Sara Tyler, ESL Teacher

🚀 Business English Case Study One of my students — a senior official in a Latin American government’s Energy Department — just had a high-stakes meeting with the IAEA. He confidently refused the offered translator and spoke directly in English. The result? Clear, professional communication and a huge personal win. 💼✨ This is why we train for real-world moments. Want to speak with confidence in international meetings too? DM me to schedule your trial lesson. #BusinessEnglish #ESL #ProfessionalEnglish

@RealEvilEnglish One more useful: “Close quarters” for tight spaces, like “We worked in close quarters during the project.” It comes up often in business or travel stories and pairs well with these.

Idioms About Close 🔹Close but no cigar = You were very near to success or the correct answer, but you didn’t quite make it. It’s a polite or humorous way to say “almost, but not quite.” Examples: “You guessed 98% on the test — close, but no cigar!” “Our team almost won the championship. Close but no cigar.” ✍️Origin: Comes from old fairgrounds or carnivals where cigars were given as prizes. If you almost won a game, you’d hear “Close, but no cigar!” 🔹Stand shoulder to shoulder = To work together closely, support each other, and unite for a common goal. Examples: “During the crisis, the whole community stood shoulder to shoulder.” “We need to stand shoulder to shoulder if we want to win this election.” ✍️Usage tip: Often used in contexts of teamwork, solidarity, protests, or difficult times. 🔹Close to home = Something that affects you personally or emotionally because it relates to your own life or experiences. Examples: “The movie about losing a parent hit really close to home for me.” “When she criticized lazy students, it hit close to home because I hadn’t studied.” ✍️Extra note: Can also mean something is physically near your house (“The new supermarket is close to home”), but in idiomatic use, it’s usually emotional/personal. 🔹A close call = A situation where something dangerous or bad almost happened, but you narrowly escaped. Examples: “That car almost hit me! What a close call!” “The pilot made a perfect landing after engine trouble; it was a very close call.” ✍️Similar idioms: “A narrow escape,” “by the skin of your teeth.” 🔹To call it close (or “It’s too close to call”) = When the result is almost equal; very little difference between the options, scores, or competitors. Often used in sports, elections, or competitions. Examples: “The election is too close to call — we’ll have to wait for final votes.” “The tennis match was incredibly close; the final score was 7-6. We can call it close!” ✍️Note: You’ll also hear “too close to call” in news about elections or races. 🔹Keep a close eye on = To watch or monitor something or someone very carefully and attentively. Examples: “The teacher is keeping a close eye on students who cheat.” “Please keep a close eye on your little brother while I’m cooking.” ✍️Related expressions: “Keep an eye on,” “Watch like a hawk,” “Monitor closely.” Bonus Related “Close” Idioms Close-knit → A very tight, supportive group (e.g., a close-knit family). Close quarters → In a very small or crowded space. Close shave → Similar to “close call” — narrowly avoiding danger. Come close → To almost achieve something.

@WordUpgrade Excellent selection! Extra tip: Pair “hit the nail on the head” with its opposite “miss the mark” — students love seeing both together. It helps them use them naturally in feedback or discussions. Great for speaking practice.

Idioms you must know✅️👇

@Iearnenglishtip These are spot on! Three more common ones my students struggle with: “I have 2 years experience” (should be “2 years of experience”), “She said me” (should be “She told me”), and “I’m agree” (should be “I agree”).

Most Common Mistakes.

@IdiomConnectio1 I have actually never heard this idiom before! 😂 I guess you really do learn something new every day.

🔶Idiom 🔶"At sixes and sevens" - to be in a state of confusion or disorder 🔶"We have been at sixes and sevens since they closed the business." 🔶"Our office is at sixes and sevens when our manager is absent." 🔶"We are at sixes and sevens as we prepare for the wedding."

@englishtiips @knowiiiedge This is a great visual. I was teaching the passive tense to a private student yesterday. He is joining the police academy and will be using the passive tense to write up his reports.

Change in to passive voice ?

@englishwithpr This is so true! Switching from basic to corporate-ready language makes a huge difference in meetings. My learners feel much more confident after practicing these.

In meetings and emails, your words = your impression. 💯 Don't sound basic… sound corporate-ready. Upgrade your vocabulary. Upgrade your communication. 🚀 Follow for daily corporate English upgrades ✨ {corporate english, business english, workplace...

@AAlfeleej Love these food idioms! “Piece of cake” is one of my favorites because it always brings a smile in class. My students light up when they start using them naturally.

Want your English to sound natural, not textbook? 🍽️ Native speakers love food idioms. Here are 9 you can start using today: Drop these into your daily speech and watch how much smoother your English flows. Which one is your favorite? 👇 #EnglishLearning #ESL #Vocabulary #LearnEnglish #TEFL

@AlexAndBooks_ Amazon allowing AI books was the beginning of the end.

