Tag: english
-
Intonation Practice 7: TH Sounds Casual
Super discount: Refer a friend and get 4 free classes, two for you and two for your friend. Just ask your friend to schedule a consultation and mention your name! Practice intonation and TH sounds with this casual conversation about parenting young kids. The words in bold have a vibrating TH sound. Kids, Kids, Kids!…
-
Intonation Practice 6: R Sound Casual
Practice intonation and the English R sound with this casual conversation between developers and designers. The After Work Plan Liwei: Hey, I was thinking we should finally take a break from the codebase tonight and grab some food. Alex: That sounds like a solid plan because I am definitely hitting a wall with these API…
-
Intonation Practice 5: R Sounds
Practice intonation and the English R sound with this conversation between developers and designers. The “Refresh” Huddle Scene: A brightly lit breakroom with exposed brick. A group is gathered around a circular table, nursing large coffees. Russ (Lead Developer): “Alright, let’s review the requirements for the registration router. We’re seeing some random errors when users…
-
Using Two Verbs
Precision in language is a lot like precision in code—swap a semicolon for a comma, and things break. In English, choosing between a gerund (the -ing form) and an infinitive (the to + verb form) changes the logic of your sentence. Here is a targeted drill designed for IT professionals to master these structures in a technical context. 1. The Logic: Gerund vs.…
-
Avoid Malfunctioning: How to Use Gerunds
In advanced English, certain verbs are followed by a second verb in the -ing form (the gerund). In a technical context, this often describes workflows, troubleshooting, or ongoing project management. Below is a professional development drill designed to sharpen your use of these structures. Part 1: High-Frequency Verb Patterns In IT, we frequently use verbs…
-
Intonation Practice 4: T Sounds Casual
Practice intonation and American T sound changes with this casual conversation about hiking and snowboarding. The Mountain Trip Plan Hunter: Hey Katie! Are you ready for the winter trip? I was looking at the mountain forecast, and it looks like there’s plenty of fresh powder coming in. Katie: I’m so excited. I just bought a…
-
Intonation Practice: T Sounds
Practice intonation and American T sound changes with this casual conversation between IT Professionals. Get more English Practice here. Coffee Break at the Data Center Alex: Hey Sarah, got a second? I was just trying to scrutinize the latest latency logs. Our internet gateway is hitting a major bottleneck, and I can’t quite identify if…
-
Business Vocabulary for Speaking 10
Check out these great business verbs and see how they fit in the cross-team scenario below. Get more English practice here. Word Pronunciation 1. accelerate ak-SE-ler-ate 2. acquire u-KWIRE 3. advocate AD-vo-kate 4. broaden BRA-den (a in father) 5. compile kum-PILE 6. conceive kun-SEEV 7. consolidate kun-SO-li-date 8. delegate DE-le-gate 9. diversify die-VER-si-fy 10. expedite…
-
Business Casual: Idioms 7
Here’s a cross-team conversation using popular idioms. Review it to understand the meanings of idioms, and then answer questions with them. Get more English practice here. The Project “Phoenix” Post-Mortem Setting: A glass-walled meeting room at 9:00 AM. Everyone looks exhausted but relieved. Sarah (Manager): Morning, team. Before we dive into the next sprint, I…
-
Business Casual: Idioms 6
Here’s an interview for a senior software developer position using idioms. Review it to understand the meanings of idioms, and then answer questions with them. Get more English practice here. The Interview: Senior Software Developer Candidate Interviewer: “Thanks for coming in bright and early this morning! I know the commute can be a bit of…
