For more about Christmas, and opportunities to improve English reading and listening through learning about the holiday, click here for our Christmas page.
BUSINESS ENGLISH TIPS
Click the following links for useful tips: 35 Important Business Words Basic Business English Video English for Business & Management 
Cabin: a small one-story simple building, usually built with wood and simple (a small house)
Stir-crazy (adj.): A feeling that, after being in just one place for a long time, we want to go out and move around. We can’t stand staying in one place, we feel we must go somewhere. Restless (adj): Similar to stir-crazy. A desire to move around when we have not or cannot Claustrophobic: (幽闭恐惧症) An actual psychological condition when we cannot stand being in a close or tight place. It can be a serious medical condition, but in everyday life, it usually just refers to an uncomfortable feeling when in a small place. CABIN FEVER IN CHINA
Most of us in China are wisely staying at home during this challenging time of the corona virus. We must do our part to keep the virus from spreading. As much as possible, we stay inside, and when we do need to go out, we wear a mask. But staying inside for a long time may cause another condition: Cabin fever. Cabin fever, although it can describe an actual serious condition, usually simply refers to the feeling we have when we are inside one place for too long. The Merriam-Webster online dictionary defines cabin fever as extreme irritability and restlessness from living in isolation or a confined indoor area for a prolonged time. We have all been inside for a long time. We can’t go see our friends (except on WeChat), we cannot go to the shopping mall, our favorite restaurant, or the cinema, and for most of us, we cannot go to work or school. We are restless. I know I am. The longer this thing lasts, the more stir-crazy I feel. Some people even feel claustrophobic. How can we deal with cabin fever? Being confined to our homes is not really such a bad thing. First, most people are spending more time than usual with their families. Secondly, we have technology to not only keep up with the latest information about coronavirus, but also to connect with each other and to go places online (like when you opened this site). Imagine if this happened 30 or 40 years ago? We would really be stir-crazy! Now, we can stay connected, and you can improve your English by just looking around this website. This is a great time to do this. So, Cabin Fever has a cure: View your time of isolation, not as a struggle, but as an opportunity; a chance to enjoy your family, and an opportunity to improve your English, even more than you would if you were attending classes. Look around this website, Lovin’ English, and find all kinds of sources to help you improve your English. After the coronavirus is over, you will leave your cabin with much better English skills than when you went in. No excuses, start now, improve your English! 
Easy to find on Taobao and in bookstores. Give one to all of your friends who love English
Do you know the English names for all of the animals pictured above? If not, then you must look at the Animal English Names book pictured on the far right, even if you are not a child! Click here for this free book. Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!
Welcome to
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WHAT'S WITH THE APPLE?
When my Chinese friends gave me apples for my first Christmas in China, 1998, I was puzzled. Don't get me wrong; I thought it was really nice, but I didn't understand what apples had to do with Christmas. My friends were equally surprised to learn that outside of China, apples are not part of the Christmas tradition. When someone finally explained the meaning of the Christmas apples in China, was was delighted.
First, I was delighted just to know China had its own Christmas tradition. This is not a copy of something in western countries. Christmas apples are uniquely Chinese. I was also happy to learn the meaning of 平安 on the apples. Chinese friends explained that Christmas eve is called Ping'an Ye, and it is related to the popular Christmas song, "Silent Night, Holy Night." Holy, because it is a celebration of the birth of Christ. And, of course, "ping" in Ping;An Ye sounds like the ping in the Chinese word for apple. Since understanding the unique 
We in China were the first to experience the awful coronavirus epidemic. We have been through it together (well, actually separated from each other), we know what it feels like, we have stayed inside, worn facemasks, and encouraged each other. We are experienced. For the rest of the world, this is something new. They are shocked and they do not always know how to handle it well. If you have friend in other countries, this is a great opportunity for you to help them and practice your English. Send them an email, text, or WeChat message and encourage them, just like we have been encouraging each other here in China. Use your English to help them through the difficult time and offer advice on staying safe and healthy.
PRACTICE ENGLISH READING
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Christmas 2020 or Christmas 2021?Christmas banners all over China say, "Christmas 2021," but in most western countries, this is still Christmas 2020. One week after Christmas is New Years Day, and we will all say "Happy New Year 2021!" So, the Chinese way of connecting Christmas with New Year makes sense. Just don't be surprised when your western friends say "Christmas 2020." Maybe this year, they prefer 2021 because we all know 2020 has been a difficult year, but, I want to say...
...2020 is a great year!
Humans are not just passive "things" with no control of our attitudes and actions. We choose our own attitudes and we even choose some of the things that happen. IF your English improved in 2020, you had a great year! If your English did not improve yet this year, you are not hopeless. You still have a few days left of 2020, so go ahead, explore this site, find the resources that will help you quickly improve your English, and finish 2020 happy with your English improvement. You can do it!
LEARN TO COMMUNICATE IN ENGLISH ABOUT CORONAVIRUS These are challenging times in China. This is also a time when clear communication is very important, especially when talking to your English-speaking friends. Poor English communication skills may lead some people to panic or even to dislike China, or on the other hand, it may lead some people to being careless and not protecting themselves and others from the deadly disease. One of the best ways to learn how to correctly communicate, in English, is to read about it in English. Here are some recent pieces you can read to improve your ability to communicate about this in English (some may require a VPN to open):
1. Here is a good English article for explaining how to protect yourself from the virus. click here 2. Someone very creatively put Fight the Virus into an English song. Click. (If it will not open, try here click) 3. Worried About Coronavirus? An interesting perspective on having peace of mind during the corona crisis. Click here. 4. China Daily; 5 questions about coronavirus. Click here. 5. China Daily: Trump offers to help. Click here. 
