ABA Journal The digital English academy

At first glance, this might seem very simple. Then, in just a moment, you realize that you don’t know which to choose. Is it at or in? Don’t worry! With a little study and some ...

Hello everyone! Recently, I was reviewing a student’s recorded response to a TOEFL Independent Speaking task. The question prompt asked for a spoken opinion about cell phones. While talking about mobile technology, the student mispronounced ...

The Australian idiom "better than a poke in the eye with a burnt stick" means that something is better than nothing.

Hello ABA Family! Here are 14 expressions for those of you in love with someone, with life or even with English! If you haven’t read the first part, you can find it here! 1.To have ...

Howdy! Several years ago, I was talking with a young ESL student of mine in South Korea. She excitedly told me that she had just had a dream that was all in English. I remember feeling ...

Hello there! Holy Week, just like Christmas, is an important religious holiday in countries with Catholic customs. But how do we celebrate this tradition in Anglo-Saxon countries like the UK or the United States where Christian ...

Hello ABA Friends! Put your dancing shoes on, it’s another “Learn English with Songs” lesson and our teacher today is Justin Bieber! His album Purpose sold 522,000 copies in its first week of release in ...

Phrasal verbs are a challenge and a mystery to so many English learners. It really is strange the way that a verb and preposition can be combined to make a meaning that’s nothing like meaning of ...

International Women’s Day (IWD) is held annually on March 8 to celebrate the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women – while also marking a call to action for accelerating gender equality. The IWD ...

Hi everyone! Now that you’ve read our post on British accents, we want to teach you how to improve your American accent. American accents vary greatly depending on the state/region. A person from Minnesota will ...

Howdy! Stuttering (“stammering” in British English) can be a real problem when you’re trying to communicate. And because the TOEFL is a test of communication, it can cause a problem and hurt your grade. But in order ...

Hello, everyone! Today we’re going to look at indirect questions. There are two main ways of asking questions in English: directly and indirectly. Both have the same meaning. However, we use indirect questions when we want to ...

Hello! Learning English in a group can be great fun so get your friends together, make some delicious food and have a laugh! Simple games are a fantastic way to consolidate your knowledge of a ...

Hello, students! We hope you’re all well! Which is the best way for us to greet you: “Hello, students!”, “Hi, students!” or “Dear students”? Whether you’re writing to friends, colleagues or to a potential business partner, your ...

Hello there! The official TOEFL Writing rubrics talk about the importance of writing “coherently and accurately,” and avoiding “inaccuracy, vagueness, or imprecision.” They also mention the importance of using “syntactic variety” and “a range of vocabulary.” All ...

Many people study English for their own education or out of curiosity, for a job or because they wish to move abroad i.e. rational reasons. Others learn for love, a crush or passion. If you’re ...