American Tesol

20 Delicious English Idioms to Spice Up Your Conversations

Would you like a pizza without any toppings?

No meat, no onions, no cheese!

How do you think it would taste?

Not very good, I’m sure.

What if we topped it with chicken, pepperoni, corn, mushrooms, bell peppers and mozzarella?…

Don’t you just love to sit back, grab some popcorn and read a good movie?

Wait, what?

Aren’t we supposed to watch movies…?

Well, normally, yes. But with movie scripts?which provide all the dialogue from a movie?you can …

Want to improve your pronunciation?

Then put down that textbook and learn to feel the rhythm of English!

Many English learners focus on improving their vocabulary and grammar without thinking much about rhythm?even though this is just as important …

When you speak English, do you say the words evenly or do you sing them?

You should be singing!

No, I’m not talking about karaoke.

What I mean is that your intonation and pitch should fluctuate (go up and …

I used to be one of those language learners who was too shy to speak around other people.

When I first started learning Korean, I never practiced with my Korean friends. I was afraid that I was going to …

Quick, think of your favorite joke in your native language.

Did you laugh?

Now translate it into English (yes, you can use a translation app).

Do you think another person will still find it funny?

Probably not.

Humor is …

We all love movies, but we don’t always have enough time to watch them!

After all, they’re typically an hour and a half long.

That’s a lot of time!

You might have other important things to do.

Or maybe …

The movie theater is your happy place. You can’t think of anywhere else you’d rather be.

You love the smell of popcorn and the feel of the cold soda in your hands.

You don’t even mind the sticky floors! You …

Pretend you’re training to be a boxer.

Imagine trying to learn how to fight the same way most people try to learn to speak English. So, you read a couple of books with exercises before you get in the ring.…

Saturday night at the bar, singing your favorite song.

Giggling at each other’s voices as you sing at a party.

Visiting a karaoke lounge with friends or family.

If karaoke isn’t something you do regularly, you’re missing out! You sing …

Your phone is your newest English conversation buddy.

You don’t even need someone to call.

All you need are powerful English speaking apps to learn perfect pronunciation, natural rhythms and everything else to talk confidently.

Combined with other English …

Let’s face it: “Hello! How are you?” can only get you so far in life.

Your English classes have prepared you for language exams, university classes and travel?but have they prepared you for Friday night?

One reason why learning …

Some people learn English for their trip abroad, while many learn English for work.

But what if you use English for both?

For example, do you work as a hotel receptionist?

A local tour guide?

A bus driver?…

Everyone has one. That song you can’t get out of your head no matter how hard you try.

The song or album you play on repeat, over and over again.

The lyrics you always find yourself singing along to, even …

Do you have a favorite actor?

Have you seen a movie where they play the part of an American, but you know they aren’t? How do they speak the American accent so well?

How can you be as convincing as …

Want English skills that don’t need an internet connection?

Want to talk clearly and understand English speakers IRL (in real life)?

If you’re hitting that moment in your online English studies when your eyes begin to glaze over, and …

Want to sound like a native English speaker?

Try singing like one!

You might already know that English songs have amazing vocabulary and grammar lessons hidden inside, and lots of fun idioms you can learn.

But songs can …

Who is your favorite English teacher: John, Paul, George or Ringo?

Wait, English teacher? Aren’t those the names of The Beatles?

Well, The Beatles were great musicians, but you can also use their songs to learn English!

The Beatles knew …

“If y’all want to learn English, y’all better pay attention! I ain’t joking!”

You have probably heard someone use phrases like ya’ll or ain’t before. They are in songs and in quotes. They can be heard on TV and in …

The first time people saw a train on film, they fled the theater in terror.

It was reported that people thought a real train was about to crash into them.

You might have heard about it.

This is probably a …