It’s not that uncommon for a student’s TOEFL score to get “stuck.” By this, I mean that a student’s TOEFL performance can reach a certain score range, and then not really go above that score ...

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.

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 ...

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 ...

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 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 ...

We are continually reaping success and this time we are delighted to announce that ABA English has joined RCS MediaGroup to launch a new educational tool for teachers in Italy called Rizzoli English Campus. Rizzoli Languages, a ...

Howdy! Are you looking to improve your business English? Then this class is for you! We have teamed up with Dialogue Review to share one of their fascinating magazine articles and, of course, teach you some English ...