Do you use "I want" for everything in English? There's nothing wrong with it, but in some situations it can sound too direct or even demanding. In this episode of Coffee Break English, Nick introduces 6 natural alternatives that help you make polite requests and talk more precisely about your hopes, plans, ideas and preferences. He also explains when "I want" is exactly the right choice. Don't forget to download the free "I want" alternatives cheat sheet for extra examples and practice: click here to access it now.

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Do you ever find yourself freezing in English because you need a moment to think? In this episode of Coffee Break English, Nick shares 8 simple phrases that help you keep a conversation flowing while you organise your thoughts, including everyday expressions like "let me think", "actually", "the thing is" and "well". By the end you'll have a small toolkit to fall back on when you're not quite sure what to say next.

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Click here to find out more about our brand new Practical English Real Life mini-course starting on 1st October. It's packed with 99 phrases which will help you cope with real-life conversations.

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Native English speakers react to each other constantly with short phrases like "No way!", "Fair enough" and "What a nightmare", but you rarely find them in a textbook. In this episode, Nick teaches twelve of these natural reactions, grouped into surprise, agreement and sympathy, and explains how your intonation can completely change the feeling of the same few words. There's a quick practice section too, so you can try them out straight away.

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Click here to find out more about our brand new Practical English Real Life mini-course starting on 1st October. It's packed with 99 phrases which will help you cope with real-life conversations.

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Do you often describe everything as 'good', 'nice' or 'interesting'? In this episode, Nick shares two simple techniques that will instantly help your English sound more expressive, natural and confident: describing the experience rather than the object, and describing how something made you feel. You'll hear plenty of everyday phrases you can start using straight away, in conversations, on holiday, in meetings and beyond.

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➡️ To receive regular free mini-lessons like this straight to your inbox, visit: https://coffeebreaklanguages.kit.com/newsletter

Click here to find out more about our brand new Practical English Real Life mini-course starting on 1st October. It's packed with 99 phrases which will help you cope with real-life conversations.

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"I think" is one of the most overused phrases in English, and it can make you sound less sure of yourself than you really are. In this episode, Nick shares three simple strategies to help you speak with more confidence: when to remove it, how to upgrade it, and when to keep it.

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➡️ To receive regular free mini-lessons like this straight to your inbox, visit: https://coffeebreaklanguages.kit.com/newsletter

Click here to find out more about our brand new Practical English Real Life mini-course starting on 1st October. It's packed with 99 phrases which will help you cope with real-life conversations.

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In this episode of Coffee Break English, Nick shares 7 natural English phrases that help you sound more fluent in conversations and in exams like IELTS. You'll learn simple but powerful expressions that help you respond naturally, connect your ideas clearly and summarise with confidence. So grab a coffee and join us for another Coffee Break English lesson. ☕️

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➡️ To receive regular free mini-lessons like this straight to your inbox, visit:https://coffeebreaklanguages.kit.com/newsletter

Click here to find out more about our brand new Practical English Real Life mini-course starting on 1st October. It's packed with 99 phrases which will help you cope with real-life conversations.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Coffee Break English, Nick shows you what to say when you can't remember a word. It happens to everyone, and the good news is you don't need the exact word to keep talking. You'll learn how to describe an idea in simpler words, how to keep your language clear and easy, and a few natural phrases that buy you time to think. With these three simple strategies, you can stay calm and keep speaking with confidence.

➡️ Click here to watch the video version of this episode and find a free worksheet in the comments section.

➡️ To receive regular free mini-lessons like this straight to your inbox, visit:https://coffeebreaklanguages.kit.com/newsletter

Click here to find out more about our brand new Practical English Real Life mini-course starting on 1st October. It's packed with 99 phrases which will help you cope with real-life conversations.

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In this episode of Coffee Break English, Nick shows you how to sound more professional at work, without any difficult grammar. You'll learn simple ways to upgrade everyday phrases, like turning "I think" into "it seems", so you can feel more confident in meetings, emails and conversations with colleagues.

➡️ Click here to watch the video version of this episode.

➡️ To receive regular free mini-lessons like this straight to your inbox, visit: https://coffeebreaklanguages.kit.com/newsletter

Click here to find out more about our brand new Practical English Real Life mini-course starting on 1st October. It's packed with 99 phrases which will help you cope with real-life conversations.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Do you ever feel lost when listening to English because you missed one important word? The good news is that you don't need to understand every word to follow the message. In this episode, Nick shares three simple listening strategies, plus a bonus tip, to help you feel calmer and more confident next time you listen to spoken English.

➡️ Click here to watch the video version of this episode.

➡️ To practise these strategies step by step, take a look at the Skills Boost listening lessons on Coffee Break TV: https://coffeebreaktv.com/programs/collection-t1mxuaqmw-8

Click here to find out more about our brand new Practical English Real Life mini-course starting on 1st October. It's packed with 99 phrases which will help you cope with real-life conversations.

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Can you name all 9 English modal verbs? In this fast-paced episode of Coffee Break English, Nick gives you a clear overview of all of them: must, should, can, could, will, would, shall, might and may. You'll learn what each one means and how to use it, in just 5 minutes.

🎧 Want to take your learning further? Check out our "A Coffee Break With…" series on modal verbs on Coffee Break TV, where we explore each modal verb in more depth with examples and guided practice.

➡️ Click here to watch the video version of this episode.

➡️ To receive regular free mini-lessons like this straight to your inbox, visit: https://coffeebreaklanguages.kit.com/newsletter

Click here to find out more about our brand new Practical English Real Life mini-course starting on 1st October. It's packed with 99 phrases which will help you cope with real-life conversations.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Nick guides you through four reading strategies you probably already use in your own language and shows you how to use them in English. From reading for the gist to skimming, scanning and slowing down for detail, each one helps you read more confidently and find what you need faster. Which one will you try first?

➡️ Click here to watch the video version of this episode.

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Click here to find out more about our brand new Practical English Real Life mini-course starting on 1st October. It's packed with 99 phrases which will help you cope with real-life conversations.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.