Today’s live class is all about the subjunctive in English: how we use past verb forms to talk about wishes, regrets, preferences, and unreal or hypothetical situations. I break down key phrases like it’s time, I wish, if only, I’d rather, and as if/as though, and look at how they actually work in real conversations. You’ll see the difference between present vs past wishes, common mistakes (like was vs were), and how to sound more natural when expressing complaints, desires, or hypotheticals.

In this episode, I’m joined by Vitória Tamarindo, an English teacher from Brazil! You can follow her here: @teachervitoriatamarindo https://www.instagram.com/teachervitoriatamarindo/We talk about all sorts of things from where we live and life changes, to hobbies, her backgrounds in English, the role of music and pop culture in language acquisition, and the specific methodologies we use in our online classrooms to help students move past the basics.00:00 – Introduction04:23 – Rural life vs. city07:25 – Living in Chile12:20 – Getting into teaching15:35 – Music and pronunciation18:15 – Student-led topics24:55 – Lexical approach explained29:42 – Improvisation and games34:40 – Pre-tasks and learning

"Why am I learning this?" If you’ve ever asked that while staring at a grammar chart, this video is for you.

Most intermediate and advanced English learners know how to conjugate verbs, but they struggle to use them in real conversations. In this episode, we’re moving away from the textbook and into the real world. I’m walking you through all the major English tenses with practical, funny, and slightly ridiculous examples. Watching this video and taking away a new, highly relevant way that you can use one of these tenses is a win in my book!

Remember that tenses are tools for you to be more precise when you speak and say things in a way that's closer to your intention. We learn grammar to help us with real life situations.

Which verb tense is still hard for you to wrap your head around? Let me know in the comments!

Here's my website for classes: charmenglish.cl

Are you stuck on the intermediate plateau, or struggling to keep up with fast-talking native speakers? In this episode, I break down the mindset shifts and practical tools needed to move toward advanced English fluency.

In this episode, we cover:

Grammar as a Functional Tool: Why we use the Present Perfect for "catching up" and how the Past Perfect acts as the "past of the past." We use a specific (and slightly dramatic) crime scene example to show how these tenses clarify when things actually happened.

The Power of Listening: Why a few months of consistent podcast listening during your commute can create a very obvious difference in your ability to understand connected speech.

Identity & Speaking Fluency: Why your personality might feel different in English and how "playing" with a new persona can help introverted learners lower their inhibitions.

Mistakes: Why staying in your "safe zone" prevents growth and how to treat every error as a hypothesis for learning.

Subscribe for more insights on psycholinguistics, etymology, and practical English tips!

Check out my website at charmenglish.app :)

In this episode, I break down one of the most confusing parts of English: phrasal verbs. Why does bring up mean “mention”? What does hang out have to do with hanging?

I explain why phrasal verbs feel so random (and why they actually do have a bit of logic to them), why avoiding them can hold you back, and how they add nuance and naturalness to your English. Instead of memorizing endless lists, I show you how phrasal verbs are part of a system built on patterns, especially the meaning of particles like up, out, and off.

We also look at what phrasal verbs really are, how they’re different from prepositional verbs, and simple tests you can use to tell them apart. Plus, I walk you through the three main types of meaning, from literal to fully idiomatic, and how these meanings evolve over time.

The goal is to help you stop seeing phrasal verbs as random chaos and start seeing them as something logical, learnable, and even interesting.

Sign up for B1 and B2 speaking-focused English classes at charmenglish.app :)

In this English lesson, I explain several common phrasal verbs in English and how the small particles in phrasal verbs (off, out, up, over) change the meaning. Phrasal verbs are extremely common in everyday English, but they can be confusing for English learners because small words can completely change the meaning of the verb.

In this episode, we look at phrasal verbs such as shy away from, cool down, cool off, dry off, dry out, dry up, hand in, hand out, hand over, back up, back off, and back out. I explain the meaning of each phrasal verb, the differences between similar expressions, and how they are used in natural conversation.

You’ll also learn helpful patterns for understanding phrasal verbs more easily. For example, off often relates to surfaces or separation, out can indicate something leaving or becoming empty, up can signal completion or support, and over often suggests transfer or control. Understanding these patterns can make it much easier to learn and remember new phrasal verbs.

This lesson is ideal for intermediate (or higher level) english learners who want to expand their vocabulary, improve their listening skills, and sound more natural when speaking English.

If you want to improve your English vocabulary and better understand phrasal verbs in everyday English, this episode will help you learn how these expressions work in real conversations.

Want to join me in a small group class to practice your English? Sign up here! https://CharmEnglish.app

In this live class, I taught reporting verbs, not just reported speech, but the verbs we use to explain what someone said. These verbs are especially useful in storytelling, conversations, and news contexts.

We started with verbs followed by the to-infinitive when the subject does not change, such as agree, demand, offer, promise, refuse, threaten, and claim. For example, “He agreed to come” or “She promised to help.” These verbs describe someone’s own action.

Then we looked at verbs that require an object + to-infinitive, such as advise, allow, ask, beg, command, encourage, forbid, instruct, invite, order, permit, remind, urge, warn, and want. These involve one person influencing another, like “She reminded me to pay the bill” or “He warned me not to touch it.”

Next, we covered reporting verbs followed by gerunds (-ing), which often express emotion or reaction. These include accuse someone of doing something, apologize for doing something, admit to doing something, boast about doing something, complain about doing something, deny doing something, insist on doing something, suggest doing something, and recommend doing something. We also clarified important differences, especially between deny and refuse.

We discussed how many reporting verbs can also be followed by a that-clause, such as “He claimed that he knew the answer.” I explained backshifting in reported speech, noting that changing the tense to the past is usually the safest option, but keeping the present tense is acceptable when the statement is still true.

Throughout the class, we practiced transforming direct speech into reported speech using different structures. We focused on common challenges, such as choosing between infinitives and gerunds, remembering prepositions, and deciding when to backshift.

At the end, I shared advice on learning gerunds:

• Use gerunds as subjects (“Swimming is fun.”)

• Use them as objects (“I enjoy reading.”)

• Use them after prepositions and phrasal verbs (“I gave up smoking.”)

We wrapped up by emphasizing consistent practice and remembering that small mistakes are part of the learning process as we build confidence with these patterns.