Hello and welcome to the first installment of the Englishcafe Blog! My name is Jennifer, one of the teachers at Englishcafe, and I will be updating the blog with relevant posts in English.
The posts will include commentary on the Topic of the Month, funny moments in Englishcafe classes, perhaps some photos or videos, as well as some slang/colloquial expressions to incorporate into your English vocabulary, and more! If you have any suggestions or recommendations for what you would like to see in the blog posts, please send an email to jennifer@englishcafe.es.
Idiomatic expression of the week
out of the blue
Definition: unexpectedly, surprisingly, randomly
“Yesterday I saw my old friend Sarah out of the blue at the supermarket.”
“Out of the blue, the woman and her husband began to dance in the middle of the town center.”
Phrasal verb of the week
to chill out
Definition: to relax or become calm, especially after an active state
“After a tiring day at work, I just want to chill out at home with dinner and a movie.”
“Danny told Jessica to chill out because she was getting very angry that Real Madrid was losing the soccer match.”
February´s Topic of the Month is “Daily Life Situations and Problems”. These can include asking for the menu at a restaurant, buying tickets at the cinema, going to the airport, etc. This week I will introduce some useful phrases for when you’re eating out at a restaurant.
“May I see the menu, please?”
“Do you have any special recommendations?” (“What is the chef’s special today?”)
“I would like to order ______.”, “I’ll have_______.”
“Would it be possible to substitute _______ for _________?”
“I think my food isn’t hot enough. Could it be reheated, please?”
“Excuse me, where is the restroom/bathroom/water closet?”
“How much does____ cost?”
“May/could we have the bill/check, please?”
“Does this restaurant accept credit cards?”
“Could we split the check half and half?”
“Thank you very much for the great/delicious/amazing.”
“I was not satisfied with my meal. Could I speak with your manager, please?”
“Would it be possible to get a refund?”
Thank you for reading! I hope you have learned some new expressions to incorporate into your English vocabulary. Don’t forget to check the blog next week for another fun and educational post from Englishcafe!