AN EXCELLENT OPPORTUNITY TO IMPROVE YOUR ENGLISH english.chat is a WeChat based group where you can enjoy English articles and join conversations. Join this group, which even includes native English speakers, by scanning the QR code above.
IMPROVE CREATIVE WRITING PRACTICE READING
Maybe you already know the idiom, kill two birds with one stone, which means to accomplish two things with one action. The idiom can be applied to improving both English reading and English writing improvement.
Students ask me for advice for improving their English creative writing skills. Although I could list many techniques, the most effective way to improve your English creative writing skills is very simple: Read good stuff! As they say, what goes in, comes out. In other words, what we feed into our brain is what we will produce. If we fill our brains with garbage, garbage will come out. And frankly, a lot of English writing, especially in the media, is garbage. On the other hand, there are some excellent writings out there. I want to recommend my favorite, C.S. Lewis. To be an excellent English creative writer, fill your brain with books by authors like C.S. Lewis. His best known writings are a fantasy fiction series called The Chronicles of Narnia (納尼亞傳奇). He was an amazingly intelligent creative writer. My favorite book in the series is The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, but the whole series is excellent. One of the things that makes Lewis a unique author is that he successfully wrote both fiction and non-fiction, a rare skill. I recommend anything written by him. You want to improve your skills for English creative writing this winter. First, search online sources for The Chronicles of Narnia. And then find a comfortable place to relax and read. You will be amazed at how quickly your writing skills improve! 
HOW DO YOU WANT TO IMPROVE YOUR ENGLISH TODAY? CLICK YOUR CHOICE
I want to improve my English listening I want to improve my English speaking I want to improve my English grammar I want to practice my English reading I want to learn about culture I want to know which movies to watch I want to learn about holidays I want to learn how to pass exams I want to learn giving directions I want resources for going abroad A FREE CHRISTMAS GIFT FOR YOU FROM LOVIN' ENGLISH! Our newest book, Learning Animal English Names, is suitable for all ages and English levels. You can read it on your computer, or print it as a gift to your friends. To receive this free book in PDF format, click here.
You want to practice speaking English and you have a friend who is willing to practice together with you, but you don't know what to talk about. Right?
Help is here. We have ideas that will work for you! Click for Dynamic English Conversations Practice 
RESOURCES
Do you ever make English mistakes? What a silly question! Of course, everybody makes mistakes. The real question is this: Do you want to correct your English mistakes? If your answer is "yes," go to our English Mistakes page. 
美国老师Are you looking for a fun gift for your friends and family members who want to improve their skills for communicating with other cultures? Give them a book they will love: 美国老师教你跨文化交流！
Do your friends want to improve their English writing skills? Then you can give them a copy of 美国老师教你写出好英文.
BILINGUAL READING One of the most practical ways to improve English skills is to read bilingual articles. Of course, you have to read both languages, not just the Chinese. Here are some free samples you may like to try: Bilingual Bikes in Paris click here Bilingual Fast food & Exercise click here Bilingual Spiritual Laws click here Bilingual iPhone apps click here What scientists say about Evolution: To read this one bilingually, download both the Chinese and English editions. For the English book, click here For the Chinese book, click here 
BEAUTIFUL RAINBOW OVER BEIJING SKY
EVERY DAY, EVEN IF YOU ARE BUSY: READ SOMETHING IN ENGLISH. LISTEN TO SOMETHING IN ENGLISH. SAY SOMETHING IN ENGLISH.
Did you say something today in English? Did you write something in English today?
If not, what are you waiting for? If you really want to improve, you must say and write something in English every day. Start right now. 
If you have a conversation in English with someone from another country, can you effectively use English to describe your favorite places in China?
If not, make sure you can, then it will be easier to make international friends! The more international friends you have, the more chances you have to practice and improve your English! 
Do you really want to improve your English communication skills? Have you ever considered learning online with a real native English-speaker? A truly effective online lesson is not cheap, but if you can afford it, the time and money spent are very much worth it. If you are thinking about making this investment, check out www.englishnotchinglish.weebly.com.
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Working to help Chinese people communicate cross-culturally in English
To learn to speak like a native English speaker, to quickly improve your spoken English, to overcome Chinglish...
READ: 美国老师教你说出好英文 Michael Knapp 中国机械工业出版社 ISBN: 978-7-11-32954-1 Click here to read articles written by the author, published on eBeijing, the Beijing government's official English website. |
DON'T LOOK AT THIS WEB SITE unless you really want to become an excellent communicator in English with international people!
Lots of people in China are "good" at English but have difficulty communicating cross-culturally. They can pass exams and memorize thousands of English words, but their English oral communication skills are not so good. Communication is not just learning words. Effective communication, especially cross-cultural communication, consists of both language and culture. Are you satisfied with your present level of spoken English? Do you really want to improve? Are you willing to radically change your methods of learning English? If you are willing, this book is for you. |
To order these books online or find them in your local bookstore, you'll need to use the Chinese title.
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NOW, WHAT DO YOU WANT TO DO WITH YOUR ENGLISH?
If you want to practice reading English, click here If you want to prepare to go abroad, click here If you want to correct English mistakes, click here If you want to improve your English listening, click here If you want to learn more about holidays, click here If you want to improve your oral English skills, read 美国老师教你说出好英文 Contact Lovin' English at: [email protected] |
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