![Free Conversation Ideas for Valentine's Day [Updated]](https://assets.blog.engoo.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2025/02/12024539/valentine_free_talk_cover-300x200.jpg "Free Conversation Ideas for Valentine's Day [Updated]")
Free Conversation Ideas for Valentine's Day [Updated]
Originating in the UK, Valentine's Day as we know it now has spread around the world. Your students probably know...
- Conversation
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Conversation Topic: Hot Foods and Baths to Survive the Winter 🍲
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)
Are You Correcting These Pronunciation Mistakes? 🗣️ Part I: Vowels & Consonants
Pronunciation is the greatest cause of miscommunication, so we definitely want to help students work on it. However, there are...
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Ha Ha Ha! When We Should (and Shouldn’t) Joke Around with Students
Have you joked around with a student and then noticed that they didn’t look entertained? Or worse, have you ever...
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3 Steps to Get Stubborn Students off Skype (Featuring Updated Kids Materials)
There are many pros to the new lesson system ... like the fact that it makes our lives as tutors...
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Fish Could be Spelled "Ghoti"? — Why English Spelling Doesn't Match Pronunciation
An old joke about English spelling goes, “You can spell fish ‘ghoti.’ Just take the ‘gh’ from ‘enough,’ the ‘o’...
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How to Get Shy Students to Warm Up to You 🙈🙉
You’ve probably realized that many of our students are shy. This is partly cultural; East Asians (i.e. most of our...
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Smart Expressions for Providing Reasons, Predictions, and Recommendations
Everyone wants to sound smart. Yet, when we speak a foreign language, our ideas get watered down by simplistic language...
- Conversation
- Vocab & Expressions
Smart Expressions for Voicing an Opinion
Have you ever noticed that some students always use the phrase “I think …”? Or maybe you’ve noticed a student...
- Conversation
- Vocab & Expressions
"Safety Country"? "Hand Phone"? "Fighting"? — Funny Phrases Our Students Use and Why
“Japan is a safety country!” If you’ve taught English to Japanese students, you’ve probably heard “safety” used this way. But...
- Vocab & Expressions
Important Things to Know Before Teaching Japanese Students 🇯🇵
Japan takes the word, “non-confrontational,” to a new level. At my university in the US, I sometimes attended lectures in...
- Online Tutoring
Why Our Students Lack Confidence
You may have noticed that many of our new students aren’t total beginners. They know vocabulary and grammar — just...
- Beginners & Kids
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...
- Online Tutoring
- Our Materials
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...
- Online Tutoring
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...
- Online Tutoring
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...
- Online Tutoring
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...
- Online Tutoring
- Our Materials
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...
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![How to Avoid Answering Sensitive Questions [Updated]](https://assets.blog.engoo.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2023/02/10075543/bernard-hermant-bSpqe48INMg-unsplash-300x200.jpg "How to Avoid Answering Sensitive Questions [Updated]")
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...
- Online Tutoring
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...
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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...
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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...
- Conversation