Hot English Language & Culture How-Tos

How To: Pronounce the English word "queue"
Today's word is "queue". This is both a verb and a noun. As a noun, it means a line of people waiting their turn.

How To: Pronounce the English word "hierarchy"
Today's word is "hierarchy". This is a noun which means a system of people, organizations, or things that have ranks.

How To: Swear properly in English
A lot of the English you hear in the real world isn't taught in the classroom. Swearing is important to know about if you're going to speak English. In this ESL how to video, you'll learn about the difference between 'bitch' and 'slut' which many ESL speakers confuse. If you look in many dictionaries, 'bitch' is defined as a female dog, so many ESL speakers think when you refer to a female woman as a 'bitch' that she has sex with any male, but this is totally wrong. Watch this how to video an...

How To: Understand present, past and future tenses in English
This tutorial tells us about using helping verbs with the simple form. It also gives us information on the differences between the present, past and future tenses.

How To: Pronounce the soft "i" and a hard "e" in English
Many of my students have problems pronouncing the soft i. This ESL how to video explains how your mouth should move for the soft i and the hard e. You'll never say beach when you mean bitch again. Watch this how to video and you'll be speaking proper English in no time.

How To: Pronounce the word "vehement" in English
Today's word is "vehement". This is an adjective which means being intense in one's conviction or decision about something. For example, you can say, "My brother and his wife are vehement about adopting a baby from Iraq."

How To: Use the word 'got' in the English language
In this video it is explained how to use the words "got" "got to" and "gotta'". "Got" is the past tense of the word " get". Sometimes Americans say "have got" in place of "have" or "got" in place of "have". For example there is a sentence "I've got my wallet". Some Americans say "I have my wallet" and some may say "I got my wallet". All of them are correct. "Gotta'" is used in place of "have got to". For example there is a sentence" I have got to go". Some Americans may say

How To: Use "(be) able to + main verb" in English
An English teacher shows how to use "be" able to" with modal verbs. Remember that "(be) able to" is almost the same as the modal verb "can."

How To: Use the word "being" correctly in English
Being is a word that can be hard to master for English as a Second Language speakers. It can be used as a gerund, or in present or past continuous tenses.

How To: Describe the feeling of fear in English
In this English language tutorial we look at fear and being afraid. There are many words to convey the emotion of fear and anxiety. This ESL lesson teaches you how to talk about your fear and the names of some common phobias.

How To: Use "live" as a verb & adjective in English
Paul, an English teacher, gives a lesson on the difference between the word "live" as a verb and as an adjective. To make to "v" sound when saying the word, the lower lip has to touch the teeth. "Live" as verb is an action, so you say "I live in Minneapolis". The singular form is "live," and the plural form is "lives". Live" as an adjective is a describing word, so you say "Live TV is fun". "Live"" as an adjective describes the subject of a sentence. "Live" as an adjective can mean something ...

How To: Use past tense regular verb pronunciation
In this ESL lesson, learn how to correctly pronounce past tense regular verbs in English.

How To: Put on a convincing Irish accent
Accents are not only fun but attractive too, when done properly, at least. Work on your Irish accent, practicing the inflection and sound of consonants and vowels. Impress your friends with your new accent.

How To: Speak with a Liverpudlian 'scouse' accent
Can you speak like the Beatles? Not bloody likely! Well, you CAN learn to speak with a Liverpudlian accent IF you check out this video and wrap your head and tongue around the words. This accent is a wonderful one and recognized around the world as the dialect spoken by the Fab 4. It almost sounds Scottish, but it's 100% working class England. John Lennon had the best example out of the Beatles of this accent, with George Harrison coming second. Paul and Ringo did not have particularly good L...

How To: Pronounce the English word "despot"
Today's word is "despot". This is a noun which means a tyrant or someone who abuses his power.

How To: Pronounce the English word "reticent"
Today's word is "reticent". This is an adjective which means not revealing one's thoughts, or being reserved.

How To: Talk about high tech gadgets in the English language
In this episode learn how to describe high tech gadgets in the English language. In this case the order of adjectives are discussed. This video is great for advanced, intermediate, and beginner learning to speak the English as a second language (ESL).

How To: Pronounce the English word "alumni"
Today's word is "alumni". This is a noun and the plural form of "alumnus" which means a graduate of a specific school.

How To: Describe a famous person in English
In this English tutorial we look at fame and words connected with it. There are many words to describe a person who is famous or a "star." This ESL video lesson teaches you how to talk about well known people in the English language.

How To: Write a discussion essay outline
This two part video is a short lesson outlining the basics of writing a discussion essay. It is about 13 minutes long in total.

How To: Speak English smoothly using the marble technique
Destroy filler words, overcome stuttering, speak smoothly, improve enunciation, and get better at public speaking all around with just marbles and your mouth! This video is best for people learning to reduce stuttering or students learning English as a second language (ESL).

