I’ve never been to America, but I’ve heard and read that eating at a restaurant in the US can be quite different to other places in the world.

Tipping is very important. Waiters introduce themselves. And free refills for drinks are common. 

Perhaps that’s why the Deutsche Welle has posted an article entitled “10 things you should know before going to a German restaurant”. 

Even we can learn something new, even if it is only vocabulary!

“I see light at the end of the tunnel”, is a phrase I use a lot.

It means that I can finally see the end of a difficult situation that has been a long time in the making.

It should be easy for you to remember, because it’s the same as the German, “Licht am Ende des Tunnels sehen”.

Is it a phrase you use a lot, too?

“Most people tire of a lecture in ten minutes.
Clever people do it in five.
Sensible people never go to lectures at all.”
Stephen Loncock

If you’re like me, you’ve probably experienced lots of online lectures or talks over the past two years.

But don’t we all know that the human attention span is changing? According to a Microsoft study in 2015, the average attention span dropped from about 12 seconds to eight.

So why are some lectures and talks still so boring? Why is there often very little interaction? Don’t we all know from research that participation increases learning? 

I try to avoid lectures or talks. What I often do is to watch the recording, so that I can speed up or even skip passages.

Do you do this, too?

We have two words with the same spelling: the verb ‘live’ and the adjective ‘live’.

And then we have the noun ‘life’.

Watch the video to hear how each word is used and pronounced.

Do tell me if my explanation has helped you.

Did you play “Can you spot the difference?” when you were a child? Remember? You were given two pictures and asked to spot the differences between them.

Look at both photos of me. My daughter-in-law took the snapshop when we were in ‘Planten un Blomen’ in Hamburg last year. I thought it was  shame that you could see the straps of my rucksack—until today!

Look what I found. A wonderful online tool which might become a favourite of yours, too.

Cleanup.pictures

Just drag your image in the box on the screen, and brush away any objects, people, texts or defects.

And hey presto! The straps have disappeared.

It was as easy as pie. Or as easy as ABC.

Did you know about this tool or do you use a different one?

You like the idea of watching a film to improve your listening skills in English, but have no idea where to start?

Take a look at movieofthenight.com—a movie/series recommendation engine that finds the best show for you on your favourite streaming service instantly.

1. First choose whether you want to look at Movies or a Series.
2. Pick the Genre.
3. Then select the Release Year, Language and Runtime.
4. If you’re looking for something specific, you can also choose Cast & Crew (here you can enter a favourite actor, for example), Keyword, the Rating and Age Filter.
5. Pick your Streaming Services.
6. Select List View or Single View.
7. Activate Get the List.
8. And finally choose your movie.

Get the popcorn out, put your feet up and enjoy watching!