Being an effective listener is not just about understanding the literal meaning of the words of the person in front of you:

It is also important to learn how to read between the lines and identify what is really meant. 

Features such as intonation, tone of voice, facial expressions and body language can provide useful clues as to the attitude and intention of the speaker.  In this tongue-in-cheek blog post, we identify some common workplace scenarios and distinguish between what is said and what is really meant.

Slang is very informal language that tends to be used in speaking rather than writing.  A recent survey of SGI students found that a staggering 91% of respondents have been confused or unsure of what an English person was saying because they were using slang. 

This is not surprising since slang is not usually addressed in text books and it does vary greatly from place to place. 

Introducing yourself is usually the first thing you learn to do in English, but it can remain a difficult task, even for high-level learners since it involves so much more than simply using correct grammar.

Here are 3 mistakes I often hear when my students are introducing themselves in the context of socialising that you should avoid.

1. Sounding Too Formal

“Good evening. My name is Carlos. How do you do?”

British food has a bad reputation around the world, but the idea of our food being rubbish is a bit outdated.

For decades now, celebrity chefs have had extremely popular television cookery programmes (think of Jamie Oliver, Gordon Ramsay and Nigella Lawson) and the standard of cuisine across Britain has been raised immeasurably.

Everywhere you go through the UK, you can find gastro pubs serving incredible mouthwatering meals that will make your taste buds tingle and mean that you never say 'fish and chips' again to describe English food.

Listen to English to improve vocabulary & grammar. Real English conversation (no script) very different from an English textbook. Listen to natural English from native speakers.

Two English teachers from London in real English conversation. Is travel good for you? The podcast is definitely great for learning English and improving your vocabulary.

Men vs women - the oldest debate. Here, 2 native speakers from London have a natural conversation about gender roles, equality, multi-tasking etc. Listen to the fun discussion between 2 friends.

Last week, the Elementary/ Pre-intermediate English conversation class made a video on Food Waste. Did you know that in Britain, we throw away 7.2 million tonnes of food every year?

Free podcast of English conversation between 2 native speakers talking about food, allergies and 'having a sweet tooth'. Real conversation - unplanned, unscripted and relevant language to improve your vocabulary and listening skills.

Free English conversation podcast (also available on iTunes) with two British natives talking about food and restaurants in London. Genuine conversation with no planning or editing

English conversation podcast between two British English native speakers. Real conversation without script or preparation. Subject - modern art. Improve English Listening Skills and vocabulary.

What are the English stereotypes that people have from abroad? Two English teachers (in real, unplanned conversation) that have lived abroad discuss what generalisations that foreigners think about when they think of England.

Have you ever wanted to know what life is like in a small English village? Cottages, helpful neighbours, idyllic childhood - it's all in this free podcast of natural English conversation between two English teachers.

Natural English Conversation Real & Relevant Podcast 25

Two English teachers discuss who is the best James Bond, which is the best movie and their favourite characters. Real, natural conversation - not scripted.