is trying to engage with her, though he is not sure if she is teasing him.) […]
💡📈STUDENT OPENS SPORTS CLOTHING STORE
BIG BUSINESS PROJECTS: Jose and his wife have opened up a sports clothing store this past week! While the store is run in his native language, he and I do dialogues, vocabulary and discussions about the store in ENGLISH to support the project. Jose claims that his English language learning of the past few years […]
👨🏼🔬STUDENT CREATES A QUALITY TEST TOOL📋
BIG BUSINESS PROJECTS: A student is currently working on a product quality testing tool for his company. It is expected to bring huge savings. While he is working on the project in his native language, we are busy doing mock presentations and Q&A dialogues in ENGLISH to support the project.
📚SUMMER ‘READING’ :)
SUMMER READING: It’s summer. For the third summer in a row, the short story reading program has definitely slowed down. No surprise. 🙁 However, consistency is key and I personally read one small book per week, even in the summer. (Even I missed reading last week though. Lol) Some good news!: A student that has […]
🎸BIGGEST PROJECT EVER IN MUSIC ENGLISH!🎸
FABIANO’S GUITAR APP!: Without a doubt, the most interesting and important project ever in Music English is Fabiano’s new Guitar App and website! It is an app for guitar players to practice guitar! It is called ‘Practick.’ This is Fabiano’s baby and my role is simply to support the project’s English needs. More news coming […]