How To: Pronounce the word "rendezvous" in English
Today's word is "rendezvous". This is a noun and a verb. As a verb, it means to come together or meet by arrangement.

How To: Make the AH sound in American English
The ah sound. The jaw drops more on this sound than it does on any other vowel sound. Ah, ah. And as you can see, the tongue is laying there on the bottom of the mouth. Ah. So, the jaw drops here, make the sound, ah: pretty basic, simple, and straightforward. Ah. Sample words: father, collar, calm. Sample sentence: The party at the bar was a mob scene.

How To: Pronounce the phrase "status quo"
Today's word is "status quo". This is a noun which means the existing state or condition.

How To: Differentiate between count & noncount noun in English
In this video a teacher shows the difference between count and noncount nouns. This is very important for good American English grammar.

How To: Pronounce the " rl " in the English language
In this two part episode, Jennifer goes over the pronunciation of the letters "rl" in the English language. This is great for all levels of students learning English as a second language (ESL).

How To: Develop a natural rhythm when speaking English
In this two part episode, Jennifer shows you how to develop your awareness of the natural rhythm in English. Learn to pause naturally by grouping your words into thoughts, also called thought groups. This is great for all levels of students learning English as a second language (ESL).

How To: Use "It's + adjective + infinitive" in English
In this video, we learn how to use "It's + adjective + infinitive" in English. To form these sentences, you will use the pattern that is stated above. This is very common in the English language, and you can put whatever you want into the sentence as the infinitive. You can change this from "it's hard to do" to It's not hard to do" to "it's easy to do". You can also make something negative, by giving it the prefix "im", which would change "possible" to "impossible". You can also ad in "un" to...

How To: Use "we're" & "were" properly
Learning American English is often difficult when faced with two words of similar spelling or sound. This is certainly true in the case of "we're" and "were".

How To: Use the 'stop' verb in the English language
The verb "stop" in the English language can be used with a gerund and an infinitive. The word "stop" has different meanings depending on how it's used. Look at the sentence, "I stopped eating fast food." Stopped is used in the past tense and eating is a gerund, or a word that describes an activity and functions as a noun. Look at the sentence, "I stopped to eat some fast food." In that sentence, there is an infinitive. The first sentence means I no longer eat fast food. The second sentence me...

How To: Ask for the time in English
In this episode you learn how to ask for the time. This video is great for advanced, intermediate, and beginner learning to speak the English as a second language (ESL).

How To: Use the passive voice "supposed to" in English
In English, "supposed to" expresses obligation. Someone expects you to do something. It's an unusual form of the passive voice, but it's very important to learn. This ESL tutorial teaches you how to use "supposed to" in English. Watch this grammar how to video and you will be speaking English in no time.

How To: Use rhymes to create a natural rhythm in your speech
In this two part episode, Jennifer uses nursery rhymes to develop a sense of rhythm in the English language. This is great for all levels of students learning English as a second language (ESL).

How To: Make the AA sound in American English
Learn how to pronounce the AA sound in American English with this ESL lesson.

How To: Diagram gerunds & gerund phases
For those who don't know, a gerund is a noun whose root word is formed from a verb. Anyone interested in brushing up on their grammar skills should view this video by Yossarian on how to diagram gerunds and gerund phrases. Yossarian uses various sentence examples to break down the subjects and verbs to find gerunds and gerund phrases. Learn how to break down the components of any sentence to find the gerund and gerund phrases by following this video tutorial.

How To: Describe solutions in English
In this video, we practice describing solutions in English. For example, if the problem is that you have stomach problems, the solution is that you should go to the doctor. Should simply means a good idea or a recommendation. You could also say the solution is that you need to go to a doctor. For the next example, if your problem is that your car won't start, this means your car will not start. You could also say that your car does not start, which is a good way to describe the problem. For t...

How To: Use English idiomatic modal verbs in the passive voice
In this ESL lesson, an American English teachers shows you how to use "be going to," "be able to," "have to," and "ought to" in the passive voice. These are examples of idiomatic modal verbs in the passive voice. Watch this how to video and you will be speaking English in no time.

How To: Use and pronounce "ing" words in the English language
In this episode you will be using and pronouncing words with the word "ing" in the English language. This video is great for advanced, intermediate, and beginner learning to speak the English as a second language (ESL).

How To: Structure phrasal verbs in English
In this video, we learn how to speak English by changing the structure of phrasal verbs. Phrasal verbs can be transitive or intransitive, which means followed or not followed by an object. Transitive phrasal verbs can be separable or inseparable, which means the object can come between the verb and a particle. With a phrasal verb that is separable, pronouns as direct object must be placed between the verb and its particle. Examples of this include: children put on costumes, children put costu...

How To: Speak English better by always speaking slower
Instantly improve your American English pronunciation by following these invaluable tips on how to speak more slowly. You'll be amazed at the difference in your speech!