They shouldn't be blurry. Maybe its your internet speed? Is there a particular part that's blurry?

Thanks for the kind comment!

The more proficient you get at listening, the more you will be able to interpret thought by thought.

Thanks for the kind words. I will be making more videos, I am just slow at it because I do it when I have time in my work schedule. If you have any suggestions for future videos, please let me know!

Thank you, Maria. I'm glad you found the video helpful.

Yes, Caribou Coffee is more of a Midwest chain of coffee shops in the United States. It started in my home state of Minnesota. Although, unexpectedly, I did find a Caribou in central Turkey when I lived there. I guess they have shops in the Middle East, too. Thanks for watching!

Yes, culture is probably the most important thing in understanding American idioms. The more you understand the culture, the more you understand the idioms. And the more you understand the idioms, the more you'll understand the culture (and the way Americans think), too! Thanks for watching!

Thank you for the kind comment. I hope the video helps. I have many more videos like this in the American Idioms playlist. I know idioms can be difficult, but if you understand where they come from, they will get easier to understand!

Thanks very much for your kind comments. This was originally a training session I did for faculty and administration at our school. Then a faculty member asked if she could use it in her classes, so I made it into this recording. I'm glad it's useful!

Thank you for noticing that! It is just a mistake I made. The last two numbers on the slide (2000s and 2010s) should be with "Decades" not "Centuries." You are correct, for centuries, the 2000s should be 2000-2099. However, since we are still in that century, when Americans say "the 2000s" now, they mean the decade (2000-2009).

@@HowToEnglish2020 I see... tks for elaboration !👍

Thank you very much for the kind words, Sebastiano. And thank you for the greetings from Italy. It is a beautiful country. I was fortunate to visit it once. I will be making more videos regularly from now on. Are there any topics you would like to see videos on in the future?

@@HowToEnglish2020 Good evening teacher, thanks for your answer. Excuse me, I don't know what it's called. If you have been to Italy you have tasted good Italian espresso and pizza of course! I live in Sicily (South Italy). As for me, I learn English for work purposes. I teach Aikido (a Japanese martial art) at a US military base. I'm curious about American culture for this reason I find your videos very interesting. I watched your videos "How to use a dictionary" and "How to preview reading a textbook"... Thanks for your advice. Right now I'm reading several books in English, and an interesting topic is how to learn to take notes while reading a book and how to use a dictionary. In detail, it is better to write unknown words when I am reading (In the margin of the book, on a separate sheet, or in a notebook in alphabetical order?). May I read only one page and underlined unfamiliar words and then research their meaning? Do you recommend reading aloud? I use two dictionary books: LONGMAN (is simple to use) and Merrian Webster (advanced learners) and as you suggest Oxford American Dictionary online. Last but not least, how do you suggest learning Irregular Verbs? Soon I write about other topics. Thanks for now.

Happy New Year, Sebastiano. I would love to visit Sicily. My wife and I visited Scauri and Rome, and yes, we had good espresso and pizza. We were fortunate to be able to stay with the family of a friend, and their home cooking was the best. That's great that you teach Akido on base. I'm a US military veteran, so I hope you have good experiences with the military members on base. For reading and vocabulary, I normally recommend that learners first read a whole page (or chapter) without stopping. That way, you get the context better. The best place to get the meaning of the words is from the context. If you can't get the meaning from the context, then re-read the page (or chapter) and underline/highlight the unknown vocabulary you think is useful/important (usually if a word is repeated 2 or more times, it is useful). After you finish re-reading, then look up the words in a dictionary and try to find the meaning that fits best in the context of the reading). You can write the meaning in the margin or above/below the word. Then, re-read it a third time and try to remember the meaning as you read. Also, for reading aloud, it's really helpful to find an audio recording of the book and read + listen at the same time. The hardest part of English is the spelling + pronunciation, so if you can listen and read at the same time, that will help you to learn how the vocabulary is spelled and pronounced (also, listening will help you to remember the vocabulary better). After reading and listening, then you can try to listen and read out loud. For irregular verbs, the best way to learn them is just to read a lot and watch movies/series, that way you can learn them in context. For example, find a book that is written in a past tense perspective, so that most of the verbs will be in the past tense. Then, pay attention to the verb forms as you read, especially the ones that don't end in -d or -ed. I hope that makes sense and helps.

@@HowToEnglish2020 Thank you teacher for your suggestions, I wish you and your family a beautiful year too. I didn't know "Scauri" place in Italy, I found it today on the map. I will respond in detail in the next few days. Many thanks. Have a good day

Thanks, Rajesh. Past participle, present participle, or both? Is there a specific reason you would like to learn more about participles?

@@HowToEnglish2020 Perhaps both. I find it confusing.

Thank you, Rajesh, I will try to do that this semester.

Thanks for the kind feedback. Are there any specific videos you would like?

Octothorpe didn't come around until many many years after the # began being used. It's not the correct term. It's just one of many correct terms (pound sign, hashtag, number sign, etc).

Thank you for letting me know.

Thanks for the kind words.

Lovely. Well done!