We went from 100,000 new eBooks a month to 300,000. Basically 2 out of 3 new books are now AI slop.

@Learn_Genius Yes! This is the easiest way to level up. Trade in those basic, overused words for higher level, more specific ones. That is the difference between A2 and B1.

Stop saying "Very"

@crsanchezx I have lived in Mexico, El Salvador, and Nicaragua. Mexico is by far my favorite because its so large it has so much diversity in its geography. I am so interested in visiting Cuba but even my Cuban students say not to go right now. Hopefully one day!

¿En qué países de LATAM NO deberías vivir? [Última versión 2026] D (Aún aceptable) • Costa Rica • Uruguay • Panamá • Chile C (Regular) • Colombia • México • Brasil • Perú B (Trampa) ↓↓

@ESLWebinars This is a struggle for so many students. I have students with advanced degrees and who are incredibly intelligent - but are frustrated by their English levels. It is a reality that A1 or A2 English is going to limit you in so many ways. You have to level up.

Imagine communicating complex ideas in Japanese with the fluency of a native, only to be limited to A2 English. That was the reality for a brilliant student in 2005. True learning happens when you can express your full potential. #LanguageLearning #Communication

This is such a generous offer. However, most students will not be able to learn English - or any language - on their own. Languages require authentic interaction. That is why apps like Duolingo don't actually work. I would advise anyone wanting to learn to get the course - but find a tutor to walk your through it.

CURSOS DE INGLÉS PARA SACARSE EL A1, A2, B1, B2, C1, C2 EN 3 MESES Comenta un emoji y te lo mando al DM

@USEmbassyMEX This is exciting to see! I live in Veracruz myself, which has less English speakers than the big, touristy cities like Cancun. I would love to see initiatives like this in Boca del Rio.

¡El futuro del sur de México, es bilingüe 🇺🇸🇲🇽! La Facilitadora Atenea de Access Chiapas nos da un ejemplo de cómo el inglés ha cambiado las oportunidades de los estudiantes en su comunidad. #RELOporElSur

I teach students from South Korea in the early mornings. Not difficult to see why. Every kid spends all day at school and goes to 3-4 academies after school - in addition to private English classes with me. I try to make it as fun as possible because the pressure put on them for academics is insane. Not to mention the cost of all the extra academies and classes.

Los países con las tasas de fertilidad más bajas del mundo: (en nacimientos por mujer) 1. 🇹🇼 Taiwán: 0,75 2. 🇰🇷 Corea del Sur: 0,77 3. 🇲🇴 Macao: 0,73 4. 🇭🇰 Hong Kong: 0,75 5. 🇸🇬 Singapur: 0,90 6. 🇲🇹 Malta: ~1,08 7. 🇪🇸 España: ~1,12 8. 🇨🇱 Chile: ~1,13 9. 🇮🇹 Italia: ~1,20 10. 🇱🇹 Lituania / 🇯🇵 Japón: ~1,21

@Budgetdog_ Degrees are way less important than marketable skills already with remote work and companies hiring worldwide. We live in Mexico. If you speak English, you are guaranteed a decent job. No one cares if you even went to high school.

More important than ever to get out of the old way of thinking that you’ll have a job because of a piece of paper. Develop skillsets. Become valuable. Not a button puncher. Or keyboard stroker. Fast. AI will wipe out what we know today. This will be a positive long term. But those that don’t take this advice are in for a world of hurt short term.

@Daractenus I can’t say that I blame them. If you work online, living abroad is attractive. I’ve been abroad for 15 years now and no plans to go back to the USA ever. I’ve often wondered about those $1 abandoned homes in little villages in Italy.

For the first time in recorded history, there are more Americans moving to Europe than Europeans moving to the United States.

@LanguageSuccess Great post! 👍 Disagreeing professionally is key in US Business English. Try: "I see your point, however I think we could also consider..." This keeps relationships strong with managers/clients.

Useful #English 🎯 Find out how Americans disagree at work without “burning bridges” — especially with managers, clients, and senior colleagues. This week’s post gives you practical phrases, mini-dialogues, and quizzes to help you push back professionally. #BusinessEnglish

She could easily hire an actual teacher to come into the house to take care of and teach the kids with that salary. If she found another family a similar situation they could form their own mini-daycare with a qualified teacher. I don’t know why more people don’t do this. The daycare worker is probably making $12 an hour. All the money is going to the owner.

this woman is spending $66k/year on daycare for her 4 kids WHY DON’T PEOPLE JUST GET A NANNY

@PlanBpassport I used to teach at the American School San Salvador and the students are definitely the richest in the country. It costs over $1,000 USD a month to go there. That being said - their English level is amazing and the facilities as well - if you can afford it.

If you think you can't move to El Salvador because of kids' school, here is class of '26 of Escuela Americana in El Salvador and their college choices