Change is in the air.
Here in Virginia, the temperature is a little cooler and the days are a little shorter.
This weekend I drove across the mountains to meet a friend in West Virginia for a canoe trip down the Potomac River.
I was looking forward to wearing my sunglasses and swimming.
But it was cloudy and I didn’t feel the need to cool off.

Your fearless English teacher exploring the Potomac
A New Word
At one point, a group of friendly kayakers passed us.
They yelled out, Did you dump?
Huh?!
I didn’t know what they meant….
They were speaking English, they were native speakers, but there I sat, scratching my head.
My friend figured it out sooner than me and replied, “No, we made it past the rapids.”
Ah, they meant, Did your boat turn over?
Or as a proper sailor would say, Did you capsize?
But this was mountain country.
No sailors here.
Just a short lesson in West-Virginian English.
The Best Method For Better English Faster?
This week let’s explore methods to improve English fast.
Classrooms… teachers… travel… English-speaking friends… or something else?
I’ll tell you what I’ve learned from my experience teaching and meeting students over the last 16 years.
I’ll tell you what the research says.
And then I’ll tell you what you can do to improve faster.
Hello…