
Conversation Topic: Spring, Allergies and Cherry Blossoms
For many of us and our students, spring is in the air! How does this affect our students? What questions...
How to Avoid Answering Sensitive Questions [Updated]
Share These "Cold" Idioms with Students This Winter
"Cheese!" 9 Picture-Based Idioms to Share with Students
Free-Talk Idea: Movie Vocabulary (with Quiz + Discussion Questions)
Why Some Contractions Are OK in Writing While Others Are Not
If you’ve ever been asked to check a student’s formal writing, you may have noticed they used reductions (like “gotta”...
5 Things You’ll Want to Know About Your Younger Students ASAP
As tutors, we’ll want to know as much as possible about our students early on: their needs, their level, their...
Upcoming: Historical Holidays in Taiwan and South Korea this Weekend
Both Taiwan and South Korea have important historical holidays coming up this weekend. What do they mean to our students?...
Sloppy Pronunciations That Became Standard English
Have you ever wondered why “Wednesday” is pronounced “wensday” and “comfortable” “comfterble”? Or why Gloucester, Worcester, and Leicester (names of...
Upcoming Holiday: Lunar New Year 🎉
Many of our students will be celebrating the Lunar New Year in the next few days. But what does the...
How to Help Students (Actually) Use the Vocabulary They Learned
Most of us aren't able to learn some new words one moment and toss them into conversations the next moment....
What If I Don't Have a "Standard" Accent?
Whether it’s South African, Filipino, or “standard” American, our accents are the local color that we bring to the English...
Top Five Differences Between IELTS and TOEFL
In some ways, the IELTS and TOEFL are quite similar for students who plan to study abroad. They both last...
Upcoming Holiday: Coming of Age Day 🍾
The second Monday of January is a big day in Japan. That’s because it’s “Coming of Age Day” — the...
Career Development — How To Connect with Interesting People, Ideas, and Opportunities as an Online Tutor
Being a tutor can be isolating, especially if we tutor online. Without access to peers in the same field, it’s...
How Students Book Your Lessons
As tutors, we normally don't get to see how the booking system works from the student's side, which leads to...
Maximize Your Income With Last-Minute Bookings
Have you ever closed slots that haven't been booked yet? Do you think opening slots at the last minute is...
Types of Incidents You Didn't Know You Should Report
Occasionally, you may encounter situations during lessons that make you go, “Wait, is that allowed?” Today, we’ll cover four types of...
How to Write Great Lesson Notes
Delivering enjoyable and educational classes for our students is only one part of the service we provide at Engoo. So...
How to Avoid Answering Sensitive Questions [Updated]
It happens every now and then: a student asks a question that is too personal or just not appropriate for...
What Does Our New AI Tool Mean for Tutors?
As you have probably seen, we have been developing a new AI-powered tool for users of our platform. We hope...
8 Facts About Engoo for Our 8th Anniversary
Did you know that our international brand, Engoo, launched this month eight years ago? About a year after starting our...
The Unique Challenges Faced by Many Japanese English Learners
According to a recent report, Japan ranks a record low 87th out of 113 countries and regions in the English...
5 Pro Tips for Handling Technical Issues During Online Lessons
Unfortunately, technical difficulties are part of our job as online tutors. While most of our lessons go smoothly, every now...
7 Thought-Provoking Free-Talk Topics for Ghost Season
In Japan and Taiwan, the "Ghost Season" has begun. This is the time of the year when the spirits of...